Gubernatorial candidate Jamie Smith joins call for special session to repeal grocery tax

Democratic candidate for governor Rep. Jamie Smith is joining a small group of eight Republicans calling for a special session ahead of the Nov. 8 election to get lawmakers to vote on repealing the state sales tax on groceries.

The announcement Tuesday, headed by Phil Jensen (R-Rapid City), follows Gov. Kristi Noem's public support of repealing the tax. Noem, who is running for her second term against Smith, made the announcement during the last week of September, saying that if re-elected, she would push legislators to repeal the tax during the 2023 session. Election day is Nov. 8.

Smith will hold a press conference about supporting the call at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday at the Smith Campaign Headquarters in Sioux Falls, according to a press release Tuesday night.

"The governor’s unexpected reversal on repealing the grocery tax leaves many South Dakotans wondering what comes next," the press release from Smith's camp stated.

In early February, according to Argus Leader reporting, Noem was hesitant to throw her support behind bills at the time that would've cut the full sales tax on food and lower the overall sales tax.

Jensen told the Argus Leader by phone Tuesday that a special session in November could save families hundreds of dollars rather than waiting for the law to pass during the winter session in Pierre and then be enacted next summer.

More:'A desperate political stunt': Lawmakers slam Gov. Kristi Noem's proposed grocery tax cut

"It's become dire for families to put food on the table," he said.

The other seven lawmakers who are calling for the special session include: Senator-elect Tom Pischke (R-Dell Rapids), Sen. Julie Frye-Muller (R-Rapid City), Rep. Taffy Howard (R-Rapid City), Rep. Tony Randolph (R-Rapid City), Rep. Kevin Jensen (R-Canton), Rep. Steve Haugaard (R-Sioux Falls) and Rep. Arron Aylward (R-Harrisburg).

Aylward and Randolph are chairman and vice-chairman of the South Dakota Freedom Caucus, a far-right caucus group.

The current sales tax is 4.5%, according to the South Dakota Department of Revenue. The sales tax accounts for more than half of the state revenue.

Jensen said final details were being hammered out with the Legislative Research Council and legislators should be getting a memo for a special session petition as soon as the language is set.

Jensen voted in favor of a bill in March that would have repealed the full state sales tax on food, along with 46 other House members. The bill then failed in the Senate.

He added he was hoping for an answer "sooner rather than later" on if the Legislature approves of the special session.

More:What does it mean for Gov. Kristi Noem's campaign to cut the sales tax on food?

A majority two-thirds of lawmakers must vote in favor of a special session to be held in South Dakota.

Pischke, who was in the House during the 2022 Legislative session and voted in support of the bill to repeal the tax on food, also voiced support for the special session and the tax cut in general.

"I think there's no better time to strike to move forward with this," he said over the phone. "We don't want it to be just a campaign thing. We want to actually make sure this gets done for the people."

This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Jamie Smith, South Dakota Republicans call for session to repeal food tax