Thank you to everyone who reached out and respectfully shared your perspectives.
Your engagement in our government is important — even when we don’t see eye to eye. Differing views are vital to the democratic process and help shape more informed, balanced decisions. I take all feedback into account as I represent the people of District 9 and work to make the best possible decisions for all South Dakotans.
Your engagement in our government is important — even when we don’t see eye to eye. Differing views are vital to the democratic process and help shape more informed, balanced decisions. I take all feedback into account as I represent the people of District 9 and work to make the best possible decisions for all South Dakotans.
Out of respect for my colleagues and to remain fully engaged during proceedings, I limit my phone use while session is underway. I kindly ask that you reach out in advance, as it’s not possible to respond to messages in real time during floor debate or committee hearings. Recapping yesterday’s events:
First, I want to clarify a few key points based on some of the comments I received:
- 1. If this bill had not passed, the Lincoln County site would have been back on the table — along with all other Department of Corrections (DOC) locations previously considered, including several within D9.
- The Incarceration Construction Fund (ICF) was previously designated specifically for this purpose. These funds cannot be used for other programs.
- The facility proposed in this bill is smaller than the original Lincoln County design — resulting in a $175 million reduction in the overall construction budget.
- This smaller facility will have an annual operating budget of $47 million, of which $33 million is covered by the existing DOC budget. The net increase of $14 million reflects the need for additional staff — including teachers, addiction counselors, and rehabilitation professionals — all aimed at reducing recidivism.
- This $14 million increase will be funded through state general funds and natural revenue growth from inflation — with no increase in taxes required. And because South Dakota does not collect personal property taxes at the state level, there is no impact to your property tax bill.
For those who remain concerned or want to better understand the numbers, I encourage you to view the slides, which offer a detailed breakdown here: https://governor.sd.gov/doc/Mens-Prison-Slides.pdf
Additionally, you can listen to the audio from the Project Prison Reset Task Force meetings and/or read more about the project here: https://boardsandcommissions.sd.gov/Meetings.aspx…
Second, here attached, I share the core comments I delivered both in committee and on the Senate floor, upon request.
