South Dakota Searchlight • 19th December 2024

South Dakota doesn’t have to rob Peter to build a prison • South Dakota Searchlight

To understand South Dakota’s state budget situation, imagine you’re part of a family that’s been saving up to build a dream home.
Perhaps you recently experienced a sad event — the death of a relative — that turned into financial gain with a large inheritance. You’ve worked a lot of overtime the past few years while times were good in your industry. You’ve paid down or paid off your credit cards, student loans and car loans. Your credit score has risen.
Because of all those factors in and out of...

South Dakota Searchlight • 13th December 2024

Video lottery operators plan to ask lawmakers for higher limits on bets and machines • South Dakota Searchlight

Owners of South Dakota video lottery establishments hope a lean budget for state government might incentivize legislators to raise the bet limit and allow more machines per license.
The more money players bet, the more revenue the state makes. After players’ winnings are subtracted from sales, the state and video lottery operators evenly split what’s left.
Troy Erickson of M.G. Oil, a licensed video lottery operator in Rapid City, told the state Lottery Commission on Thursday in Pierre that the...

South Dakota Searchlight • 5th December 2024

Lawmakers propose sales tax increase to provide property tax relief for homeowners • South Dakota Searchlight

Several South Dakota legislators said Thursday they will introduce legislation that would provide property tax relief to homeowners by raising the state sales tax rate.
Rep. Tony Venhuizen, R-Sioux Falls, announced the effort.
“Property tax is the number one concern for my constituents and across South Dakota,” Venhuizen told South Dakota Searchlight. “This is the year for major property tax relief.”
Property tax reform has been a concern in the Legislature for years and was the subject of a...

South Dakota Searchlight • 27th November 2024

How ambiguity cleared Kristi Noem's path to national prominence • South Dakota Searchlight

“This is what South Dakotans should do,” the governor said, emphasizing “should.”
I was perplexed. It was March 23, 2020, almost two weeks since the first COVID-19 cases were reported in the state. Republican Gov. Kristi Noem was conducting a news conference about an executive order listing 20 things that “should” be done. People “should” engage in social distancing. Businesses “should” prevent customers from congregating in close quarters. Health-care facilities “should” postpone elective surge...

South Dakota Searchlight • 13th November 2024

Thune’s political journey comes full circle, 20 years after toppling a leader • South Dakota Searchlight

Twenty years after he won his Senate seat by assailing Tom Daschle’s performance as minority leader, John Thune is the chamber’s next majority leader.
Thune’s Republican colleagues elected him to the job Wednesday. The South Dakotan now faces a test like the one he accused Daschle of failing.
“There is a line where seniority and influence go from being an asset to being a liability,” Thune said during a 2004 debate against Daschle, “and Tom has crossed that line.”
The 63-year-old Thune expects a...

South Dakota Searchlight • 12th November 2024

Trump picks South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem to run Homeland Security • South Dakota Searchlight

South Dakota Republican Gov. Kristi Noem is President-elect Donald Trump’s choice to run the federal Department of Homeland Security.
After CNN and other news outlets reported the news early Tuesday, citing sources familiar with the situation, Trump and Noem confirmed the reports Tuesday evening.
Trump issued a statement saying Noem would “guarantee that our American Homeland is secure from our adversaries.”
“I have known Kristi for years, and have worked with her on a wide variety of projects,”...

South Dakota Searchlight • 7th November 2024

Signs pointed to influence of ‘no on everything’ mentality in ballot question defeats • South Dakota Searchlight

Before Tuesday night’s election results were revealed, there were signs of a bad night for ballot questions — literally.
A no-campaigning perimeter was established around the polling place where I voted Tuesday morning. Parked as close as possible to that perimeter was a vehicle with a message scrawled in large lettering on its windows: “Vote no on everything.”
Many South Dakota voters did exactly that. According to unofficial results, only one of seven ballot questions passed — a measure from l...

South Dakota Searchlight • 7th November 2024

Pronoun changes for South Dakota constitution fail to win voter support • South Dakota Searchlight

A proposal to replace male-specific references in the South Dakota Constitution with neutral words and phrases was losing in unofficial election results Wednesday.
The tally was 57% against Amendment E and 43% in favor at 4 p.m. Central time Wednesday, with about 95% of statewide precincts fully reported.
The amendment 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,” “t...

South Dakota Searchlight • 6th November 2024

South Dakotans reelect Republican Dusty Johnson to Congress • South Dakota Searchlight

South Dakota voters reelected Republican U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson to a fourth term Tuesday.
The Associated Press called the race at 10:06 p.m. Central. Rep. Johnson was leading with 76% of the votes, with about 27% of statewide precincts reporting. The other candidate in the race, Democratic nominee Sheryl Johnson, had 24%.
Rep. Johnson, a member of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus, is known for his focus on policy and his aversion to the antics of the more extreme voices in the U.S. House....

South Dakota Searchlight • 6th November 2024

Voters reject open primaries for South Dakota • South Dakota Searchlight

South Dakota voters on Tuesday rejected an attempt to establish open primary elections in the state.
The Associated Press called the results at 11:16 p.m. Central. The tally at that time was 68% against Amendment H and 32% in favor, with 37% of statewide votes counted.
Amendment H would have changed future primary elections for governor, state Legislature, U.S. Senate, U.S. House of Representatives and elected county offices. The candidates in each race, regardless of party, would have appeared...