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South Dakota Searchlight •

Lawmakers advance carbon pipeline moratorium and bill regulating land agents • South Dakota Searchlight

South Dakota lawmakers advanced bills Friday at the Capitol in Pierre that would put a moratorium on carbon dioxide pipelines until new federal safety rules are finalized, and would authorize landowners to sue pipeline companies for the alleged abuses of their land agents.
The bills don’t name Summit Carbon Solutions, but they’re a response to the Iowa company’s proposed $9 billion, five-state pipeline that would pass through eastern South Dakota. It would collect carbon dioxide emitted by more...
South Dakota Searchlight •

Push to ban lab-grown meat fails in South Dakota Senate • South Dakota Searchlight

A legislative effort to ban lab-grown meat in South Dakota failed Thursday at the Capitol in Pierre, after the success of earlier bills to require labeling and prohibit state spending in support of the product.
The ban’s initial failure was Wednesday on a 17-17 vote in the Senate, with one member absent. That was Sen. Kevin Jensen, R-Canton, who had voted for the bill when it advanced out of the Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee.
A supporter of the legislation, Sen. Mykala Voita...
South Dakota Searchlight •

Legislative committee endorses prosecution of librarians who lend books deemed harmful to children • South Dakota Searchlight

A South Dakota legislative committee advanced a bill Wednesday at the Capitol in Pierre that would subject schools, universities, museums, libraries and their employees to criminal prosecution and jail time for allowing children to view material defined in state law as obscene or harmful to minors.
An opponent of the bill said it would put “librarians in handcuffs” for lending a book to a child that some adults might consider inappropriate. One member of the House Education Committee who voted i...
South Dakota Searchlight •

The simple solution for South Dakota’s budget woes: Restore the sales tax rate • South Dakota Searchlight

South Dakota legislators are suffering from all sorts of angst this winter over a seemingly complicated budget situation that many believe can only be solved by cuts.
In reality, the solution isn’t complicated at all. It’s incredibly simple: Just move the state sales tax rate back to 4.5%. That would wipe out all of the budget problems with money left to spare.
Confused? Don’t be. There’s an easy explanation for how we got here.
In the fall of 2022, then-Gov. Kristi Noem, a Republican, sensed th...
South Dakota Searchlight •

Mount Rushmore fireworks to return next year, mixing a spectacle with fire risks and other problems • South Dakota Searchlight

Mount Rushmore will host an Independence Day-themed fireworks display next year, bringing worldwide attention to the national memorial and South Dakota, but also bringing concerns about potential forest fires, water pollution, litter and other problems.
South Dakota Republican Gov. Larry Rhoden announced Monday that the state has reached an agreement with the federal government to host a fireworks display at the mountain carving next year in celebration of the nation’s 250th birthday. Rhoden sai...
South Dakota Searchlight •

Lawmakers advance bill requiring SD schools to teach Native American history, culture • South Dakota Searchlight

South Dakota public schools would be required to teach a specific set of Native American historical and cultural lessons if a bill unanimously endorsed by a legislative committee Tuesday in Pierre becomes law.
The bill would mandate the teaching of the Oceti Sakowin Essential Understandings. The phrase “Oceti Sakowin” refers to the Lakota, Dakota and Nakota people. The understandings are a set of standards and lessons adopted seven years ago by the South Dakota Board of Education Standards with...
South Dakota Searchlight •

Property tax credits rise from the ‘ashes’ of failed SD school choice legislation • South Dakota Searchlight

A bill described as an “opportunity for a phoenix to rise out of the ashes” of South Dakota’s school choice debate advanced out of a legislative committee Tuesday at the Capitol in Pierre.
The legislation from state Sen. John Carley, R-Piedmont, would provide property tax credits to help families pay for private school, homeschooling or other forms of alternative instruction.
Rapid City resident Tonchi Weaver, representing the conservative political action group Citizens for Liberty, made the “p...
South Dakota Searchlight •

SD lawmakers consider higher license fees for drivers and tradespeople • South Dakota Searchlight

Fees for drivers, plumbers, cosmetologists, electricians and accountants would increase if lawmakers adopt a package of bills pending in the South Dakota Legislature.
A state Senate budget committee advanced several of the bills Monday at the Capitol in Pierre and delayed action on one.
The trade-specific bills are recommended by state boards and commissions consisting of industry representatives. Those bodies oversee licensing and inspections that are funded by fees, with caps set in state law....
South Dakota Searchlight •

