100th Legislative Session 2025 – Week 6 by Rep. Mike Weisgram (R- Fort Pierre) (Feb. 28, 2025)
As February comes to a close, I wanted to provide a brief recap of the past week’s activity in the House of Representatives.
The reconsideration of the vote to transfer money from the general fund to the incarceration construction fund lost by one vote on Monday. This sent a strong message to Governor Rhoden that there needs to be a reset in establishing the need for a new prison facility, understanding of the facts of costs and location options, and bringing together a new task force of current legislators, consultants, and executive branch officials to bring consensus of how we go forward.
While I have not personally toured the men’s prison, I have spoken at length to my fellow legislators who have. They paint a very dismal and almost inhumane conditions that prisoners and security staff endure every day. I applaud the attitude and spirit of our Governor to examine the facts, lesson the emotion, and work together to find a solution that a substantial majority can embrace. There is no perfect solution, but we must find one that addresses both humane incarceration conditions and robust rehabilitation programs. These programs are essential to helping incarcerated individuals return to their families and to a path of personal pride and success. I am praying that we can achieve this.
Given the current legislative landscape and the nature of the bills we’re facing, it’s a significant victory when we can successfully defeat harmful legislation. One such bill was HB 1186, which sought to eliminate the “Future Fund,” a valuable economic and workforce development tool.
Established in 1987 and supported by South Dakota employers, the Future Fund has been instrumental in supporting a wide range of initiatives, including cheese plants, manufacturing facilities, Dakota Build scholarships, Ellsworth facilities, and research projects. While there has been recent criticism of Governor Noem’s use of the fund to support a Governor’s Cup Rodeo in Sioux Falls and the “Freedom Works Here” workforce recruitment campaign, I believe it remains a vital tool for the economic health and future of South Dakota.
I’m pleased we were able to defeat HB 1186 (32 yes, 38 no), so the positive use of the fund can go on and the state and the workforce can benefit from it.
There isn’t a day that goes by without an appropriations update to the budget process and the importance of restoring funding to the State Library, SDPB, and other crucial priorities. We consistently hear from constituents and state leaders about the need for these appropriations. Additionally, restoring funding to the graduate medical assistance program, which incentivizes medical students to practice in rural South Dakota, is a priority for myself and many other legislators.
Through my eight years of service on the Avera St. Mary’s Governing Board, the critical need to retain young medical professionals in our state became abundantly clear. I am optimistic that this funding will be included in the upcoming budget.
This week, I’ve been focusing on identifying positive initiatives we can pursue for South Dakota in the next session. I’ve reached out to other legislators and lobbyists to find common ground and areas of potential collaboration, rather than dwelling on past disagreements.
I’m always interested in your perspective. Please feel free to text or email me with your thoughts on how we can move South Dakota forward. Thank you for your time, and I look forward to seeing you next week.
–mw
Rep. Mike Weisgram with local residents at the State Capitol for Disability Awareness Day.
Courtesy photo.
100th Legislative Session 2025 – Week 6 by Rep. Mike Weisgram (R- Fort Pierre) (Feb. 21, 2025)
While it was a four-day week, it felt much longer. This was likely due to the legislative debates on topics that, in my view, don’t significantly improve South Dakota’s competitiveness, compassion, or overall well-being. I’ll try to keep this update positive, but I find that challenging given the nature of the bills we addressed.
This week’s bills included proposals to:
- Required candidates running for their local school board to declare a party affiliation.
- Prohibited the Board of Regents from making certain housing or meal plan requirements.
- Provide exemptions for certain vaccinations because of conscience.
- Prohibit unauthorized access to certain multi-occupancy rooms (changing rooms and restrooms).
- Require that drivers’ licenses reflect biological sex.
- Revise certain defenses for librarians for dissemination of material harmful to minors and obscenity.
I apologize if any of these topics are important to you and my perspective offends you. However, I believe these bills foster division and disregard existing policies and procedures that aim to maintain order and common sense. No system is perfect, but I don’t think we need drastic measures to address issues that could be resolved through civil discussion and a focus on improvement.
Perhaps the biggest disappointment was the House’s decision not to transfer funds from the general fund into the incarceration construction fund. This transfer would have set aside funds for future use and earned a higher interest rate. While it seemed like a sound business decision to me, it unfortunately didn’t pass. The debate on this bill strayed from the core issue (the transfer of funds) and focused on the proposed site of the new men’s prison. The bill lost by two votes and will be reconsidered on Monday.
Despite these challenges, the highlight of the week was engaging in thoughtful conversations with the diverse and talented individuals who make up our citizen legislature. I’m continually impressed by those who offer unique perspectives and life experiences.
