South Dakota

3 more states could see marijuana legalization on November ballots • South Dakota Searchlight

Published

2 years ago

June 11, 2024

3 more states could see marijuana legalization on November ballots • South Dakota Searchlight

Nebraskan Crista Eggers is running up against a July 3 deadline. If she can get at least 87,000 names onto each of two petitions before then, she can put an initiative on the state’s November ballot that would legalize pot for medicinal purposes.

Marijuana legalization measure validated for Nov. 5 election

The petition effort is personal. Her 9-year-old son, Colton, has epilepsy and severe seizures, and medicinal cannabis can be prescribed to treat such conditions.

“I’m a caregiver to a child that needs medical cannabis access. Ninety-five percent of our people collecting [signatures] are Nebraskans who know someone who needs access and needs this issue on the ballot,” said Eggers, an Omaha resident and the campaign manager for Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana.

If the group is successful, Nebraska will join Florida and South Dakota in asking voters this fall whether to legalize some marijuana use. In Florida and South Dakota, where medical marijuana is already allowed, voters will be asked to legalize adult recreational use.

South Dakota voters approved a constitutional amendment legalizing cannabis for recreational and medicinal use in 2020, alongside a separate initiative legalizing medical marijuana. The constitutional amendment was later overturned by the state supreme court; the medical marijuana initiative went forward without a challenge. The 2022 election saw South Dakota voters reject another attempt to legalize recreational cannabis. This fall will mark the third straight election in South Dakota with a recreational marijuana measure on the ballot.

Thirty-eight states and the District of Columbia allow the medical use of cannabis products, and 24 plus the District of Columbia allow adults to use it recreationally, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Cannabis is still illegal under federal law, but 74% of Americans now live in a state where marijuana is legal for either recreational or medical use according to the Pew Research Center, and 54% live in a place where it is legal for recreational use.

Many states, especially left-leaning ones, have legalized marijuana through legislation, but “there are some states where the state legislators still don’t want to touch this issue of cannabis legislation, particularly in more conservative parts of the country,” said Beau Kilmer, co-director of the RAND Drug Policy Research Center.

“That’s why it’s not a surprise when cannabis issues go through the ballot initiative process,” Kilmer said.

In Kansas, where legislative efforts to legalize marijuana have repeatedly foundered since 2021, conservative legislators again this session blocked a measure to legalize medicinal use, with one Republican lawmaker, state Sen. Mike Thompson, saying the substance could “cause more suicides and human misery,” according to the Kansas City Star.

Kansas is one of the 24 states that don’t allow citizen-initiated ballot measures.

But the destigmatizing of marijuana use has advanced so far that even some conservative states have legalized it through legislative action: Since 2020, four of the five states to legalize cannabis for medicinal purposes — Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi and Virginia — have done so through the legislature.

Making it to the ballot

Nebraska is one of only three states — Idaho and Kansas are the others — where marijuana and all cannabis products, including CBD products, are illegal.

Nebraska legislators have shown little interest in changing course, Eggers said.

To circumvent that legislative opposition, she needs signatures from 7% of the state’s 1.2 million voters to put the question on the ballot. She also needs signatures from 5% of registered voters from at least 38 of Nebraska’s 93 counties. Along with Eggers, some 25 paid staff and 200 volunteers are helping with the effort.

Eggers and her group came close to getting a cannabis measure on the ballot in 2020, after collecting 200,000 signatures. However, the state’s Supreme Court invalidated the measure, saying that the petition violated the state’s single-subject rule for ballot initiatives.

Biden administration to greatly ease marijuana regulations

The Supreme Court ruled that the petition would have required changes in several state laws, including those regarding possession, public use and insurance coverage.

A second attempt in 2022 was gathering steam when a major donor died in a plane crash that year.

“A lot of money goes into collecting signatures, from filling up people’s gas so they can go county to county, printing petitions and the amount of manpower that goes into gathering signatures,” Eggers said. “The issue isn’t support. We have the support. It has truly come down to not having funding to hire people to help towards signature collection.”

Recreational cannabis

Last year, three states legalized pot recreationally. Voters in Ohio, a red state, approved a ballot measure, while lawmakers in the blue states of Delaware and Minnesota passed legislation.

In all, 13 states plus the District of Columbia have legalized marijuana legislatively.

The ballot initiative in Florida, which requires a supermajority of 60% to pass, is being backed by John Morgan, a lawyer and Democratic fundraiser who supported the successful 2016 effort to legalize medical marijuana with more than $8 million of his own money.

Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis opposes the measure. So do some in the state’s medical marijuana industry. Nick Garulay, CEO of My Florida Green, said he worries that legalizing recreational marijuana could bring more competition, and could make it “hard to separate those who want to use it recreationally from those who are sick and rely on cannabis for medication.”

Easing federal marijuana rules: There’s still a long way to go

Rob Mikos, a professor at Vanderbilt University Law School and an expert on drug law, agreed that in some cases, the passage of recreational cannabis can lead to a decline in medical cannabis patients.

But there isn’t enough data to definitively say how adult-use recreational cannabis has affected the medical market in the places that have legalized both medical and recreational cannabis, he said.

For Eggers, the month of June is crucial. As of June 10, she had about 65,000 signatures on each petition, about 30,000 short of the total she expects to need for each.

“We know this can get done, but there’s definitely an urgency over the next few weeks,” she said.

“I call our campaign horrifically beautiful,” Eggers said. “It’s horrific we’ve been at this for such a long time for suffering Nebraskans. But beautiful because we’ve found support in almost all corners of the state.”

