South Dakota
Referred Law 21 opponents celebrate election results, look to future
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) – On Election Day, South Dakota voters made the final decision on seven ballot questions.
One of the highly-debated initiatives was Referred Law 21, which would have put Senate Bill 201 into law with a Landowner Bill of Rights.
It was voted down by 59% of voters.
The measure was widely criticized for transferring control from local authorities to the state. Proponents argued it would have benefitted South Dakota’s economy.
Landowners who opposed Referred Law 21 and pipeline projects in the state viewed its rejection by voters as a “huge blow” to Summit Carbon Solutions and the carbon pipeline industry.
They held a victory press conference on Wednesday to celebrate, but both sides on the issue are looking at what comes next.
The attorney for landowners, Brian Jorde, pointed out in the press conference that Summit Carbon Solutions’ website no longer has a map specifically showing the project footprint in South Dakota.
Opponents to Referred Law 21 took a victory lap in the aftermath of election night. The final numbers looked closer than it was.
Of South Dakota’s 66 counties, 65 voted against Referred Law 21.
They celebrated what they believed to be momentum towards property rights and local control.
“This has been a grueling fight that we’ve been going on for three and a half years and I will say last night’s results were particularly gratifying and humbling,” said Ed Fischbach, a Spink County landowner.
Landowners said that they feel like it was also a victory to see the candidates who went against pipeline projects like Hohn from across the state won yesterday, some by wide margins as Fischbach explained.
“My county that I live in is Spink County and in the original route, we were going to get the most miles of that pipeline and if you are looking for a referendum on how our county feels, that also happened last night. Our county commission chairperson was up for reelection and she was targeted by an employee of the ethanol plant here in our county. Suzanne Smith was reelected with 73% [of the vote],” Fischbach said.
“The people supporting the bill made constant reference to the idea that we were all just a loud minority, extremists, folk who don’t live here or don’t have a commitment to this place. We have truly shown in a resounding 60-40 split that we are the loud majority on this issue and the fact that only one county was won in the entire state shows the statewide nature of our unified voice,” said Dakota Rural Action senior organizer Chase Jensen.
Proponents are disappointed but said they will get back to working on new ways forward.
Summit Carbon Solutions, the company that’s been trying to build its carbon capture pipeline project in South Dakota, plans on applying for a permit in the state later this month.
In a statement, they said:
“Summit Carbon Solutions will apply for a permit in South Dakota on November 19, 2024. Our focus continues to be on working with landowners and ensuring the long-term viability of ethanol and agriculture in the state. Projects like ours have successfully navigated South Dakota’s existing regulatory landscape in the past. We will continue to operate within the current framework, knowing that the future of ethanol and agriculture is vital to our shared success.”
Opponents to Referred Law 21 said they were prepared for the next steps as well. They were glad that companies would have to work with localities and they now turn their attention to what they call “True Reform” in the legislature.
“We really have had a grassroots movement across South Dakota with a lot of new conservative legislators and I am hopeful and think that we will bring forth a lot of good legislation that will protect our private property rights and keep our freedoms intact where they should be,” District 9 Senator-elect Joy Hohn.
Hohn said that legislators she spoke to have their eyes on putting together legislation that will specifically address eminent domain using Minnesota as a model because she said no eminent domain can be used for carbon pipelines in Minnesota.
“We look forward to this next session where we will actually get to some of the root causes that this bill or that this project has raised in our state. We will not settle for false compromise bills like Referred Law 21 was,” Jensen said.
Jorde said he was not surprised to hear that Summit Carbon Solutions intends to apply for another permit.
“They have to. Their investors are demanding they try again. It’s going to be very telling if that application is simply a copy and paste from last time that will tell us that they have learned nothing, that they don’t respect the will of the people, they don’t respect the vote that just occurred. The routes better be rerouted around the counties with the ordinances in place. It better be drastically different and we trust the PUC to hold the line as they did in Navigator and upholding county ordinances,” Jorde said.
Landowners are confident that if Summit Carbon Solutions follows through with its promise to submit another permit application, it will get the same result from the Public Utilities Commission and county ordinances will be respected.
Copyright 2024 Dakota News Now. All rights reserved.
South Dakota
SD Lottery Powerball, Lotto America winning numbers for March 4, 2026
The South Dakota Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at March 4, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Powerball numbers from March 4 drawing
07-14-42-47-56, Powerball: 06, Power Play: 4
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Lotto America numbers from March 4 drawing
33-38-39-47-51, Star Ball: 07, ASB: 02
Check Lotto America payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Dakota Cash numbers from March 4 drawing
02-18-22-30-32
Check Dakota Cash payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from March 4 drawing
12-13-36-39-58, Bonus: 03
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your prize
- Prizes of $100 or less: Can be claimed at any South Dakota Lottery retailer.
- Prizes of $101 or more: Must be claimed from the Lottery. By mail, send a claim form and a signed winning ticket to the Lottery at 711 E. Wells Avenue, Pierre, SD 57501.
- Any jackpot-winning ticket for Dakota Cash or Lotto America, top prize-winning ticket for Lucky for Life, or for the second prizes for Powerball and Mega Millions must be presented in person at a Lottery office. A jackpot-winning Powerball or Mega Millions ticket must be presented in person at the Lottery office in Pierre.
