Legislative Update with Chesney

​Governor Noem appointed Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security; recount expected in one SD district; and Legislative Day announced. 

by Chesney Garnos, Director of Political & Grassroots Affairs

Breaking News!
South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem has been appointed as the new Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) by President-elect Donald Trump, according to several national media reports. More to come as this continues to unfold.

South Dakota Legislative Results
The makeup of the 2025 South Dakota legislative body is now available online via the South Dakota Secretary of State’s website, with 104 out of the 105 legislative seats finalized. Why only 104 out of 105? We are expecting a recount for the house of representative seat for District 15. Less than 10 votes separate the candidates who will get the second seat to represent part of northern and central Sioux Falls.

A historic milestone has been reached with 38 women elected to the South Dakota Legislature for the 2025-26 term. Among these, Liz Larson from Sioux Falls will head the Senate's Democratic minority, leading the three Democrats elected. She will be joined by Jamie Smith of Sioux Falls as assistant minority leader, and Red Dawn Foster from Pine Ridge as minority whip.

The Senate Republicans elected Jim Mehlhaff as majority leader, Carl Perry as assistant majority leader, and Randy Deibert, Kevin Jensen, Sue Peterson, and Tom Pischke as majority whips. Chris Karr has been nominated as the GOP candidate for president pro tempore, with the official election set for January 14, 2025, when the full Senate convenes. This is a complete leadership change in the Republican party in the Senate.

As for the House of Representatives, Erin Healy of Sioux Falls marks another historical leadership role as she heads the Democratic minority. She is supported by Eric Emery as assistant minority leader, and Kadyn Wittman and Nicole Uhre-Balk as minority whips. For the majority in the House, we will see Jon Hansen of Dell Rapids as Speaker and Karla Lems of Canton as speaker pro tempore. Majority Leader will be Scott Odenbach and Assistant Majority Leader will be Marty Overweg. Majority whips include Bethany Soye, Greg Jamison, Jessica Bahmueller, Les Heinemann and Brandei Schaefbauer. This is a complete change in leadership as well in the House Republican party as well.

Last, but certainly not least, I'm proud to announce that 92% of the candidates we supported secured their seats in the South Dakota legislature for the 2025-2026 term. I am particularly grateful for our SD GAC board's introduction of scorecards this year, which helped us back legislators committed to policies benefiting our credit union members in Pierre. These outstanding results are a testament to the diligent efforts of our SD GAC team. You can view who currently serves on our SD GAC here.

South Dakota Legislative Day
Prepare for the upcoming legislative session at our South Dakota Credit Union Legislative Day on January 15, 2025, at Red Rossa, Pierre. This event features advocacy opportunities, including our Legislative Social, with over 70 state legislators expected. Strong credit union representation is crucial—join us to make an impact! For more details, contact me or visit our event page.

Holiday Sweepstakes Reminder
The Holiday Sweepstakes runs from October 28 to November 27, with the winner announced on December 12 at 3 p.m. online. Enter here for a chance to win $5,000 worth of prices! You can also refer back to my previous article for full details and rules on the holiday sweepstakes.

GAC Opportunity
The 2025 Governmental Affairs Conference in Washington, DC is back from March 2-6, 2025. For young professionals under 35, apply to be a crasher for this year’s event! Enjoy free registration and some meals, with travel and other expenses their responsibility. Interested in this opportunity? Check out the details here: https://www.filene.org/events/crash-the-gac-2025. We will be providing at least a $1,000 scholarship if an individual is selected to attend as a crasher!

Additionally, this is a friendly reminder that there is still time to apply for the Roger Heacock Scholarship for those attending the GAC. For 2025, a total of four $2,500 scholarships will be presented: two to South Dakota credit union staff members; and two to North Dakota. This scholarship honors the advocacy legacy of Roger Heacock. Feel free to reach out to me directly for the application.