A Republican lawmaker wants to ask voters to allow senators decide who becomes president of the state Senate.
Currently, the Lieutenant Governor presides over the Senate. The change requires a constitutional amendment.
South Dakota’s constitution outlines a certain legislative procedure that is modeled after the federal system. There, the vice president—a member of the executive branch—presides over the Senate. Like the vice president, the South Dakota lieutenant governor serves as a tie-breaking vote.
Republican State Senator Lee Schoenbeck wants to change that.
He said he wants to strengthen the legislative branch by letting Senate members decide who presides over that legislative body, just like the House does with the speaker.
Schoenbeck said the idea has nothing to do with current Lt. Gov. Larry Rhoden’s performance behind the Senate rostrum.
“Let me just say Larry Rhoden has done an outstanding job. It is not at all directed at Larry. He comes from a legislative background. He understands the legislature," Schoenbeck said. "But, it is true, that lieutenant governors—when they serve as presidents of the Senate—that is the executive branch getting to make decisions about the legislative process.”
If the joint resolution passes the Senate and is approved by the voters, the constitutional amendment wouldn’t go into effect until 2027. So, it would not apply to Lt. Gov. Rhoden, nor Schoenbeck, who would be term-limited.
“And I’m not running again, so it won’t apply to me," Schoenbeck added. "It’s just an objective effort to strengthen the role of the legislature in the process.”
If approved by state lawmakers, the constitutional amendment would land on the 2024 November ballot.
