South Dakota

Lawmakers advance bill allowing adult permit holders to carry concealed guns in schools – South Dakota Searchlight

Published

2 years ago

February 26, 2024

Lawmakers advance bill allowing adult permit holders to carry concealed guns in schools – South Dakota Searchlight

Legislation that would allow adults to carry concealed pistols in schools after getting a permit and permission from a principal is two steps from becoming law in South Dakota.

The House Judiciary Committee voted 11-1 on Monday at the Capitol in Pierre to send the bill to the House floor. If it passes there without amendment, it will go to the governor’s desk.

Rep. Mike Stevens, R-Yankton, cast the lone no vote in the committee.

Rep. Mike Stevens, R-Yankton, listens to testimony during the House Education Committee on Jan. 17, 2024. (Makenzie Huber/South Dakota Searchlight)

“The inference,” Stevens said of the bill, “is that the school boards and the teachers aren’t concerned about public safety — that all of a sudden, we in the Legislature have to take over that responsibility because they’re incompetent to do that.”

Currently, law enforcement officers and school sentinels are the only people who are legally allowed to carry guns on school premises in the state.

There are numerous requirements to become a school sentinel, including 80 hours of training. Lawmakers created the sentinel program in 2013 as an option for schools — especially those in rural areas — that lack assigned law enforcement personnel known as school resource officers.

Bill details

Senate Bill 203 would establish a third legal path to allowing guns on school grounds. It would extend that right to anyone 21 years or older with an enhanced permit to carry a concealed pistol who also obtains written permission from a school principal “or other person who has general control and supervision of the building or grounds.” Qualifications for an enhanced concealed carry permit include an FBI background check and completion of an approved handgun course.

Several legislators on the committee expressed concerns about designating principals as decision-makers rather than superintendents or school boards. Some lawmakers also described the “other person” language in the bill as vague, with Stevens asking if the language might apply to janitors.

The bill’s prime sponsor, Sen. Brent Hoffman, R-Hartford, said he believes school boards could establish local policies requiring principals to additionally seek board approval. But the bill does not address that.

‘School safety 2.0’ bill focusing on locked doors, anonymous tip line fails in Senate

Hoffman said he chose principals because they know their staffs and their buildings, and because some other states already have similar laws designating principals as decision-makers.

This bill is Hoffman’s third attempt to pass school safety legislation since the beginning of the legislative session in January. One of his earlier bills would have required schools to have a school resource officer or a sentinel, both of which are currently optional. The other bill would have mandated minimum safety standards such as locked doors and the posting of information about an anonymous school safety tip line. Both bills were rejected.

Hoffman said he wants to add proactive protections for students before South Dakota suffers a mass school shooting.

“Would I prefer that we have a pristine environment and we focus only on academics? That is exactly what schools are for, is for educating our students,” Hoffman said. “But that doesn’t mean we should bury our heads in the sand to ignore the problem that is before us.”

Education lobbyists express concerns, ask for changes

Lobbyists for the education community lined up to oppose Hoffman’s latest bill, with some saying they don’t oppose the concept or gun rights in general but do oppose specific language in the legislation. Some asked for amendments reassigning the decision-making authority to school boards or superintendents. Stevens and Rep. Tim Reisch, R-Howard, unsuccessfully proposed amendments to that effect.

Doug Wermedal, of Associated School Boards of South Dakota, said the bill lacks an advance notice provision such as the 24-hour notice required of enhanced permit holders who carry concealed pistols in the state Capitol. He also said the bill could foster confusion by allowing for different answers from multiple principals within the same district, and he said the “other person” language is too vague.

Rob Monson, of School Administrators of South Dakota, said enhanced permit holders from visiting schools could attend a high school basketball game and demand permission to carry a concealed gun into the host school’s gym.

“You’re putting a lot of pressure on a principal at that point in time,” Monson said, “or whoever it is authorizing this, to try and determine, do I know this individual? Can I trust this individual? Is the permit he’s handing me a legitimate permit?”

Democrat votes yes

Several committee members who expressed concerns about the bill voted for it anyway, citing their support of gun rights and their desire to improve school safety.

One of the yes votes came from the committee’s lone Democrat, Rep. Peri Pourier, of Rapid City.

“I am a mother who worries every single day if there’s going to be a school shooting,” Pourier said. “And if I can’t be there to protect my child, the people who carry these enhanced permits are the people I would trust.”

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South Dakota

DOE selects nine school districts for 2026 South Dakota Perkins Reserve grant

Published

2 hours ago

March 5, 2026

Press Room

DOE selects nine school districts for 2026 South Dakota Perkins Reserve grant

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) – Nine school districts have been selected as recipients of the 2026 Perkins Reserve Grant by the South Dakota Department of Education.

The grant provides major equipment upgrades for Career and Technical Education programs, helping to equip students with the skills and experiences needed for post-secondary education and the workforce.

“CTE programs are constantly evolving to match the pace of workforce needs,” said Secretary of Education Dr. Joseph Graves.

“The South Dakota Perkins Reserve Grant aids schools in equipping students with current technologies, resources, and tools, offering students a realistic, hands-on learning experience that will strengthen their marketability to colleges or employers once they leave the K-12 education system.”

The following school districts have been named as the 2026 recipients:

Aberdeen School District:
- Awarded $30,233 for new precision machine equipment for the manufacturing program.
De Smet School District:
- Awarded $15,898 for modernizing metal fabrication within agriculture programs.
Lake Preston School District:
- Awarded $43,160 for expansion of program offers in multiple career clusters to strengthen industrial alignment.
McLaughlin School District:
- Awarded $11,997 to purchase equipment to offer a new culinary arts program.
Menno School District:
- Awarded $32,844 to purchase small engines and attend professional development opportunities to enhance the agricultural mechanics program.
Mitchell School District:
- Awarded $38,663 for the modernization of the automotive technology lab.
Timber Lake School District:
- Awarded $42,400 for the expansion of agriculture course offerings to strengthen industry alignment.
Wakpala School District:
- Awarded $40,145 to purchase a skid steer simulator to enhance the agriculture and construction program.
Wolsey-Wessington School District:
- Awarded $26,201 to purchase industry-aligned equipment to enhance the agriculture and construction program.

You can learn more about the South Dakota Perkins Reserve Grant at doe.sd.gov.

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South Dakota

SD Lottery Powerball, Lotto America winning numbers for March 4, 2026

Published

14 hours ago

March 5, 2026

Press Room

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.

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South Dakota

South Dakota lawmakers push bill criminalizing deepfakes nearer to governor’s desk

Published

1 day ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

South Dakota lawmakers push bill criminalizing deepfakes nearer to governor’s desk

John Hult
| South Dakota Searchlight

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.

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