South Dakota's new senate class friendlier to 'Convention of States'

Lawmakers return to long-exhausted debate around whether amending U.S. Constitution would fix federal government

(Austin Goss/The Dakota Scout)

PIERRE — A new legislature means a new opportunity to get South Dakota to sign onto a Convention of States.

And the perennial debate at the state Capitol about whether the U.S. Constitution should be retooled is once again taking place among lawmakers in Pierre.

“That is probably the ninety-ninth time I’ve heard a debate on Article Five (of the U.S. Constitution),” said Lt. Gov. Larry Rhoden, who presides over the South Dakota State Senate that’s been notorious for killing past proposals.

That remark came Tuesday after South Dakota senators voted 23-9 to advance Senate Joint Resolution 502. The legislation, carried by Senate Majority Leader Jim Mehlhaff, requests Congress convene state delegates to consider amendments to the Constitution. His proposal is specific to term limits, fiscal restraints, and cutting down on federal bureaucracy.

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