Attempted cap on SD school administrator pay fails, but highlights disparity with teachers • South Dakota Searchlight

PIERRE — A state senator brought attention to a disparity in educator compensation in South Dakota but lost her attempt Friday to cap administrator salaries at three times the average pay of teachers.
The Senate vote against the bill from Sen. Sue Peterson, R-Sioux Falls, was 22-13.
Peterson said South Dakota’s teachers rank 49th nationally in average pay, while administrators rank 16th.
“Our teachers are last and our administrators are near the top. That’s wrong,” Peterson said.
In opposition c...
South Dakota Searchlight •

Busloads of public broadcasting supporters make case to avoid $3.6 million state budget cut • South Dakota Searchlight

PIERRE — Supporters of South Dakota Public Broadcasting made their pitch Friday at the Capitol to avoid a $3.6 million budget cut that they said would undermine public safety, government transparency, education, high school activities and local storytelling.
The state agency receives state and federal funding, along with money raised by its affiliated nonprofit, the Friends of SDPB. Friends CEO Ryan Howlett told members of the Legislature’s budget committee that the state funding cut would imper...
South Dakota Searchlight •

SD governor predicts solution for rising homeowner property taxes • South Dakota Searchlight

PIERRE — Lawmakers will find a way this winter to “tamp down the increase” in property taxes for South Dakota homeowners, Gov. Larry Rhoden predicted Thursday at the Capitol.
Rhoden said during a press conference that he formed a property tax working group with legislators and began meeting with them Monday. Lawmakers are in Pierre for their annual legislative session.
“I’m pretty confident based on our first meeting — that went very well — that we’ll be able to find a solution this session,” Rh...
South Dakota Searchlight •

SD university leader argues against maintenance and repair budget cuts • South Dakota Searchlight

PIERRE — The leader of South Dakota’s public universities argued against proposed maintenance and repair cuts when he appeared Wednesday before legislators on a budget committee.
Nathan Lukkes, executive director of the state Board of Regents, discussed the cuts at the Capitol with the Legislature’s Joint Appropriations Committee. He said the proposed $9 million reduction in the university system’s repair and maintenance budget is “very concerning.”
“We would hope as you’re wrestling with some o...
South Dakota Searchlight •

Lawmaker loses vice chairmanship after trying to defund Huron schools over bathroom issue • South Dakota Searchlight

PIERRE — A firestorm of criticism Wednesday forced a South Dakota lawmaker to lose a committee vice chairmanship and withdraw his bill to defund the Huron School District, which he filed in reaction to a tip about the district’s bathroom policy.
Meanwhile, a separate bill was filed to make school bathrooms “exclusively” male or female, as determined by a student’s “biological” sex at birth. That bill would also criminalize violations.
The demoted legislator is Rep. Phil Jensen, a Republican from...
South Dakota Searchlight •

Lab-grown meat ban arises to challenge labeling bill in SD Legislature • South Dakota Searchlight

PIERRE — Competing views about lab-grown meat are pitting some farmers and ranchers against each other at the South Dakota Capitol, where a legislative committee advanced a ban of the product after previously endorsing legislation that would only require it to be clearly labeled.
The labeling bill already passed both chambers and went to the governor for his decision to sign or veto it. The ban took its first legislative step Tuesday by earning the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committ...
South Dakota Searchlight •

Federal politicians could face a limit on money transfers to their state committees • South Dakota Searchlight

PIERRE — Federal officeholders who seek a state office — such as a member of Congress who decides to run for governor — would face a limit on the money they could transfer from their federal campaign account to their state account if a legislative idea becomes law.
Rep. Spencer Gosch, R-Glenham, proposed the measure Monday at the state Capitol. It would put a $10,000 annual cap on federal-to-state transfers.
Gosch convinced a legislative committee to amend the new language into an existing campa...
South Dakota Searchlight •

Governor to make call on immigration sanctuary cities ban after House passage • South Dakota Searchlight

A bill barring cities, counties or schools from acting as safe havens for undocumented immigrants in South Dakota is headed to the governor’s desk after a 62-6 vote in the state House of Representatives.
Lawmakers are considering several bills this legislative session dealing with immigration. Senate Bill 7, the first of those bills to pass both chambers, would prohibit the state and its political subdivisions from adopting any policy to prevent local law enforcement from cooperating with federa...
South Dakota Searchlight •