Thank you for reading, and I appreciate the kind words of encouragement I received this week. I apologize for the brevity of this update; I’m feeling a bit drained. I’ll see you next week.
–mw
Rep. Mike Weisgram (District 24) with Rep. Tim Czmowski (District 6). Tim was recently appointed by Governor Rhoden.
Courtesy photo.
100th Legislative Session 2025 – Week 5 by Rep. Mike Weisgram (R- Fort Pierre)(Feb. 14, 2025)
As session wrapped up yesterday afternoon, I reflected on the differences between this year’s session and those of the past. This is my fifth year in the legislature (third term), and this session has a more contentious feel and negativity than others.
In my week two legislative update, I mentioned the methodical and discerning process that committees typically use to vet and determine the legitimacy of legislation. This year, however, committees seem to be passing out legislation that isn’t ready or that ignores the practicality and potential unintended consequences. This may be due to the makeup of the committees, as we have many new members serving who may be overly enthusiastic. I’m concerned that there is too much “group think” and not enough deliberation and consideration of the facts.
I’ve also never seen such an outright attack on public education. There have been considerably more education bills introduced this session than I can remember, covering a vast range of topics and touching on both primary and secondary education. Examples include proposals that would require school counselors to notify parents if a student discusses gender identity or sexual orientation, mandate the display of the Ten Commandments in every classroom, authorize chaplains in public schools, require curriculum on pregnancy and human development by the 3rd grade, and force the Board of Regents to abandon its on-campus housing policy for first and second-year students.
Most of these bills have been tabled or voted down, but some persist. There was even legislation proposed that would eliminate schools’ ability to lobby the legislature! As a legislator, I believe that advocating for public education is healthy and that it’s important to hear all the facts.
Governor Rhoden has shown leadership on the property tax issue by meeting with a work group of legislators to address public concerns. The proposed plan would cap the growth on the taxable value of owner-occupied homes at 3% a year for the next five years. This wouldn’t lower property tax bills, but would hopefully keep them in check. Property taxes are a critical funding source for counties and school districts, and there are not a lot of options to lower them. I’m impressed with the Governor’s leadership and respect for legislative input. He has also hinted at working on a compromise on the Property Rights/Eminent Domain issue.
Thank you for reading, and I’ll see you next week. – mw
District 24 Representative Will Mortenson, Reagan Taylor and District 24 Representative Mike Weisgram. Reagan is a second year page from Stanley County School and is the daughter of Donita and Jason Taylor.
Courtesy photo.
100th Legislative Session 2025 – Week 4 by Rep. Mike Weisgram (R- Fort Pierre) (Feb. 7, 2025)
It’s Friday after session and I am wrapping up my thoughts and checking my notes for the week. We just completed a five-day week, and the pace of bill hearings and floor activity is accelerating.
I won’t dwell on the most upsetting thing that happened this week, but I feel I must address it. One of our House members proposed legislation (HB 1224) to deny the Huron School District of any further appropriation through state aid to education. His reasoning, as I understand it, was to protest a bathroom policy that he perceived to allow biological boys to use the girls’ restrooms. This legislation caused a fire storm of controversy, which led him to withdraw the legislation and to his vice-chairmanship of the House Education committee to be revoked.
On another topic, we talk a lot about “local control” in the legislative body. There is strong sentiment that local control should be a foundational component on which we make decisions and vote. This is a shared mindset among legislators, until it’s intermittently abandoned for bills that dictate to communities what they must or must not do. Unfortunately, several bills came through this week when we, as a legislature, seemed to forget about the local expertise and good judgement of our school boards, city councils or commissions (i.e. local control). While I find this frustrating, I always return to showing my fellow lawmakers respect and communicating in a positive manner to why we have different opinions. My mother used to remind me that I am not always right, so I temper my emotions and look forward to the times we can reach an impactful consensus.
This week we also received the latest financial update on sales tax receipts. It isn’t encouraging. Unfortunately, it’s a very tough budget year, so while I advocate to restore current funding to the state library and SDPB, I must be honest with you, everything will be on the table. The appropriations committee and our caucus will have to make difficult decisions.
Regarding spending, I have gotten a few inquiries and opinions from constituents about the proposed prison construction, even though it is a hotter topic for citizens in the Sioux Falls area. This is a big deal as it is an 825-million-dollar investment. Yet, in my opinion, it is responsible to replace the old prison sooner than later. My reasons are as follows:
- It is undeniable that it will need to be replaced in the near future.
- One-time money from unclaimed property is available for this project (as previously allocated to the prison fund).
- The building costs will only continue to inflate the longer we wait.
