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South Dakota Searchlight •

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 •

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 •

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 •

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 •

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 •

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 •

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 •

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 •

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...
South Dakota Searchlight •

The clearest critique of Noem’s conjecture about a shooting is, unwittingly, from her successor • South Dakota Searchlight

For yet another reminder of what a poor job Kristi Noem is doing, just ask her handpicked replacement as governor of South Dakota.
Not directly, mind you. Larry Rhoden will defend her to the hilt if asked about her by name.
But ask him indirectly, or just let him talk awhile, and he’ll criticize her actions without even realizing he’s doing it.
That happened often during the beginning of his tenure as governor, when he spoke repeatedly about the need for a “reset” on nearly every important issue...
South Dakota Searchlight •

For Don Barnett, the 1972 flood was 'tattooed on my brain and on my soul' • South Dakota Searchlight

Don Barnett, who died Monday at age 83, was the 29-year-old mayor of Rapid City when it was struck by a flood that killed 238 people on June 9, 1972. He received widespread praise for leading the recovery and helping to ensure that the city never again overbuilt in the Rapid Creek floodplain.
Barnett was photographed by Johnny Sundby and interviewed by Seth Tupper — now the editor of South Dakota Searchlight — for a 2022 book, “Surviving the ’72 Flood,” and a South Dakota Public Broadcasting doc...
South Dakota Searchlight •

A New Year’s resolution for South Dakota: Stop flushing dollars, then pinching pennies • South Dakota Searchlight

There was nothing under the tree this Christmas for South Dakota’s schools, state employees and health care providers.
Republican Gov. Larry Rhoden proposed no funding increase for them in the next state budget.
“Because our revenues haven’t grown much, we have to keep them flat this year,” Rhoden said during his annual December budget address.
Hearing that news so close to the holidays, I was reminded of the climactic movie scene in “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation,” when a wife takes her...
South Dakota Searchlight •

Health Department warns of measles exposure in Rapid City • South Dakota Searchlight

The South Dakota Department of Health is warning the public about a potential measles exposure at the Rapid City Regional Airport. 
The notification came as the agency’s website lists three new measles cases in the state since November.
The new cases are the state’s first since June, and they raise the number of confirmed measles infections this year in South Dakota to 15.
At the Rapid City airport, the potential exposure was caused by a Butte County resident with a confirmed measles infection,...
South Dakota Searchlight •

Wounded Knee Massacre site protection bill passes Congress • South Dakota Searchlight

The U.S. Senate sent President Donald Trump a bill Thursday that would protect a portion of the Wounded Knee Massacre site on the Pine Ridge Reservation.
U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson, R-South Dakota, sponsored the legislation in the House, where it passed in January. Sen. Mike Rounds sponsored the legislation in the Senate, where it passed Thursday, with Majority Leader John Thune as a cosponsor. Both are Republicans from South Dakota.
Johnson released a statement saying “the time is now here to prop...
South Dakota Searchlight •

Governor: 'Not much I’ve seen that I could support’ in legislative property tax proposals • South Dakota Searchlight

South Dakota Gov. Larry Rhoden, who has his own idea to reduce property taxes, does not sound impressed with 19 recommendations from a legislative task force.
“I’ve realized that there’s not much I’ve seen that I could support,” Rhoden told South Dakota Searchlight during a visit to Rapid City last week.
The governor’s own proposal, which he announced in March, would authorize an optional sales tax for counties. The revenue would be used to reduce property taxes for homeowners. 
“And I’ll say th...
South Dakota Searchlight •

New prison’s programs will reduce state's world-leading rate of incarcerated women, official says  • South Dakota Searchlight

RAPID CITY — No other place in the world incarcerates women at a higher rate than South Dakota, according to research by a prison-focused nonprofit, and the construction of a second women’s prison in the state could be viewed as a continuation of that trend.
The new leader of the state’s prison system said Thursday it’s the start of a turnaround.
“It’s not going to show overnight,” said Nick Lamb, “but it will show in a few years. You’ll see a substantial decrease.”
The staff and space devot...
South Dakota Searchlight •

South Dakota governor bets on policy over politics while launching campaign to keep his job • South Dakota Searchlight

