South Dakota lawmakers return to Pierre Wednesday for the 11th day of the Legislature’s 38-day session, with major policy debates unfolding in both committees and on the floor.
In the House State Affairs Committee, lawmakers are taking up several election and governance bills, including changes to nominating petition rules, a proposed constitutional amendment to repeal the state’s expanded Medicaid requirement, and a measure requiring agencies to publish permanent rules and rulemaking documents online.
Election administration is also a focus in the Senate, where State Affairs is considering bills dealing with ballot tabulation, cast-vote records, ballot images, and voter-registration verification. Meanwhile, Senate Taxation is debating property tax proposals aimed at limiting revenue growth and restructuring local tax relief.
Energy and infrastructure issues are also on the agenda, with a House committee hearing a bill that would allow the Public Utilities Commission to charge large new utility customers for actual infrastructure costs.
On the floor, the House is expected to debate open records, cultivated-protein food products, and disability parking permits, while the Senate considers service-animal protections, prison drug penalties, and conflict-of-interest restrictions for state officials.