South Dakota Stockgrowers’ Legislative Issues Update

Thanks to the hard work of Rep. Ladner and strong grassroots work by Stockgrowers members, HB 1039, Rep. Ladner’s bill to provide for the assessment of certain agricultural land as non-cropland was passed by the House last week.

That bill faces an uphill battle in the Senate. A preview of Senate resistance came Wednesday when the Senate Tax Committee (who will hear HB 1039) rejected a proposal to use $25 million from the state’s $300 million reserve fund to mitigate the effect to other landowners of lower assessments that would occur for those producers who use the terms of 1039 to have their lands that have been in grass for 20+ years assessed as pasture rather than crop. Opponents essentially argued that 1039 is a bad bill and so the committee should reject any effort to mitigate the impact of 1039.

HB 1039 is scheduled to be heard Wednesday the 23rd at 10:00 by the Senate Taxation Committee.

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HB 1096, to protect producers from federal animal ID mandates, passed the House Ag. Committee yesterday. That was due in large part to strong testimony from Kenny Fox, Les Shaw, Roxie Fox, Brett Kenzy, and Bryan Hanson. The bill also received supporting testimony from me on behalf of Stockgrowers and from the Livestock Auction Markets Association, Dakota Rural Action, and South Dakota Farmers Union.

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SB 175 is the bill to fund the GF&P shooting range in Meade County. Despite strong opposition testimony from Matt Kammerer, Rep. Dean Wink, and others, SB 175 passed the Senate Appropriations Committee Thursday on a vote of 5-2. Senators Maher and Nesiba voted against the bill.

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HB 1325, Rep. Chaffee’s bill to address rangeland tax fairness, was passed by the full House yesterday.

–South Dakota Stockgrowers Association