When are the South Dakota Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 10 p.m. CT on Tuesday and Friday.
- Lucky for Life: 9:38 p.m. CT daily.
- Lotto America: 9:15 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Dakota Cash: 9 p.m. CT on Wednesday and Saturday.
- Millionaire for Life: 10:15 p.m. CT daily.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a South Dakota editor. You can send feedback using this form.
South Dakota
South Dakota lawmakers push bill criminalizing deepfakes nearer to governor’s desk
PIERRE — A bill from South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley to criminalize the creation or sharing of deepfakes was amended this week to more clearly define what constitutes nudity before it reaches Gov. Larry Rhoden’s desk.
The amendment, added on the floor of the House of Representatives, came in response to concerns about unintended consequences.
Senate Bill 41 creates a class of felony crime for the creation or distribution of images digitally altered to depict a person in a state of nudity or involved in a sexually explicit act, commonly referred to as deepfakes.
In testimony in the House Judiciary Committee on Monday in Pierre, Jackley pointed to the case of Mark Rathbun, a former Division of Motor Vehicles employee who is accused of taking images of women and girls from state databases and creating sexual images.“This is real, and it’s something that we unfortunately are seeing happen in our state,” Jackley said.
The judiciary committee voted 8-3 to send the bill to the House floor but not before a discussion on its potential to criminalize political memes.
The bill’s definition of nudity originally encompassed a partial state of nudity. Fort Pierre Republican Rep. Will Mortenson asked Jackley if that would include a fabricated topless photo. Jackley said yes. Then Mortenson asked if a fabricated image of Democratic Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker without a shirt, if shared by President Donald Trump on social media, would put the president in line for felony charges.
Jackley said a Pritzker image wouldn’t qualify because Pritzker is male, but Mortenson pushed back.
He noted that partially nude fabrications would be a felony if done with the intent to “self-gratify or alarm, annoy, embarrass, harass, invade the privacy of, threaten, or cause emotional, financial, physical, psychological, or reputational harm to that individual.”
Nothing in the bill specified that a person in a digitally fabricated topless image must be female.
“We just said that half-nude is a state of nudity, and so now he’s shirtless, and the point of this is to embarrass this guy,” Mortenson said of his topless Pritzker meme scenario.
Mortenson voted against the bill in committee but brought an amendment Tuesday to define nudity as inclusive of male or female genitalia, buttocks or the female nipple.
The amendment passed, but it did not address every concern about the bill.
Democratic Rep. Kadyn Wittman of Sioux Falls asked Jackley during the bill’s committee hearing why he didn’t use it to enhance penalties for people who film others in states of undress or participating in sexual activity against their will.
That behavior is a felony if it involves the recording of a minor, or if it happens repeatedly. The new penalties for deepfakes would be added to the same chapter of South Dakota law.
“Why is the first time hidden recording a misdemeanor generally, but a digitally fabricated image would automatically be a classified felony,” said Wittman.
Jackley said he feels that the creation of digitally manipulated sexual images, even if they aren’t shared, signals “significant criminal intent.” He told South Dakota Searchlight after the committee meeting that he’s open to addressing that issue, but that SB 41’s primary purpose was to target deepfakes.
On the House floor, Wittman was one of two representatives to say the bill’s felony penalties could be unnecessarily harsh in instances where young people make “a stupid decision” and create a deepfake.
“I feel like, in a lot of situations, this bill covers behavior that could be covered by a lower level of offense,” Wittman said.
Supporters countered that the creation of fake nudes can do real psychological damage to real people, and that the state needs to clearly signal that doing so is a serious crime.
“It’s only fun and games until it happens to you,” said Rep. Mary Fitzgerald, R-St. Onge.
The bill passed the House 60-6. It now moves to the state Senate, which passed the bill 32-0 on Jan. 16. The Senate would need to approve the amended version of the bill before it could be delivered to Gov. Larry Rhoden to sign or veto.
South Dakota
SD Lottery Mega Millions, Millionaire for Life winning numbers for March 3, 2026
The South Dakota Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at March 3, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Mega Millions numbers from March 3 drawing
07-21-53-54-62, Mega Ball: 16
Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from March 3 drawing
09-10-13-25-54, Bonus: 05
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your prize
- Prizes of $100 or less: Can be claimed at any South Dakota Lottery retailer.
- Prizes of $101 or more: Must be claimed from the Lottery. By mail, send a claim form and a signed winning ticket to the Lottery at 711 E. Wells Avenue, Pierre, SD 57501.
- Any jackpot-winning ticket for Dakota Cash or Lotto America, top prize-winning ticket for Lucky for Life, or for the second prizes for Powerball and Mega Millions must be presented in person at a Lottery office. A jackpot-winning Powerball or Mega Millions ticket must be presented in person at the Lottery office in Pierre.
When are the South Dakota Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 10 p.m. CT on Tuesday and Friday.
- Lucky for Life: 9:38 p.m. CT daily.
- Lotto America: 9:15 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Dakota Cash: 9 p.m. CT on Wednesday and Saturday.
- Millionaire for Life: 10:15 p.m. CT daily.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a South Dakota editor. You can send feedback using this form.
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