Today marks the first day of the 2023 South Dakota legislative session. The Center for Rural Affairs will be tracking policies that affect the rural quality of life and intersect with our goal of building vibrant rural communities. This includes monitoring these issues:
- Energy and environment: With wind and solar projects on the rise in South Dakota, we support renewable energy siting standards that encourage development but also take into account the needs or concerns of communities.
- Economic and community development: We are committed to seeing that rural communities have every opportunity to thrive. We support policies that help ensure small businesses and rural families have the tools and services they require for success.
Additionally, it’s critical that legislators hear from the people they represent. We encourage you to get involved in the legislative process by communicating with elected officials about the issues you care about. If you don’t know who your legislators are, you can find them at this link.
We look forward to communicating with you during the legislative session and welcome your input. Feel free to be in touch about issues you feel are important to rural communities. I can be reached at heidiku@cfra.org, or 605.240.0039.
Upcoming legislative forums
- District 20 Legislative Coffee, Jan. 27, hosted by the Mitchell Area Chamber of Commerce
- District 2 Legislative Coffee, Jan. 28, hosted by the Brandon Valley Area Chamber of Commerce
- Aberdeen Area Cracker Barrels, Jan. 28, Feb. 4, Feb. 11, and March 4, hosted by the Aberdeen Area Chamber of Commerce
- Rapid City Area Cracker Barrels, Jan. 28, Feb. 11, and March 4, hosted by Elevate Rapid City
- District 17 Legislative Coffee, Jan. 28 and Feb. 25, hosted by the Vermillion Area Chamber & Development Company and Governmental Affairs Committee
- District 6, 9, and 14 Legislative Coffee, Feb. 4, hosted by the Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce
- District 10, 11, and 12 Legislative Coffee, Feb. 11, hosted by the Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce
- District 7 & 8 Legislative Coffee, Feb. 11, hosted by the Brookings Area Chamber of Commerce
- District 2, 13, and 15 Legislative Coffee, Feb. 25, hosted by the Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce
