I haven't written about this yet. Essentially Republican Governor Kristi Noem with her announcement today is reversing herself and promising to do what Democrat challenger Jamie Smith has been trying to do for years with legislation that would repeal South Dakota's food tax.
BREAKING: House committee has rejected Gov. Noem's legislation to require up to one minute of silence in South Dakota public schools at the start of each school day. School lobbyists said schools weren't asked. Governor's aide said 15 other states have such laws.
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NEW: Governor's office announced $345 million more is available for grants to South Dakota businesses, non-profits and healthcare organizations financially hurt by pandemic.
#KELONews
What’s missing from the new security signs that greeted people today at the South Dakota Capitol? A sentence explaining these items aren’t allowed.
#KeloNews
Flags throughout South Dakota are at half-staff in honor of US servicemembers and other victims killed in terrorist attacks in Kabul, Afghanistan on Thursday. The governor’s order continues through sundown Monday.
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About two dozen Native American riders on horseback arrived at the South Dakota Capitol on Saturday for a ceremony of remembrance for missing and murdered indigenous women and children.
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BREAKING: South Dakota School Superintendents Assn. is calling for state Board of Education Standards to reject proposed K-12 social studies standards and requests the board consider the 2021 proposal instead.
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Pastor Matthew Spoden of Resurrection Lutheran Church in Pierre prayed for the 849 victims of COVID-19 so far in South Dakota at a Thanksgiving memorial service Thursday morning near the state Capitol sponsored by Stop The Spread SD. Empty chairs symbolized the victims.
#Kelonews
With 675 of 679 precincts reported, South Dakota voters have overwhelmingly rejected Constitutional Amendment C, 67-33%. It failed in 65 of 66 counties, passed in only Douglas County, and came within three votes in McPherson County.
#KELONews
Rep. John Mills, R-Volga, has introduced HR 7004 asking the South Dakota House to criticize the conduct of Gov. Kristi Noem regarding the state real-estate appraisers certification program. It includes this statement:
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Senate Democrats leader Troy Heinert of Mission was honored by Senator Red Dawn Foster of Pine Ridge with an eagle feather Thursday on the final day of 2022 legislative session's main run. Heinert is term-limited in the Senate and isn't seeking election to the House
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House State Affairs Committee declined this morning to introduce governor's proposal to ban abortion in South Dakota after a heartbeat is detectable. Noem issued statement calling action unprecedented and said she was "disappointed."
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In the 2022 session, Smith was among the 47 House members who voted for a hog-housed version of SB 117 that would have repealed the sales tax on food. The Senate voted 22-9 to not agree.
House version:
Dear Rep. Noem,
This morning you emailed to followers a message that began:
"The media has launched an intentionally malicious and false attack against my family in recent weeks..."
I work in South Dakota media. I haven't launched anything. I re-tweeted pro/con arguments.
Bob
"We never mandated anything."
Other than Executive Order 2020-13, applying to South Dakota's population center of Minnehaha and Lincoln counties. It said people over 65 and 'Vulnerable Individuals' "shall stay at home or a place of residence if possible."
South Dakota was the only state that never once closed a single business.
I never even defined what an “essential business” was because I don’t believe Governors have the authority to tell you your business isn’t essential.
We never mandated anything.
This movement started in South Dakota. We BANNED TikTok on government devices, which led to dozens of other states following our lead. Even Congress took action… and now it’s time to go further.
Forcing TikTok out of the Chinese Communist Party’s grip is the right path forward.
ASBSD chief Wade Pogany told state Teacher Compensation Review Board that South Dakota would need 3.9% raises for five years to catch North Dakota and 8.1% for five years to match Nebraska. By contrast Legislature gave 0.3, 1.0, 2.5, 2.0 and 2.4% past five sessions.
@keloland
Cousin Nick Nemec of Holabird and widow Jennifer Boever of Highmore waited outside the closed session of the House Special Committee on Investigation on Thursday night. The panel is considering whether to recommend impeachment of state Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg.
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Legislature's Government Operations and Audit Committee voted 8-2 to subpoena plan and other documents that the South Dakota Dept. of Labor and Regulation reached with Kassidy Peters, a daughter of the governor, related to application for certification as an appraiser.
