PIERRE, S.D. (AP) - Despite a snowstorm and a meager agenda, both the Senate and the House made a quorum to finish the formalities of the 2014 session.
Speaker of the House Brian Gosch, R-Rapid City, coordinated with representatives to ensure at least 36 of the 70 showed up on Monday.
If they didn’t have enough present, the Highway Patrol would have gone out to collect more lawmakers. Thirty-eight representatives and 24 of 35 senators showed up.
“I told people if they had business going on in their normal lives, they could stay at home and do that, then we’ll see what kind of a count we have,” Gosch said.
Gosch asked legislators to come early to risk delays from travelling in a snowstorm that swept across the western part of the state. Many did not make the journey because of work obligations or the weather.
The last day of the session, known as “veto day,” is typically used to vote on overriding the governor’s vetoes. But this year’s only veto was considered before lawmakers wrapped up the bulk of their work two weeks ago.
The State-Tribal Relations Committee and the Joint Committee on Appropriations met after the session to discuss their plans for the interim period.
Lawmakers spent less than 15 minutes in their chambers Monday. In the House, the meeting included two prayers, the recitation of the pledge of allegiance, some announcements and the final adjournment.
The House and Senate concluded at the same time with a motion to adjourn “sine die.” Rep. Lance Carson, R-Mitchell, who is term-limited and not running for another office made the motion. Gosch corrected his pronunciation of the Latin phrase, which means “without day” and establishes an indefinite adjournment.
Elections this fall will change the makeup of the Legislature for the next two-year session.
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