S.D. legislative Democratic leaders say session moving at a faster pace. Senate minority leader Nesiba:

Democratic and Republican senators have been working together in a bipartisan way on issues of mutual concern. We have passed bills that promote E15 fuel and that ensure polling places are civically sacred spaces by giving poll workers greater legal protection from intimidation.

I was also pleased to hear the positive comments from Republican colleagues about the funding from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) helping South Dakota’s infrastructure. This week, the Senate State Affairs Committee passed SB 53, which will provide another $94 million in federal grants to water and wastewater projects across the state. This is on top of over $600 million set aside last year as the biggest single investment in water and waste water treatment in our state’s history.

These investments are only possible because of President Joe Biden’s leadership and we thank him for investing in America when all Republican senators and representatives voted against it, including South Dakota’s entire delegation.

There are also points where we disagree. One of the biggest disagreements is going to be coming up in the next week or two and it’s going to be on this Republican idea to expand government and government paperwork to deny people health care. The main problem with SJR 501 is the disrespect it shows toward the people of South Dakota. It also benefits no one.

It’s simply political posturing on the part of Republicans that they are proposing to expand government paperwork to deny people health care that they deserve. South Dakota has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the nation at 2%, and a work reporting requirement would mean another government mandate on people and small business owners who are already working hard to succeed.

For those who are sick, it means time spent reporting to the government as opposed to getting better and getting back to living the healthy lives we all hope to enjoy. As a state that prides itself on work ethic, unnecessary reporting requirements are an undue burden on already stretched Department of Social Services staff.

Let’s keep South Dakota free of unnecessary government overreach and red tape and join our caucus in opposing SJR501.

State Senator Reynold Nesiba of Sioux Falls is the Senate minority leader.