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South Dakota Searchlight •

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 •

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 •

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 •

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 •

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 •

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 •

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 •

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 •

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 •

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...
South Dakota Searchlight •

Abortion-rights measure loses in South Dakota • South Dakota Searchlight

An attempt to restore abortion rights in South Dakota went down to defeat Tuesday.
The Associated Press called the results at 1:49 a.m. Central time Wednesday. The tally at that time was 61% against Amendment G and 39% in favor, with 64% of statewide votes counted.
When the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the national right to an abortion in 2022, a trigger ban adopted by the South Dakota Legislature in 2005 immediately took effect. The ban has one exception for abortions necessary to “preserve th...
South Dakota Searchlight •

Partial South Dakota results show big deficit for grocery sales tax repeal • South Dakota Searchlight

A proposal to remove South Dakota’s state sales taxes on groceries was losing in unofficial election results.
The tally was 71% against Initiated Measure 28 and 29% in favor at 3 a.m. Central time Wednesday, with 76% of statewide precincts fully reported.
The measure would apply to anything sold for human consumption. Supporters, who want tax relief for people with low incomes, said the measure’s wording limits its impact to state sales taxes on groceries. Opponents alleged the measure is poorly...
South Dakota Searchlight •

Carbon-pipeline law tossed out by South Dakota voters in unofficial results • South Dakota Searchlight

A proposed law regulating carbon dioxide pipelines was losing in unofficial South Dakota election results.
The tally was 60% against Referred Law 21 and 40% in favor as of 8 a.m. Central time Wednesday, with 90% of statewide precincts fully reported.
State lawmakers and Republican Gov. Kristi Noem adopted the law last winter. Opponents gathered more than 31,000 petition signatures to refer it to voters. A yes vote supported the law, while a no vote opposed it.
The law came in response to a cont...
South Dakota Searchlight •

South Dakotans approve consideration of Medicaid expansion work requirements • South Dakota Searchlight

A ballot measure authorizing South Dakota state officials to consider work requirements for Medicaid expansion recipients was winning in unofficial results.
The tally was 56% in favor of Amendment F and 44% opposed as of 9:45 a.m. Central time Wednesday, with about 90% of statewide votes counted.
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 than 65, unless they were below the poverty line a...
South Dakota Searchlight •

Marijuana legalization fails in unofficial South Dakota results • South Dakota Searchlight

A ballot measure to legalize adult recreational marijuana use in South Dakota was losing in unofficial results.
The tally was 56% against Initiated Measure 29 and 44% in favor at 4 p.m. Central time Wednesday, with 95% of statewide precincts fully reported.
The measure would not have legalized marijuana sales. That would have required later legislative action.
Initiated Measure 29 would have provided the groundwork by legalizing for adults 21 and older the possession, use and free distribution...
South Dakota Searchlight •

Q&A: Podcast retraces SD’s path from ’06 and ’08 abortion votes to new ballot measure • South Dakota Searchlight

Some South Dakota voters who rejected abortion bans in 2006 and 2008 probably didn’t know there was already a trigger law in place that would end up banning abortion in 2022.
Lee Strubinger puts that hindsight to use in a new podcast, “Unplanned Democracy.” It examines South Dakota’s journey from those elections to this year’s vote on Amendment G, which would restore abortion rights. The measure is on the Nov. 5 ballot.
Strubinger is a politics and public policy reporter for South Dakota Public...
South Dakota Searchlight •

‘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 •

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 •

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 •

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 •

$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 •

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 •

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 •

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...
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