Click here to live chat with one of our writers between 9am-5pm CST.
South Dakota House of Representatives
| South Dakota House of Representatives | |
 | |
| General Information | |
| Type: | Lower house |
| Term limits: | 4 terms (8 years) |
| 2012 session start: | January 10, 2012 |
| Website: | Official House Page |
| Leadership | |
| House Speaker: | Valentine Rausch, (R) |
| Majority Leader: | David Lust, (R) |
| Minority leader: | Bernie Hunhoff, (D) |
| Structure | |
| Members: | 70 |
| Democratic Party (19) Republican Party (50) Independent (1) | |
| Length of term: | 2 years |
| Authority: | Art III, South Dakota Constitution |
| Salary: | $12,000/two-year term + per diem |
| Elections | |
| Last Election: | November 2, 2010 (70 seats) |
| Next election: | November 6, 2012 (70 seats) |
| Redistricting: | South Dakota South Dakota Legislature has control |
Contents |
South Dakota state representatives are elected to two year terms, and are limited to no more than four consecutive terms, as per Section 6 of Article III of South Dakota's Constitution.
Sessions
Article III of the South Dakota Constitution establishes when the South Dakota State Legislature, of which the House of Representatives is a part, is to be in session. Section 7 of Article III states that the Legislature is to meet in regular session each year on the second Tuesday of January.
The South Dakota Constitution also contains provisions concerning special sessions of the Legislature. Section 3 of Article IV allows the Governor of South Dakota to convene a special session of the Legislature. Additionally, Section 31 of Article III allows for a special session to be convened by the presiding officers of both legislative houses upon the written request of two-thirds of the members of each house.
2012
- See also: Dates of 2012 state legislative sessions
In 2012, the House will be in session from January 10 through mid-March.
Major issues
Legislators will take up Governor Dennis Daugaard's proposals of bonuses for state employees, additional aid to schools and Medicare agencies, and work force development initiatives. Additionally, they will consider a texting-while-driving ban, reforming the school funding formula, and increased penalties for speeding.[3]
2011
- See also: Dates of 2011 state legislative sessions
In 2011, the Legislature was in session from January 11 through March 28. [4]
2010
- See also: Dates of 2010 state legislative sessions
In 2010, the House was in session from January 12 to March 29.[5]
Elections
2012
Elections for the office of South Dakota House of Representatives will be held in South Dakota on November 6, 2012. All 70 seats will be up for election.
The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in these elections was March 27, 2012.
South Dakota state representatives are subject to term limits, and may not serve more than four two-year terms. In 2012, 7 state representatives will be termed-out of office.
2010
Elections for the office of South Dakota's House of Representatives were held in South Dakota on November 2, 2010.
The signature-filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in these elections was March 30, 2010. The primary election day was June 8, 2010.
In 2010, the candidates for state house raised a total of $1,675,460 in campaign contributions. The top 10 donors were: [6]
| Donor | Amount |
|---|---|
| Munsterman, Scott | $183,417 |
| South Dakota Democratic Party | $35,550 |
| South Dakota Association of Realtors | $28,000 |
| South Dakota Education Association | $26,700 |
| South Dakota Association of Healthcare Organizations | $18,550 |
| Schaefer, James | $17,721 |
| Independent Community Bankers of South Dakota | $16,000 |
| Equality South Dakota | $15,500 |
| Murray, Matthew | $15,045 |
| South Dakota Retailers Association | $14,350 |
Qualifications
To be eligible to serve in the South Dakota House of Representatives, a candidate must be:[7]
- A U.S. citizen at the time of filing
- 21 years old at the filing deadline time
- A two-year resident of South Dakota at the filing deadline time
- May not have been convicted of bribery, perjury or other infamous crime; may not have illegally taken "public moneys"
- A qualified voter. A qualified voter is someone who is:
- * A U.S. citizen
- * Reside in South Dakota
- * At least 18 years old old on or before the next election
- * Not currently serving a sentence for a felony conviction which included imprisonment, served or suspended, in an adult penitentiary system
- * Not be judged mentally incompetent by a court of law
- * Not have served 4 consecutive terms
Vacancies
Under the state constitution, the Governor is responsible for appointing a replacement in the event a vacancy happens in the State Senate. There are no deadlines set in the state constitution to when the Governor has to fill the vacancy[8].
