Sioux Falls Legislature Guide
Sioux Falls in Pierre.
Who represents Sioux Falls in the Legislature, and how they voted on the bills that affect us. Plain facts. Your call.
Step one
Find your legislators
Not sure which district you live in? Type your address into the Neighborhood Guide. It shows your legislators, your City Council members and your school board.
Tap a district, or pick its number.
District lines can split a neighborhood, so confirm with your address. R is Republican, D is Democrat.
2026 session
How Sioux Falls voted
20 bills that matter to Sioux Falls, each with how our 30 legislators voted and how the whole Legislature voted. Tap a bill to see every vote by name.
City powers
HB 1245A city sales tax for one project, with a public voteLets a city ask voters for a temporary sales tax of up to 1% to pay for one building project up front instead of borrowing. A city board has to OK the project, and at least 60% of voters must say yes. The tax ends when the project is paid for.Signed into lawSioux Falls legislators16 yes 12 no 2 excusedWhole LegislatureSenate 19 to 15 · House 36 to 30HB 1260City property tax rebatesLets a city create a program that gives homeowners back part of the city's share of their property taxes.Signed into lawSioux Falls legislators28 yes 0 no 2 excusedWhole LegislatureSenate 31 to 2 · House 63 to 3SB 3No permit needed for some home repairsCities and counties can no longer require a building permit to repair or replace a door, window, siding, gutters, soffit, fascia or fence panel on an owner-occupied house, when the size stays the same.Signed into lawSioux Falls legislators27 yes 0 no 3 excusedWhole LegislatureSenate 34 to 0 · House 67 to 0City and school elections
HB 1030When cities hold electionsLets a city hold its regular election in June or November, and choose to hold it only in even-numbered years.Signed into lawSioux Falls legislators27 yes 0 no 3 excusedWhole LegislatureSenate 34 to 0 · House 62 to 0Data centers
SB 135The Data Center Bill of RightsRequires large data centers to cover the electric costs they cause, makes them report water use, and lets local water providers and the state limit their water use. It also says the state can't stop cities and counties from regulating data centers.Signed into lawSioux Falls legislators26 yes 1 no 3 excusedWhole LegislatureSenate 33 to 1 · House 60 to 7HB 1038Data centers pay review costsLets the Public Utilities Commission charge large data centers the actual cost of reviewing their special electricity deals.Signed into lawSioux Falls legislators27 yes 1 no 2 excusedWhole LegislatureSenate 32 to 2 · House 67 to 0HB 1246No secret data center dealsWould have made agreements about building a data center public records, and banned confidentiality clauses in them.Did not passSioux Falls legislators8 yes 11 no 1 excusedWhole LegislatureHouse 30 to 37Property tax
SB 245A fund to lower homeowner taxesSets aside a share of state sales tax revenue, plus about $56 million up front, to lower the school part of homeowners' property taxes.Signed into lawSioux Falls legislators16 yes 13 no 1 excusedWhole LegislatureSenate 20 to 13 · House 42 to 27SB 96County sales tax to cut property taxesLets a county add a sales tax of up to 0.5%. The money has to go toward lowering property taxes, starting with homeowners.Signed into lawSioux Falls legislators17 yes 10 no 3 excusedWhole LegislatureSenate 20 to 14 · House 48 to 19HB 1308Swap school property taxes for sales taxesWould have cut the school property tax on homes to zero and raised some sales and use taxes to make up the money.Did not passSioux Falls legislators6 yes 12 no 2 excusedWhole LegislatureHouse 24 to 42SB 97Let local property taxes grow fasterWould have raised the cap on how fast city and county property tax revenue can grow each year, from 3% to 5%, for five years.Did not passSioux Falls legislators5 yes 4 no 1 excusedWhole LegislatureSenate 18 to 16Sales tax
SB 195Keep the state sales tax cutWould have made the 2023 cut in the state sales tax rate permanent. Under current law it ends June 30, 2027.Did not passSioux Falls legislators5 yes 4 no 1 excusedWhole LegislatureSenate 17 to 17Schools
HB 1051School tax rates and state aidSets the maximum school property tax rates for 2027 and updates the state formula that funds schools.Signed into lawSioux Falls legislators28 yes 0 no 2 excusedWhole LegislatureSenate 34 to 0 · House 66 to 1SB 218Charter schoolsWould have allowed public charter schools, run by their own boards under a contract with a school district or the state.Did not passSioux Falls legislators4 yes 5 no 1 excusedWhole LegislatureSenate 17 to 17SB 85Public vote on school tax increasesWould have required a public vote before a school board raises property taxes above the limit, called an opt-out.Did not passSioux Falls legislators15 yes 14 no 1 excusedWhole LegislatureSenate 20 to 14 · House 29 to 39SB 229Public vote on long school building loansWould have required a public vote before a school district signs building loans or leases longer than 10 years.Did not passSioux Falls legislators4 yes 5 no 1 excusedWhole LegislatureSenate 16 to 18State budget
HB 1326The state budgetThe state budget for July 2026 through June 2027, including state aid to schools.Signed into lawSioux Falls legislators21 yes 7 no 2 excusedWhole LegislatureSenate 25 to 9 · House 50 to 17Water
SB 222Water project grantsPuts $10 million into grants: $2 million for water, wastewater and storm water projects, and $8 million for riparian buffers along rivers and streams.Signed into lawSioux Falls legislators27 yes 2 no 1 excusedWhole LegislatureSenate 28 to 5 · House 61 to 8Public safety and EMS
SB 89EMS funding task forceCreates a task force to study treating ambulance service as an essential service, and how to pay for it.Signed into lawSioux Falls legislators23 yes 3 no 4 excusedWhole LegislatureSenate 29 to 4 · House 61 to 5SB 211Surprise ambulance billsWould have protected patients from surprise out-of-network ambulance bills and set how much insurers must pay.Did not passSioux Falls legislators5 yes 4 no 1 excusedWhole LegislatureSenate 17 to 16The basics
How the Legislature works
What it decides
State laws, the state budget and state taxes. It also sets what cities, counties and school districts are allowed to do.
Two chambers
35 senators and 70 House members. Each Sioux Falls district elects one senator and two House members.
How a bill becomes law
A committee hears it first. Then it needs a majority in both the House and the Senate. The governor signs it or vetoes it. Two-thirds of both chambers can override a veto.
When they meet
Session starts the second Tuesday in January and runs about two months, then a final day for vetoes. Most bills live or die in committee.
How we pick bills
- It names Sioux Falls, Minnehaha County or Lincoln County, or changes what cities, counties or schools can do.
- It changes the money that reaches the City, the counties or the schools, or it's a big statewide bill with a clear effect here.
- It got a floor vote, so there's a record to show. We show votes on passing the bill, not procedural motions like tabling.
- Every Sioux Falls legislator's vote, side by side. Excused is never counted as a no. No grades.
Votes come from the Legislature's official roll calls. Every bill page links to its official record, so you can check us. Spot something wrong? Email issues@risingtogethersf.com.
Looking for who ran in 2026? The 2026 Election Guide still has every candidate, with interviews and campaign finance links. For the City and the school board, see Who Represents Sioux Falls.
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