Week 2 of the 100th Legislative session has come to a close. The joint committee of appropriations had another full schedule! Check out sdlegislature.gov to find the full list of our schedule, or listen back through meetings at sd.net.

A few of the hot topics from this week include Department of Corrections, our first of several hearings for SDPB, and our ongoing workgroups. Regarding the Department of corrections, we received an update on the progress of the Rapid City Correctional facility. The total appropriated amount for this project was $87.1 Million. This facility is a custody level III facility with a capacity of 288 inmates. Compare this to the proposed Lincoln County Correctional facility that is designed as a custody level V facility, which is supposed to replace the old State Penitentiary in Sioux Falls (The Hill) that is rated at a custody level IV facility. This proposal comes with an $825 Million price tag for a capacity of 1584 inmates. I’ll let you do some quick math and we can chat about your thoughts on this proposal.

In regards to SDPB (South Dakota Public Broadcasting), we’ve formed a workgroup to dig into all aspects of SDPB to come up with a path forward that may be more favorable for SDPB and all of their customers and supporters than what the governor’s budget proposed. I don’t have a solid conclusion to report back to you with yet, but know we are working on it.

Another workgroup we set up is focusing on the Sioux Falls One Stop. Interestingly, nearly every agency with a physical presence in Sioux Falls has a line item in the budget request that shows drastic increase in rent for moving to the One Stop. When an agency draws plans for new buildings and needs expenditure authority for funds to build, they are required to come to the legislature for approval. This keeps separation of power and proper checks and balances within the three branches of government to ensure taxpayer money is being stewarded well. However, many agencies currently have full statutory authority to enter into lease agreements for their needed space. This isn’t normally a thirty year lease agreement for building that values over $100million and collaboratively designed by agencies themselves. In the case of the One Stop, however, this is what happened. This is another major example of how order and proper process can be usurped and the legislature circumvented when statutory language does not give specific enough language to reign in the scope of authority agencies/departments have. I was on the workgroup that flew to Sioux Falls on Thursday to see the old facility of DSS and then see the new facility. DSS is moving in as we speak- while money for rent increase for all the agencies is needing approval this session. Ask for forgiveness rather than asking for permission?

A few bills have now passed off the Senate Floor and heading to the house. One of the most notable so far for our district being SB37, which successfully repealed the sunset on the surcharge for the 911 operating systems. This will ensure our rural area can successfully budget and deliver the important emergency service to us in our most crucial times of emergency.

This week I had the honor of welcoming all the alternative education students and families who attended homeschool day at the capital, the Corsica/Stickney Government Class, former legislator Frank Kloucek, and Former Wagner school counselor Dana Sanderson to the Senate! I also saw many of the 4-H families there this week. We will see even more bills making it on the Floor next week.

-Senator Mykala Voita District 21 Appropriations Committee Mykala.Voita@