PIERRE, S.D.(HubCityRadio)- The South Dakota Joint Committee on Appropriations address HB1026.  Reminder the bill make an appropriation for the replacement of the Richmond Lake dam and spillway, for the general maintenance and repair of other state-owned dams, and to declare an emergency. Representative Terri Jorgenson of Rapid City motioned to pass the bill to the… Read more »

PIERRE, S.D.(SDBA)- The number of criminal offenses reported last year in South Dakota is up slightly from 2023. That’s according to the annual crime report, which shows that numbers rose by 1.21 percent. Notably, homicides saw a a 72 percent increase from 18 to 31, in part because of abig jump in homicides in Sioux… Read more »

PIERRE, S.D.(HubCityRadio)- The South Dakota Senate State Affairs heard testimony on SB186.  The bill establish standard time in this state. Prime sponsor of the bill was Senator Carl Perry of Aberdeen. Representative John Sjaarda of Valley Springs and discuss the benefit of daylight savings time. Senator Perry in rebuttal talked about the number of time… Read more »

PIERRE, S.D. (SDBA) — A bill requiring counties and municipalities to provide emergency medical services failed in the House Appropriations Committee Friday morning after concerns emerged about unfunded mandates to local governments. House Bill 1043, introduced by Rep. Eric Emery, D-Rosebud, lost on a 7-1 vote to table with one member excused. “EMS in South… Read more »

WATERTOWN, S.D.(KWAT)–Watertown Fire Rescue was called to Watertown Regional Airport Thursday morning on a report of an explosion. The call came from an airport employee who said a fuel tank was damaged while it was being filled with fuel from a delivery truck. Crews arrived to find the 10,000 gallon tank at the fuel farm… Read more »

PIERRE, S.D.(SDBA)- The Senate Appropriations Committee voted 5-3 Thursday to move a childcare assistance bill to the 41st day, effectively killing the measure for this session. Senate Bill 126 would have increased childcare assistance rates from 75 to 90 percent of the market rate for eligible families below 209 percent of the federal poverty level.… Read more »

PIERRE, S.D.(SDBA)- Another committee hearing…and the prison funding bill is still alive. The Legislature’s Joint Appropriations committee heard another hour of testimony this morning on a proposal to build an 825-million dollar men’s penitentiary in Lincoln County. One consistent question came up again…why is it more than twice as expensive as a prison project in… Read more »

PIERRE, S.D. (SDBA) — A resolution highlighting security concerns about carbon dioxide pipelines failed in the Senate Commerce and Energy Committee on a 5-4 vote Thursday. Senate Concurrent Resolution 606, sponsored by Sen. Lauren Nelson, R-Yankton, would have expressed legislative concerns about potential terrorist threats to proposed carbon dioxide pipelines. “District 18 voters’ concerns about… Read more »

PIERRE, S.D.(DRGNews)- If the U.S. Department of Transportation approves SkyWest Airlines as the Essential Air Service provider for the Pierre and Watertown airports, both airports could be entering uncharted territory. Following about three years of regulatory challenges, paperwork dated Feb. 13, 2025, shows that the USDOT tentatively approved SkyWest Charter’s application to operate as a… Read more »

PIERRE, S.D.(KELO)- All that’s needed now is the Governor’s signature. The South Dakota Senate unanimously passed HB1053 requiring poronographic websites to verify the age of people trying to access those sites. Bill Sponsor, Representative Bethany Soye of Sioux Falls, says it’s an effort to protect minors from the harm of pornography. The bill already passed… Read more »