The South Dakota Legislature met today for the last day of the 2023 session and to consider 4 vetoes issued by Gov Kristi Noem in the 2 weeks since the next-to-last day.
All 4 bills had passed with veto-proof margins, but override attempts this morning against each of them fell far short of the 2/3rds majority needed from both chambers.
House Bill 1193, updating the Uniform Commercial Code, had drawn Noem’s veto over the way it regulated cryptocurrency. The override drew only 30 votes in the House.
The margin in the House was only a little closer on House Bill 12-0, increasing the amount of THC allowed in industrial hemp during processing. 32 of the 67 members voted to override.
It was the same in the Senate on two bills that started there. SB-129, giving teachers the same legal protections against violent crime as law enforcement officers, had the backing of 20 of the 35 senators while only 5 voted to override the veto of SB 108.
Known as the “sip and spit” bill, it would have allowed college students under age 21 taking part in brewing classes to taste alcohol.
The failure of the overrides despite the wide support the bills had when they were passed isn’t a surprise historically; 643 had been attempted in the previous 20 years and only 6 had been successful.
Noem had vetoed one other bill earlier this session, a measure allowing municipal governments to double the hotel lodging tax, and an override attempt for it also fell far short of the 2/3rds majority needed.