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New law aims to make it easier to prosecute sex traffickers
It’s about to be easier for prosecutors to take on sex-trafficking cases in South Dakota. House Bill 1118, signed by Gov. Dennis Daugaard on March 10, will eliminate “the need to prove the use of force, fraud or coercion in the human trafficking of minors” when prosecuting cases. Before the bill was passed, victims of trafficking […]
No more S.D. travel for San Francisco city employees
In response to the passage of SB 149 in Pierre, a law that extends legal protection to religious adoption agencies, the city of San Francisco has decided it will no longer do business in the state of South Dakota. South Dakota’s passage of this law brought it into the crosshairs of a 2016 San Francisco […]
House Bill 1072 would move S.D. to ‘Constitutional carry’
A bill that would eliminate the concealed carry permit process for South Dakota residents is scheduled for a hearing in the state Senate Wednesday. House Bill 1072 passed the state House of Representatives last Thursday by a vote of 37 to 30. In South Dakota, no state permits are required to possess a gun. According […]
USD professors denounce recent science bill
A bill that allows school teachers to teach the “strengths and weaknesses” of scientific theories in classrooms, titled “An Act to protect the teaching of certain scientific information,” passed in the South Dakota Senate last month. The bill, which hasn’t yet been enacted into law, has sparked controversy as a possible defense of teaching creationism in public schools. […]
USD students voice their opinions of IM 22
UPDATE – South Dakota Senate members voted to approve House Bill 1069 to repeal IM 22 with a vote of 27 to 8, on Wednesday night. The approval of HB 1069 disappointed supporters of Represent South Dakota, Doug Kronaizl, a spokesperson and field organizer of the organization, said. “It is a totally disrespectful and unnecessary […]
Local state candidates talk policy issues at town hall debate
Candidates running for the Clay County House and Senate seats were involved in a townhall-style debate on Tuesday. The candidates running for the Democratic House are Mike Winegar and Ray Ring. For the Republican House, Nancy Rasmussen and Debbie Pease. Lastly, for the Senate, Democrat Shane Merill and Republican Arthur Rusch are running. All of […]
Good Samaritan Bill signed by Daugaard, becomes law
After more than five years of discussion in Pierre, the Good Samaritan Bill has finally been signed by Gov. Dennis Daugaard this month. House Bill 1078 grants immunity from arrest for certain alcohol-related offenses to underage persons who assist someone in need of emergency assistance or who are themselves in need of emergency assistance. “It’s for the […]
Pending bill helps combat drug overdoses, could help save lives
Recent legislation is making it easier for healthcare professionals in the state to combat drug overdoses with the use of Naloxone, an antagonist used to reverse the affects of opioid overdoses. The passage of Senate Bill 14 during the 2015 legislative session made it legal for trained first responders to possess and administer Naloxone. House Bill […]
Daugaard vetoes ‘Transgender Bathroom Bill’
Governor Dennis Daugaard vetoed the so-called “Transgender Bathroom Bill” on Tuesday afternoon. The bill would have required transgender students to use bathrooms and locker rooms that match their sex at birth. “House Bill 1008 does not address any pressing issue concerning the school districts of South Dakota,” Daugaard said in his letter to the House of […]
Legislators flip flop on S.D. teacher pay increase
Governor Dennis Daugaard’s plan to raise teacher pay is moving forward to the South Dakota Senate, after the bill initially failed by one vote in the House of Representatives last week. The half-cent sales tax hike passed a revote Monday 47-21, which hit the required two-thirds majority needed for tax hikes. “Thank you to the bipartisan […]