On March 10, Gov. Dennis Daugaard signed a series of bills aimed at replacing ethics and campaign finance laws after the repeal of Initiated Measure 22.

Among the bills signed into law, Senate Bill 131 prohibits elected officers and officials from lobbying in the two-year period after termination of service in the state government.

House Bill 1073 was approved to set a $100 annual cap on gifts from lobbyists to elected officials. House Bill 1073 also defines “gift” to exclude food, beverages, and entertainment.

The Governor also signed House Bill 1076, establishing a government accountability board.

The Governor is expected to approve other pending Initiated Measure 22 replacement bills. The pending bills currently on the Governor’s desk include Senate Bill 54 to revise campaign finance limits and disclosure requirements and Senate Bill 171 to establish a government accountability task force to study campaign finance.

On February 28, the House of Representatives passed Senate Bill 131 to ban elected officers and other officials from lobbying during a period of two years after termination of service in the state government. The bill now goes to Gov. Dennis Daugaard for consideration.

Senate Bill 131 is one of the pieces of legislation that was introduced by lawmakers to placate citizen outrage after lawmakers repealed Initiated Measure 22, the voter approved measure to overhaul ethics and campaign finance laws.