PIERRE, S.D. (SDBA) — Rep. Heather Baxter, R-Rapid City, a freshman legislator, and Sen. Carl Perry, R-Aberdeen, a veteran legislator, have sponsored the most bills in the 2025 South Dakota Legislature.
That’s according to legislative records and the tracking service LegiScan.
Baxter has sponsored 144 bills in the House, more than any other representative.
In the Senate, Perry leads with 235 sponsored bills, making him the overall leader.
The numbers are based on bills where legislators are the prime sponsor or a co-sponsor.
Other top House sponsors include Rep. Phil Jensen, R-Rapid City, with 123 bills; Rep. Scott Moore, R-Ipswich, with 102; and Rep. Eric Emery, D-Rosebud, with 102.
Sen. Liz Larson, D-Sioux Falls, ranks second in the Senate with 78 bills, followed by Sen. Tom Pischke, R-Dell Rapids, with 74.
As the session continues, lawmakers will debate, amend, and vote on these bills in committees and on the floor. Some will become law, while others will be tabled or rejected.
Legislators have filed 547 bills so far this session, according to LegiScan. The deadline to introduce most bills passed on February 6. A few “vehicle” bills floating around can be “hog-housed”—heavily amended—if legislators need to introduce emergency legislation for the end of the session.
Last year, according to LegiScan, legislators introduced 560 bills, with 235 being enacted. That’s a passage rate of nearly 42 percent.
The 2025 legislative session is scheduled to conclude on March 31 with the scheduled veto session. The regular run of the 38-day session ends on March 13.
