Big deadlines loom for SD lawmakers this week

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PIERRE — Legislators observed Presidents Day on Monday, and state government also was closed for the federal holiday. All return to normal duties today.

Tuesday is the deadline for legislative committees to dispose of all bills that were introduced in their respective chambers. Wednesday is the deadline for the House to handle all bills that were introduced in the House, and likewise for the Senate to handle all Senate bills. The Legislature is inflexible on the committee deadline but traditionally has been very flexible on the crossover deadline.

Today is working day 25 for the Legislature. It has scheduled 38 working days for this session. Lawmakers will work today through Friday this week and Monday through Thursday (Feb. 28) next week. They are scheduled to work their only five-day week of the session the following week, March 4-8. They then take a two-week break and return March 25 for the final day to handle any vetoes or other remaining business.

The Senate has 11 bills on its debate calendar today and the House has 17. The Senate could get through all 11, but the House would face a long journey into the night to get through all 17. Seven House bills and 28 Senate bills await immediate action today in committees to meet the crossover deadline. Several committees aren’t meeting because they don’t have pressing work. There also are bills that will be scheduled for debate Wednesday that came out of Friday committees.

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