Huron Plainsman | Housing and marijuana dominate first Coffee with Legislators

HURON — District 22’s legislators held the first “coffee with the legislators” of the 2022 legislative session Saturday morning in the commission room at City Hall with two dominant topics — workforce housing and marijuana.

Rep. Roger Chase chaired a summer study by the legislature on workforce housing in the state, and Sen. David Wheeler and Rep. Lynn Schneider both were part of the committee for the study as well, the only district with full representation on the summer study.

Chase noted the unique position that allows District 22 legislators to be in when discussing housing legislation and appropriations.

Huron city commissioner Bryan Smith asked about how the funds that the governor wanted to appropriate toward workforce housing would be distributed.

Chase indicated that the summer study continuously heard from communities throughout the state that infrastructure to support housing growth was vital for housing, from the streets to improving water and sewer to taxes and financing.

The infrastructure needs have encouraged legislators to consider splitting the $200 million that Governor Kristi Noem proposed into $100 million toward infrastructure funding in the state. All three legislators expect to see movement in bills and appropriations to address workforce housing before the deadline for bills to be introduced on Thursday.

Sen. Wheeler mentioned the work he did as part of a summer study regarding medical marijuana and the bills that came out of that summer study as part of his opening remarks, and multiple questions from the crowd were focused on medical and recreational marijuana.

The legislators expressed that the voters spoke on medical marijuana in 2020, and any legislation brought forward should only be to clarify or “polish” the law. Rep. Chase stated that while he may not personally agree with marijuana, he will “hold his nose” and vote to support the will of the voters.

Recreational marijuana was discussed as Senate Bill 3 has been introduced and referred to the Senate Commerce and Energy committee to regulate recreational marijuana. Sen. Wheeler stated that he was one of the co-sponsors of the bill after working with the summer study in order to develop a program forged through the debate and discussion of the legislative process that is already known to be desired by the voters, who voted in recreational marijuana in 2020.

Wheeler also noted that a group is circulating petitions to put recreational marijuana on the November ballot again this year, and it will likely pass again.

All three legislators encouraged District 22 constituents to contact them through phone or email to discuss current bills of concern.