South Dakota
Iowa court suspends license of former South Dakota attorney general • South Dakota Searchlight
The Iowa Supreme Court has suspended for two months the law license of South Dakota’s former attorney general due to his involvement in a 2020 traffic fatality.
In September 2024, the South Dakota Supreme Court suspended for six months the South Dakota law license of Jason Ravnsborg, who served as that state’s attorney general from 2019 until his impeachment and removal from office in 2022.
Because Ravnsborg is also licensed to practice law in Iowa, he was notified last year that his Iowa license may be subject to a six-month suspension based on South Dakota’s actions.
Ravnsborg argued against such a suspension, citing the fact that he was born on an Iowa farm in Cherokee County and later served three military deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. He told the court he believed he should “be given no more than a private reprimand” so he could move forward after four years of dealing with the matter.
At a recent hearing on the matter, the Iowa Attorney Disciplinary Board cited the six-month suspension of Ravnsborg’s South Dakota license and asked the Iowa justices to impose identical, reciprocal discipline.
The court instead issued an order stating, without explanation, that it “finds that a 60-day suspension of Ravnsborg’s license to practice law in Iowa is the appropriate discipline.”
Question raised after fatality
Court records indicate that on 10:30 p.m. on Sept. 12, 2020, Ravnsborg was driving from a political event in Redfield, South Dakota, to his home in Pierre, South Dakota, when he struck and killed 55-year-old Joe Boever, who was walking on the shoulder of the road near the town of Highmore.
According to court records, Ravnsborg slowly brought his vehicle to a stop and called 911, telling the operator, “I’m the attorney general. And I am — I don’t know — I hit something.” The operator asked whether he had hit “a deer or something,” and he allegedly replied, “I have no idea, yeah, it could be, I mean it was right in the roadway.”
State Supreme Court suspends law license of former attorney general for six months
Hyde County Sheriff Mike Volek was dispatched to the scene but couldn’t locate anything Ravnsborg struck. The next day, Ravnsborg returned to Highmore with his chief of staff to return the sheriff’s vehicle. On the way, they stopped at the site of the crash and found Boever’s body lying just off the side of the road and informed Volek of their discovery.
When he was interviewed by investigators, Ravnsborg denied having consumed any drugs or alcohol on the night of the accident — which, according to court records, was confirmed by a blood test. Ultimately, investigators concluded Ravnsborg had been driving outside the lane of travel, just off the roadway, when the accident occurred.
Ravnsborg pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor offenses — operating a vehicle while using a cell phone and improper lane driving — and a charge of careless driving was dismissed.
Ravnsborg then entered into a confidential civil settlement with Boever’s estate. In June 2022, he was impeached by the South Dakota Senate, removed from office and barred from ever holding public office again in South Dakota.
The Disciplinary Board of the State Bar of South Dakota subsequently investigated the matter and recommended a 26-month suspension of Ravnsborg’s law license.
The board alleged that when responding to questions by accident investigators, Ravnsborg “did not appear to be forthright, and (was) only willing to acknowledge certain conduct after being confronted with evidence by the investigators.”
The board also alleged that Ravnsborg frequently identified himself as “the attorney general” when encountering law enforcement for minor traffic violations. The board also noted that from the night of the accident and continuing throughout his service as attorney general, Ravnsborg made no public or private apology, never expressed his condolences to the Boever family, and he never acknowledged any culpability.
Q&A: The long road to ‘Short Walk,’ a new podcast on the Ravnsborg accident and impeachment
Ravnsborg, the board concluded, was more concerned with the “impact of the incident on his political and military careers than the victim, the victim’s family and the public he served.”
In opting for a six-month law license suspension, the South Dakota Supreme Court stated that “several of Ravnsborg’s statements after the accident raise questions about his honesty and truthfulness.” The court noted that Ravnsborg had repeatedly denied using his phones during his drive from Redfield to Highmore.
According to the court, the metadata on one of Ravnsborg’s phones showed that “minutes before” he called 911, he had unlocked his phone, checked his Yahoo email account, accessed the Dakota Free Press website, and clicked on a political news article.
It was only after investigators informed him of that evidence, the court said, that “Ravnsborg’s story took another turn” and he admitted “looking at stuff” on his phone before the accident.
“Ravnsborg’s responses demonstrated a concerted effort to avoid criminal liability through dishonesty and misrepresentations,” the court concluded.
