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With the completion of Week Eight, only one is week left in the 2026 legislative session. Property taxes are still being discussed at length. The major property tax bill that has passed so far is the Governor’ s Bill, SB 96. SB 96 would allow counties to charge up to a half cent sales tax which would essentially all be used for owner occupied property tax relief. Counties can not currently charge a sales tax, so this is a major change. The new revenues will not help counties with any of their current budget obligations. This will provide the most benefit in urban counties that have more taxable sales. I don’t believe rural areas subsidizing bigger cities is the best way to provide tax relief. These are the same points I made at the amazingly well-run and well-attended Cracker Barrel held recently in Dimock. I voted against it, 9 to 6; it passed the Senate, 20 to 14, and also passed the House. The major bill heard in the Senate Education Committee in Week Eight was HB 1082, a bill that is small in cost but big in returns on investment. HB 1082 would cover the cost of school lunch meals for students that qualify for reduced meals. The cost is about 600,000 dollars, in what will likely be an over seven billion dollar budget next year. This would impact about 10,000 South Dakota kids. School lunch programs often operate at a loss or small profit margins and sometimes have to be supported by the School General Fund. Reducing unpaid lunch balances and getting more students to participate in the lunch program is good fiscal policy in addition to the benefits to the students receiving the meals. After an hour-long hearing on HB 1082, the committee passed the bill, 5 to 2; I voted in favor. It was next heard in Appropriations and failed, 5-4. Using a procedural move called a smoke out, over 12 Senators stood to move the bill to the full Senate. A vote to debate the bill will be held this week. Votes on the budget and many other issues will be held this final week of Session.