Ernie Otten

This bill requires websites that contain material harmful to minors to include a form of age verification. CPAC supports efforts to control adult material on websites and supported this bill. The Senate passed the bill on February 19, 2025 by a vote of 34-0, and the bill later became law.

This bill prohibits a health care provider from restricting or denying a parent access to their child’s medical records or health information. CPAC advocates for protecting parental rights, particularly regarding health care, and supported this bill. The Senate passed the bill on March 6, 2025 by a vote of 34-0, and the bill later became law.

This bill changes the qualifications required to place a constitutional amendment on the statewide ballot. Requirements include signers from every senatorial district, 5% of the total votes cast for governor, and other provisions. CPAC supports toughening requirements to amend the state constitution and supported this bill. The governor vetoed the bill, and the Senate sustained that veto on March 31, 2025 by a vote of 16-16.

This bill states that if an absentee ballot voter uses a commercial mail service they will be marked a federal voter only. CPAC advocates for strengthening ballot security, including for absentee ballots. For this reason, CPAC supported this bill. The Senate passed the bill on March 10, 2025 by a vote of 25-9, and the bill later became law.

This bill limits the imposition of restrictions on carrying concealed weapons while on a college campus. CPAC supports the framers’ belief in the Second Amendment and supported this bill. The Senate passed the bill on February 12, 2025 by a vote of 33-2, and the bill later became law.

This bill removes penalties for carrying a concealed pistol under a number of circumstances, including age (over 21), having joined a training course and carrying a concealed carry permit. CPAC supports the framers’ belief in the 2nd Amendment and supported this bill. The Senate passed the bill on March 4, 2025 by a vote of 32-2, and the bill later became law.

This bill puts limits on the annual increase in property taxes and subjects school districts to a limit on the amount of taxes levied by a school district in a year. CPAC supports broad-based tax relief whenever possible and supported this bill. The Senate defeated the bill on March 10, 2025 in a 13-21 vote.

HB 1259 ensures that multi-occupancy single-sex environments in public schools, including restrooms and changing rooms, remain exclusively for use by those of a single biological sex. CPAC only recognizes two biological sexes, so it supports this bill. HB 1259 was passed by the South Dakota Senate in a 27-6 vote on March 10, 2025, and it was signed into law by Governor Larry Rhoden.

This bill prohibits any action by a local government or individual to interfere with federal immigration enforcement. CPAC supports enforcement of our federal immigration law and supported this bill. The Senate passed the bill on January 24, 2025 by a vote of 35-0, and the bill later became law.

This House Concurrent Resolution urges Congress and the President to remove the requirement for a project labor agreement for federal construction projects. CPAC has long opposed these agreements that compel employers to pay the union wage regardless of their current wage, driving up the cost of construction projects and supported this resolution. The Senate passed the Resolution February 21, 2025 by a vote of 31-2.

This bill places a cap on a school administrator’s salary. CPAC recognizes that a growing school bureaucracy has added to the cost of education. For that reason, CPAC supported this attempt to control costs and supported this bill. The Senate defeated the bill on February 7, 2025 by a vote of 13-22.

This bill allows a credit for education expenses against the property tax for those families who have school age children and want to have a choice of schools. CPAC supports all efforts to give parents a choice and supported this bill. The Senate defeated the bill on February 13, 2025 by a vote of 11-24.

This bill puts a myriad of restrictions on vapor products to keep them away from underage consumers, treating them like cigarettes, although they do not contain tobacco and are often used to overcome cigarette addiction. CPAC views these restrictions as harmful to a legal industry and opposed this bill. The Senate tabled (killed) the bill on March 4, 2025 by a vote of 27-7.

This bill makes changes to the current cosmetology laws. CPAC opposes the proliferation of occupational licensing laws that are used primarily to restrict competition and opposed this bill. The Senate passed the bill on February 12, 2025 by a vote of 31-4, and the bill later became law.

HB 1132 is aimed at expanding the day care workforce by offering a new state-supported incentive. The bill would allow day care workers who meet certain criteria to permanently draw from a welfare program that helps with child care costs. CPAC opposes efforts to raise the cost of these programs on taxpayers, putting them in the position of paying twice for child care, and opposed this bill. The Senate passed the bill on March 4, 2025 by a vote of 20-14, but the bill was vetoed by the governor. Subsequently, the House’s vote to override the governor’s veto failed, sustaining the governor’s decision.

This bill offers a sales tax refund for data centers. CPAC has opposed these cuts that amounts to a subsidy for data centers and forces government to raise taxes elsewhere and opposed this bill. The Senate defeated the bill on February 13, 2025 by a vote of 17-18.

This bill would raise taxes on aviation gasoline and jet fuel. CPAC opposes these arbitrary tax hikes and opposed this bill. The Senate passed the bill on February 24, 2025 by a vote of 28-7 but the bill was not given a vote in the House.