Most of the campaign spending on a ballot question regarding work requirements for Medicaid expansion recipients has been on the “no” side, with major donations from nonprofits that advocate for people with serious medical conditions.  Amendment F would change the South Dakota Constitution to allow legislative consideration of work requirements for people receiving Medicaid under […]

SIOUX FALLS — A former Brookings Police Department officer suspended last year for roughing up an intoxicated man at the county jail will be able to reenter law enforcement without a second psychological evaluation. The state Law Enforcement Officers Standards and Training Commission voted 6-4 to suspend Damian Weets on Oct. 25, 2023. The suspension, […]

Don’t pet the fluffy cows. That’s the Instagram bio tagline for the National Park Service’s popular account, which showcases stunning photos of the diverse terrains of the United States’ 431 national parks. The cheeky statement, followed by a buffalo emoji, is meant to make its 6 million followers laugh, NPS’ social media specialist Matthew Turner […]

An out-of-state nonprofit that hasn’t disclosed its donors is outspending in-state opponents and supporters of an open primaries ballot question ahead of South Dakota’s Nov. 5 election. Article IV is an issue-advocacy nonprofit in Arlington, Virginia. It has spent $889,145 on large postcards and online advertisements for Amendment H, according to reports filed with the […]

A South Dakota legislative board approved legal orders Tuesday requiring state officials to speak with lawmakers behind closed doors about allegedly criminal misconduct by former Department of Revenue employees.  The board, meeting in Pierre, voted 14-0 to approve the legal orders, called subpoenas. Rep. Dean Wink, R-Howes, was excused. Some members attended digitally. The lawmakers […]

The recent decline in overdose deaths hides a tremendous disparity by race: Deaths have fallen only among white people while continuing to rise among people of color, according to a new Stateline analysis of federal data. Health experts in nonwhite communities say they’re finding strategies that work in their areas, but that they still struggle for […]

LENNOX – The Lennox City Council could pay off three infrastructure projects and eliminate a monthly sewer surcharge for its residents if it agrees to accept wastewater from a men’s prison proposed by the state Department of Corrections, according to a city official. That’s if the state agrees to a deal similar to one rejected […]

Cannabis industry advocates said Monday that they need representation on the state’s Medical Marijuana Oversight Committee. The committee also learned that the number of patient cards issued in South Dakota has continued to fall since a February peak, sparking concern from the group’s patient representative about marijuana card denials. South Dakota’s medical cannabis program is […]

A cooperative that owns four ethanol plants has made a second $400,000 contribution to support a Nov. 5 ballot question about carbon dioxide pipelines. Glacial Lakes Energy owns plants in Watertown, Mina, Aberdeen and Huron. The money went to the Vote Yes for a Strong South Dakota ballot question committee, which supports Referred Law 21. […]

NEW YORK  — Former President Donald Trump promised “America’s new golden age” of closed borders and world peace as he rallied a capacity crowd at Madison Square Garden in his home city in the final stretch of the 2024 presidential contest against Vice President Kamala Harris. Trump headlined the over six-hour rally that featured nearly […]

South Dakota Republican Congressman Dusty Johnson has almost $6 million in campaign cash as he runs for a fourth term in the U.S. House, a figure that dwarfs his Democratic opponent and could contribute to a potential campaign for governor two years from now. Johnson has a federal campaign committee, Friends of Dusty Johnson, and […]

I’ve never been much good at political predictions. I knew George Mickelson as a tall guy I played volleyball against in the adult league in Brookings. While he was a force at the net, I didn’t think that qualified him to be governor. John Thune was unknown to me when he first ran for Congress. […]

The Republican incumbent running for reelection to the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission has raised and spent more than her Libertarian and Democratic challengers combined, and is the only candidate in the race to receive money from political action committees whose donors could have business before the commission. According to campaign finance reports filed this […]

Standing solemnly in front of a crowd full of Indigenous people on the grassy field of a tribal elementary school near Phoenix, President Joe Biden issued a formal apology to Indigenous communities across the country for the role the United States government had in the Native American boarding school system, which harmed Indigenous people for […]

Twenty-five South Dakota companies and organizations have contributed money to defeat a tax-repeal measure on the Nov. 5 ballot, while the supporting group’s fundraising is difficult to analyze because of the group’s dual focus on the tax measure and an abortion-rights amendment. Initiated Measure 28 would remove the 4.2% state sales tax on anything sold […]

The South Dakota Supreme Court has overturned an aggravated assault conviction based on the poor performance of the defendant’s court-appointed Sisseton lawyer. The issue of ineffective public defenders has been top of mind for the state court system over the past two years. The state convened a study group on the issue at the behest […]

Money from ethanol producers is clashing with contributions from individuals and farm-and-ranch corporations — plus some funding from national climate activists — in the fight over a carbon-dioxide pipeline law on South Dakota’s Nov. 5 ballot. Committees supporting the law have raised at least $2.3 million, all from ethanol companies, since their last reports in […]

Anti-abortion groups have out-fundraised and outspent abortion-rights advocates in the campaign for South Dakota’s Nov. 5 abortion ballot measure, even with a last-minute infusion to the abortion-rights side from a national group. Three major anti-abortion ballot question committees raised a combined $1.7 million since May, while the main abortion-rights committee raised about $840,000, according to […]

A state lawmaker released a letter Thursday from Department of Corrections Secretary Kellie Wasko that addresses allegations of unfairness by a private company that left its prison workshop earlier this year. The DOC has never granted an interview with Wasko to discuss the exit of Metal Craft Industries, which paid a market wage to inmates […]

For the first time in history, a sitting U.S. president is set to apologize to Indigenous communities for the role the federal government played in the atrocities Indigenous children faced in the federal Native American boarding school system. The apology, which President Joe Biden will deliver Friday when he speaks at the Gila River Crossing […]