As a legislature, we have never given the SD Department of Corrections a reason to not move forward with planning, preparing, and expending money to have architectural and engineering plans drawn up for site preparation. In fact, we’ve continued to fill the prison construction fund, session after session, with money, which undoubtably gave that department the indication that moving forward was prudent. The Department of Corrections may not have successfully communicated the proposed location of the new prison with residents in the area, but I don’t fault them for going forward. That discussion will come forward next week, and I expect lively, heated, and emotional testimonies… and hard votes for legislators.
All in all, it was a good week with a couple of bumps in the road. We are moving forward with the goal of doing our due diligence on proposed legislation and casting our votes appropriately. I choose to be optimistic and will do my best to do good things for South Dakota.
-mw
100th Legislative Session 2025 – Week 3, by Rep. Mike Weisgram (R- Fort Pierre) (Jan. 30, 2025)
It was a historic week for South Dakota as Governor Larry Rhoden was sworn in as our 34th governor on Monday, January 27th. His speech to the joint session of the Legislative Assembly took place on Tuesday the 28th and he was humble, honored, thankful, and gave us the sense of his principles that will be the foundation of his leadership for our state. I’ve had the pleasure of knowing Governor Rhoden since my early days as a legislator, and I appreciate his genuine, civil, and engaging persona. I’m excited for him to lead our state, especially with the excellent additions of Matt Michels as Senior Advisor and Counsel and Mackenzie Decker as Chief of Staff.
The selection of Tony Venhuizen as Lieutenant Governor was also outstanding. Having served with Tony in the House for the past two years, I’ve seen firsthand his unparalleled knowledge of legislation, budget processes, and state government. He was a tremendous asset to our House Appropriations Committee, and he will be sorely missed. It’s a fact, the longer you know Tony, the better you like and appreciate him.
Committee work this week was not overwhelming yet there were some memorable debates and votes on several issues. HB 1073 was in committee and on the floor this week. It’s a bill I introduced that involved a privacy issue that a friend and constituent brought up to me that we both felt should be addressed. The legislation would direct the Secretary of State’s office to not allow our email address and phone number to be given out from the result of registering to vote. If you received countless text messages and / or emails about campaigns soliciting donations or other personal information during the last election cycle, you know what we (my constituent and I) are concerned about and hopefully the passage of this bill will reduce that annoyance and danger. The bill passed out of committee and on the floor of the House this week but still has a long way to go as it goes to the Senate for their consideration. My constituent did a great job in his testimony and hopefully we have some momentum as it moves on to the next chamber. Remember that a bill needs to pass a House policy committee, the House floor, a Senate policy committee, the Senate floor, and hopefully earn the Governor’s signature before it can become law.
I’m writing this recap on Thursday, January 30th, in advance of our District 24 legislators’ annual Cracker-barrel event in Onida tomorrow. This question-and-answer session takes place each year in late January or early February. If last week’s Cracker-barrel in Highmore is any indication, we can expect a lively discussion. Topics such as displaying the Ten Commandments in schools, school vouchers (education savings accounts), proposed funding cuts to the State Library, and pipelines generated significant debate. We will also be on KCCR radio on Saturday morning for a question-and-answer session, followed by another Cracker-barrel at the Pierre Area Chamber of Commerce building later that morning. While these events can sometimes lead to passionate conversations, we genuinely value your input and opinions. They also provide us with an opportunity to explain our positions and the various factors that influence our decision-making.
I anticipate a busy week next week as my fellow legislators introduce several new bills. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or thoughts.
—mw
Representative Weisgram pictured with Olivia Olson who is serving as a House page. Daughter of Kim and Ryan Olson, Olivia attends school at ABO (Sully Buttes).
Courtesy photo.
100th Legislative Session 2025 – Week 2, by Rep. Mike Weisgram (R- Fort Pierre) (Jan. 24, 2025)
After the ceremonial opening last week of speeches from the governor, chief justice, and the tribal chairman, the legislature has begun the work of the 2025 session. I am serving on three committees; Commerce and Energy, Taxation, and Retirement Laws (as chairman). All three committees have met and begun evaluating legislation. The committee process is methodical, respectful, and thorough, producing a vetted document that goes for further consideration by the full House of Representatives. Bill proposals are introduced at a brisk pace. I tend to focus on the ones coming before me in committee and studying the ones that make it through committee hearings.
I am hearing from constituents on three main topics: restoring funding for the State Library and South Dakota Public Broadcasting, and several school voucher (education savings accounts) proposals that have been introduced. From teachers, county librarians, parents concerned about summer reading programs, and homeschool parents, they have expressed a desire to maintain State Library services. Constituents from all five counties in District 24 are very passionate about this issue. There are similar concerns about maintaining funding for South Dakota Public Broadcasting.
