As we begin the holiday season, I am compelled to count my blessings. Wow, where do I begin? This past year has been a year of phenomenal experiences; being sworn as a State Representative (truly, an experience I will never forget), serving on the Ag & Natural Resource and the Commerce & Energy committees as well as the honor of being elected to the Executive Board by my peers.  Being a representative in the House, representing District 30 is a “responsibility” I do not take lightly.

Even though I came from a corporate background, I quickly realized that I was a novice to the inner workings of the political machine. Frankly, all of the newly elected are. My fellow representatives knew this, and they reached out to support, educate, and show me the ropes. I am so thankful for their tutoring. They have helped to make me a representative that effectively represents you in Pierre today and into the future.

After session ended in March, I have been zigging and zagging across the state meeting with ranchers, legislators, statewide organizations, and county officials asking for support of Draft Bill 50 for our ranchers. If you haven’t explored the rural ranch land throughout South Dakota, you really should. It is quite eye opening!

This past week we drove to Reva, South Dakota for a meeting hosted by the SD Stock Growers Association that was attended by about 100 ranchers. Why did they drive to Reva, a town with a population of 147 people to meet with us? Because land taxes are becoming a real problem for them, and they are looking for a real solution. During the meeting, one rancher shared that his Grandfather had told him that the only way he would lose the ranch, is if the government taxed him off the land. He isn’t the first rancher to share concerns about that. One rancher wrote to me and said that if the new soil tables are implemented, he would run the risk of losing his ranch because the taxes would soon exceed his income. We also heard stories of big conglomerates approaching ranchers across South Dakota to sell their land to them. As South Dakotan's, I can’t believe that any of us would want that to happen ... I know I don’t!

All the ranchers we have spoken to and those who have “skin in the game,” are 100% on board with Draft Bill 50. There have been two other attempts to pass grassland legislation; 2010 Noem/Peterson Bill HB 1202 and in 2016 Ag Land Task Force Bill SB 4. In both instances, the Department of Revenue asked them to table the bills. Well, two pulled bills and a few lawsuits later, the ranchers are still facing the same problem; some of their grassland is being taxed as cropland when the only possible use is for grazing/grassland. After traveling over 18,000 miles throughout South Dakota over the past eight months, I’ve seen the “highest and best use” discrepancies for myself and I don’t agree with that standard which is currently used to determine agriculture taxes. It may work for the growers that crop the land, but it is not working for the grassland ranchers, particularly in western South Dakota where the elevations are higher with rugged terrain, less rainfall, and shorter growing seasons.

Senator Castleberry and I are encouraged by the progress we have made garnering support for Draft Bill 50, but bottom line, we can’t do this by ourselves. Please consider dropping in at your county assessor’s office to sign two petitions; one in support of tax reform in South Dakota and one to support Draft Bill 50 for our ranchers. Remember, there is strength and influence in numbers!

Well, it's time for the Christmas slow down to begin but before I go, I’d like to take this opportunity to wish you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from my home to yours. It has been a true honor and pleasure serving you and District 30 in Pierre and I am looking forward to 2022.



Representative Trish Ladner

District 30