RAPID CITY — South Dakota Gov. Larry Rhoden launched a campaign to keep his job with an expression of his philosophy.
“Good policy makes good politics,” he said.
The comment came during remarks Tuesday at the Hotel Alex Johnson in downtown Rapid City, where Rhoden formally announced his intention to seek the Republican nomination for governor next year in the June 2 primary election.
He has competition from three other declared candidates for the party’s nomination: U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson, busi...
South Dakota Searchlight •

Sanford Health plans to build Rapid City medical center with $300 million gift • South Dakota Searchlight

Sanford Health announced Monday that it will use a $300 million gift from its namesake philanthropist, Denny Sanford, to build a medical center in Rapid City.
Bill Gassen, president and CEO of Sanford Health, announced the gift during a Rapid City event that drew numerous local and state dignitaries.
“This philanthropic investment will strengthen health care in this community and across the entire region,” Gassen said.
The move will increase competition between Sanford Health and Monument Health...
South Dakota Searchlight •

Uncertainty still reigns as South Dakota’s monthly SNAP payment day arrives • South Dakota Searchlight

The South Dakota Department of Social Services says it began preparations over the weekend to issue partial food assistance benefits for this month, but the department is also keeping open the possibility that it could pay full benefits.
In either case, said an advisory on the department’s website as of Monday afternoon, benefits won’t come until “later this week.” The 10th day of the month, which was Monday, is the normal day for payment of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits in...
South Dakota Searchlight •

South Dakota won’t tap reserve funds to fill federal food assistance gap, governor says • South Dakota Searchlight

RAPID CITY — South Dakota’s governor said Monday he does not support using state money to fill a funding gap in a food assistance program during the federal government shutdown, and said he was unaware of a funding request that a hunger relief organization submitted to the Legislature.
Republican Gov. Larry Rhoden made the comments in response to South Dakota Searchlight questions while he was volunteering at Feeding South Dakota’s Rapid City food distribution center.
Because Congress has failed...
South Dakota Searchlight •

Legislators and governor make competing proposals to take money from housing fund • South Dakota Searchlight

SIOUX FALLS — South Dakota Gov. Larry Rhoden and a group of legislators — including one seeking his job — made rival proposals this week to shift millions in state housing infrastructure funds to other purposes.
On Wednesday, a legislative task force working on property tax reduction advanced 19 ideas that could become legislation this winter. The ideas include taking the roughly $65 million remaining in the state’s housing infrastructure fund and pairing it with money from the state’s budget re...
South Dakota Searchlight •

Tariff ‘curveball’ complicates anti-inflation efforts, Fed official says in South Dakota • South Dakota Searchlight

RAPID CITY — A national leader in monetary policy said during a visit to South Dakota that the Federal Reserve was “making good progress” bringing down inflation until “tariffs threw a curveball at us.”
Neel Kashkari, president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, addressed dozens of people during a question-and-answer session Thursday at the Hyatt Place in downtown Rapid City. A local economic development group, Elevate Rapid City, hosted the event.
A tariff is a tax on imported...
South Dakota Searchlight •

Governor squanders his credibility on civil discourse with 'eat a salad' comment • South Dakota Searchlight

Larry Rhoden spent his first eight months as governor steering South Dakota onto the high ground of civil discourse, only to follow Kristi Noem back into the gutter last week.
Noem, the head of the federal Department of Homeland Security, was in Broadview, Illinois. Protesters have been amassing for weeks at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility there to express disapproval with the Trump administration, resulting in clashes with authorities. 
Following her usual impulse to provoke rat...
South Dakota Searchlight •

State on the hook for at least $74,000 if it loses appeal in petition deadline case • South Dakota Searchlight

The state of South Dakota could be forced to pay at least $74,000 in attorney fees and costs for a group that’s suing to protect a longer circulation period for ballot-question petitions.
The two parties reached a settlement on attorney fees and costs last week. The agreement says the state will pay $74,000, plus interest at a rate of 3.64%, if the Dakotans for Health ballot question committee remains the winner of the lawsuit.
The state is appealing a federal judge’s September order. The order...
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