Government Outreach Update January 14, 2026

Welcome to the first Government Outreach Update publication from the Pierre Area Chamber of Commerce.
 

The Pierre Area Chamber of Commerce welcomed legislators to town for the 2026 Legislative Session with welcome bags. A big thank you to our generous sponsors and our amazing Chamber members who donated items to make this member-only opportunity a success and showcase the welcoming spirit of Pierre.
 

The Legislative Session convened yesterday, took care of some housekeeping measures, then received the Governor’s State of the State address. Our state constitution requires the Governor at the beginning of each session to give the Legislature information concerning the affairs of the state and recommend the measures he considers necessary. At one time, the address was presented as a written report to legislators. Now, the tradition is for the governor to present the report in person.
 

South Dakota has one of the shortest legislative sessions in the nation. Our constitution limits each legislative session to no more than 40 days; this year’s calendar has 38 legislative days. The Main Run ends on March 12 before legislators take a two-week break before Veto Day on March 30.
 

The Pierre area is represented this year by: Senator Jim Mehlhaff (Jim.Mehlhaff@sdlegislature.gov) – Senator Mehlhaff serves on the Judiciary, Legislative Procedure, and State Affairs committees Representative Will Mortenson (Will.Mortenson@sdlegislature.gov) – Representative Mortenson serves on the Judiciary and Taxation committees Representative Mike Weisgram (Mike.Weisgram@sdlegislature.gov) – Representative Weisgram serves on the Commerce and Energy, Retirement Laws, and Taxation committees.
 

Area residents will be able to listen to on-air legislative forums at KCCR Radio on

- January 31

- February 14

- February 28

- March 14
 

The forums will start at 9:30 a.m. and last for 30 minutes

Already more than 150 bills and joint resolutions have been introduced, which means legislators are hitting the ground running. You can read the bills, find committee agendas, and find other legislative information on the Legislative Research Council (LRC) website at sdlegislature.gov.
 

If you would like to testify in committee on a bill, the LRC is now requiring individuals to register via digital means before testifying. The House, Senate, and Joint Appropriations Committees utilized the digital testifier registration system during the 2025 Legislative Session and Interim. Use of the system is now being expanded to all legislative committees for the 2026 Legislative Session. Testifiers may access the digital registration form on their computer or personal device in one of three ways:

• Clicking the weblink that appears on the top of every committee agenda;

• Scanning the QR code located on the bottom of every committee agenda; or

• Clicking on the icon that appears next to the agenda link at https://sdlegislature.gov/.
 

When completing the online form, individuals will be asked to submit their name, email, whom they represent, their city and state, and indicate how they would like to participate in the meeting (in-person, remotely, or submitting written testimony) and on which agenda item(s) they want to testify. Once the form is completed, the person clicks the "Submit Registration" button; a notification bar will appear on the screen when the form is successfully received.
 

For those without a device or who need assistance in registering, an iPad will be available in the committee room at the time of the meeting with Legislative Pages available to assist people in registering. Preferred testifier registration deadline is at least 24 hours before the scheduled meeting time.