Consider the facts around tourism bill vetoed by Gov. Noem

Guest op-ed by Sen. Tim Reed and Rep. Becky Drury

(Johnny Sundby Photography)

Great faces, great places. 

Over the past couple of years, South Dakota has proven itself as a key destination for tourists, and a promising homestead for those who are looking to find a new place to call home. This accomplishment was not done overnight. Getting us to we are can largely be attributed to Business Improvement Districts (BIDs), and the money they spent on promoting tourism and economic development. The efforts they make will be essential to help grow South Dakota’s economy in the future. 

These efforts are now being placed at risk. 

This year, we brought House Bill 1109, which increased the optional BID fee from $2, up to $4 (or 4 percent) of a hotel room cost. We heard from many proponents such as economic developers, tourism promoters, and business leaders who all stated the importance of this bill. However, upon landing on the Governor’s desk, it was vetoed. The Governor made a number of claims about this bill, and now we would like to set the record straight on HB 1109.

Here are the facts: 

POINT: South Dakotans want the food tax cut
COUNTERPOINT: Food tax cut not the relief South Dakotans need