South Dakota Searchlight • 9th October 2024

‘Quiet giant’ of SD politics, Tim Johnson, dies at age 77  • South Dakota Searchlight

Tim Johnson, a former U.S. senator, U.S. representative and state legislator who never lost an election and served longer in state and federal office than any other South Dakotan, has died at age 77.
A former aide, Drey Samuelson, shared the news Wednesday morning on Facebook but did not specify a cause of death. Since 2006, Johnson had dealt with the lingering stroke-like effects of brain bleeding caused by a cerebral arteriovenous malformation.
“He died a few hours ago, surrounded by his famil...

South Dakota Searchlight • 9th October 2024

Noem touts SD’s top income growth but doesn’t mention last year’s bottom rank • South Dakota Searchlight

Gov. Kristi Noem celebrated South Dakota’s nation-leading growth in a category of household income, but she didn’t mention a reason why the state was well positioned to improve: It ranked last during the prior year.
Noem’s office issued a news release Tuesday saying South Dakota “once again led the nation in income growth in 2023.”
“South Dakotans are thriving because we defend Freedom and advance their opportunities to pursue their dreams,” said a statement from the Republican governor, which c...

South Dakota Searchlight • 8th October 2024

Amendment F: Sending the debate over Medicaid work requirements to voters • South Dakota Searchlight

Supporters of work requirements say they’re a reasonable modification to Medicaid expansion. Opponents say they’re an unnecessary bureaucratic burden on people who need health care.
Voters have a choice between those two perspectives as they consider Amendment F, one of seven statewide questions on South Dakota’s Nov. 5 general election ballot.
Medicaid is a federal-state health insurance program for people with low incomes. In the past, Medicaid was not available to able-bodied adults younger t...

South Dakota Searchlight • 7th October 2024

Amendment E: Expanding the state constitution’s scope beyond men • South Dakota Searchlight

The South Dakota Constitution includes a 135-year-old assumption that everybody worth mentioning in the document is a man, but voters could choose to modernize that language.
Amendment E is one of seven statewide questions on the Nov. 5 general election ballot. It would replace male pronouns in the constitution such as “he,” “him” and “his” with neutral words and phrases such as “the governor,” “the lieutenant governor,” “the officer,” “the elector,” “the accused,” and so on.
Amendments to the...

South Dakota Searchlight • 3rd October 2024

$42,000 lawsuit settlement adds to costs of Noem-ordered border deployments • South Dakota Searchlight

South Dakota Republican Gov. Kristi Noem’s troop deployments to the nation’s southern border now have another cost: $42,000 to settle a lawsuit over a watchdog group’s document request.
The federal government recently paid the money from funds earmarked for the South Dakota National Guard, according to a National Guard spokesman.
The money went to Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, known by the acronym CREW, in Washington, D.C. The nonprofit’s work “targets government official...

South Dakota Searchlight • 18th September 2024

Trial for abortion ballot measure in limbo as court staff 'not aware' of planned start date • South Dakota Searchlight

The trial date for a lawsuit against South Dakota’s abortion-rights ballot measure was not added to a court calendar, despite a signed order from a judge saying the trial would begin next week.
That leaves the date of the trial in limbo even as early and absentee voting will begin Friday.
Judge John Pekas signed a scheduling order on Aug. 9 saying the trial would take place during the week of Sept. 23 in Sioux Falls.
This week, Pekas emailed the parties in the case and said, without further expl...

South Dakota Searchlight • 5th September 2024

Fears decrease but work remains to control wildfire near Rapid City • South Dakota Searchlight

RAPID CITY — A leader in the fight against a wildfire near South Dakota’s second largest city said Wednesday morning he’s less concerned, even as work to contain the fire continues.
“My comfort level is a lot higher now than it was yesterday,” said Brandon Sanchez, the U.S. Forest Service official who serves as incident commander.
The First Thunder Fire began Monday evening in a rocky and forested area cut by deep canyons in the Black Hills, several miles west of Rapid City. Since then, crews of...

South Dakota Searchlight • 4th September 2024

Wildfire burns west of Rapid City; residents urged to stay alert • South Dakota Searchlight

RAPID CITY — Authorities are advising some residents on the western edge of Rapid City to be ready for a potential evacuation order as a wildfire burns nearby.
A pre-evacuation notice was in effect Tuesday morning.
“We’re not evacuating anybody right now,” said Lt. Jason Mitzel of the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office. “However, I would urge the public that lives in the vicinity to be prepared, and get documents, medications and animals ready to go, just in case the wind switches and the fire d...

South Dakota Searchlight • 22nd August 2024

Senator seeks updated formula for tribal law enforcement funding • South Dakota Searchlight

A week after attending a roundtable with the nation’s top law enforcement official and tribal leaders, U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds, R-South Dakota, is urging the head of a federal department to change the funding formula for tribal law enforcement.
The U.S. Interior Department includes the Bureau of Indian Affairs, which provides policing services for some tribes and funding for other tribes to run their own police departments. Federal support for tribal public safety on reservations in South Dakota i...

South Dakota Searchlight • 14th August 2024

Justice disparities on South Dakota reservations need attention, US attorney general says • South Dakota Searchlight

U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said Wednesday during a visit to South Dakota that national crime rates have declined, but challenges remain on tribal reservations in the state.
“We know that progress in some communities has not been the same,” Garland said. “Progress across the country is still uneven. Of course, there is no level of violent crime that’s acceptable.”
He said that since 2021, the Justice Department has allocated $19.1 million in grants to support tribal justice initiatives...