Advocacy

The month of March is upon us which means we are nearing the end of South Dakota's 2020 legislative session!

There are just two weeks left in the 2020 South Dakota legislative session but our work is not done! Just yesterday, we hosted a live telephone town hall with South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem to discuss expanding high-speed internet access in South Dakota. To learn more about this issue and listen to a recording of the call, click here.

Following the celebration of President’s Day, the action in the legislature will be fast and furious for the next few weeks!

With Week 5 in the books, we have reached the half way point of the 2020 South Dakota legislative session.

As we enter February, the pace in Pierre is picking up! The deadline for introducing bills was Thursday and when all is said and done, the legislature will consider over 400 bills, resolutions and commemorations this year.

This was a busy week for AARP South Dakota. On Tuesday, we held our annual Lobby Day and brought nearly 100 advocates to Pierre to support AARP South Dakota legislative priorities. Our Sioux Falls advocates had a briefing from Sioux Falls area legislators in the Visitor’s Center, while our Northeast and West River advocates hosted lunch in the Capitol Rotunda. Overall, we connected with over 70 legislators and took a group picture with Governor Noem, Lt. Governor Rhoden and Attorney General Ravnsborg. Thanks to everyone that came to Pierre and helped make our Lobby Day a success!

The 2020 South Dakota legislative session is off and running and AARP SD is already in Pierre - busy working on your behalf!

New laws that provide South Dakota residents with greater consumer protections—championed by AARP South Dakota and its volunteers at the state capitol—take effect July 1.

AARP South Dakota is encouraging eligible senior citizens and disabled individuals to make time before July 1 to apply for an annual refund of their sales or property tax.

With week nine in the books, we have officially completed the last full week of South Dakota's 2019 legislative session.  We spent this week wrapping up our work in the Capitol and looking ahead to the priorities that have been laid out for 2019.