South Dakota

Legislative Roundup: Picking up the pace in Pierre – South Dakota Searchlight

Published

2 years ago

January 28, 2024

Legislative Roundup: Picking up the pace in Pierre – South Dakota Searchlight

Lawmakers arrived in Pierre for the 99th session of the South Dakota Legislature earlier this month with an apparent will to challenge assumptions about the sluggish speed of government.

Things are moving more quickly, as columnist Dana Hess points out – and celebrates – in his latest South Dakota Searchlight commentary.

We can look to the legislative package from Attorney General Marty Jackley for a touchpoint on the pace of 2024.

“As of Thursday afternoon,” a Thursday news release from Jackley’s office read, “all five bills in the package have either been approved by one or both chambers. One bill has already passed both chambers and is awaiting the governor’s signature.”

That bill, Senate Bill 24, hikes the maximum price for a drug patch from $50 to $70 for those ordered by a court to wear one through the state’s 24/7 sobriety program.

The others criminalize a drug called xylazine, adjust language on removal from the state’s sex offender registry and allow deputy state’s attorneys to serve on the state’s Open Meetings Commission. Jackley also supported a bill from Sen. David Wheeler, R-Huron, that would prohibit the possession of artificial intelligence-generated child pornography. Jackley had a bill to do that in his legislative package, but agreed to defer to Wheeler, whose bill does that but also adds mandatory minimums for child porn offenders.

In all, 27 bills have already passed both legislative chambers and will now head to Gov. Kristi Noem’s desk for her consideration. Lawmakers had introduced a total of 422 bills or resolutions as of Friday afternoon. The Legislature just finished the third week of its nine-week session.

South Dakota Searchlight reports on dozens of bills during the session. Below is a summary of action taken on some of those bills since the last time we wrote about them.

Medicaid work requirements

A resolution that would ask voters to decide if the state can impose work requirements on some Medicaid recipients passed out of a Senate committee on Wednesday and sailed out of the full Senate the next day on a 28-4 vote. It now heads to the House.

Medical marijuana

One of several medical marijuana bills, a House bill to notify medical cannabis users of the threat to gun rights that marijuana use might present, is one Senate vote away from the governor’s desk. A few other medical marijuana bills cleared the Senate on their way to the House. The one that had marijuana advocates most worried didn’t make it, though. The bill to require patients to work only with their primary care doctor, or through a referral from that doctor, to get pot cards didn’t make it out of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Housing infrastructure fix for tribes

House Bill 1041 is a fix to a $200 million housing infrastructure program approved last year. In its 2023 iteration, the program unintentionally barred tribal governments from participation. HB 1041 opens it up to tribes. It has passed both chambers and awaits the governor’s signature.

Criminal diversion

Senate Bill 47 would triple the dollars flowing to counties for successfully moving kids through diversion programs that keep them out of the court system. It had some opposition in the the House Judiciary Committee, but still passed 8-3. It’s now headed for House Appropriations for a look at its fiscal impact.

State flag

Introduced by Sen. Reynold Nesiba, D-Sioux Falls, last week is legislation that would establish a process to revamp South Dakota’s state flag. The bill is scheduled for a hearing in the Senate State Affairs Committee on Monday. The senator told South Dakota Searchlight that he believes a new flag design could raise awareness of South Dakota, boosting tourism and out-of-state workers.

Hunting/fishing residency

Senate Bill 54 would impose stricter criteria for resident hunting and fishing licenses. It passed the Senate and a House committee and now awaits a vote by the entire House of Representatives. The bill says people would lose their resident status if they apply for a resident license, register to vote or become a resident in another state, or if they reside outside of South Dakota for a total of 180 days in a year. Plus, the bill would put into statute that possessing a mailing address in South Dakota, owning property or a business, or being employed in the state is not adequate proof of residency.

Lithium mining tax

A bill to impose a tax on lithium mining passed the House 57-9 on Monday after clearing a House committee earlier. It now goes to the Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee. The bill would classify South Dakota lithium as a precious metal – like gold and silver – and place a 10% tax on company profits from lithium mining. Companies are exploring for lithium in the Black Hills to feed the growing need for lithium-based batteries in electric vehicles and devices.

