South Dakota

Conservation, policy discussed at the annual South Dakota Farmers Union convention

Published

6 months ago

December 13, 2024

Conservation, policy discussed at the annual South Dakota Farmers Union convention

RAPID CITY, S.D. (KOTA) – Ranchers and farmers across South Dakota met in Huron Wednesday and Thursday for the 109th annual South Dakota Farmer Union Convention.

Members of the state’s largest agricultural organization voted on policy, elected delegates and heard from national agricultural leaders.

“These conventions – like we’re having here with Farmers Union right now – people get to network, as we call it today, and talk to each other and find out what other individuals are doing, what other operations are doing that you may be able to take home and implement in your farm or ranch operation, or vice versa,” Oren Lesmeister, board member with SDFU, said.

An important topic discussed throughout the convention was conservation.

“Conservation is extremely important. I mean, we are the stewards of the land, we need to keep it going for the generations to come. If we don’t have land to produce our crops and our livestock, we can’t continue, we can’t feed the world,” Kaeloni Latham, an SDFU member, said.

Latham added farmers and ranchers need to take precautions to make sure everything they are doing will protect the land going forward. She said making changes doesn’t just benefit the livestock.

“Looking at getting water to most of our pastures benefits not only our livestock but the wildlife around us. It keeps the deer and the antelope and things of that sort with an available water source and making sure the grass is available and continuing to come back and not being overgrazed and just things of that sort. I mean, it’s important to keep all of that going so that our future generations, my kids, my future grandkids can enjoy the wonderful landscape that we get to enjoy every day,” Latham explained.

Conversations on tax reform, property rights and more were had as well. Many said it was important to have policy conversations each year.

“It’s not always like-minded individuals. There is a very diverse group of people here. We don’t just get one side of it, or even two sides of it, we might get five or six or seven sides to a policy, and I think that’s a great way to make policy,” Lesmeister said.

One thing everyone could agree on was the importance of family farms and ranches across the nation.

“Without family farms, where would your local communities be? I mean, our communities have been dying off. Not because people are just leaving, but because we are losing our family farms. They are the heartbeat, they are the soul of this country, especially of our state. Agriculture is number one, without family farming we all become serfs, and as consumers you’re depending on others to bring your food to you, and they don’t care. Corporations don’t care whether the food is good or whether it’s affordable to you. All they care about is the bottom line,” President of SDFU Doug Sombke said.

Sombke added if South Dakota wants to keep rural communities alive and thriving, they need to find ways to make family farming sustainable.

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South Dakota

Obituary for Dr. Vince Jones at Miller Funeral Home & On-Site Crematory

Published

5 hours ago

June 15, 2025

Press Room

Obituary for Dr. Vince Jones at Miller Funeral Home & On-Site Crematory

Dr. James Vincent Vince Jones, 73, of Sioux Falls, SD passed away on Tuesday, June 10, 2025 at the Dougherty House in Sioux Falls, SD. Funeral Mass will be 1030 am Thursday, June 19, at Church of St. Mary, 2109 S. 5th Ave., Sioux Falls, SD with burial at Hills

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South Dakota

Why SD’s property rights fight matters for all Americans

Published

1 day ago

June 14, 2025

Press Room

Why SD’s property rights fight matters for all Americans

At a time when federal overreach seems to creep further into the lives of everyday Americans, South Dakota has drawn a bold line in the sand: private property rights are not up for negotiation.

Summit Carbon Solutions attempted to use eminent domain to force carbon pipelines through private property across the state. In November 2024, through a 60/40 ballot initiative, the people pushed back, choosing to protect private property and rejecting the idea that the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission should have the authority to override the will of landowners and local control.

Shortly after, lawmakers followed with decisive action. South Dakota Representatives Karla Lems, R-16, and Mark Lapka, R-23, carried HB-1052, a bill that explicitly banned the use of eminent domain for carbon pipeline construction. As Lapka put it, the bill was an effort to restore “constitutional certainty and security of property ownership in South Dakota.” It passed, and with it, a national precedent was set that our most sacred rights would not be infringed, and they would hold steady in the protection of private property.

But the fight didn’t end there. The carbon capture and transfer controversy recently reignited, this time on the federal level.

On May 18, in Washington, D.C., language buried deep in H.R. 1, the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” and within the Fiscal Year 2025 budget (CR 14), threatened to undo every inch of ground gained. In Section 41006 was a provision, hidden under the guise of speeding up infrastructure permitting reform, that would have stripped state and local authority over pipeline construction across the board, including those for carbon dioxide, hydrogen, and petroleum.

Worse still, it included a $10 million “expedited review” fee, giving corporations a fast-track lane for license permitting for construction projects, and a clause that would have overridden local and state law entirely, opening the door for land condemnation by the federal government. Essentially, if a federal license was granted, it would override any law on the books.

Thankfully, the effort didn’t go unnoticed. After several days of debate, thanks to the resolve first demonstrated in South Dakota and the vigilance of landowners, advocates, and principled leaders across the country, Section 41006 was completely removed before H.R. 1 passed the House on May 21. This cemented a win for property owners, local control, and states’ rights, and the bill will now be considered before the Senate.

I applaud Congress for its diligence in consideration and debate of this huge bill. Moreover, I thank those across the country who helped bring this issue to light before it was too late. We must continue to heavily monitor the legislative branch of our federal government and hold it accountable on every issue.

This issue will be back, perhaps under a different name or a different section, but with the same goal. South Dakota proved that when citizens and lawmakers stand together, liberty holds the line, but we cannot afford to fall asleep at the wheel.

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South Dakota

AG Jackley congratulates telecommunicator course graduates

Published

2 days ago

June 13, 2025

Press Room

AG Jackley congratulates telecommunicator course graduates

PIERRE, S.D. (Dakota News Now) – Attorney General Marty Jackley made an announcement on Friday, congratulating the 24 students graduating from the state Basic Telecommunicator Certification Course.

“Telecommunicators are the first voice that people hear when they call 9-1-1,” said Attorney General Jackley.

The course features training and practical exercises covering topics like public safety telecommunications, responding to caller inquiries, managing both emergency and non-emergency service calls, and prioritizing multiple incidents occurring simultaneously.

Instructors for the course are staff from the state DCI Office of Law Enforcement Training and experienced 911 telecommunicators from across the state, as well as public safety stakeholders.

Members of the 77th session of the Basic Telecommunicator Certification Course and their law enforcement organization include: