Week 2 closed with a number of issues coming to the surface. Many of you have asked me to talk about them, so I will address them as best I know how, given the difficulty of the topics.
As most of you have learned through the media, my district mate in District 8 admitted to sexual contact with an intern in both the 2015 and 2016 Sessions. While many of you have weighed in as to the appropriateness of his actions, as a member of leadership in the House of Representatives, my duty is to ask for, and we received, approval from the membership to convene a committee (Committee on Discipline and Expulsion) to determine the facts of the case. There will be a hearing this coming week, and that committee will make a recommendation to the House members whether to expel, censure, discipline, or exonerate the member.
I would hope the process will be as fair and open as possible, and my duty to my constituents in District 8 is to listen to the facts presented, and  then, after prayerful consideration, make a final decision via a vote on the House floor.
Another topic many of you have asked about is the passage of Initiated Measure 22 last November, and the subsequent actions that have occurred since then. As you will recall, that measure dealt with campaign finance reform, as well as a host of other issues related to campaigns. In December, a South Dakota Judge ruled IM 22 unconstitutional and entirely unenforceable. As written, IM 22 would cost the state taxpayers well over $5 million every year to pay for political ads and prohibit teachers, nurses, business owners and others from serving in our citizen legislature.  We will have a joint State Affairs Committee hearing on the merits of repealing the measure this Monday.
For those of you that believe the Legislature should not meddle  in what the people just voted on, you may be surprised to discover  that the measure  implements NO limits on out of state spending in our state on ballot measures,  and the reporting process we have right now, in some cases is more transparent than what the IM requires. I have had numerous constituents tell me the measure was confusing, and the best thing for the state would be to repeal it, and then work to address some of the concerns that were brought up by the measure’s sponsor. There are proposals that are being brought forward, and I would appreciate your input on them.
On a lighter note, it was my pleasure to attend the FFA breakfast this past Thursday. I got to meet Jessica Burghardt from Howard and Nathan Linke from Woonsocket, and I wish them well on their future as they participate in their local and state FFA programs to better their lives, their communities, and the state. Thank you for the opportunity to meet and visit with you both!
I am working on some particular bills, and I will expound on them a bit when they are finalized. It’s too early to predict where the budget is going to be yet, so I will report to you when I see more numbers.
I would remind you to please contact me before you come to Pierre so that I can be sure to attend your particular event and visit with you. With sometimes two and three events/night, I prefer to stay home and do my preparation for the next day, as I must retire early due to my health. It’s always great to see all of you, and even better if I can help you get set up to testify, contact a particular department, etc. Please don’t hesitate to contact me at Leslie.Heinemann@sdlegislature.gov.

Greetings all, and I hope this week one review finds each and every one of you well. The 92nd legislative session has started and I am excited to get to work again for District 8. Many of you already know, but I will be serving on the House and Joint Appropriations committee this session. This committee dedicates many long hours to our state’s budget, that is required to be balanced every single year unlike our federal budget.
We started out the first week by hearing from the Legislative Research Council, Auditor General, Public Utilities Commission, the Secretary of State, State Auditor, the Bureau of Finance and Management, and other governmental agencies. Each agency provided a budget overview, and an in-depth summary of their department and expenditure requests and changes. If anyone would want to see these presentations, I would be more than happy to share them with you.
Outside of appropriations committee, we had the privilege to listen to the Governor’s State of the State address, the State of the Tribes,  as well as the State of the Judiciary from Chief Justice Gilbertson. The Governor reiterated that revenue is down another $5.8 million from the time of the budget address, and down a total of $31.9 million from expected. This is due to the lagging farm economy, low inflation, lower tourism numbers, cautious consumers, and online purchases.
On a lighter note, it is very good news that online retailer Amazon will start collecting sales tax on Feb. 1, which could see an estimated added revenue of $12 million to our state’s funds. Chief Justice Gilbertson addressed changes that need to be made to improve public safety and treatment of people with mental health illness. We need to move quicker and more effectively to identify those that are suffering from a form of mental illness.
There has been much news on Initiated Measure 22 in the past weeks, and what the legislature will put in place. Initiated Measure 22 has been deemed unconstitutional, and we as legislators have taken an oath to uphold the Constitution of the State of South Dakota. It is unclear what will be put in its place, but I have been advocating to other legislators that we need to keep in mind the will of the voter, and the need for more accountability within the political process.
I look forward to the coming weeks, the discussions that we will have, and again thank you for your support during the 2016 general election. Feel free to contact me at Mathew.Wollmann@sdlegislature.gov  with any questions or issues. Thank you!

Greetings as we begin the new year, and a new legislative session!
I want to start by thanking all those that directly or indirectly helped me get reelected to the State House for a third term. Most of you know campaigning is not a very glamorous task, and I sincerely appreciate the broad support I received throughout District 8; an affirmation to me that the voters believe, regardless of the issue, I will make informed decisions to the best of my ability.
This past week was filled with addresses to the Legislature by the Governor, Supreme Court Chief Justice, and a representative of the nine tribes in South Dakota, from the Yankton Sioux Tribe. Some legislators would prefer to jump right into the bill process, but I realize it is important to allow, and hear, from these three entities as we prepare for approximately  nine weeks of session.
The Governor reported that revenue to date is down a total of $31.9 million from expected in Fiscal Year [FY] 2017. He cited the farm economy, low inflation, cautious consumers, and an increase in online sales purchases as all contributing to the reason for softer sales revenue collections. As most of you know, our sales tax is roughly two thirds of all the revenue taken in to fund our state government, so with a dip in that number, there is legitimate concern for the budget.
On a positive note, the Governor announced that Amazon had agreed to start the sales tax collection process of their online sales to South Dakota residents starting Feb. 11. The state Revenue Department collects state wide sales tax through a single point system, including city sales tax, so it helped make Amazon’s reporting of the sales tax amounts a little more user friendly. We don’t know the estimated amount, but clearly it’s a big win for the state. Online sales purchasing has grown substantially, and, even though sales tax is due on those purchases, the respective company does not have an obligation to the state to collect and remit that tax, which is to be paid by the buyer via a separate submitted report. State officials hope this will help lead the way for other online companies to follow, and it will help support our local retailers as well.
I look forward to your input on any issue you feel is important to you. As we get into the calendar of bills, I’ll mention some of the more interesting ones in this column, as we can’t cover everything here. I am eager to work with your other elected District 8 legislators, Representative Wollman and Senator Youngberg! Our email address has changed this year. That is the best way to reach me. I was elected as a Majority Whip Leader this year, so I will have more responsibilities, but also have an intern to help me with constituent contacts. Email me at Leslie.Heinemann@sdlegislature.gov