Current Office: Senator
First Elected: 11/04/2008
Next Election: 2012
Party: Republican

General

Gender: Male
Family: Wife: Kathy; 2 Children: Linda, David
Birth date: 08/04/1954
Birthplace: Sisseton, SD
Home City: Aberdeen SD
Religion: Methodist

Profession

Manager/Owner, Thunder Road Family Fun Park, 1994-present Manager/Owner, Computer Specialists, 1982-2001 Teacher, Granite Falls High School, 1977-1980 Construction Worker, Cenex/Farmers Union, 1969-1972 Farm Worker, Family Farm, 1967-1972

Education

BS, South Dakota State University, 1977

Committees

Appropriations
Appropriations

SB 157 Prohibits Cities From Limiting Outdoor Digital Billboards
Stage: Override of Veto
Vote: Yea

HB 1228 Tax Credits for Alternative Energy Projects
Stage: Passage With Amendment
Vote: Nay

HB 1248 Authorizes the Concealed Carry of a Handgun Without a Permit
Stage: Passage
Vote: Yea

HB 1253 Prohibits State Enforcement of Religious Codes
Stage: Passage
Vote: Yea

HB 1228 Tax Credits for Alternative Energy Projects
Stage: Passage With Amendment
Vote: Nay

View More

SB 157 Prohibits Cities From Limiting Outdoor Digital Billboards
Stage: Override of Veto
Vote: Yea

HB 1228 Tax Credits for Alternative Energy Projects
Stage: Passage With Amendment
Vote: Nay

HB 1248 Authorizes the Concealed Carry of a Handgun Without a Permit
Stage: Passage
Vote: Yea

HB 1253 Prohibits State Enforcement of Religious Codes
Stage: Passage
Vote: Yea

HB 1228 Tax Credits for Alternative Energy Projects
Stage: Passage With Amendment
Vote: Nay

HB 1248 Authorizes the Concealed Carry of a Handgun Without a Permit
Stage: Passage
Vote: Yea

HB 1253 Prohibits State Enforcement of Religious Codes
Stage: Passage
Vote: Yea

HB 1206 Repeals the South Dakota Sales Tax on Food Refund Program
Stage: Passage With Amendment
Vote: Yea

HB 1234 Eliminates Teacher Tenure
Stage: Passage With Amendment
Vote: Yea

HB 1206 Repeals the South Dakota Sales Tax on Food Refund Program
Stage: Passage With Amendment
Vote: Yea

HCR 1004 Urging Academic Study of the Bible in Public Schools
Stage: Passage
Vote: Yea

HB 1001 State Legislative Redistricting
Stage: Passage
Vote: Yea

HB 1217 Requiring Counseling and a Waiting Period Prior to an Abortion
Stage: Passage
Vote: Yea

SB 156 Prohibits Employment of Undocumented Immigrants
Stage: Passage
Vote: Yea

SB 196 2010-2011 Budget
Stage: Passage
Vote: Yea

SB 169 Insurance Law Amendments
Stage: Override of Veto
Vote: Nay

SB 121 Deaf and Hearing-Impaired Education Promotion Programs
Stage: Override of Veto
Vote: Nay

SB 169 Insurance Law Amendments
Stage: Concurrence Vote
Vote: Nay

HB 1231 Prescription Drug Registry
Stage: Passage With Amendment
Vote: Yea

HB 1240 Need-Based Education Grant Fund
Stage: Passage
Vote: Nay

Cooper Nomination John L. Cooper, Game, Fish and Parks Commission
Stage: Confirmation Vote
Vote: Yea

HCR 1009 Urges Changes to the Public School Environmental Curriculum
Stage: Passage With Amendment
Vote: Yea

SB 89 Exempts Certain Firearms From Federal Regulation
Stage: Passage
Vote: -

Jerstad Amdt Per Student Funding Increase
Stage: Amendment Vote
Vote: Nay

SB 18 Restrictions on Retirement for Rehired Public Employees
Stage: Passage
Vote: Yea

HB 1300 2009-2010 Budget
Stage: Passage
Vote: Yea

HB 1197 Tax Changes Relating to Single Family Dwellings Under Construction
Stage: Override of Veto
Vote: Yea

HB 1240 Smoking Ban
Stage: Passage With Amendment
Vote: Yea

SB 195 Stem Cell Research Amendments
Stage: Passage
Vote: Nay

HB 1171 Exemptions from School District Minimum Size Requirements
Stage: Passage
Vote: Yea

SB 106 School Funding Formula Revision
Stage: Passage
Vote: Nay

SB 156 Expansion of Hate Crime Law
Stage: Passage
Vote: Nay

SJR 1 Authorization of Legal Gaming due to Gaming in Bordering States
Stage: Passage
Vote: Nay

SJR 3 Extending Senate Terms and Legislative Term-Limits
Stage: Passage
Vote: Yea

SJR 1 Authorization of Legal Gaming due to Gaming in Bordering States
Stage: Passage
Vote: Nay

