Backroom battles: Senate revolt shakes legislative plans

Rank and file senators defy caucus leaders, spotlight use of 'vehicle bills'

Sen. Mike Rohl. (Makenzie Huber / South Dakota Searchlight)

PIERRE — Tensions flared at the state Capitol this week as the unexpected death of a leader-backed shell bill earned Senate Republicans a scolding behind closed doors.

A majority of senators on Tuesday bucked the wishes of Republican leadership when they voted down Senate Bill 147, one of six so-called “vehicle bills” filed in the Senate this year.

Vehicle bills include generic wording and are a means for legislators to work around bill-filing deadlines. They’re often amended late in a legislative session to include specific text reflecting priorities of a chamber’s majority caucus. While they’ve become increasingly common in recent legislative sessions, they’re also criticized as usurping the typical legislative process.

Another six vehicle bills were filed in the state House this year, too.

But both chambers each killed a pair of them after rank-and-file members of the Senate broke rank Tuesday, publicly and successfully defying leadership.

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