Representatives
Partisan composition
- See also: Partisan composition of state houses
| Party | As of May 2012 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 19 | |
| Republican Party | 50 | |
| Independent | 1 | |
| Total | 70 | |
Leadership
The Speaker of the House is the presiding officer of the body.[9]
Current leadership
2010 Leadership
Salaries
- See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries
As of 2010, members of the South Dakota House of Representatives are paid $12,000/two-year term. Legislators receive $110/day per diem. Rates are set by the legislature.[10]
The $12,000/two-year term that South Dakota representatives are paid as of 2010 is the same as they were paid during legislative sessions in 2007. Per diem is also the same.[11]
When sworn in
South Dakota legislators assume office the first day of session after election (Jan. 11).
Current members
Standing committees
The South Dakota House of Representatives has 13 standing committees:
- Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee, South Dakota House of Representatives
- Appropriations Committee, South Dakota House of Representatives
- Commerce and Energy Committee, South Dakota House of Representatives
- Education Committee, South Dakota House of Representatives
- Government Operations and Audit Committee, South Dakota House of Representatives
- Health and Human Services Committee, South Dakota House of Representatives
- Judiciary Committee, South Dakota House of Representatives
- Legislative Procedure Committee, South Dakota House of Representatives
- Local Government Committee, South Dakota House of Representatives
- Retirement Laws Committee, South Dakota House of Representatives
- State Affairs Committee, South Dakota House of Representatives
- Taxation Committee, South Dakota House of Representatives
- Transportation Committee, South Dakota House of Representatives
External links
- Official website of the South Dakota Legislature
- Official list of the current members of the South Dakota House of Representatives
- Project Vote Smart on the South Dakota House of Representatives
References
- ↑ Population in 2010 of the American states
- ↑ Population in 2000 of the American states
- ↑ Argus Leader, "S.D. Legislature to visit array of old issues with fresh optimism," January 8, 2012
- ↑ 2011 SD Legislative Calendar
- ↑ 2010 session dates for South Dakota Legislature
- ↑ Follow the Money: "South Dakota House 2010 Campaign Contributions"
- ↑ Qualifications for running for South Dakota Senate
- ↑ South Dakota Legislature "South Dakota Constitution"(Referenced Section Article 3, Section 10)
- ↑ South Dakota House Leadership
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "2010 Legislator Compensation Data"
- ↑ Empire Center, "Legislative Salaries Per State as of 2007"
- ↑ Mitch Krebs and Roxy Everson "Gov. Rounds Appoints Gosch as District 32 representative to legislature" State News Web September 21, 2007
- ↑ " Governor Appoints Kristin Conzet to Legislature""State News Web" December 2, 2009
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
State of South Dakota Pierre (capital) |
|---|---|
| Ballot Measures |
List of South Dakota ballot measures | Local measures | School bond issues | Ballot measure laws | Initiative laws | History of I&R | Campaign Finance Requirements | Recall process | |
| Government |
South Dakota State Constitution | House of Representatives | Senate | Legislative Research Council | Auditor General | |
| State executive officers |
Governor | Lieutenant Governor | Attorney General | Secretary of State | Treasurer | State Auditor | Secretary of Education | Director of Insurance | Secretary of Agriculture | Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources | Secretary of Labor | Chairman of Public Utilities | |
| Judiciary |
South Dakota Supreme Court | Judicial nomination process | Judicial news | Judicial activist organizations | |
| Transparency Topics |
Sunshine Law | Transparency Checklist | Government corruption reports | Transparency Legislation | Open Records procedures | Transparency Advocates | Transparency blogs | State budget | Taxpayer-funded lobbying associations | |
| Divisions |
State |
List of Counties |
List of Cities |
List of Towns |
List of School Districts | |
