South Dakota's 101st Legislative Session was a jam-packed nine weeks as lawmakers grappled with a record of 571 bills, the most bills introduced in a single session since 1998.
The sheer volume of bills isn't a good sign. Voters from all sides of the political spectrum just wanted elected officials to get good things done on their behalf, not stoke the "culture wars” at the expense of our civil rights.
We saw bills pass through the legislature that diminish our voting rights, attack our reproductive freedoms and thwart our First Amendment protections. Protecting your rights means protecting everyone’s. When elected officials threaten one group’s rights, everyone’s freedom is at risk, including those you care about.
Because we fought to win to the end, we also defeated many harmful bills that targeted free speech, LGBTQ+ rights, our privacy, and constitutional protections. When “We The People” participate in our democracy, we’re doing what’s right.
Through the action forms linked below, over 1,800 messages were sent to our lawmakers this session. This number doesn't include the countless phone calls and postcards that were also sent. Each message, call, and testimony builds power, turning into the many victories we had this session.