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Lee Qualm a Platte, SD resident and 4th generation farmer has announced his bid for District 21 House. This is not the first time Qualm has served in the Legislature. Lee was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2013. During his eight years in office, he served as House Majority Leader for 4 years, Chairman of State Affairs, Chairman of Ag and Natural Resources, on Executive Board, on Ag Land Task Force, Transportation, Local Government, & State and Tribal Relations Committees. Qualm notes, “I love working with people to help this District and to make sure SD remains a great place to live, work and raise our families.” As a family man with a wife of 48 years, four married children, and twelve grandchildren, he knows we must establish a greater South Dakota for the next generation.

While serving you in office, Qualm proved his dedication to his constituents as he was instrumental in the design and passing of several bills that improved SD for generations to come:

• Bill to rebuild the railroad from Chamberlain to Presho.

• Prime sponsor of bill for Animal Disease and Research Diagnostic Lab at SDSU which helps livestock, pork, dairy, equine, pet and poultry industries of SD.

• Cha i rman of the Non-meandered Waters Task Force which developed a solution for landowners and sportsmen for a 20-year contentious issue.

• Pr ime sponsor of Non-meandered Waters bill which passed and protected landowner’s rights where waters have flooded over private property.

• Prime sponsor of the Midwife bill which was 25 years in the making to allow Certified Professional Midwives to practice in SD.

• Prime sponsor of bills to fund the nation’s 1st Precision AG program at SDSU.

• Chairman of the Industrial Hemp summer study.

• Prime sponsor of the Industrial Hemp bill which passed so SD farmers can raise Industrial Hemp.

• Prime sponsor of Constitutional Carry bill so SD residents can carry a concealed handgun without a permit.

• Sponsored Enhanced Carry bill for training courses in SD that when passed, individuals can conceal carry a handgun with reciprocity in 47 states.

• Prime sponsor of Capital Carry bill so concealed carry handguns can be carried in the SD Capital with an Enhanced Carry Permit.

• Lee had an A+ Rating with NRA his entire eight years serving in the House.

• Lee had a 100% rating with SD Right to Life during his entire eight years serving in the House and sponsored many bills to chip away at the abortion industry.

On his 3 years off from the legislature, Lee continued to work for you as he served on the Citizens Against Gregory Pump Storage Committee to stop the project that would have destroyed our beautiful Missouri River, destroyed all fishing and boating, and would have taken thousands of acers of land away from generational farmers and ranchers. Because of all the tireless efforts of this dedicated committee, the Gregory Pump Storage project was halted at this time. Lee worked with the Prime Sponsor of Representative Marty Overweg to bring a bill to the SD Legislature in 2023 to take Gregory Pump Storage project off the SD Approved Water Projects lists because it was not a water project, it was an electricity project. This bill passed the House and went to the Senate where it was killed. Later that same year, the entire project was canceled due to the many efforts of devoted citizens standing up for rights for our local landowners and businesses. Lee is very concerned about landowner’s rights and the threat of land being taken by eminent domain. That threat is one he feels strongly about and will fight for your property rights.

Lee believes in free enterprise and the promotion of small business owners, especially family businesses. Besides farming, Lee and his wife Trudy built, owned, and managed Gramps Lodge west of Platte and three years ago with family built and opened God’s Country Campground, c-store, and event center west of Platte near the Missouri River.

Qualm has the heart to serve, the strength to lead, and belief in the principles this country and state were founded on. Lee is a patriotic, flag-waving, hand-on-heart American who believes in “One Nation Under God” and believes in the Constitution with the liberties and protections it ensures. When elected, Lee will continue leading South Dakota with a passion to preserve you and your families’ rights and freedoms.