Shortly after 2 a.m. Wednesday, March 13, the final gavel came down in the South Dakota State Senate. After shaking hands with several of my colleagues, I quickly went to my car, scraped the thin layer of frost from the windows and headed to Brookings – trying to beat the impending storm. Weary from driving through dense fog the entire way (plus a brief nap in the Miller High School parking lot), I arrived in my garage at 6:38 a.m. It was good to be home.
The highlights for the 2019 session are as follows: 10 percent inflation for nursing homes; 6.5 percent inflation for community support providers; 2.5 percent increase to target salary for K-12 education; 2.5 percent increase in salaries for state employees; critical funding to combat the meth epidemic; and, providing matching funds for the Statewide 211 communication network.
The final results won’t satisfy everyone. South Dakota might be the land of infinite variety but it isn’t the land of infinite resources. The state constitution requires a balanced budget. So, you try to do the best you can with what you have.
I want to share a couple of personal stories. On March 4, Sen. Red Dawn Foster (District 27) slipped and fell on the ice-filled sidewalk leading up to the capitol building. She suffered three breaks in her right leg. Yet, two days later she entered the Senate chamber in a wheelchair determined to vote in the affirmative on HB1191 – a bill to allow the growing of industrial hemp. With her help, the legislation passed but was vetoed by Gov. Noem.
Sen. Foster had surgery later that week and surprised us when she arrived back in the chamber on March 12. She stood on a broken leg and spoke about the potential benefits of hemp production for the agriculture community. Unfortunately, there weren’t enough votes to override the veto. Yet, I was inspired by Sen. Foster’s courage and conviction.
The second story began shortly after midnight on March 13.
Both the House of Representatives and the Senate were in recess, as we awaited the final draft of the budget to be printed. Everyone was tired but anxious to see and vote on the spending package.
I was sitting at my desk, worried about making the difficult trip home, when I heard music. It seemed to be coming from the Capitol Rotunda, so I headed in that direction. After stepping outside the chamber, I glanced across the wide expanse of the rotunda and could see a group of people singing and gathered around a man playing a guitar. I went for a closer look.
Rep. John Mills (District 4) was the man on the guitar.
The impromptu choral group consisted of various members of the South Dakota House of Representatives.
They were singing the great gospel song, Amazing Grace. It was a spellbinding moment and brought a measure of peace and comfort to all of those who tried to do their best for the people they serve.
We come from different places, different backgrounds and have different ideas. But, in the end, we are all in this together.
