A LEGISLATIVE COMMEMORATION celebrating the seventy-fifth anniversary of the creation of the Legislative Research Council.

WHEREAS, the Legislative Research Council is celebrating its seventy-fifth year of service to the South Dakota Legislature, having been established in 1951 by the Thirty-Second South Dakota Legislature; and

WHEREAS, recognizing the need for permanent, nonpartisan staff to support the Legislature, University of South Dakota government professor Dr. William O. Farber developed the unique structure of the Legislative Research Council, later codified in state law, consisting of "all members of the South Dakota Legislature", empowered to hire a dedicated staff, and charged with the responsibility to "consider legislative policies between sessions of the Legislature"; and

WHEREAS, from its humble beginnings with only one staff member, the Legislative Research Council has developed into a professional agency of thirty-two full-time employees, supported by numerous committee secretaries, front desk clerks, sergeants-at-arms, and other session-only personnel; and

WHEREAS, while the role of the Legislative Research Council has evolved over the decades, the Council continues to support and strengthen the legislative institution by providing objective and vital services in legislative operations, information technology, bill drafting and research, and fiscal analysis; and

WHEREAS, the Legislature's permanent staff has supported hundreds of committees, drafted thousands of bills, resolved complex legislative and operational challenges, assisted in the completion of the state's budget, and worked to modernize the Legislature's operations and technology; and

WHEREAS, much of the work performed by the Legislative Research Council occurs behind-the-scenes so that members of the Legislature can focus their efforts on public policymaking and representing the people of South Dakota;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT COMMEMORATED, by the One Hundred First Legislature of the State of South Dakota, that the seventy-fifth anniversary of the Legislative Research Council is celebrated and recognized, and its dedicated staff, both past and present, are commended for their steadfast service to the legislative institution.