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South Dakota Searchlight
Native American communities have the highest suicide rates, yet interventions are scarce
If you or someone you know may be experiencing a mental health crisis, contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by dialing or texting “988.” To reach the Native and Strong Lifeline, call “988” and press 4. Amanda MorningStar has watched her children struggle with mental health issues, including suicidal thoughts. She often wonders why. […] The post Native American communities have the highest suicide rates, yet interventions are scarce appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
Thune: Immigration deal ‘at a critical moment’
WASHINGTON — Top U.S. Senate negotiators said Thursday that final details on an immigration policy deal remain under debate in the U.S. Senate, despite outside pressure from GOP presidential front-runner Donald Trump to sink any agreement as he makes immigration his central campaign message. The No. 2 Senate Republican and GOP whip, Sen. John Thune, […] The post Thune: Immigration deal ‘at a critical moment’ appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
Senate votes to return clemency bill for lifers to earlier, more stringent form
A bill that would force prison lifers to wait longer between clemency requests was returned to its original, more stringent form by the South Dakota Senate. As amended Thursday afternoon on a 17-15 vote, Senate Bill 9 would require anyone with a life sentence for a violent crime to wait four years between requests for […] The post Senate votes to return clemency bill for lifers to earlier, more stringent form appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
State intends to expand Medicaid to doula services, official says
The state Department of Social Services plans to extend Medicaid reimbursement to doula services for prenatal, delivery and postpartum care for pregnant South Dakotans this year. Efforts are underway nationwide to expand Medicaid coverage, the joint federal-state health insurance program for low-income and disabled people, to doula services as a way to counter maternal and […] The post State intends to expand Medicaid to doula services, official says appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
‘Outsulation’ and ‘flexiwatts’: Saving energy can help close the demand gap
The experts tell us an energy gap looms. Fossil fuels are phasing out, and solar and wind power can’t produce enough electricity to meet the demand in coming decades. But that’s not the thinking of Amory Lovins, the 76-year-old co-founder of RMI, formerly the Rocky Mountain Institute in western Colorado. A Harvard and Oxford dropout […] The post ‘Outsulation’ and ‘flexiwatts’: Saving energy can help close the demand gap appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
UAW delivers rousing presidential endorsement for Biden over ‘scab’ Trump
WASHINGTON — The United Auto Workers of America endorsed the re-election of President Joe Biden Wednesday, just months after he became the first sitting U.S. president to walk a picket line with striking autoworkers in Michigan. Speaking at the UAW’s biannual political conference in Washington, D.C., Biden told the crowd “I was so damn proud […] The post UAW delivers rousing presidential endorsement for Biden over ‘scab’ Trump appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
‘Critical threat’ to medical marijuana falls as lawmakers consider nine cannabis bills
A Senate panel chaired by a member of the state’s Medical Marijuana Oversight Committee shot down a bill Wednesday with far-reaching implications for cannabis patients. Among nine bills that would adjust South Dakota’s medical cannabis laws this legislative session in Pierre, seven remain alive, including bills to hike the price of a dispensary license, allow […] The post ‘Critical threat’ to medical marijuana falls as lawmakers consider nine cannabis bills appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
Lawmaker lacks proof for claim that private school scholarships save millions for state
PIERRE — A legislator lacked evidence Wednesday for his claim that private school scholarships funded by tax credits save millions of dollars for state government. The scholarship program is South Dakota Partners in Education. It gives insurance companies credits against state taxes on their premiums, equal to the amount of their donations to the program […] The post Lawmaker lacks proof for claim that private school scholarships save millions for state appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
Overdraft fees, late fees could be slashed as White House continues attack on junk fees
The cost of overdrawing your bank account could ease considerably under a rule proposed last week by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The proposed regulation is in line with a larger effort that the Biden administration has championed the past few years to crack down on “junk fees,” which are tacked onto everything from ticket […] The post Overdraft fees, late fees could be slashed as White House continues attack on junk fees appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
State lawmaker seeks study of child care costs and unused subsidies
The families of roughly 27,000 infants and toddlers qualify for income-based child care assistance in South Dakota, but only 7% actually receive the subsidy, according to a study from South Dakota Kids Count. Another 31,000 school-age children are eligible, yet only 5% receive the subsidy. The majority of child care providers in South Dakota are […] The post State lawmaker seeks study of child care costs and unused subsidies appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
Trump wins New Hampshire primary
Donald Trump won the New Hampshire Republican primary Tuesday, capping off a primary season that saw numerous Republican heavyweights struggle to dislodge his enduring support. The Associated Press called the race at 8 p.m. Eastern, an hour after most polls in the state had finished. AP also called the Democratic primary for President Joe Biden. […] The post Trump wins New Hampshire primary appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
