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Florida’s DeSantis withdraws from Republican presidential race, endorses Trump
WASHINGTON — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis withdrew from the Republican race for the presidential nomination on Sunday, less than two days before Tuesday’s New Hampshire primary. DeSantis, who came in second in the first-in-the-nation Iowa Caucuses on Jan. 15, released a nearly five-minute video on social media announcing that he had suspended his campaign and […] The post Florida’s DeSantis withdraws from Republican presidential race, endorses Trump appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
Shelters and victim service providers struggle as federal funding plummets
Children no longer have to sit in the Sioux Falls Police Department lobby for hours — with nowhere to go and no one to comfort them — after a parent is arrested for domestic violence. Years ago, police officers had to balance watching those children, finding a safe place for them to stay and handling […] The post Shelters and victim service providers struggle as federal funding plummets appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
Does Kristi Noem believe in Freedom, or just freedom? The scandalous truth.
Gov. Kristi Noem really likes freedom. Not just little freedom. She likes big Freedom, and even bigger FREEDOM. She reached the apotheosis of her freedom fetish during her recent State of the State address, when she used the word 38 times in 39 minutes. In the published text of the speech, every instance of the […] The post Does Kristi Noem believe in Freedom, or just freedom? The scandalous truth. appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
Biden says he’s ‘ready to act’ on ‘significant’ changes at the border, including asylum
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden Friday said he backs “significant policy changes” to asylum law, amid ongoing immigration policy negotiations between the White House and Senate tied to passage of a global security package. “I believe we need significant policy changes at the border, including changes in our asylum system, to ensure that we have […] The post Biden says he’s ‘ready to act’ on ‘significant’ changes at the border, including asylum appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
Amtrak ambition: The lonely quest to break SD’s resistance to passenger rail
You can’t reach Mount Rushmore by passenger rail. Or the Badlands. Or Wall Drug. Or just about anywhere else in South Dakota. It’s one of two states in the contiguous U.S. without Amtrak passenger train service – and the only one to have never had it. Pennington County Commissioner Lloyd LaCroix would like to see […] The post Amtrak ambition: The lonely quest to break SD’s resistance to passenger rail appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
Bipartisan deal to expand child tax credit, revive business tax breaks advances in Congress
WASHINGTON — A plan to temporarily expand the child tax credit and revive tax breaks for businesses received overwhelming bipartisan support in a committee vote Friday, a rare moment of compromise in a divided Congress that’s headed into a heated election year. The tax policymakers of the GOP-led U.S. House Committee on Ways and Means […] The post Bipartisan deal to expand child tax credit, revive business tax breaks advances in Congress appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
State’s Open Meetings Commission hasn’t met for three years
A state commission that hears complaints about transparency in government meetings has not met since December 2020, and the attorney general is taking steps to reactivate the group. There have been six complaints forwarded to the commission in the meantime, according to the Attorney General’s Office. Three were dismissed as not deserving of a hearing, […] The post State’s Open Meetings Commission hasn’t met for three years appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
Creation of statewide public defense office receives unanimous support in committee
PIERRE — A bill that would fund a statewide public defense office passed through the House State Affairs Committee on a unanimous vote in the Capitol on Friday. The office, which would assign attorneys to handle appeals along with abuse and neglect cases, would cost the state $1.4 million annually, paying for one lead public […] The post Creation of statewide public defense office receives unanimous support in committee appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
Kids are flooded with social media and news. Some states want to help them question it.