Top SD environmental regulator says Biden-era law created ‘water renaissance’ in state • South Dakota Searchlight

Though he didn’t credit the Biden administration by name, South Dakota’s top environmental official recently praised one of the administration’s laws for spurring a “water renaissance that was overdue” in the state.
Hunter Roberts leads South Dakota’s Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources. Its responsibilities include the regulation of drinking water and wastewater systems.
The office awarded $689 million to 200 water-related projects across the state during the last several years, Rob...
South Dakota Searchlight •

Sioux Falls legislator Tony Venhuizen is Rhoden's pick for SD lieutenant governor • South Dakota Searchlight

A Sioux Falls legislator and longtime presence in South Dakota Republican politics, Tony Venhuizen, is Gov. Larry Rhoden’s pick for lieutenant governor.
Rhoden announced his choice Wednesday morning at the Capitol in Pierre, two days after he was sworn in as governor. Rhoden succeeded former Gov. Kristi Noem, who resigned Saturday to become secretary of the federal Department of Homeland Security.
Rhoden’s nomination of Venhuizen is subject to approval by the Legislature.
“Tony is a problem solv...
South Dakota Searchlight •

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem confirmed as U.S. Homeland Security secretary • South Dakota Searchlight

South Dakota Republican Gov. Kristi Noem will be the nation’s next secretary of the Department of Homeland Security after the U.S. Senate confirmed her nomination Saturday.
The 53-year-old Noem, a former congresswoman, will lead one of the federal government’s largest departments, with 260,000 employees and a budget in excess of $100 billion. Its responsibilities include border protection, disaster response, cyber and airline security, and protecting dignitaries.
The bipartisan vote to confirm N...
South Dakota Searchlight •

Committee of SD lawmakers endorses ban on immigration sanctuaries • South Dakota Searchlight

Sanctuary policies for undocumented immigrants will be banned in South Dakota if legislators adopt a bill that advanced out of a committee Thursday at the Capitol in Pierre.
The name “sanctuary” is often applied to policies that limit state or local cooperation with federal immigration authorities. The bill, from state Sen. Casey Crabtree, R-Madison, would prohibit such policies at the state and local levels. The legislation is based on a law passed in North Dakota. Other states have adopted sim...
South Dakota Searchlight •

Bill headed to SD Senate would make temporary 911 surcharge increase permanent • South Dakota Searchlight

A South Dakota Senate committee advanced a bill Thursday at the Capitol in Pierre that would make an increase in the state’s 911 surcharge permanent.
The monthly, per-line charge applies to landline and cellphone service, and is used to help local governments fund their 911 call centers. Legislators and Gov. Kristi Noem adopted a 75-cent increase in the surcharge last year, from $1.25 to $2. The temporary measure is set to expire on July 1, 2026.
The new bill would remove the sunset clause, maki...
South Dakota Searchlight •

Lab-grown meat should be clearly labeled, panel of SD lawmakers decides • South Dakota Searchlight

A committee of South Dakota legislators advanced a bill Tuesday at the Capitol in Pierre that would define lab-grown meat and require it to be clearly labeled.
The state Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources proposed the legislation. Cheyenne Tant, a policy adviser for the department, explained it to legislators.
“South Dakota consumers deserve transparency when deciding whether to purchase a product grown in a lab versus products grown by our hardworking farmers and ranchers,” Tant sa...
South Dakota Searchlight •

Homeland Security nomination is latest leap in a life of risks for Kristi Noem • South Dakota Searchlight

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem’s advancement to the cusp of confirmation as a Trump cabinet secretary probably surprised some people who thought her career ended nine months ago with a notoriously disastrous book release.
It’s no surprise to Noem, who’s been thwarting predictions of her demise since her first statewide race 15 years ago.
The biggest story of that campaign was a revelation of 20 speeding tickets on her driving record. It turned out to be the first of many scandals, controversies a...
South Dakota Searchlight •

Chief justice says SD would benefit from expanding its new criminal public defense office • South Dakota Searchlight

After creating a state office last year to handle criminal appeals by people who can’t afford an attorney, the next step is extending that help to the trial court level, South Dakota’s top judge told legislators Wednesday.
Steven Jensen, chief justice of the state Supreme Court, delivered his annual State of the Judiciary address to lawmakers at the Capitol in Pierre.
One of Jensen’s major topics was “indigent defense” — the use of court-appointed attorneys or public defenders for criminal defen...
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