Despite replacing five of members from last year’s Senate Education committee, the legislators prepped to review bills that will affect South Dakota schools are no strangers to education.
Sen. Jim Bolin will take the lead as Chair of the seven member committee, which is scheduled to meet on Tuesday and Thursday at 7:45 a.m.
Let’s meet the committee members:
Sen. Jim Bolin (District 16) enters his ninth year in the legislature with 2017 being his first in the Senate. A retired teacher from Canton, Sen. Bolin served two years on House Education during his eight years in that chamber. He will also serve as a member of the Senate State Affairs and Transportation committees.
Sen. Alan Solano (District 32) begins his fourth year in the legislature, all of which he has served as the education committee’s Vice Chair. Sen. Solano is the CEO of Behavior Management Systems, Inc. in Rapid City. He will also serve on the Senate Transportation committee.
Sen. Troy Heinert (District 26) starts his third term in the Senate in 2017 and first as a member of the education committee. Sen. Heinert, the Assistant Minority Leader, also sat on the Blue Ribbon Task Force in 2015, which introduced the half cent sales tax proposal that increased teacher salaries. He will be a member of the Ag and Natural Resources, Retirement Laws and State Affairs committees, as well.
Sen. Phil Jensen (District 33) makes 2017 his ninth year in the legislature and fifth in the Senate. The small business owner from Rapid City previously sat on the Senate’s education committee in 2013 and 2014. Sen. Jensen will serve as Chair of the Commerce and Energy committee and as a member of the Health and Human Services committee.
Sen. Joshua Klumb (District 20) will begin his first year in the Senate, but his third in the legislature having previously served in the House. Sen. Klumb spent his two years in the House as a member of the education committee. The agricultural producer from Mount Vernon will also serve as Vice Chair of the Senate Ag and Natural Resources committee, as well as a member of the Health and Human Services committee.
Sen. Jeff Monroe (District 24) is a veteran legislator entering his 13th year at the Capitol and fifth in the Senate. The chiropractor from Pierre served on the House Education committee in 2001 and 2002. Sen. Monroe will also serve as Chair of Senate Taxation and as a member of the Ag and Natural Resources committee.
Sen. Deb Soholt (District 14) goes into her fifth year in the legislature as a member of the education committee for the same number of years. Sen. Soholt, who lead the committee the previous three years, served as Co-Chair of the Blue Ribbon Task Force in 2015. She will also serve as Chair of the Health and Human Services committee and a member of the Ag and Natural Resources committee.