Hill City Prevailer

District 30 got brock blocked

Published by admin on Wed, 03/11/2026 - 9:47am
When I hosted the legislative crackerbarrel a month and a half ago, I heard one of our wonderful District 30 elected officials ask the question of why is the governor bringing bills to the legislature? I thought it was not only a great question, but, as it related to property taxes, a very good point.
I did not vote for Gov. Larry Rhoden. None of us did.

Working on real property tax reform

Published by admin on Wed, 03/11/2026 - 9:46am
Five years ago, I was told by the Department of Revenue that the drastic increase in property taxes was an anomaly. Unfortunately, we now know that wasn’t the case. 
Since then, many of us in the legislative body have worked on this problem, not just for our own constituents, but for all South Dakotans. Whether you live East River or West River, whether you’re a retiree on a fixed income living in a $300,000 home, or a young professional family with two incomes and kids around the kitchen table, housing affordability matters to every one of them.

Property tax relief is on the way

Published by admin on Wed, 03/11/2026 - 9:45am
Greetings. Well, we’re down to the last four days of session. This past week was one of the best I’ve had in my eight years in the House. Here we go: SB36, wildlife mitigation plans, associated liability limitations for wildfire damages. I am the House prime, it passed and is on the governor’s desk for signature. Like I mentioned last week, this was a huge deal and it felt good getting it across the finish line.

One step at a time

Published by admin on Wed, 03/04/2026 - 9:09am
If you’ve ever built something from the ground up, you realize that nothing worthwhile happens overnight. It takes steady work and a willingness to do the tough tasks. On the ranch, that means checking fences after a snowstorm or putting calves on the ground in frigid weather. The same goes for turning good ideas into law here in South Dakota.

A record amount of bills were filed

Published by admin on Wed, 03/04/2026 - 9:08am
Throughout history there have been moments marked by history-making speeches. On Feb. 14, during an 18-minute address in Munich, Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, delivered remarks that received a standing ovation.
Notably, he did not speak of dismantling or undermining the efforts of our ancestors in Europe or America. Instead, he emphasized unity of purpose, the importance of collaboration and rebuilding together. If you have not had the opportunity to hear his remarks, I encourage you to search “Rubio in Munich” and listen for yourself.

Two weeks left in this year’s session

Published by admin on Wed, 03/04/2026 - 8:52am
Greetings. We’re down to the last two weeks of session, the fourth quarter so to speak. On Monday, I present SB36 “to establish wildlife mitigation plans and associated liability limitations for wildfire damages.” I’m prime sponsor in the House. We got this through Commerce and Energy Committee 11-0. Now we need a majority floor vote to send it to the governor to become law. This is a huge deal and hopefully when I write next week it has become reality.

Still working on property tax relief

Published by admin on Wed, 02/25/2026 - 2:58pm

Greetings. Man, am I pumped up. Just finished watching the Olympic gold medal round, U.S. vs Canada. Last time the U.S. won was at Lake Placid, N.Y., way back in 1980. I can remember purchasing a color TV just to watch that hockey match. Yep, a 46 year drought. So, what happened? The United States won 2-1 in overtime!!

A record amount of bills were filed

Published by admin on Wed, 02/25/2026 - 2:57pm

Throughout history there have been moments marked by history-making speeches. On Feb. 14, during an 18-minute address in Munich, Secretary of State, Marco Rubio delivered remarks that received a standing ovation.
Notably, he did not speak of dismantling or undermining the efforts of our ancestors in Europe or America. Instead, he emphasized unity of purpose, the importance of collaboration and rebuilding together. If you have not had the opportunity to hear his remarks, I encourage you to search “Rubio in Munich” and listen for yourself.

A tale of two cities

Published by admin on Wed, 02/25/2026 - 9:35am

Openness and transparency

Published by admin on Wed, 02/18/2026 - 8:38am
Being open and honest isn’t hard to do. It may seem tough, but it’s actually far easier to be direct and truthful. I’m a pretty straight shooter. Who has time to talk around an issue? The people of South Dakota deserve a Governor who’s open, transparent and honest—and that’s what I aim to be every single day.