PIERRE, S.D. – South Dakota lawmakers return to Pierre on Monday to consider two bills vetoed by Gov. Larry Rhoden.
The Legislature is not expected to overturn either measure on "veto day," so the final day of the 2026 legislative session is set to be a quiet one.
Carson Walker
Rhoden's first veto, House Bill 1077, which would have placed an indefinite ban on lab-grown meat production in South Dakota, resulted in a compromise with lawmakers, Senate Bill 124. It instead imposes a five-year moratorium on production. While Rhoden acknowledged his disapproval of lab-grown products, he explained in his veto that he thought it wasn't the state's place to obstruct consumer preferences.
His second veto, House Bill 1138, would have created state licensing requirements for non-medical home care agencies. However, given the bill passed the House 41-25 and the Senate 20-14, it is doubtful the legislation could muster the two-thirds majority needed in both chambers to override the veto. Similar to the rationale behind his veto on House Bill 1077, Rhoden argued the licensing requirements amount to an excess in government regulation.
More than 200 bills signed into law
In total, Rhoden signed 239 bills from the 2026 legislative session. Notable legislation, which takes effect July 1 unless it passed with an emergency clause, includes:
- House Bill 1326: The general appropriations bill for fiscal year 2027, which runs July 1 through June 30, 2027. Lawmakers agreed to a $7.5 billion budget for the upcoming year, which included a 1.4% increase in funding for the so-called big three: state employees salaries, pre-K through 12th grade education and Medicaid health care providers.
- Senate Bill 175: Requires South Dakotans to provide proof of citizenship when registering to vote in state and local elections. The provision, which unlike most bills came with an emergency clause allowing it to take immediate effect, only applies to new registrants. Acceptable forms of identification include a valid driver's license, passport, tribal identification card or birth certificate.
- Senate Bill 96: Rhoden's signature property tax proposal gives counties the option to implement a half-cent sales tax increase in exchange for lowering property taxes.
- Senate Bill 245: Signed into law as part of the property tax agreement between Rhoden and House Speaker Jon Hansen, Senate Bill 245 gives counties the option to implement a half-cent sales tax increase in exchange for lowering property taxes.
- Senate Bill 135: This measure, dubbed the "Data Center Bill of Rights for Citizens," championed by Hansen and Senate President Pro Tempore Chris Karr of Sioux Falls, provides guardrails against data center electricity and water usage.
- Senate Bill 2: Makes South Dakota the first state in the nation to declassify gun silencers as a controlled weapon. Residents will no longer be required to register their purchases of suppressors.
- House Bill 1274: Targets the distribution, sale and advertising of abortion materials and gives South Dakota's attorney general greater prosecution authority to pursue criminal and civil penalties.
- Senate Bill 113: Introduced after an anti-ICE protest that occurred in a Minneapolis church in January, Senate Bill 113 increases the penalty for preventing practice of religion from a misdemeanor to a Class 6 felony.
Under South Dakota law, if a governor does not sign or veto a bill presented to them within five days during the legislative session, it automatically becomes law. If the Legislature has adjourned, the governor has 40 days.
The governor's office on Friday said there were no additional bills awaiting his action.
This story will be updated to reflect the outcomes of veto day and action on any other significant legislation.
South Dakota News Watch is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at sdnewswatch.org. Contact politics and statehouse reporter Alexander Rifaat: 605-736-4396/alexander.rifaat@sdnewswatch.org.
