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South Dakota Searchlight •

The clearest critique of Noem’s conjecture about a shooting is, unwittingly, from her successor • South Dakota Searchlight

For yet another reminder of what a poor job Kristi Noem is doing, just ask her handpicked replacement as governor of South Dakota.
Not directly, mind you. Larry Rhoden will defend her to the hilt if asked about her by name.
But ask him indirectly, or just let him talk awhile, and he’ll criticize her actions without even realizing he’s doing it.
That happened often during the beginning of his tenure as governor, when he spoke repeatedly about the need for a “reset” on nearly every important issue...
South Dakota Searchlight •

For Don Barnett, the 1972 flood was 'tattooed on my brain and on my soul' • South Dakota Searchlight

Don Barnett, who died Monday at age 83, was the 29-year-old mayor of Rapid City when it was struck by a flood that killed 238 people on June 9, 1972. He received widespread praise for leading the recovery and helping to ensure that the city never again overbuilt in the Rapid Creek floodplain.
Barnett was photographed by Johnny Sundby and interviewed by Seth Tupper — now the editor of South Dakota Searchlight — for a 2022 book, “Surviving the ’72 Flood,” and a South Dakota Public Broadcasting doc...
South Dakota Searchlight •

A New Year’s resolution for South Dakota: Stop flushing dollars, then pinching pennies • South Dakota Searchlight

There was nothing under the tree this Christmas for South Dakota’s schools, state employees and health care providers.
Republican Gov. Larry Rhoden proposed no funding increase for them in the next state budget.
“Because our revenues haven’t grown much, we have to keep them flat this year,” Rhoden said during his annual December budget address.
Hearing that news so close to the holidays, I was reminded of the climactic movie scene in “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation,” when a wife takes her...
South Dakota Searchlight •

Health Department warns of measles exposure in Rapid City • South Dakota Searchlight

The South Dakota Department of Health is warning the public about a potential measles exposure at the Rapid City Regional Airport. 
The notification came as the agency’s website lists three new measles cases in the state since November.
The new cases are the state’s first since June, and they raise the number of confirmed measles infections this year in South Dakota to 15.
At the Rapid City airport, the potential exposure was caused by a Butte County resident with a confirmed measles infection,...
South Dakota Searchlight •

Wounded Knee Massacre site protection bill passes Congress • South Dakota Searchlight

The U.S. Senate sent President Donald Trump a bill Thursday that would protect a portion of the Wounded Knee Massacre site on the Pine Ridge Reservation.
U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson, R-South Dakota, sponsored the legislation in the House, where it passed in January. Sen. Mike Rounds sponsored the legislation in the Senate, where it passed Thursday, with Majority Leader John Thune as a cosponsor. Both are Republicans from South Dakota.
Johnson released a statement saying “the time is now here to prop...
South Dakota Searchlight •

Governor: 'Not much I’ve seen that I could support’ in legislative property tax proposals • South Dakota Searchlight

South Dakota Gov. Larry Rhoden, who has his own idea to reduce property taxes, does not sound impressed with 19 recommendations from a legislative task force.
“I’ve realized that there’s not much I’ve seen that I could support,” Rhoden told South Dakota Searchlight during a visit to Rapid City last week.
The governor’s own proposal, which he announced in March, would authorize an optional sales tax for counties. The revenue would be used to reduce property taxes for homeowners. 
“And I’ll say th...
South Dakota Searchlight •

New prison’s programs will reduce state's world-leading rate of incarcerated women, official says  • South Dakota Searchlight

RAPID CITY — No other place in the world incarcerates women at a higher rate than South Dakota, according to research by a prison-focused nonprofit, and the construction of a second women’s prison in the state could be viewed as a continuation of that trend.
The new leader of the state’s prison system said Thursday it’s the start of a turnaround.
“It’s not going to show overnight,” said Nick Lamb, “but it will show in a few years. You’ll see a substantial decrease.”
The staff and space devot...
South Dakota Searchlight •

South Dakota governor bets on policy over politics while launching campaign to keep his job • South Dakota Searchlight

RAPID CITY — South Dakota Gov. Larry Rhoden launched a campaign to keep his job with an expression of his philosophy.
“Good policy makes good politics,” he said.
The comment came during remarks Tuesday at the Hotel Alex Johnson in downtown Rapid City, where Rhoden formally announced his intention to seek the Republican nomination for governor next year in the June 2 primary election.
He has competition from three other declared candidates for the party’s nomination: U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson, busi...
South Dakota Searchlight •

