AARP Eye Center
The cold of winter has arrived which means that Pierre is a hot bed of activity as the 2017 South Dakota legislative session has begun. Once again, AARP South Dakota is in Pierre working for you.
Governor Dennis Daugaard kicked off the 2017 session with the annual State of the State address followed by the State of the Judiciary address on Wednesday and the State of the Tribes address on Thursday.
During his State of the State address, Governor Daugaard announced that the projected sales tax shortfall is down another $5.8 million since his budget address in December 2016. The Governor continues to attribute the shortfall to the declining agricultural market and an increase in online sales. The bright news is that Amazon has voluntarily agreed to collect state and local sales tax beginning February 1. We will keep you posted on how this change affects our state budget moving forward.
The Governor also discussed long term care reorganization at the state level during his address Tuesday. Governor Daugaard understands the need to better prepare our state for an aging population and to do that he has announced a reorganization of the long term care services in the Department of Social Services (DSS) and the Department of Human Services (DHS) which he believes will help streamline our long term care resources in the state. Starting in April, both long term care service divisions will be housed in DHS. AARP SD hopes reorganizing these services will help to ensure South Dakotans have the resources they need to stay in their homes and communities as long as possible.
The Governor also discussed government transparency, infrastructure, workforce, and potential Federal changes in his speech. To re-watch his address in it's entirety, click here.
During Chief Justice David Gilbertson's State of the Judiciary speech, he took a moment to highlight the impact of the Elder Abuse Task Force bill (Senate Bill 54) from the 2016 session. Chief Justice Gilbertson noted that the elder abuse provisions passed in 2016 have heightened criminal protections, broadened civil penalties and improved safeguards in guardianship, conservatorships and powers of attorney in our state. AARP SD was proud to serve on the Elder Abuse Task Force in 2015 and 2016 and jointly celebrates the achievements made so far thanks to Senate Bill 54.
AARP advocates from all across South Dakota will be gathering for our annual Lobby Day on Tuesday, January 24. This event offers members and volunteers the opportunity to come to Pierre, meet their legislators, see all the activity in the Capitol and share AARP South Dakota's priorities for the 2017 legislative session. We are excited to announce that the event has already been filled to capacity. If you would like to get information about AARP SD events, activities and opportunities as soon as they are available, click here to opt-in to our state email list.
We encourage all of you to become local advocates by speaking with your legislators as you see them out in your community. Each week, we will suggest a question that can help you to begin conversations about the issues that matter most to South Dakota's 50+. Be sure to share the answers you receive with us by emailing them to sdaarp@aarp.org.
This week's AARP South Dakota Question of the Week for your legislator is:
As we start the 2017 legislative session, what do you believe are the 3 most important issues facing the legislature this year?
To stay up to date on what's happening in Pierre throughout the the week, you can visit our Facebook and Twitter pages for more regular updates.
I will be in Pierre throughout the 2017 legislative session and invite you to reach out to me with your thoughts or concerns:
Erik Nelson
Associate State Director - Advocacy
Email: enelson@aarp.org
Mobile: 605.350.6348
Twitter: @enelsonaarp