Young people may be digital natives, but many of them aren’t equipped to deal with the increasing onslaught of disinformation and deepfakes appearing in their social media feeds. A growing number of states think they have an antidote: media literacy education. The goal of media literacy, sometimes called digital citizenship or information literacy, is to […] The post Kids are flooded with social media and news. Some states want to help them question it. appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
State electric vehicle charger plan is four short of target
A pool of settlement money from Volkswagen has helped add four new fast-charging stations for electric vehicles in South Dakota, with another two under construction. But four promised charging stations have been scratched from the state’s list of lawsuit-funded EV infrastructure. The Board of Minerals and Environment, which oversees the disbursement of South Dakota’s $8.1 […] The post State electric vehicle charger plan is four short of target appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
Congress speeds through short-term government funding bill before Friday shutdown deadline
WASHINGTON — Congress will have until early March to finish work it was supposed to complete last fall — and will avert a partial government shutdown — under a bill both chambers approved with broad bipartisan support Thursday. The 77-18 vote in the Senate and 314-108 vote in the House sent the bill to President […] The post Congress speeds through short-term government funding bill before Friday shutdown deadline appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
Lawmaker’s second attempt to tax lithium mining passes first test
A bill to impose a tax on lithium mining cleared its first hurdle Thursday at the state Capitol in Pierre. Lithium is a key metal for modern batteries in electric vehicles and other consumer items, and mining claims have rapidly spread in the Black Hills. Rep. Kirk Chaffee, R-Whitewood, the bill’s main sponsor, wants to […] The post Lawmaker’s second attempt to tax lithium mining passes first test appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
Permanent tax cut bill tabled in Senate committee, but discussion continues
PIERRE — A bill to permanently keep South Dakota’s state sales tax rate at a reduced 4.2% was tabled Thursday at the Capitol by the Senate Committee on Appropriations on a 7-2 vote. Senators questioned the impact of federal pandemic relief funds inflating the state budget and revenues, and the impact of a potential elimination […] The post Permanent tax cut bill tabled in Senate committee, but discussion continues appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
Noem unintentionally inspires unity among tribes
South Dakota’s nine Indian tribes are each struggling with similar problems. In their own ways, they’re all seeking solutions that will boost economic development, fight drug addiction and poverty, all while dealing with a host of other challenges. While they tend to go their separate ways as they tackle many of these issues, they can […] The post Noem unintentionally inspires unity among tribes appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
Native nations with scarce internet are building their own broadband networks
On the Hopi Reservation’s more than 1.5 million acres of desert landscape in northeast Arizona, most residents live in villages atop arid mesas. Below ground, there’s a network of copper wires that provides telephone and internet service. Hopi Telecommunications in 2004 bought the company that had installed them, but has been struggling ever since to upgrade the […] The post Native nations with scarce internet are building their own broadband networks appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
With GOP pushing hard on immigration, parole emerges as a make-or-break issue in Congress
WASHINGTON — Passage of a multi-billion-dollar supplemental package hinges on curbing an executive authority used to grant immigration protection, South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham said during a Wednesday press conference. “If we don’t fix parole, there will be no deal,” Graham said alongside Senate Republican Whip John Thune of South Dakota. Graham said parole is […] The post With GOP pushing hard on immigration, parole emerges as a make-or-break issue in Congress appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
Primaries for attorney general, term limits for PUC nixed by House panel
The House State Affairs Committee nixed two proposals Wednesday in Pierre that would have affected the choices of South Dakota voters. The first defeat, which came on an 8-5 vote, was for a resolution asking voters to upend the way parties choose candidates for some statewide offices. The second, defeated on a 9-4 vote, would […] The post Primaries for attorney general, term limits for PUC nixed by House panel appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
Noem’s phonics literacy effort advances in Legislature
PIERRE — The state House Education Committee unanimously voted Wednesday at the Capitol to support Gov. Kristi Noem’s $6 million effort to train teachers in phonics literacy. The bill now goes to the Joint Appropriations Committee. The effort, spearheaded by the state Department of Education, provides extensive professional development to teachers in what the bill […] The post Noem’s phonics literacy effort advances in Legislature appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
House panel defeats year-round daylight saving time proposal
A House panel shot down an effort to switch South Dakota’s time zones one step east from November to March each year. The prime sponsor of House Bill 1009, Rep. Ben Krohmer, R-Mitchell, said the change would offer more daylight during the darkest days of winter. That would mean more evening daylight for farmers, construction […] The post House panel defeats year-round daylight saving time proposal appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
Utilities plan onsite gas storage to improve reliability; critics warn of costs, safety concerns
As the U.S. electric power system has become more reliant on natural gas plants, it’s also become more vulnerable to gas system failures. During Winter Storm Elliott in 2022, about 18% of the anticipated power supply in the portion of the grid that serves the entire eastern half of the United States, called the Eastern […] The post Utilities plan onsite gas storage to improve reliability; critics warn of costs, safety concerns 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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