Sanford Health plans to build Rapid City medical center with $300 million gift • South Dakota Searchlight

Sanford Health announced Monday that it will use a $300 million gift from its namesake philanthropist, Denny Sanford, to build a medical center in Rapid City.
Bill Gassen, president and CEO of Sanford Health, announced the gift during a Rapid City event that drew numerous local and state dignitaries.
“This philanthropic investment will strengthen health care in this community and across the entire region,” Gassen said.
The move will increase competition between Sanford Health and Monument Health...
South Dakota Searchlight •

Uncertainty still reigns as South Dakota’s monthly SNAP payment day arrives • South Dakota Searchlight

The South Dakota Department of Social Services says it began preparations over the weekend to issue partial food assistance benefits for this month, but the department is also keeping open the possibility that it could pay full benefits.
In either case, said an advisory on the department’s website as of Monday afternoon, benefits won’t come until “later this week.” The 10th day of the month, which was Monday, is the normal day for payment of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits in...
South Dakota Searchlight •

South Dakota won’t tap reserve funds to fill federal food assistance gap, governor says • South Dakota Searchlight

RAPID CITY — South Dakota’s governor said Monday he does not support using state money to fill a funding gap in a food assistance program during the federal government shutdown, and said he was unaware of a funding request that a hunger relief organization submitted to the Legislature.
Republican Gov. Larry Rhoden made the comments in response to South Dakota Searchlight questions while he was volunteering at Feeding South Dakota’s Rapid City food distribution center.
Because Congress has failed...
South Dakota Searchlight •

Legislators and governor make competing proposals to take money from housing fund • South Dakota Searchlight

SIOUX FALLS — South Dakota Gov. Larry Rhoden and a group of legislators — including one seeking his job — made rival proposals this week to shift millions in state housing infrastructure funds to other purposes.
On Wednesday, a legislative task force working on property tax reduction advanced 19 ideas that could become legislation this winter. The ideas include taking the roughly $65 million remaining in the state’s housing infrastructure fund and pairing it with money from the state’s budget re...
South Dakota Searchlight •

Tariff ‘curveball’ complicates anti-inflation efforts, Fed official says in South Dakota • South Dakota Searchlight

RAPID CITY — A national leader in monetary policy said during a visit to South Dakota that the Federal Reserve was “making good progress” bringing down inflation until “tariffs threw a curveball at us.”
Neel Kashkari, president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, addressed dozens of people during a question-and-answer session Thursday at the Hyatt Place in downtown Rapid City. A local economic development group, Elevate Rapid City, hosted the event.
A tariff is a tax on imported...
South Dakota Searchlight •

Governor squanders his credibility on civil discourse with 'eat a salad' comment • South Dakota Searchlight

Larry Rhoden spent his first eight months as governor steering South Dakota onto the high ground of civil discourse, only to follow Kristi Noem back into the gutter last week.
Noem, the head of the federal Department of Homeland Security, was in Broadview, Illinois. Protesters have been amassing for weeks at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility there to express disapproval with the Trump administration, resulting in clashes with authorities. 
Following her usual impulse to provoke rat...
South Dakota Searchlight •

State on the hook for at least $74,000 if it loses appeal in petition deadline case • South Dakota Searchlight

The state of South Dakota could be forced to pay at least $74,000 in attorney fees and costs for a group that’s suing to protect a longer circulation period for ballot-question petitions.
The two parties reached a settlement on attorney fees and costs last week. The agreement says the state will pay $74,000, plus interest at a rate of 3.64%, if the Dakotans for Health ballot question committee remains the winner of the lawsuit.
The state is appealing a federal judge’s September order. The order...
South Dakota Searchlight •

South Dakota university drops effort to fire professor for Charlie Kirk post • South Dakota Searchlight

The University of South Dakota and the state Board of Regents have dropped their effort to fire a professor for his social media post about the killing of Charlie Kirk, according to a letter released by the professor’s lawyer.
Professor Michael Hook’s attorney Jim Leach released the letter from the university on Friday.
“We have taken into consideration your remorse for the post, your past record of service, and the university’s interest in efficient operations,” the letter says. “Based upon the...
South Dakota Searchlight •

