Putting pandemic disputes in the past

Pandemic-era political disputes may be fading in South Dakota after lawmakers who proposed COVID-19-related bills during the 2026 legislative session failed to enact their proposals, and some of the legislators who sponsored or supported the bills either lost their primary races or aren’t seeking reelection. Six pieces of failed legislation would have shielded doctors and […]

South Dakota Gov. Larry Rhoden issued $1 million Friday from an economic development fund under his control to support an industrial and business park in Mitchell. The money comes from the Future Fund, which is built up through fees submitted by employers when they pay taxes to support unemployment benefits.  The governor awards the dollars […]

Duck hunters know the difference between a bird passing overhead and one circling the decoys. The first may vanish. The second deserves your full attention. A notice published July 24 by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is beginning to circle South Dakota’s wetlands, and anyone who cares about birds, wildlife, flooding, water quality or […]

WASHINGTON — A bipartisan effort to rein in President Donald Trump’s efforts to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education has cleared its first major legislative hurdle in a bipartisan U.S. Senate committee vote.  The measure, approved by the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee in a 13-9 vote Thursday, represents the most sweeping attempt from […]