The two major goals for South Dakota Farmers Union members this legislative session is getting lawmakers to approve both industrial hemp and Medicaid expansion bills. Farmers Union’s Lobbyist Mitch Richter says the hemp bill will likely come up soon and he expects it to pass.
Governor Kristi Noem earlier said she wouldn’t veto hemp legislation as long as it has guard rails in it. Richter says those are already in the bill., put there by the summer study committee.
He says the only other difference they have with the Governor is that she wants Public Safety to do the hemp inspections while Farmers Union wants the Ag Department to do those, but he thinks they’ll be able to agree on that issue. Richter also says it’s critical the state approve Medicaid Expansion.
Richter says the other major issue is what legislators decide to do with the state budget and that will likely come toward the end of their deliberations.