@keloland
South Dakota Republican primary results tonight show definite trend of voters punishing incumbents who voted for SB201, the "landowner bill of rights" that put some restrictions on CO2 pipelines but removed ability for local gov'ts to attempt to block them through ordinances.
Nick Nemec waited outside courtroom for start of Ravnsborg status hearing Wednesday. He is a cousin of victim Joe Boever. No one other than a KELOLAND News reporter is present.
@keloland
US Surgeon General Jerome Adams visited South Dakota’s first drive-up free COVID-19 testing site in Pierre Tuesday and told news reporters people should wear masks regardless whether government requires them because it’s the right thing to do while awaiting a vaccine.
#kelonews
House State Affairs Committee voted 7-5 Monday to kill HB1092. Rep. Linda Duba wanted to update South Dakota definition of marriage to remove references to man and woman and replace them with "between two persons."
#keloland
From a professional perspective, I don't recall Tony Venhuizen misleading me during the eight years he served as press secretary and chief of staff for Gov. Dennis Daugaard. The one time he didn't answer a question, I knew why he didn't. He was, and is, a straight shooter.
South Dakota House leaders wants special session November 9 to open investigation of state Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg, they said in a news announcement Thursday afternoon.
@keloland
NEW: More than 160 municipal and county officials have signed a letter to Gov. Noem requesting she declare a public health emergency for South Dakota through June 22.
@IanTFury
@keloland
And, I'm still waiting for answers to questions I sent to
@IanTFury
this week for stories on the tourism tax, the latest appointees to the state Board of Regents and whether the governor will attend the WGA annual meeting.
As a KELOLAND News reporter in this COVID-19 pandemic, I wear a face covering but refrain from stating a personal position. Nonetheless, for weeks the states with the highest 7-day averages for COVID-19 have been North Dakota and South Dakota, according to The Washington Post. 1/
None of six Republicans on S.D. House Legislative Procedure Committee wore masks to meeting Wednesday. Democrat Erin Healy of Sioux Falls did. Panel okayed two rules on COVID-19 voting procedures and didn't discuss masks. Full House will make final decision on changes.
@keloland
Nov. 5 marks the 100th anniversary of the 1918 election when the men of South Dakota decided to let the women vote in all public elections. It was the seventh attempt since 1889 statehood.
Amendment A to legalize and tax recreational marijuana for people 21 and older in South Dakota looks likely to pass. With 527 of 693 precincts in and 105 partially counted, the vote was 169,584 yes and 151,680 no. If passed, it will be in state constitution.
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Senate Education Committee has killed governor's HB1337 to ban promotion of divisive concepts in South Dakota K-12 public schools 4-3. Bill could still be forced from committee for a floor debate.
@keloland
This sign now greets employees at the South Dakota Public Health Laboratory in Pierre. More than 50 cars, vans and trucks were in the lab’s parking lot Wednesday morning as tests of COVID-19 specimens continued, while most other state parking areas in the city were nearly empty.
Still waiting for answers from her office to a set of questions I sent for KELOLAND News at 5:39 a.m. today and a different set of questions I sent Saturday morning.
I happened to drive from Pierre to Sioux Falls and back on Friday. The deadly wind on Thursday afternoon had been strong enough to topple tall trees, bend and crush structures, blow over semis -- but wasn't strong enough to blow away candidates' yard signs.
Senators rejected Medicaid expansion for South Dakota Tuesday 23-12. Republican Wayne Steinhauer, R-Hartford, led the argument for it. Voters will now decide the issue in November.
@keloland
In further news regarding the SD Government Accountability Board, state Attorney General Mark Vargo's office today issued a statement that an outside lawyer will oversee investigation into whether the governor violated a state law restricting use of state-owned aircraft. 1/
The headline on the news release from
@IanTFury
read, "Kristi for Governor Calls for Immediate Investigation into Jamie Smith’s Campaign Finance Violations"
Leave it to the media to blame Governor Noem for
@RepJamieSmith
's campaign finance violations.
