RAPID CITY, SD – For South Dakota ranchers this legislative session turned into something of a mixed bag, according to South Dakota Stockgrowers Association (SDSGA) Executive Director James Halverson.
“We had some wins. We had some losses,” he observed. “Our lobbyist felt the SDSGA membership should be proud of what was accomplished. We definitely moved the needle.”
Halverson said just because a bill doesn’t pass doesn’t mean the effort was a loss.
“One of the hard-fought bills was HB 1039, the grassland tax fairness bill. Unfortunately, it died in the Senate Tax Committee. But it passed the entire process through the House. We turned a lot of heads just by making it that far. Even so far as the Governor commenting on it. So we thought that was a win.”
Halverson said it’s too early to determine if ranchland tax relief will come back around next session, but said the legislation brought by Meade County Representative Kirk Chaffee, “took a bite” out of the taxing issue.
Halverson says state producers should stay tuned regarding ongoing developments.
“A lot of that means continuing to develop relationships,” he said, adding, “There are more issues we’re definitely going to be looking at but right now, I don’t want to let the cat out of the bag on those.”
The SDSGA is officially an “apolitical” organization and its goals are to “promote positive change in the cattle industry” according to Halverson.
