South Dakota’s $1.50 Property Tax Fix Dies in Committee – Rural Senators Say the Math Doesn’t Add Up for Small-Town Shoppers

A proposal to wipe out residential property taxes has been killed in a South Dakota Senate committee Friday (Feb. 20).

Senate Bill 243, introduced by Republican Sen. John Carley of Piedmont, would have charged shoppers 1.50 on most retail purchases and used that money to replace property taxes.

But the Senate Taxation Committee voted 4-3 to send the bill to the 41st day.

Critics said the flat fee would hurt rural South Dakotans who shop at multiple stores and small businesses dependent on frequent small transactions.

A similar proposal is already circulating as a ballot measure for the November election. Senate Bill 243 is dead for the session.