Jamie made 1,500 violations according to a plain reading of the law! PERIOD.
If the shoe was on the other foot, do you think Jamie's name would be in the headline?
"(T)he actions of the Governor in this case were unacceptable, were injurious to the people of South Dakota, resulted in an unnecessary expenditure of state tax dollars, and were detrimental to the morale and steadfast dedication of our hard-working state employees." 2/2
From the SD Dept. of Education this morning:
"PIERRE, S.D. – The next meeting of the South Dakota Board of Education Standards has been postponed and a new meeting date will be announced soon.
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Fighting Stallions Memorial, Friday morning, October 9, 2020, Pierre, South Dakota. Remembering 1993 state plane crash took lives of Governor George S. Mickelson and seven other leaders and pilots.
Legislature’s marijuana committee refused again today to recommend allowing home-grown marijuana plants in South Dakota 8-16. State’s voters approved a three-plant minimum last year for medical cannabis 70-30%.
@keloland
Some significant Republican past officeholders came out Friday for Democrat Billie Sutton's candidacy for governor: U.S. Sen. Larry Pressler, state treasurer Dave Volk and state lawmakers Dave Knudson, Stan Adelstein, Kay Jorgensen, Joyce Hodges, Mark DeVries and Dick Werner.
Nick Nemec, a cousin of Joe Boever, waited Tuesday for the South Dakota House of Representatives to open a special session to consider whether to impeach state Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg for the 2020 crash that killed Boever as he walked along US 14 at Highmore.
@keloland
South Dakota currently leads the nation in growth rate of COVID-19 infections in the previous seven days, according to the Washington Post daily rankings.
Public notice said the South Dakota Bureau of Administration would hold a public hearing in room 412 of the Capitol at 10 a m. today, but no one from the bureau (or anyone else, other than this reporter) was there and the door was locked.
Scott Herman is a past member of the South Dakota Board of Education Standards. He was appointed in 2015 by then-Governor Dennis Daugaard to fill the remainder of the term for Stacy Phelps, who resigned.
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Matthew Schweich (left) and other supporters of legalizing marijuana for adults age 21 and older in South Dakota watched as state elections director Rachel Soulek (right) transferred their ballot measure petitions at the state Capitol on Tuesday. They turned in 29,030 signatures.
Randy Seiler, the Democratic candidate seeking election as South Dakota attorney general, received endorsements from two past attorneys general who are Republicans. They are Mark Meierhenry and Roger Tellinghuisen. Seiler faces Republican Jason Ravnsborg.
Our state government workers meet the needs of the people of South Dakota, so we need a nimble and efficient state government to accomplish that.
Removing postsecondary degree requirements for state government jobs will grow our workforce even further!
Gov. Kristi Noem is meeting with news reporters this morning. It is the first time she has held a news conference during the legislative session in two years.
The South Dakota Public Utilities Commission moments ago unanimously decided to deny the Navigator CO2 project's request that the state commission preempt pipeline ordinances passed in Minnehaha and Moody counties. Commissioner Chris Nelson described it as "an extreme remedy."
Lt. Gov. Larry Rhoden asked news reporters for a moment of silence Thursday morning in Greg's honor. 'Deaner' was a member of the late Gov. George S. Mickelson's staff, then a long-time lobbyist for South Dakota Telecommunications Association, and recently for SDREA.
@keloland
KCCR is deeply saddened to hear of the loss of Greg Dean. Our hearts go out to the Dean family, Jill, Blake, Bradley and Bennett. Greg was a loving friend to everyone he came in touch with. KCCR’s broadcasts were better when Greg was behind the mic. He will be greatly missed.
Karl Adam of Pierre (left) and Paula Adam-Burchill of Sioux Falls accepted the Robinson Award for their late mother, Pat Adam of Pierre, Saturday from South Dakota State Historical Society. The award recognized Pat Adam for 19 years as a SDSHS trustee, including 14 as president.
BREAKING: "It seems likely we will not have a special session in June," House Speaker Spencer Gosch, R-Glenham, announced, as the South Dakota Legislature's Executive Board finished its meeting today.
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