The Governor’s budget recommendations include reductions for both the State Library and South Dakota Public Broadcasting. Reversing these cuts will require collaboration with the appropriations committee and support from my fellow legislators. I intend to use my vote and influence to support funding for these entities at their current levels.
Regarding school voucher bills that have been introduced, I have a fundamental problem supporting them for a couple of reasons. Public funds generated by sales taxes and fees should not go towards alternative education options. I support a parent’s choice to educate their children through homeschooling or private education schools. However, since we fund public education with taxpayers’ money, those alternative choice expenses should be paid with private funds. Additionally, these school voucher bills will be costly and adversely affect our already stressed state budget.
For those who follow bill introductions online at sdlegislature.gov, I am the prime sponsor of HB 1073, HB 1050, HB 1057, and HB 1098 with a few more bills coming. If you’re interested or have any questions, I am happy to discuss these with you.
On Thursday, we held the annual memorial service for legislators who passed away in the previous year. I feel compelled to write a bit about Bernie Stoeser, who served in the House of Representative in the 1970’s and who I had the pleasure of knowing. He served in the legislature during the years I was attending NSU, and I definitely wasn’t paying attention to the workings of state government at that time. I did, however, have the opportunity to do business with him and his family years later. I always enjoyed his ready smile, his keen business sense, his pleasant personality, and the fact that we could do business on a handshake. He was a good man with sound judgement who raised a wonderful family and served his community and state very well.
Thank you for reading this legislative update. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions or comments.
–mw
Representative Weisgram working late on Friday afternoon (Jan. 24, 2025) as the security guard takes a candid snapshot.
Courtesy photo.
100th Legislative Session 2025 – Week 1, by Rep. Mike Weisgram (R- Fort Pierre)
Welcome back to my legislative column as week 1 of the 100th Session comes to a conclusion. As in the past, I will try to give you a sense of the schedule, interesting bill introductions and hearings, notable speeches, and a preview of what is to come each week of session. It is difficult to condense the weeks activity in several paragraphs but hopefully you will get a glimpse of the workings of legislature and what may be of interest to you.
The first several days of the session we listened to speeches from Governor Noem (she gave her last State of the State address), Chief Justice Jensen’s State of the Judiciary message, and Tribal chairman Garrett Renville’s State of the Tribes speech. Governor Noem delivered one of the best speeches I have ever heard from her as she used the opportunity to say goodbye and recant how SD has become stronger, safer, and freer during the time of her administration. She detailed ten reasons why South Dakota will continue to be an example to the nation; our Education, our Healthcare, our Agriculture, Outdoor opportunities, Babies (SD has a high birth rate per capita), Safety (SD has a very low crime rate rating), our Economy, our Values, our Freedoms, our People. I will remember her as being very principled leader and the best salesperson the state has ever had in promoting our strengths and opportunities. Chief Justice Jensen was eloquent in how he communicated that the courts are the bedrock of justice, and they strive to improve the access to the courts to ensure everyone receives due process. Improvements to programs, services, and security shows the sincerity of the United Judicial System’s commitment to following the law in South Dakota. Tribal chairman Renville acknowledged a sometimes-strained relationship with the Noem Administration but looked to turn the page by saying “Today, let’s reset.” “Today let’s rebuild by listening and hearing each other.” Renville cited areas where the tribes, state and local businesses can work together. Enhanced law enforcement efforts, and revitalizing health care, agriculture, and education are his priorities. Lieutenant Governor Rhoden called him a “sound minded leader with a heart for his people.” That is my impression as well.
Although many new bills were introduced this week, bill hearings will begin next week as each piece of legislation will be assigned to appropriate committees and scheduled to heard. Just some of the varied topics to be discussed will include property tax/sales tax proposals, education savings accounts (vouchers) funded by public money for private school tuition and homeschool expenses, the C02 pipeline, and the construction of a new men’s prison to name a few. We usually see about 500 bills introduced each session so the real work will begin next week. I need to mention that from a state budget perspective, this will be a tough year. Revenues from sales tax are falling behind expectations and we will not have any additional money for any good causes. The proposed Governor’s budget that was introduced in December had some spending cuts many of us are uncomfortable with so you will be hearing and reading more about how the final budget takes shape in coming weeks.
Thank you for the many emails and messages I have received giving me your thoughts on pending issues that are important to you. I appreciate them very much and thanks again for letting me serve District 24.
–mw
Senator Paul Miskimins (District 20) with Representative Mike Weisgram (District 24).
Courtesy photo.
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