We’ve hit the 4-week mark!
It’s been roughly a month since I was sworn in to represent you in Pierre, and I am still beyond grateful for your trust as I work for the betterment of our communities in the legislature. One of the key points this week was our bill filing deadline – after a certain point in the session, we stop the introduction of new bills (this year’s final count was 450 bills total) to ensure that everything we need to get done, gets done.
Sponsored Legislation:
- HB1124: This bill, which I am prime sponsoring, modifies provisions regarding the testing of automatic tabulating equipment for elections. I testified in committee that South Dakota has some of the strongest election safeguards in the country to guarantee our elections remain free and fair. This isn’t by accident. However, we can’t become complacent. This bill will codify best practices and is supported by county auditors. It passed out of House State affairs without opposition earlier this week and I’ll speaking on the floor Monday regarding this bill, so be sure to tune in!
- SB189: As mentioned by Governor Noem in the State of the State Address, South Dakota’s security needs to be a top priority. This bill prohibits state agencies from contracting with companies that are owned by foreign entities or governments. With this bill I believe the information of our agencies and communities will be safer for years to come.
- HB1071: I strongly believe that part of protecting our 2nd amendment rights means that we are training people on proper use of force, and state laws around using a firearm in certain situations. This bill allows for the Department of Criminal Investigation to develop use-of-force course standards and provide for the implementation of these standards.
- HB1122: A great feature of our education system in South Dakota is our dual credit program. I’ll be co-sponsoring this bill brought by Representative Nelson, which allows for 10th-grade students to participate in the dual credit program, rather than making them wait until they are in 11th or 12th grade. This is a great way for students to earn college credit at a much lower cost, and I thank Representative Nelson for bringing this piece of legislation.
The great work of this week continued onto the house floor, where HB1101 passed off the floor without any opposition! This was the bill I prime sponsored on Native American arts and crafts. I couldn’t ask for a better result on that vote! If you want to hear my testimony on this bill, click here
In addition to bills, I’ve sponsored a commemoration honoring E. Royce Williams for his heroism in fighting for our country. If you’ve ever seen Top Gun, this guy is a real-life version. When he was in combat. He shot down 4 enemy aircraft in 35 minutes. It was a great honor to be able to commemorate him for receiving the Navy Cross, and we all are in debt for his commitment to fighting for freedom across the world.
The bills are going to start moving fast, and I will do my best to keep you updated on what’s going on in Pierre. To stay caught up on the action, be sure to sign up for regular updates. Enjoy the (slightly) warmer this weekend!
-Representative Tordsen