Biden, Harris vow to restore protections for abortion rights as 2024 campaign launches
President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris moved abortion access to the forefront of their reelection bid Tuesday by making it the centerpiece of their first joint campaign rally of the 2024 election cycle. “With your voice, with your power, with your vote, we can restore the protections that have been around for over […] The post Biden, Harris vow to restore protections for abortion rights as 2024 campaign launches appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
Bill banning AI-generated child pornography, adding mandatory minimums passes Senate panel
A bill that would adjust South Dakota law on child pornography includes provisions barring the possession of sexually explicit deep fakes of real children or artificial intelligence-generated children. Senate Bill 79 passed out of the Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously on Tuesday, supported by its sponsors and by Attorney General Marty Jackley. Jackley started the 2024 […] The post Bill banning AI-generated child pornography, adding mandatory minimums passes Senate panel appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
Funding seen as a last hurdle to final U.S. Senate immigration deal
WASHINGTON — A bipartisan agreement that would make the most substantial changes to immigration policy in 30 years hinges on funding disputes, key senators said Tuesday. While senators have not finalized the text of the agreement, they are discussing changes to the White House’s use of parole authority to grant temporary protections to migrants by […] The post Funding seen as a last hurdle to final U.S. Senate immigration deal appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
Panel backs longer waits between clemency requests for prisoners sentenced to life
In 1984, an intruder broke through the back door of a Winner home and fatally shot Karol Kniffen’s brother in his bed. Kniffen’s Korean War-veteran father disarmed the intruder. She began to hit the man with a wooden block at her father’s direction. In the heat of the moment, Kniffen said, after seeing that her […] The post Panel backs longer waits between clemency requests for prisoners sentenced to life appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
Freedom Works Here, but so does cronyism
Recent testimony cast a harsh light on how the bid was awarded for the Freedom Works Here marketing campaign. It seems that awarding the bid for the project had more to do with political expediency than it did with talent. Where that talent was missing, the winning bidder reportedly got to steal an idea from […] The post Freedom Works Here, but so does cronyism appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
$3.2 million coming to SD as part of federal energy and fertilizer funds
SALT LAKE CITY — U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack was in Utah on Monday where he announced millions in funding for renewable energy and domestic fertilizer projects, with about $3.2 million headed to South Dakota. Vilsack spoke during the American Farm Bureau Federation’s annual convention and trade show, which was in downtown Salt […] The post $3.2 million coming to SD as part of federal energy and fertilizer funds appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
State: Bowing to local zoning in prison dispute ‘would be an absurd result’
CANTON — The notion that the state of South Dakota needs county permission to build a state penitentiary is absurd, a lawyer representing the state Department of Corrections said Monday. That argument from Assistant Attorney General Grant Flynn came during a Monday hearing at the Lincoln County Courthouse in a lawsuit that aims to scuttle […] The post State: Bowing to local zoning in prison dispute ‘would be an absurd result’ appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
State lawmakers reject expansion of free school meals
PIERRE — Lawmakers narrowly rejected a bill Monday that would have given more low-income students free school meals. The state House Education Committee voted 8-7 to defeat the legislation. “These are South Dakota’s most vulnerable families and kids,” the bill’s prime sponsor, Rep. Kadyn Wittman, D-Sioux Falls, told the committee. She said 7,580 South Dakota […] The post State lawmakers reject expansion of free school meals appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
The dog ate my farm bill and other Republican excuses
The new five-year federal farm program, which was due on the president’s desk no later than Sept. 30, 2023, is missing. Republicans, who run the U.S. House of Representatives, don’t have a good answer about why it is missing. In fact, the explanation for what happened to it is little more than a reworking of […] The post The dog ate my farm bill and other Republican excuses appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
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We use our journalistic searchlight to illuminate critical issues facing South Dakota, dissect the decisions made by state leaders, and explain the consequences of their policies and the role of politics on South Dakotans. We publish news and commentary that prioritizes accuracy, fairness, insight and civility. There is no charge to access our content, or to subscribe to our email newsletter. We invite and publish guest commentary that contributes to productive public discourse and adheres to our editorial policies. South Dakota Searchlight launched in 2022. We’re an affiliate of States Newsroom, a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit supported by grants and a coalition of donors and readers. The staff of the Searchlight retains full editorial independence.
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