South Dakota Searchlight • 15th March 2026

Wildfire near Custer damages 10 properties, authorities say • South Dakota Searchlight

A wildfire that’s grown to more than 11 square miles near the city of Custer in South Dakota’s Black Hills had not caused any injuries as of Saturday night but had damaged about 10 properties, the Custer County Sheriff’s Office said.
The damage ranges from sheds and garages “all the way up to some homes being lost,” said Sgt. Derrick Reifenrath in a video update on Facebook about the Qury Fire.
He said local road closures remained in effect and asked for patience as firefighting continued and ha...

South Dakota Searchlight • 11th March 2026

Higher sales taxes for lower property taxes: Final plan takes shape at South Dakota Legislature • South Dakota Searchlight

PIERRE — After dozens of bills and months of debate about options for reducing homeowner property taxes, South Dakota lawmakers settled Wednesday on plans to use revenue from new and increased sales taxes.
State senators voted 20-13 on Wednesday in favor of the last major part of a multi-bill approach. Senate Bill 245 would capture $114 million in ongoing annual revenue from next year’s scheduled increase of the statewide sales tax rate from 4.2% to 4.5%, and would use that money to reduce local...

South Dakota Searchlight • 9th March 2026

New South Dakota law allows voters to challenge other voters' citizenship • South Dakota Searchlight

Voters in South Dakota will soon be able to challenge other voters’ citizenship.
Republican Gov. Larry Rhoden signed legislation into law last week that authorizes challenges by individuals and election officials.
“We do a lot of things right in South Dakota, and our election integrity is something to be admired and emulated by other states,” Rhoden said in a news release.
The new law will not affect the June 2 primary election, because it won’t take effect until July 1, which is the regular eff...

South Dakota Searchlight • 28th February 2026

Whatever lawmakers do about property taxes, it’s too late to save us from the price of ‘Freedom’ • South Dakota Searchlight

A state senator recently offered an insightful opinion on South Dakota’s property tax conundrum.
He was arguing, unsuccessfully, for a bill incentivizing data center construction. But his comments made a broader point.
“What’s happened in South Dakota is we get people moving here for freedom, and that’s great,” said Sen. Steve Kolbeck, R-Sioux Falls. “But then they work from home. And there is no large commercial building paying property tax.”
In other words, people need public services such as...

South Dakota Searchlight • 25th February 2026

A missing senator, a failed search and two dead data center bills: The SD Senate’s chaotic day • South Dakota Searchlight

PIERRE — A member’s unexplained absence and an unsuccessful search for him contributed to the defeat of two bills intended to incentivize data centers Tuesday during a chaotic afternoon for South Dakota state senators.
“It’s not a good look for the Senate,” said Sen. Tim Reed, R-Brookings. 
The absent senator was John Carley, a Republican from Piedmont and an opponent of both bills. As the fate of the data center legislation hung in the balance due to a close margin of support and opposition, se...

South Dakota Searchlight • 18th February 2026

County sales tax idea moves ahead as effort to prolong statewide sales tax reduction fails • South Dakota Searchlight

A proposal to let counties reduce homeowner property taxes by charging a sales tax advanced Wednesday at the South Dakota Capitol in Pierre, while an effort to maintain a lower statewide sales tax rate failed.
The county sales tax plan is from Republican Gov. Larry Rhoden. It would let counties levy up to a half-percent sales tax and use the money to offset the county’s portion of property taxes on owner-occupied homes, in the form of credits to property owners.
The Senate Taxation Committee vot...

South Dakota Searchlight • 12th February 2026

Lawmakers endorse adding school coaches as mandatory reporters of abuse and neglect, but not clergy • South Dakota Searchlight

Debates about which types of authority figures should be mandatory reporters of child abuse and neglect ended in one proposal’s failure and another’s advancement Wednesday at the South Dakota Capitol in Pierre.
The state House of Representatives approved a bill that would add coaches of school activities to a list of mandatory reporters in state law that includes teachers, health care providers, child care workers and others. The bill’s next stop is a state Senate committee.
The legislation’s sp...

South Dakota Searchlight • 5th February 2026

South Dakota Republican leaders argue about economic development in front of reporters • South Dakota Searchlight

PIERRE — The divide in South Dakota’s Republican Party over the government’s role in economic development spilled into public view Thursday at the state Capitol as two of the party’s top leaders argued in front of reporters.
The back-and-forth happened during the Republican legislative leadership team’s weekly press conference. Senate Majority Leader Jim Mehlhaff, R-Pierre, was answering a question about proposals for a moratorium on construction or expansion of large data centers.
Backers of a...

South Dakota Searchlight • 3rd February 2026

Controversial SD House member Phil Jensen suspended for two weeks from Republican caucus • South Dakota Searchlight

PIERRE — South Dakota House Republicans have suspended Rep. Phil Jensen from their caucus meetings for two weeks because of his remarks about Democratic votes on legislation dealing with religion.
Jensen, of Rapid City, is no stranger to controversy. 
Last month, leaders changed his committee assignments and publicly scolded him after he protested the seating arrangement in the House Education Committee. Last year, leaders stripped his vice chairmanship of that committee after he filed legislati...

South Dakota Searchlight • 2nd February 2026

Bills to loosen gun restrictions fail in SD committee after on-target questions from lawmaker • South Dakota Searchlight

PIERRE — A pair of questions that struck the bullseye contributed to a South Dakota legislative committee’s uncharacteristic rejection of two bills to roll back concealed gun laws Monday at the state Capitol.
The first bill would have relieved college students of the requirement to obtain a permit before carrying a concealed pistol on campus.
The questions came from House Education Committee member Jim Halverson, R-Winner, who opposed the bill. He directed the questions to Nathan Lukkes, who tes...