Last-minute prison revelations were shocking only for their timing and source • South Dakota Searchlight

Less than 24 hours before South Dakota lawmakers met last week to consider building a prison, one of them disseminated “shocking new revelations” in a press release.
“I have confirmed,” the press release said, “that the South Dakota Department of Corrections has been using your tax dollars to provide transgender cross-sex hormones to convicted criminals in prison.”
The release went on to accuse the department of “hiding” a policy that includes a treatment committee and payments to an “East Coast...
South Dakota Searchlight •

Former national chair tells South Dakota Democrats success is possible ‘no matter where you start’ • South Dakota Searchlight

RAPID CITY — After South Dakota Democrats heard appeals to organize, recruit and raise money, the keynote speaker at their Saturday night fundraiser urged them to do something else: hope.
Jaime Harrison, former chairman of the Democratic National Committee, told a story from his earlier job as floor director for the U.S. House Democratic Caucus. He recalled how a woman who was cleaning his Capitol office picked up a picture frame, recognized his mother in the photo, and said she went to high sch...
South Dakota Searchlight •

RFK Jr. has ‘some very interesting views,’ Thune tells South Dakota audience • South Dakota Searchlight

RAPID CITY — When John Thune disagrees with people, he tries to do it “in a respectful way,” he said Friday.
So his description of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. might be as close as Thune gets to a put-down.
“He’s got some very interesting views,” Thune said.
The Republican U.S. Senate majority leader from South Dakota made the comments in response to an audience member at the Black Hills Forum and Press Club. The question came from Sherry Bea Smith, who identified herself as a nurse from Nemo, a small...
South Dakota Searchlight •

A pipeline, property taxes and a prison: Rhoden’s audition continues with a third big swing • South Dakota Searchlight

Larry Rhoden’s opponents should probably hope he doesn’t get his way Tuesday when he asks the Legislature to approve his $650 million prison construction plan.
If the legislation passes, it’ll be another big win for the Republican governor in only eight months on the job.
Whether you agree with Rhoden and his policies or not, he’s proven surprisingly effective at resolving disputes and achieving his goals, and at making himself look like a contender in next year’s election.
When Gov. Kristi Noem...
South Dakota Searchlight •

Jackley calls for improved legal immigration policy while launching his campaign for Congress • South Dakota Searchlight

STURGIS — In a speech formally launching his campaign for Congress on Tuesday, South Dakota Republican Marty Jackley signaled a desire to bring workers into the country legally while preventing unauthorized immigration.
“We need to have a national immigration policy that considers public safety and the workforce,” Jackley said. “We need to have E-Verify and visas working. I promise you I’ll be committed to doing that as your congressman.”
E-Verify is a web-based system that allows employers to c...
South Dakota Searchlight •

Trump-China trade dispute heightens harvest anxiety for South Dakota soybean farmers • South Dakota Searchlight

RAPID CITY — Jerry Schmitz is rarely at a loss for words about soybeans.
But when asked if farmers have faith in a good outcome from the Trump administration’s trade standoff with China, his gaze shifted and his brow creased momentarily as he thought about the best way to answer.
“Hope might be the better word over faith,” he said.
Schmitz, of rural Vermillion, is the executive director of the South Dakota Soybean Association and the South Dakota Soybean Checkoff. A checkoff is a fee that’s coll...
South Dakota Searchlight •

Judge blocks South Dakota from enforcing earlier ballot question petition deadline • South Dakota Searchlight

The state of South Dakota cannot enforce a new law that would shorten the window for circulating ballot question petitions by three months, a judge has ruled.
U.S. District Judge Camela Theeler filed a written order Friday that says the law is a violation of First Amendment rights. As a limitation on political speech, she wrote, moving the election-year deadline from May to February “arguably goes beyond merely inconvenient and enters the realm of severe.”
The filing deadline dictates the amount...
South Dakota Searchlight •

Capitol restoration looms as a major expense for South Dakota • South Dakota Searchlight

As South Dakota lawmakers consider spending $650 million to build a prison, another major building expense is looming: the first full restoration of the state Capitol in nearly 40 years.
The state official in charge of planning the restoration is Darin Seeley, commissioner of the Bureau of Human Resources and Administration. When he briefed a committee of legislators during a public meeting Tuesday at the Capitol, one of them asked for a ballpark estimate of the cost.
Seeley stressed that he doe...
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