Legislature accelerates in race against time, workload

Leadership from each chamber has made a priority of getting off to a faster start this year

(Joe Sneve/The Dakota Scout)

PIERRE — Nine weeks. 38 days. That’s how long South Dakota’s citizen Legislature gets to work through hundreds of bills each year.

But if you ask any South Dakota state lawmakers of the past, that first week is typically reserved for listening to speeches and hobnobbing in the hallways. 

Not this year. 

For the first time since the State of the Tribes Address was introduced during the Daugaard administration, that speech this year took place on the same day as the State of the Judiciary Address.

NEWS: Sioux Falls to use $5.8M, private partners to address 'extremely low-income' housing shortage

The next day, the day which had previously been almost exclusively reserved for the State of the Tribes Address, lawmakers were voting on bills in committee. 

“I have never seen bills get killed on day three of session,” one longtime lobbyist remarked.

The change in pace, says leadership from both chambers, was intentional. 

“What we have been looking at is how can we get more days and time in to get the work done?” said Sen. Majority Leader Casey Crabtree. “We are up here to tackle the toughest challenges, and we only have about 40 days to do that.”