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pansion of Medicaid, wage increases for healthcare providers, and a way to solve the problems of counties and townships.   It has been difficult to watch the legislature turn down the help of the Federal government to provide better healthcare for the needy.  The economic impact of this money would be beneficial in terms of sales tax collections, higher wages for healthcare providers, better healthcare for everyone, less burden on the counties, and lower healthcare costs.
•  It was late on Friday before we passed the General Appropriations Bill to fund all of state government.  In the end, revenue forecasts were slightly increased to provide K-12 education a 3.2% increase on the per student allocation instead of the 3% increase that Governor Daugaard proposed.  The need for more money was framed around the difficulty that school districts are facing in terms of recruiting and retaining teachers.  It is nice to know that the majority of the legislators eventually came around to what we started the session with in terms of information about the crisis we are facing in education.  Our summer study had a number of proposals to address the crisis but those were all killed early on in the session despite our best efforts.  The additional funds are appreciated but it isn't enough. 
• On a straight party line vote in the Senate, a resolution was passed urging Congress to repeal and defund the Affordable Health Care Act.  Even Congress has moved away from these "grandstanding" votes on this issue.  I recognize the need of affordable health care insurance and remain in support of the Affordable Health Care Act.  If South Dakota would expand Medicaid so that health care providers would have less debt, our insurance premiums could be reduced.  Estimates are that if would expand Medicaid we could save everyone $1000 per year on their insurance premiums.
• A final attempt to expand Medicaid with job training resources for jobs with average yearly salaries at or above 138% of the federal poverty level was tabled.  The idea presented by the Democrats was to provide job training access in exchange for Medicaid insurance.  This would then lift low wage incomes to be above the Medicaid guidelines to where the individuals would then qualify for insurance subsidies through the Affordable Care Act.
• House Bill 1177, the Bill to ban texting while driving in South Dakota, was amended in a conference committee and passed both Houses of the Legislature.  I served on the conference committee and what came out of it was not exactly what I wanted but it is a pretty good compromise.   I expect the Governor to sign the Bill.  The state law will impose a $100 fine, be a secondary offense, and still allow municipalities and local governments to enforce any texting while driving laws they may have or may pass.  The law will be an educational opportunity for all drivers to learn

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