South Dakota
House panel defeats year-round daylight saving time proposal – South Dakota Searchlight
A House panel shot down an effort to switch South Dakota’s time zones one step east from November to March each year.
The prime sponsor of House Bill 1009, Rep. Ben Krohmer, R-Mitchell, said the change would offer more daylight during the darkest days of winter. That would mean more evening daylight for farmers, construction workers, winter sports enthusiasts and hunters.
It would also benefit human health, Krohmer said, as a lack of sunlight contributes to a risk of seasonal depression.
Federal law requires states to recognize daylight saving time from 2 a.m. on the second Sunday in March through the second Sunday in November unless states specifically opt out. People “spring forward” one hour in March, and “fall back” an hour in November.
Technically, Kromer’s bill wouldn’t have opted out of daylight saving time. Instead, it would have moved the state’s time zones during the shortest days of winter, essentially extending daylight saving time across the entire year and keeping daylight saving time year-round without saying so.
In western South Dakota, which observes Mountain time, HB 1009 would have switched those residents to Central time. In eastern South Dakota, Central time would have swapped out for Eastern time.
“We will still spring forward and fall back,” Krohmer told the House State Affairs Committee on Wednesday. “However, instead of changing our clocks back an hour, we’d switch to Eastern time.”
Opponents said the change would create danger for children getting to school in the dark, pointing to fatal accidents that took place in the 1970s, when the entire country opted for a single standard time system with no seasonal changes. They also pointed out that the change would create confusion for those who deal with people from other states that remain on daylight saving time.
“If we have different time zones than the states around us, it would cause problems for all of us,” said Rep. John Sjaarda, R-Valley Springs.
Oren Lesmeister, D-Parade, moved to pass the bill. He noted that several states, including Minnesota, have voted to opt out of the biennial clock changes in the event Congress allows states to observe year-round daylight saving time.
In addition to the time zone switch, Krohmer’s bill would have set South Dakota up to do the same thing. Last year, a bill that would have put South Dakota in the group of states that would observe permanent daylight saving time if Congress allows it failed in committee.
“I think it is about time. Is this bill the right way to go about it? I’m not sure. But I do know that the states around us have adopted this,” Lesmeister said.
Rep. Gary Cammack, R-Union Center, offered a substitute motion to move the bill to the 41st day, a maneuver that defeats a bill.
Cammack’s motion passed 11-2.
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The South Dakota State baseball team is fighting for its season today against Arizona State in the Lincoln Regional. The game is set for 2 p.m.
The No. 4 Jackrabbits (24-32) lost 4-1 to No. 1 Nebraska in the opening game. No. 3 Arizona State lost a 706 heartbreaker to No. 2 Ole Miss in the opening round in 14 innings. The game took nearly 5.5 hours and ended around 1:20 a.m.
Here’s how to watch South Dakota State’s win-or-go-home game.
Watch South Dakota State baseball vs … on ESPN+
South Dakota State vs. Arizona State baseball stream, radio
Stream: ESPN+
Radio: KJJQ 910 AM
South Dakota State vs. Arizona State time today
- Date: Saturday, May 30
- Time: 2 p.m. CT
- Location: Haymarket Park in Lincoln, Nebraska
South Dakota State vs. Arizona State prediction
Paul Cifonelli, Argus Leader: This was always a tough draw for South Dakota State, as I thought this was the toughest regional in the country. At worst it’s the third toughest, with Chapel Hill and College Station in contention.
The Jackrabbits do have an advantage since Arizona State and Ole Miss went at it until after 1 a.m. Both teams stressed their pitching staffs, and every at bat required intense focus. The problem is South Dakota State doesn’t have the same top-end pitching these other teams do.
If Drew McDowell pitches, the Jacks might have a shot here. Otherwise they’ll have to win a slugfest, and I just don’t like those odds.
Prediction: Arizona State 8, South Dakota State 3
MISSION, S.D. (Dakota News Now) – In rural South Dakota, miles often separate expectant mothers from healthcare.
“A lot of women out here are left without any maternity care options,” said Rachel Kocak.
In Mission, moms mark their due dates and calculate miles to the nearest delivery location. Rachel Kocak, expecting her third child, said one option just closed.
“We used to have a birthing unit, I think up until a couple of months ago, and they lost their OB. So, Winner is no longer delivering babies,” Rachel said.
Some mothers remember when they could reach the hospital within a five-minute drive.
“IHS, for tribal members, they don’t deliver babies out here or provide prenatal care,” Rachel explained.
Families hope to reach the hospital before the baby arrives.
“So women either have to drive to Valentine, which is about 30 to 35 minutes from Mission, they can go to Wanblee, which is on the Pine Ridge Reservation, or they have to go to Pierre, Rapid City, or Sioux Falls,” Rachel said.
And if the roads are bad.
“I think there are a lot of babies who are unintentionally born at home. So it’s a tough place, I think, for mothers,” Rachel said.
The March of Dimes breaks down government data, showing a large portion of rural South Dakota as a maternity care desert, requiring travel of 38 or more minutes to reach an appointment or delivery room. The infant mortality rate is higher among native American babies born, compared to other races.
Health Department maps show counties in medium blue have 56 infant deaths per 100,000 births. Dark blue counties have three times as many. Grants aim to increase the number of healthcare workers, and funding supports a doula workforce program.
Kocak would like to see doulas and midwives available.
“Great opportunity for anyone who wants to become a home-birth midwife out here. The birth rate is still, I’m not sure what it is, but it’s high. There’s still a growing young population, and just not enough people to help deliver the babies,” Rachel said.
If care were closer, the outcomes could be brighter.
“You know, having the support network can make a huge change in the lives of these young, you know, these babies and young mothers who are building new families,” Rachel said.
The South Dakota Department of Health released a statement to Dakota News Now, which can be read in full below.
The South Dakota Maternal and Infant Health Task Force was created in 2025 to bring partners together to help improve the health and wellbeing of mothers and infants across the state. Their 5-year strategic plan was recently released, which has three priority areas: postpartum care to improve maternal health; safe sleep education and prevention strategies to protect infant health; and systems of care work that improves access, coordination, and quality of care statewide. One of the strategic plan activities that is supported by Rural Health Transformation is the creation of Regional Maternal and Infant Health Hubs, which will create a hub-and-spoke network connecting hospitals, clinics, tribal health services, and community organizations. These hubs will improve care coordination, strengthen referral pathways, and expand access to services for families in rural and tribal communities.
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