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South Dakota

How South Dakota officials have reacted to ‘massive’ US attack on Iran

Published

12 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

How South Dakota officials have reacted to ‘massive’ US attack on Iran

South Dakota’s Congressional leaders are praising President Donald Trump for his action of joining Israel for a missile-launched attack this weekend in Iran, with the intent to target and dismantle Iran’s nuclear capabilities and demand regime change.

“Our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime, a vicious group of very hard, terrible people,” Trump said Saturday, Feb. 28, calling the strikes, “a massive and ongoing operation.”

Trump has since faced scrutiny for a lack of clarity about the timeline and overall goals of the war, and acting without the direct approval of Congress, which has the power to officially declare war for the U.S. Lawmakers are also in heated debate about whether the Trump’s decision may violate the Constitution, with Democrats calling for a war powers resolution vote to stop the effort, according to multiple military outlets.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, was directly targeted, a Middle Eastern official told USA TODAY. Khamenei was killed in the attacks on Feb. 28, according to Israeli sources who told USA TODAY, CNN and Reuters. He was 86 and had led Iran since 1989.

Iran retaliated with drone and missile strikes, hitting American and Israeli targets, including a U.S. Naval base in Bahrain. Iran said its enemies would be “decisively defeated.”

At least four Americans and an estimated 200 other individuals have been killed, and an estimated 700 injured as of March 2.

President Trump said he expects more to come.

Here’s what South Dakota Congressional leaders, along with former South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, who now sits at the helm of the Department of Homeland Security as secretary, have to say about what has been named by the administration as Operation Epic Fury.

U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune

“For years, Iran’s relentless nuclear ambitions, its expanded ballistic missile inventory and its unwavering support for terror groups in the region have posed a clear and unacceptable threat to U.S. servicemembers, citizens in the region, and many of our allies,” said Thune, a Republican, the morning of Feb. 28 in a comment from his office.

“Despite the dogged efforts of the president and his administration, the Iranian regime has refused the diplomatic off-ramps that would peacefully resolve these national security concerns. I commend President Trump for taking action to thwart these threats,” Thune said, thanking Secretary Rubio for providing updates on these issues throughout the week.

“I look forward to administration officials briefing all senators about these military operations,” he said. “I commend the bravery of the servicemembers carrying out these operations and pray for the safety of those in harm’s way.”

U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds

Rounds, a Republican, said Trump took “the right course of action” when handling the strike.

Rounds later congratulated the United States military and Trump on the death of the Iranian leader, stating the moment “offers a path for a more peaceful Middle East.”

U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson

Johnson, a Republican and the lone U.S. representative for South Dakota, stated the Iranian regime “is full of theocratic thugs and is the world’s largest state sponsor of terror.” He said Trump had given multiple opportunities to change direction.

“I’m praying for the safety of America’s servicemembers, and our allies involved in Operation Epic Fury,” Johnson stated on social media.

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem

Noem, who left her governorship after she was appointed secretary at the beginning of Trump’s current term, took to social media as well, stating she was actively monitoring any potential threats against America.

“I am in direct coordination with our federal intelligence and law enforcement partners,” she said.

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South Dakota

SD Lottery Millionaire for Life winning numbers for March 1, 2026

Published

24 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

The South Dakota Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at March 1, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from March 1 drawing

10-11-12-35-56, Bonus: 04

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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South Dakota

South Dakota High School Students Showcase Culinary Skills – Harrisburg Today

Published

1 day ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

South Dakota High School Students Showcase Culinary Skills – Harrisburg Today

Published on Mar. 1, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

The South Dakota ProStart® Invitational is an annual culinary competition where high school students from across the state showcase their cooking and restaurant management skills. This year, 12 schools will send a total of 60 talented students to Pierre to compete in events like cake decorating, culinary arts, and restaurant management. Winners will receive scholarships and the opportunity to advance to the National ProStart® Invitational in Baltimore, Maryland.

Why it matters

The ProStart® program is an important investment in developing South Dakota’s future culinary and hospitality industry leaders. By providing high school students with hands-on experience and the chance to compete at the state and national levels, the program helps cultivate the next generation of skilled chefs, restaurateurs, and food service professionals.

The details

The South Dakota ProStart® Invitational will take place on March 9-10, 2026 in Pierre. The competition kicks off on Monday, March 9th at 2:00 PM with a cake decorating contest. The more intense culinary arts and restaurant management competitions will be held on Tuesday, March 10th starting at 8:45 AM. Students will be judged on their technical skills, creativity, and business acumen as they compete for scholarships and a spot at the national competition.

The South Dakota ProStart® Invitational will take place on March 9-10, 2026.
The cake decorating competition will be held on Monday, March 9th at 2:00 PM.
The culinary arts and restaurant management competitions will take place on Tuesday, March 10th starting at 8:45 AM.

The players

Nathan Sanderson

Executive Director of the South Dakota Retailers Association, which administers the ProStart® program.

Florence

One of the 12 high schools sending students to compete in the South Dakota ProStart® Invitational.

Harrisburg

One of the 12 high schools sending students to compete in the South Dakota ProStart® Invitational.

Huron

One of the 12 high schools sending students to compete in the South Dakota ProStart® Invitational.

Mitchell CTE

One of the 12 high schools sending students to compete in the South Dakota ProStart® Invitational.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“ProStart® is an excellent way for us to invest in South Dakota’s future industry leaders. Our students are highly skilled and graduate workplace ready.”

— Nathan Sanderson, Executive Director of the South Dakota Retailers Association (b1027.com)

What’s next

The winners of the South Dakota ProStart® Invitational will advance to the National ProStart® Invitational in Baltimore, Maryland, where they will represent the state on a national stage.

The takeaway

The South Dakota ProStart® Invitational is a valuable program that helps cultivate the next generation of culinary and hospitality professionals in the state, providing high school students with hands-on experience, scholarships, and the opportunity to showcase their skills at the national level.

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