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Attempts to block foreign ag-land ownership continue, despite existing laws that address it
PIERRE — Efforts to prevent and root out existing foreign ownership of agricultural land in South Dakota are still in progress, despite the Legislature’s rejection of a proposal from Gov. Kristi Noem, and despite a set of 44-year-old state laws that already facilitate some of what lawmakers are trying to accomplish. The governor’s bill would […]
House passes bill requiring initiated amendments to get signatures from every district
PIERRE — The South Dakota House of Representatives passed a bill Wednesday that would make it more difficult for citizens to put a constitutional amendment on the ballot. A petition drive to force a vote on a constitutional amendment already requires signatures from registered voters equivalent to 10 percent of the votes cast in the […]
Senate rejects Noem’s bill to vet ag-land purchases by foreigners
PIERRE – The state Senate rejected a bill Tuesday that Gov. Kristi Noem had proposed as a way to protect South Dakota’s agricultural land from purchases by hostile foreigners. The vote was 23-11, and it wasn’t the only legislative rebuke of the day for Noem. Earlier Tuesday, a House committee rejected her bill to repeal […]
Ongoing study shows Big Sioux River mixing with aquifer that Watertown uses for water
The waters of the Big Sioux River are infiltrating the drinking water pulled from wells near Watertown, causing potentially harmful effects that aren’t fully understood yet. Those early conclusions come from a joint state and U.S. Geological Survey study on interactions between the river and the Big Sioux Aquifer. The study does not offer conclusions […]
Committee rejects bill to stop carbon pipelines from using eminent domain
A state Senate committee unanimously rejected a bill Thursday that would prevent two proposed carbon pipeline projects from using eminent domain. The bill had already passed the House of Representatives 40-28, but it was defeated 9-0 in the Senate Commerce and Energy Committee. Opponents of the bill said it would be unfair to remove the […]
Accusations fly as ranchers push for changes to Brand Board
Ranchers lodged accusations against a state board Thursday at the Capitol in Pierre, and a legislative committee advanced a bill to change the way the board members are selected. The bill would shift the power of appointing members of the South Dakota Brand Board from the governor to a direct election by brand owners. Brands are […]
Attempt to block COVID vaccines from required school immunizations fails in committee
A bill aimed at preventing COVID-19 vaccines from becoming mandatory for children attending public schools in South Dakota failed to pass the state’s Senate Health and Human Services Committee on Wednesday. Sen. Julie Frye-Mueller, R-Rapid City – who was recently censured by the state Senate after she allegedly made harassing comments about vaccinating children to […]
Committee passes Noem bill proposing a board to vet foreign ag land purchases
In a 7-0 vote Tuesday, the state Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee passed a bill that would establish a vetting process for foreign purchases of agricultural land in South Dakota. The bill would create a board to investigate proposed purchases of ag land by foreign interests, and to make recommendations of approval or denial. […]
Committee approves vaccine exemption bill amid misinformation, offensive language
EDITOR’S NOTE: This story includes offensive language, which has been included to accurately portray the content of a public legislative hearing. A South Dakota legislative committee approved a bill Tuesday that would establish a “conscience” exemption from COVID-19 vaccine mandates, after the committee hearing at the Capitol in Pierre disintegrated into a parade of misinformation […]
Officials blame inflation for state building projects that are millions over budget
Eight building projects already approved by the Legislature need about $30 million in additional funding due to rising costs, state lawmakers were told Monday at the Capitol in Pierre. State officials told the Joint Committee on Appropriations about the challenges of trying to keep project costs under control amid high inflation. One of the projects […]
Competing Republican views about ‘election integrity’ yield dozens of bills
Political rhetoric about election integrity has translated into a cascade of election-related bills from feuding factions of South Dakota’s Republican Party. Republican legislative leaders announced a package of election-related bills they want to adopt during this year’s 38-day legislative session in Pierre, which began last month and continues until March. Meanwhile, a subset of Republican […]
Lawmakers advance bill to block carbon pipelines as regulators continue permitting process
The end of the week brought a flurry of activity related to proposed carbon pipelines as lawmakers advanced a bill to block the projects, and regulators waded through requests affecting the speed of the permitting process. State utility regulators voted 2-1 on Thursday to deny an effort by some landowners to send a proposed carbon […]