SD Stockgrowers Legislative Update

This coming week is the last week of session and most of the work will involve the budget.

The two houses are virtually at war on the budget process. That will make for entertaining

politics though it won’t be the optimal framework for making good public policy.

---

---

Stockgrowers’ Legislative Issues

HB 1096, to protect producers from federal animal ID mandates, passed the Senate this week

---

---

on a strong 25-9 vote. It now goes to the governor for her signature.

__________________

HB 1035, Rep. Kirk Chafee’s bill to revise the classification of agricultural land according to

soil type was passed by the Senate Tax Committee this week. The full Senate will take up the

bill on Monday. Under 1325, soil types with class IV land capability may be categorized by the

director of equalization as either cropland or as noncropland. Beginning with the 2023

assessment year, the total acres of class IV soil types classified as noncropland in a county

may increase a maximum of twenty percent over the total acres of class IV soil types

classified as noncropland in the county in the previous assessment year. This is a more

narrow approach to grassland tax fairness than we proposed with 1039 but, moves the needle

in the right direction.

__________________

SB 175, the bill to fund the GF&P shooting range in Meade County was killed by the House

Appropriations committee after a lengthy hearing Wednesday night. However, the bill’s

sponsors have smoked out the bill and will try to have it put on Monday’s calendar for a vote.

__________________

SB 84, to fund repairs and renovation at the Cottonwood Field Station was also killed in

House Appropriations but was resurrected and passed by the full House.

If you have any questions or comments about this week’s report or about activities in Pierre,

please feel free to contact me at murphy@rushmore.com

–SD Stockgrowers Association