Rapid City, S.D. (June 29, 2023) – Today the South Dakota Freedom Caucus is unanimously calling on Governor Noem to convene a Legislative special session to address the ongoing property rights crisis in the state, and are calling on citizens to rally with them to demand action on July 6th in the South Dakota capitol rotunda from 12 noon to 1pm CT.

“The Governor claims to be looking for a way to help the landowners,” said South Dakota Freedom Caucus Chair Representative Aaron Aylward, “convening a special session would immediately address this crisis.”

According to the South Dakota Constitution, the Governor may convene the Legislature “in special session by a proclamation,” just as Governor Noem did on October 2, 2020 to appropriate federal COVID relief funds.

This last legislative session, a bill that would have stopped the current carbon capture pipeline projects passed the House of Representatives by nearly a sixty-percent margin, but never reached the Senate floor to be heard. The Freedom Caucus believes the bill should have the opportunity to be heard.

“Governor Noem has a choice – she can show support for landowners by calling a special session,” said South Dakota Freedom Caucus Treasurer Representative Tina Mulally, “or she can ignore landowners and side with her donors at Summit Carbon Solutions.”