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South Dakota

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12 minutes ago

February 27, 2026

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South Dakota

SD Lottery Millionaire for Life winning numbers for Feb. 26, 2026

Published

12 hours ago

February 27, 2026

Press Room

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

Here’s a look at Feb. 26, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from Feb. 26 drawing

03-14-22-50-57, 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

SNAP soda ban headed to desk of South Dakota governor, who’s concerned about costs

Published

1 day ago

February 26, 2026

Press Room

SNAP soda ban headed to desk of South Dakota governor, who’s concerned about costs

State Sen. Sydney Davis, R-Burbank, speaks in the South Dakota Senate at the Capitol in Pierre on Feb. 10, 2026. Davis is sponsoring a bill that would ban the use of SNAP benefits for soda purchases. (Photo by Makenzie Huber/South Dakota Searchlight)

By: John Hult

PIERRE, S.D. (South Dakota Searchlight) – The question of whether South Dakota moves to ban the use of government food assistance for sugary drinks is in the hands of Republican Gov. Larry Rhoden, who has signaled his opposition to the bill all through the 2026 legislative session.

The state Senate voted 27-6 on Wednesday to endorse House Bill 1056, after the House passed it earlier 58-11. Assuming the same levels of support, both margins are wide enough to overcome a Rhoden veto, should he choose to issue one.

The bill directs the Department of Social Services to ask for a federal waiver to allow the state to bar the use of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits for the purchase of soft drinks.

SNAP is a federal program, managed by the state, through which people with low incomes get a monthly allowance for food through a debit-like card that can be used at most stores to buy nearly any consumable grocery item save alcohol and prepared foods.

Representatives from Rhoden’s office testified against the bill in House and Senate committees, arguing that the administrative costs would be too high. A fiscal note attached to the bill between its passage in the House and its appearance on the Senate’s Wednesday calendar estimated that implementation would cost $310,000 through the first two years. Those costs would come from hiring an extra employee and contracting for software to track sales, file reports and help retailers determine which drinks are banned.

Backers see long-term savings to the state, though. A high percentage of SNAP recipients are also on Medicaid, a taxpayer-funded health insurance program open to disabled and income-eligible people.

On Wednesday, Burbank Republican Sen. Sydney Davis noted the connection between excess soda consumption and health problems like obesity, diabetes and tooth decay. Medicaid dental costs alone add up $51 million a year, she said.

Mitchell Republican Sen. Paul Miskimins, a retired dentist, told the body he once counted 32 cavities and seven abscesses in the mouths of 2-year-old twin boys who were covered by Medicaid.

He attributed the tooth decay to sugary beverages.

“I don’t know if that first visit was more traumatic on the boys or on my dental staff and myself,” said Miskimins.

Tamara Grove, R-Lower Brule, was the lone senator to speak in opposition on the Senate floor. She argued that some stores might stop accepting SNAP payments due to the administrative burden of sorting barred products from the rest of their inventories, and pointed out that the bill wouldn’t do a thing to prevent SNAP recipients from loading up on sugary foods like ice cream or snack cakes.

“It gives this look as if there’s going to be this big, huge change in the way that people buy products, but it’s really not going to be,” Grove said.

Some surrounding states, including Nebraska, have moved to ask for a waiver to ban soda sales through SNAP. Such waivers are now an option, as President Donald Trump’s administration is willing to consider granting them. Former President Joe Biden’s administration was not.

Rep. Taylor Rehfeldt, the South Dakota bill’s prime sponsor, got a letter last week from Trump administration officials expressing support for her proposal.

In response, Rhoden spokeswoman Josie Harms told South Dakota Searchlight that the governor “has always been supportive of the Trump Administration’s efforts to Make America Healthy Again,” using a reference to the policy agenda branding used by U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

“We have met directly with his Administration on this issue, and at no point has our opposition been directed at President Trump or his efforts to reform SNAP,” Harms said. “Our focus has always been on ensuring the implementation of SNAP reform works effectively for our state.”

Harms said Wednesday that Rhoden would answer questions about the bill at a Thursday press conference.

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