2021 S.D. Legislature: Government should be held accountable

Over the past weeks there have been continuing investigations into matters being brought before the Government Accountability Board and the Government Operations and Audit Committee. The issues before the Government Accountability Board involve the Governor’s use of the state airplane as well as the Governor’s involvement in her daughter’s Appraiser License.

The issue before the Government Operations and Audit Committee concerns the matters revolving around the Governor’s daughter seeking an Appraiser’s License and whether the Governor abused her power in the course of that application.

The Government Accountability Board was created in 2017 and consists of four members appointed by the Governor. Each member is retired from either the South Dakota Circuit Court or from the South Dakota Supreme Court. Its purpose is to serve to independently investigate and review allegations of misconduct by anyone holding a statewide office or any employee of the Executive Branch.  

There appears to be an ever-increasing trend toward setting the stage for overly powerful positions of both elected officials as well as those serving in our state’s bureaucracy. Those positions are often not held accountable as there is the potential fear of being a ‘whistle-blower’, which carries with it the possibility that one might lose their employment, position or retirement benefits. These types of concerns shouldn’t be a cause for hiding problems in our state. No one should be intimidated by their supervisors or co-workers. After all, the goal of working in state government is to serve the best interests of the real employers, the people of South Dakota. More about these issues will come out as these investigations continue.  

On a different note, the 2022 Session is nearly upon us and the work of the Joint Committee on Appropriations will begin the week before the regular Session start date. We are hearing from nearly every division of government and the push for ‘one-time money’ is coming from every angle. Hopefully, we can hold back enough of these funds to ensure future stability as we face ongoing inflation, a shortage of willing workers, and ever-increasing costs for nearly everything.  

I said this over the past weeks, but we need to be cognizant of the fact that there is a need for serious change at all levels of government, and for the citizens to recognize that there are limits to spending as well as government involvement in our lives. The path our founders carved out was intended to survive generations of change, and it has until the past few decades. Now is our time to “Do the right thing”.

I wish all of you a very Merry Christmas!

As always, feel free to contact me (steven.haugaard@sdlegislature.gov) with questions or comments. You can also go to www.sdlegislature.gov to listen in on the meetings or to see what else is happening in state government.