Legislative Session
House fails to override Noem’s veto of optional hotel tax increase
The state House of Representatives failed on Tuesday to override Gov. Kristi Noem’s veto of a bill that would allow hotels and motels in “business improvement districts,” or BIDs, to raise a per-room tax. Supporters of the bill fell six votes short of the two-thirds majority needed to override the veto. The vote was 41-29, […]
Lawmakers nix bill to raise SD’s nation-leading juror pay
It’s illegal to duck jury duty, even if you’re too broke to afford time off work. A bill meant to address the difficulties that reality can cause for blue-collar jurors died in a state Senate committee this week after passing through the House of Representatives. The 5-2 vote on House Bill 1098 came after testimony […]
Truth in sentencing bill advances to full Senate
A bill to lengthen prison stays for violent offenders earned an endorsement from all but one member of the Senate Judiciary Committee Tuesday morning. Senate Bill 146 saw testimony from nine supporters beyond its prime sponsor, Sen. Brent Hoffman, R-Sioux Falls, including police chiefs, sheriffs and Attorney General Marty Jackley. The bill would abolish parole […]
Bill would add conditions for medical marijuana, but also repeal public process
PIERRE — A bill in the Legislature would add eight conditions to those that qualify a patient for a medical marijuana card, but the bill would also remove a public process to add more conditions to the list. A legislative committee approved the bill Wednesday on a 6-1 vote and sent it to the full […]
Public access programs enroll a record amount of private land
PIERRE — A record 1.48 million acres of private land are enrolled in public access programs around the state, according to the state’s Game, Fish and Parks secretary. “We’ve never had that number that high before and it’s a compliment to the efforts from our teams up there working with producers, building relationships,” said Kevin […]
New bill would ban several forms of transgender health care for youth
PIERRE – A group of South Dakota Republicans introduced a bill Tuesday that would prohibit physicians from providing some services to transgender youth. A Democratic legislator and the American Civil Liberties Union of South Dakota immediately condemned the bill, which the ACLU labeled as “discriminatory.” Rep. Bethany Soye, R-Sioux Falls, introduced the “Help Not Harm […]
Two-and-a-half party system operating in Legislature
The first week of the legislative session is feast and famine for Capitol reporters. The famine is in the mornings when committees are supposed to meet. In that first week, some of them won’t meet at all. Others will meet to “organize.” Few, if any, will make any news that first week. The feast is […]
Noem recommends $70 million to update ‘outdated’ accounting software
PIERRE — Gov. Kristi Noem says state government’s accounting and software system is so out of date that it needs millions of dollars and multiple years to fix. That revelation came during Noem’s annual budget address Tuesday at the Capitol in Pierre. Noem’s recommended budget for fiscal year 2024 includes $70 million in one-time funding […]