Politics

Garretson, Rapid City incidents expose loophole excluding comment at public meetings

Two seemingly harmless words added to a state open meetings law in 2019 have sparked a debate over the rights of citizens to publicly comment at official government meetings in South Dakota, with several school boards at the center of the conflict. The state open meetings law, enacted in 1965,

Legislation seeks to clarify who decides what happens to the dead in South Dakota

South Dakota has some of the weakest laws in the nation when it comes to regulating who decides what should happen to the body of someone who dies, and the vague laws are causing greater expense for survivors, creating emotional trauma for grieving families and funeral directors, and occasionally leading

Bills would allow South Dakota Native Americans to hunt, fish and visit state parks for free

Native Americans from South Dakota would be able to hunt or fish anywhere in the state for free and visit or camp in state parks without paying fees under two bills under consideration by the state Legislature. House Bill 1141 would allow enrolled members of a federally recognized Indian tribe

Abortion battle expected during 2022 South Dakota legislative session

Abortion is likely to be a major topic during the 2022 South Dakota legislative session that begins on Jan. 11, as opponents of the medical procedure see an opportunity to capitalize on recent legal cases across the country that further restricted access to abortion. The anticipated legislation seeking to restrict

Experts: Noem’s child care funding needed, but far from a solution to daycare crisis

Gov. Kristi Noem wants to spend $100 million to boost child care offerings across the state, but experts say it will take more than a one-time government investment to expand access to quality daycare for working parents in South Dakota. South Dakota is facing a child care crisis in which

Special report part 3: Experts offer potential solutions to child care crisis in S.D.

Two recent in-depth studies were conducted on the shortage of child care in South Dakota, one examining the situation statewide and another focused specifically on Sioux Falls. Here is a look at the recommendations on how to improve access to affordable, reliable, quality child care, according to the two reports.

Special report part 1: Child care crisis in SD hurting families, employers and state economy

The signs of the workforce shortage in South Dakota are as omnipresent as they are ominous. “Now hiring” signs on nearly every business. Fast-food restaurants with shuttered dining rooms. Delayed building construction. Long wait times for consumer goods and services. And a nursing shortage that in mid-December led Monument Health