LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

Week two picked up with more committee hearings and bills being heard. There are currently254billsand19resolutionsfiled.We have a lot of work to do. During my 1st term in the legislature, we passed a law banning hostile foreign ownership of ag land in South Dakota,whichIproudlysupported.Thisyear weexpandedonthatconcepttoincludeelectric infrastructure with HB 1049. HB 1049 was vetted in Commerce and Energy Committee, where I serve as the Vice Chair. HB 1049 received a yes vote from all members present in the full chamber. Also, in Commerce and Energy a resolution and a bill pertaining to theuseofcashtransactionswereheard.Isupported the resolution encouraging the use of cashtransactions,butIcouldnotsupportabill forcing small businesses to accept cash. We haveenoughregulationsonsmallbusinesses, and I will not tell you what form of payment you should accept. In State Affairs we heard HB 1102 an act to reschedule the annual report filing date for a limited liability company and a limited liability partnership. Currently LLCs and LLPs report on the anniversary of their filing date. This bill changes the annual reporting to a set schedule where all would take place in the same time frame. If you operate 10 different LLCs or LLPs reporting can be forgotten or late, I believe this bill will streamline that process and save on late fees.