South Dakota House Democrats decry citizenship markers on IDs, classroom Ten Commandments mandate and voter-record changes; call for property-tax review

Members of the South Dakota House Democratic caucus on Tuesday criticized multiple bills moving through the Legislature and outlined priorities for the session, including a study of state tax policy and opposition to measures they say would restrict voting or inject religion into public schools.

The caucus singled out Senate Bill 25, a proposal that would require driver’s licenses to display a person’s citizenship status; Senate Bill 51, a measure to place the Ten Commandments in every public school classroom and add curriculum about their “significance”; and a set of bills to expand education savings accounts (ESAs) and broaden public access to voter registration records.

Why it matters: Democrats said the bills would create new barriers or invite litigation and would distract from priorities such as fully funding public education and addressing property-tax burdens. The caucus also urged local control for school districts and warned that changes to voter-record access could expose residents to harassment.

The caucus’s positions

• Citizenship markers on IDs: A caucus spokesperson said Senate Bill 25 “acts on an imagined problem,” describing the proposal as unnecessary and potentially intimidating to voters. The speaker noted that noncitizen voting is already prohibited and punishable under federal and state law and argued the bill would promote confusion and intimidation rather than strengthen elections.

• Ten Commandments in classrooms: Jamie Smith, a Democratic caucus member, said the classroom mandate is not a neutral history measure but an attempt at “control” that risks First Amendment litigation and would invite lawsuits at taxpayer expense. Smith said permissive language already allows districts that want to display the text to do so without a statewide mandate.

• Voter-record access and residency: Erin Healy, House Democratic leader, criticized bills to make voter-registration files freely available online and a proposal requiring 30 days’ South Dakota residency before voting. “This bill isn’t about transparency. It’s about control,” Healy said of the proposal to make records free to the public, arguing the fee currently required serves as “a guardrail for misuse.” She said residency restrictions could disenfranchise new residents, military families and students.

• Education savings accounts (ESAs) and school-choice efforts: Caucus leaders said two ESA bills recently failed in House education committee hearings and that one early proposal lost by a single vote. Senate and House leaders said alternate ESA drafts are expected from the governor’s office; several caucus members said they remained wary of moving the same language via vehicle bills after the committee defeats.

• Eminent domain and pipeline-related bills: Democrats said they are consulting constituents on eminent-domain proposals linked to pipelines and carbon-capture projects and have not adopted a unified caucus position. Some members expressed a preference for reform that strengthens landowner rights while avoiding broad changes that could deter long-term investment.

• Property taxes and tax policy study: Caucus speakers said they want both short-term relief for homeowners and a longer-term review of how South Dakota levies and distributes taxes. One caucus member noted Representative Ray Ring’s longstanding proposal for a study of tax methodology and said they are considering reintroducing a study measure.

Context and supporting details

• The caucus repeatedly framed its remarks around two priorities: protecting public education funding and safeguarding voting access. Healy said two bills creating ESAs were defeated in House education; she described a packed committee hearing with many public testifiers opposing the measures.

• Several leaders at the press event cited the incoming administration and expressed interest in working with Governor Larry Roden and Lieutenant Governor Tony Van Heysen on shared priorities, including property-tax discussions.

• Quantitative context mentioned at the briefing: a legislative tracking figure of 825 bill drafts and 317 bills introduced so far in the session; caucus speakers referenced “26 days” remaining in the session timeline discussed at the podium.

Quotes

“This bill isn’t about transparency. It’s about control,” Erin Healy, South Dakota House Democratic leader, said of proposed changes to public access to voter-registration records.

“If you look at the first commandment, ‘you shall have no other gods before me,’ what does that tell you? … This is about control. This is completely about indoctrination,” Jamie Smith, Democratic caucus member, said of the Ten Commandments classroom mandate.

What the caucus did and did not decide

The press conference was a policy-position and messaging event; no formal floor votes were taken at the briefing. Caucus members described recent floor and committee actions around several bills: they said two ESA bills were defeated in House education (one lost by a single vote), House Bill 1066 had been returned to State Affairs because of a large amendment, and committee and floor activity is ongoing for bills tied to eminent domain, property taxes and internal accounting oversight. Caucus leaders said they remain open to negotiation and to working with the governor’s office on property-tax proposals and alternative ESA drafts.

Ending note

Caucus members said they plan to press for a measured property-tax approach that provides immediate relief to those most affected while pursuing longer-term reform. They also pledged to oppose bills they view as curtailing voter access or imposing religious mandates in public schools while continuing to engage with colleagues across the aisle and the new governor’s administration.