PIERRE, S.D. (MITCHELLNOW) The South Dakota Legislature has a busy week of committee hearings, with lawmakers set to tackle important issues like education funding, tax policy, and infrastructure projects. All of this is in preparation for Crossover Day on February 25th, the deadline for bills to pass their original chamber and move on for further consideration.
The South Dakota Senate passed a bill on Monday aimed at cracking down on street racing. The measure, approved 25 to 9, would make activities like burnouts, drag racing, and blocking streets for racing illegal. Lawmakers from Sioux Falls argue that racing near public areas has become a safety concern. However, West River lawmakers fear the bill could negatively impact tourism, especially in Sturgis. The bill would also make organizing street races a felony and now moves on to the House for consideration.
The South Dakota Senate has approved changes to the state’s presumptive probation law with a 31 to 3 vote on Monday. The measure gives judges more flexibility when sentencing lower-level felony cases. It removes the requirement for suspended sentences for offenders under Department of Corrections supervision and adds crimes like stolen firearms and protection order violations to the list of offenses exempt from mandatory probation. These changes were requested by the Attorney General. The bill now heads to the House for consideration.
Governor Larry Rhoden signed 14 bills into law Monday. The new laws include measures to update federal motor carrier regulations, increase penalties for commercial driver violations, and allow sheriffs to charge a fee for service of process. Other bills address issues like public access to governor and lieutenant governor records, revisions to the insurance code, changes to highway and transportation regulations, and updates to hunting license age requirements. Additionally, one bill prohibits misbranding of cell-cultured protein products. This brings the total number of bills signed into law by Governor Rhoden this session to 15.