Week 3 Update- 2026 SD Legislative Session

Weekly Update Week 3 2026 Session- excerpted from correspondence to local newspapers. BTW- please subscribe to your local newspaper. Our small towns are important and these folks play a very important role. They also provide a grounded voice by sticking their necks out and putting their names on what they do. There is a reason their work is considered the "pulse of the community". So I feel a little guilty publishing here what I also sent them. Thankfully their reach is much wider and more local than this venue.

Please also know that you can find any bill from the session and any action taken by committee or on the floor, including testimony, at sdlegislatrue.gov.

Good morning District 4,

It was another busy week in Pierre. I ran a bill, HB1026, and was defeated. If you're interested, reach out and we can discuss. Yep, I got my tail kicked. Live and learn.

HB 1077, the fake meat bill, I voted against. Please listen to my testimony on the floor. It was pretty clear cut to me. Florida and Texas are deep into federal lawsuits defending similar laws. I do not feel the need to rush you into a federal lawsuit. South Dakota agriculture is too important to gamble on a bill that could drain our treasury and divide our focus. I respect the passion behind HB 1077, but passion alone is not enough when the stakes are this high. Let’s protect our producers wisely, not recklessly. Again, listen to the floor testimony. I spoke at length about this.

My floor testimony on HB 1077- "Mr. Speaker... colleagues... fellow South Dakotans, I rise today as a lifelong beef producer—a farm kid who has spent decades raising cattle on our South Dakota land... feeding families across this state and this nation with the real, honest beef that has been the backbone of our agriculture for generations. I am as committed as anyone in this chamber to protecting our traditional livestock industry... our family farms and ranches and our rural way of life that defines who we are. The concerns behind House Bill 1077... are concerns I share deeply. I understand the instinct—the rightful instinct—to push back against lab-grown, cell-cultured products that some see as a threat to our markets... our heritage... and our producers. But today... with genuine respect to the sponsors and supporters of this bill... I must stand in opposition to HB 1077... and I urge my colleagues to vote no .We all want to defend South Dakota agriculture. Yet this bill, as written, takes us down a path that exposes our state to unnecessary... and costly... legal risk—risk we do not need to take right now. Look at what has happened in Florida and Texas. Both states passed aggressive bans on cultivated meat... and both are now tied up in federal lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of those laws. Companies are suing... cases are grinding through the courts... and taxpayers in those states are footing the bill for prolonged legal battles. Florida’s ban has been in effect for over a year and a half—yet appeals still continue in the 11th Circuit. Texas’s law, signed just last year, is already facing active federal challenges... with judges allowing those lawsuits to proceed. These cases are not quick. They are not cheap. And they distract from the real work of supporting our producers. We do not need to invite the same fight here in South Dakota. We can protect our industry without rushing into legislation that almost certainly triggers federal litigation... and puts our state’s resources on the line. The intent is right... but the timing and the approach are wrong. It may be time... to hit the brakes... step back... monitor how these lawsuits in Florida and Texas play out... and find smarter, less risky ways to support our cattlemen and women. Strong labeling requirements... continued investment in our traditional beef sector... and federal advocacy—these are tools we already have that do not open us up to years of courtroom battles. South Dakota agriculture is too important to gamble on a bill that could drain our treasury... and divide our focus. I respect the passion behind HB 1077... but passion alone is not enough when the stakes are this high. I urge a no vote. Let’s protect our producers wisely... not recklessly. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I yield back.

HJR5001c, a joint resolution I voted for, protects landowner rights. It's good legislation, the type that unites us. It passed the house with 62 Yeas and 5 Nays. 4 democrats and 1 republican opposed this.

SCR604, which I voted against, was a reach too far. I leaned on Matthew chapter 6 for guidance on this, particularly Vs. 1. I encourage you to consider Matthew Chapter 6 yourselves. This was a clear jab at the relationship between Church and state. Again, listen to my floor testimony on this.

The last bill I found interesting, and voted against, was HB1064. The devil is in the details. This will eliminate most food safety rules that we all benefit from today including meat inspection. As a 1989 SDSU grad with a degree in Animal Science I found it offensive to the hard work our beef producers put in, along with the USDA, to keep a trustworthy and reliable meat supply. It was a clear attempt to circumvent good rules and law that farmers and civilization benefit from. Yes, there are good rules in place that protect both consumers and producers. *the SD Cattleman's Association and Farm Bureau also opposed this bill

Next week I have 3 bills coming. HB1088 and HB1089 are pretty straight forward. Check them out and reach out if you want. One regards tow truck operators being made whole on work they do, and the other is an update to existing transportation law. It is impacted by newer engineering and manufacturing practice.

HB1005, my data center bill will hit House State Affairs this week. I've asked for a "no recommendation" vote from the committee. This insures that the entire House will have the chance to speak to the bill and vote on it. This is too big for one committee to decide on. The true statesmen on the committee agree. Watch for the committee vote, you will discover much.

I also met with several constituents this week. Thank you to those who are compelled to reach out.

I was also interviewed by Doug Wermedal, Tri-City Star. Thank you Doug for your hard work.

Additionally, I was interviewed by Bloomberg business, Dakota Searchlight and other national and statewide publications regarding HB1005.

As always, reach out with any questions or concerns.

All the best,

Kent Roe

South Dakota District 4 House of Representatives

605 520 4710

X: Kent Roe@OxfordthomasRoe