Sixteen State Senators Mute the Voice of Rural South Dakotans

Today the South Dakota State Senate sustained Governor Larry Rhoden’s veto of HB 1169. On March 25, 2025, the bill approved by both chambers of the legislature was vetoed because the governor claims it's a misguided effort that will be legally challenged in court. HB 1169 would require petition gatherers to obtain at least five percent of the total votes cast in the senatorial district at the last gubernatorial election, provided that the total number of signatures on the petition equals at least ten percent of the total votes cast for Governor in the last gubernatorial election. You can read more about HB 1169 at https://mylrc.sdlegislature.gov/api/Documents/284459.pdf.

A 2/3 majority vote in both chambers was needed to override the veto. The House overwhelmingly overrode the governor’s veto 50 to 18 (The House only needed to pass with 47 votes). District 27 State Representative Liz May (R) voted YES, and State Representative Peri Pourier (D) had an “excused” absence. She did not take part in this critical vote that gives rural South Dakotans a voice in the initiated measure process. On the Senate side, sixteen state senators voted to mute the voice of rural South Dakotans from the initiated measure process. Out of the sixteen senators, twelve are from East River, and the other four are from West River. District 27 State Senator Foster (D) voted YES. You can see below which state senators voted NO to sustain the governor’s veto. There needed to be 24 YES votes to override the governor’s veto; however, when the votes were counted, only sixteen votes were cast in favor to override the governor’s veto (Note: There were 3 state senators absent).

Rohl (R), Aberdeen – District 1

Kolbeck (R), Brandon – District 2

Sauder (R), Bryant – District 4

Vilhauer (R), Watertown – District 5

Otten (R), Tea – District 6

Larson (D), Sioux Falls – District 10

Reed (R), Brookings – District 7

Zikmund (R), Sioux Falls – District 14

Smith (D), Sioux Falls – District 15

Schoenfish (R), Scotland – District 19

Miskimins (R), Mitchell – District 20

Wheeler (R), Huron – District 22

Grove (R), Lower Brule – District 26

Hulse (R), Hot Springs – District 30

Deibert (R), Spearfish – District 31

Duhamel (R), Rapid City – District 32

Source: https://sdlegislature.gov/Session/Vote/82559

At the end of the day, the rogue out-of-state special interests groups will continue to manipulate our initiated measure process by allowing petition circulators to preselect those areas of the state that give them the necessary signatures to get what they want in the end: legalized abortion, jungle primaries, the legalization of recreational marijuana, Medicaid for all, men playing in women sports, eminent domain for private gain, and a host of other initiated measures that are contrary to the values of everyday, hardworking South Dakotans. Rural South Dakotans lost their voice today. The next time you go to the polls and see one of the controversial initiated measures on the ballot, you can thank the sixteen state senators who voted NO to sustain the governor’s veto on HB 1169.