SB 83 Statewide Indoor Smoking Ban
Stage: Passage
Vote: Yea

SB 79 Primary Seat Belt Enforcement
Stage: Passage
Vote: Nay

SB 83 Statewide Indoor Smoking Ban
Stage: Passage
Vote: Yea

SB 79 Primary Seat Belt Enforcement
Stage: Passage
Vote: Nay

HB 1233 Government Spending Database
Stage: Override of Veto
Vote: Yea

SB 126 Repealing Liquor License Cap
Stage: Passage With Amendment
Vote: Yea

SB 174 Railroad Eminent Domain
Stage: Passage
Vote: Yea

SB 173 Eliminating Restrictions on Corporate Dairy Farms
Stage: Passage
Vote: Yea

SB 88 Offering Sonograms to Women Considering Abortion
Stage: Passage
Vote: Yea

HB 1124 Teacher Compensation and Performance
Stage: Passage
Vote: Yea

HB 1151 Adult-Oriented Business Restrictions
Stage: Passage
Vote: Yea

HB 1124 Teacher Compensation and Performance
Stage: Passage
Vote: Yea

HB 1151 Adult-Oriented Business Restrictions
Stage: Passage
Vote: Yea

HB 1085 Constructing Science Facilities at Universities
Stage: Passage
Vote: Yea

HB 1233 Government Spending Database
Stage: Passage
Vote: Yea

HB 1085 Constructing Science Facilities at Universities
Stage: Passage
Vote: Yea

HB 1233 Government Spending Database
Stage: Passage
Vote: Yea

HB 1085 Constructing Science Facilities at Universities
Stage: Passage
Vote: Yea

HB 1233 Government Spending Database
Stage: Passage
Vote: Yea

HB 1171 Hunting Mountain Lions
Stage: Passage
Vote: Nay

HB 1250 Legislative Pay Raise
Stage: Passage
Vote: Nay

HB 1261 Firearm Possession on College Campuses
Stage: Passage
Vote: Yea

HB 1193 Offering Sonograms to Women Considering Abortion
Stage: Passage
Vote: Yea

HB 1048 Campaign Contribution Reform
Stage: Conference Report Vote
Vote: Yea

SB 207 Minimum Wage Increase
Stage: Passage With Amendment
Vote: Nay

SB 199 Mandatory School Attendance
Stage: Passage
Vote: Yea

SB 95 Control of Technical Institutes
Stage: Passage
Vote: Nay

HB 1082 School District Consolidation
Stage: Passage
Vote: Nay

HB 1293 Abortion Limitations
Stage: Passage
Vote: Yea

HB 1048 Campaign Contribution Reform
Stage: Passage
Vote: Yea

HB 1139 Tobacco Tax Funds
Stage: Passage
Vote: Yea

HB 1160 Physician Presence at Executions
Stage: Passage
Vote: Yea

HB 1139 Tobacco Tax Funds
Stage: Passage
Vote: Yea

HB 1175 Lethal Injection Reform
Stage: Passage
Vote: Yea

HB 1296 Pre-Abortion Sonograms
Stage: Passage
Vote: Yea

SB 210 2006-2007 Budget Amendments
Stage: Passage
Vote: Yea

SB 1 Mandatory Bodily Substance Samples in Drunk Driving Arrests
Stage: Passage
Vote: Yea

HB 1235 Compulsory High School Education Age to 18
Stage: Passage
Vote: Yea

HB 1215 Abortion Ban
Stage: Passage
Vote: Yea

H Amdt 1215fa Exception to Abortion Ban in Cases Where the Health of the Woman is Seriously Threatened
Stage: Amendment Vote
Vote: Nay

H Amdt 1215rb Exceptions to Abortion Ban in Cases of Rape or Incest Amendment
Stage: Tabling Vote
Vote: Yea

HB 1215 Abortion Ban
Stage: Passage
Vote: Yea

HB 1194 Contraceptive Distribution at Public Schools
Stage: Passage
Vote: Yea

HB 1234 Mandatory Kindergarten
Stage: Passage
Vote: Nay

HB 1194 Contraceptive Distribution at Public Schools
Stage: Passage
Vote: Yea

HB 1234 Mandatory Kindergarten
Stage: Passage
Vote: Nay

HB 1215 Abortion Ban
Stage: Passage
Vote: Yea

HB 1194 Contraceptive Distribution at Public Schools
Stage: Passage
Vote: Yea

HB 1215 Abortion Ban
Stage: Passage
Vote: Yea

HB 1217 Abstinence-Only Sex Education
Stage: Passage
Vote: Yea

H Amdt 1194rf Penalties for School Employees for Dispensing Contraceptives Amendment
Stage: Amendment Vote
Vote: Nay

HB 1217 Abstinence-Only Sex Education
Stage: Passage
Vote: Yea

H Amdt 1194rf Penalties for School Employees for Dispensing Contraceptives Amendment
Stage: Amendment Vote
Vote: Nay

HB 1217 Abstinence-Only Sex Education
Stage: Passage
Vote: Yea

H Amdt 1194rf Penalties for School Employees for Dispensing Contraceptives Amendment
Stage: Amendment Vote
Vote: Nay

HB 1184 Medical Treatments that Violate Medical Workers Principles
Stage: Passage
Vote: Yea

SB 27 State Fair Appropriation
Stage: Passage
Vote: Yea

View Less