Ravnsborg now lives in Fort McCoy, Wisconsin, according to court records.
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If you live in an area prone to hurricanes, wildfires or tornadoes, it may be more expensive to insure your home. Here’s why.
For about a minute, a tornado touched down in an open field on Feb. 24 southeast of Watertown in Codington County, the first time a tornado was documented in February in South Dakota history.
The National Weather Service reported that the “brief, weak” tornado touched the ground shortly after 4 p.m. near the borders of Codington, Hamlin and Deuel counties. The conditions weren’t suitable for strong thunderstorms, but there was just enough low-level rotation for the tornado to form, the weather service said.
The tornado didn’t last long and no damage was observed, which means it will be ranked EF-U – for unknown – on the Enhanced Fujita scale used to measure tornado intensity.
The only remaining months without a recorded tornado in South Dakota are November, December and January, the weather service said. The state has had more than 1,900 documented tornadoes, but this was the first one to happen during winter, according to The Weather Channel.
The tornado followed a major shift in temperature across the region, with highs reaching the 50s and 60s only days after wind chills were well below zero. For example, Aberdeen recorded a record-high temperature of 64 degrees on Feb. 23, five days after the 7 a.m. wind chill was recorded at 43 below zero, the National Weather Service said in an X post.
With spring and summer approaching, the possibility of severe weather will be more prevalent. Here’s what you need to know to be prepared.
What’s the difference between a tornado watch and a tornado warning?
The National Weather Service has different types of alerts for tornadoes depending on the situation.
- Tornado watch: A watch means tornadoes are possible in and near the watch area. When a watch is issued, it means to be ready to act quickly if you suspect a tornado is approaching.
- Tornado warning: A warning means a funnel cloud or tornado has been sighted or seen on weather radar. It’s time to move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building and avoid windows. A warning typically covers a much smaller area than a watch.
- Tornado emergency: An emergency indicates that a violent tornado has touched down in the area, and it’s a severe threat to life and property, with catastrophic damage already confirmed. It’s time to immediately seek shelter and notify family or friends in the area to be sure they are aware of the situation.
How is the intensity of tornadoes measured?
The Enhanced Fujita scale is used to give tornadoes a rating based on estimated wind speeds and related damage.
- EF-0: The tornado has winds between 65 mph and 85 mph. It’s the weakest classification and these tornadoes do minor damage.
- EF-1: These tornadoes have wind speeds between 86 mph and 110 mph and cause moderate damage.
- EF-2: These tornadoes have wind speeds of 111 mph and 135 mph and cause considerable damage.
- EF-3: These tornadoes have wind speeds of 136 mph and 165 mph and cause severe damage.
- EF-4: These tornadoes have wind speeds of 166 mph and 200 mph and cause devastating damage.
- EF-5: These tornadoes have wind speeds above 200 mph and cause incredible damage.
PIERRE, S.D. (Dakota News Now) – A major blow came Tuesday to carbon capture pipelines in South Dakota.
The Senate passed a bill stripping eminent domain rights pertaining to pipeline projects organized by companies like Summit Carbon Solutions.
Throughout the last few years, it’s been a tough battle between those who believe South Dakota is turning down jobs and those who believe South Dakota needs to protect property rights. Longtime landowner advocate Ed Fischbach said he’s proud of how far this bill has come.
“We were hopeful that we would get it through this session, because of the change in political we’ve had in the legislature, all the work we’ve put in that last year in the primary and general election, and so we’re very pleased where we are at right now,” Fischbach said.
An amendment brought by Senator David Wheeler (R-Huron) would’ve changed the wording of the bill from prohibiting eminent domain for a carbon pipeline to simply just limiting eminent domain requiring a permit from the Public Utilities Commission and 75% of easements obtained voluntarily.
“It’s about every carbon dioxide pipeline that may occur at any point, whether it’s this year, next year or 50 years from now. We’re setting the process at which development can occur,” Wheeler said.
However, the amendment was shut down with some lawmakers, including Tom Pischke (R-Dell Rapids) saying the time for compromise is over.
House Bill 1025 heads to the governor’s desk after passing the Senate 23-12. Governor Rhoden has yet to give a clear answer as to whether he would veto the measure or not.
Copyright 2025 Dakota News Now. All rights reserved.
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