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Noem signs Indian Child Welfare Council and other bills into law • South Dakota Searchlight

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Noem signs Indian Child Welfare Council and other bills into law • South Dakota Searchlight


South Dakota will soon have a council devoted to the welfare of Native American children.

Gov. Kristi Noem signed House Bill 1232 this week, which creates the Indian Child Welfare Advisory Council. It will bring together people from the Department of Social Services, South Dakota’s nine tribes, the Legislature, and the field of child welfare for annual conversations. 

The group’s work will include finding solutions to the disproportionate number of Native American children in the foster care system. A South Dakota Searchlight and Argus Leader investigation last year found that Native children accounted for nearly 74% of the foster care system, despite accounting for only 13% of the state’s overall child population. 

Following are summaries of some other bills Noem signed into law recently as she continues to consider measures passed by the Legislature. The 2024 legislative session ended Thursday, except for one day on March 25 to consider vetoes. Noem had not vetoed any bills as of Friday afternoon.

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Prison funding

Senate Bill 50 helps fund the planned construction of a women’s prison in Rapid City by appropriating $2.42 million of remaining federal American Rescue Plan Act funds for water and sewer infrastructure at the site. It also moves $20.89 million into a fund for construction, to pair with $60 million set aside last year toward an estimated cost of $87 million.

“We are saving taxpayer dollars by avoiding future debt and funding this important project now,” Noem said in a news release.

The new prison will ease overcrowding at the existing women’s facility in Pierre. Noem has a similar bill under consideration that would provide funds for the construction of a men’s prison in rural Lincoln County.

Medical marijuana

SB 10 says if a person obtains certification for a medical marijuana card from a practitioner who’s not their primary care provider, that practitioner must notify the patient’s primary care provider or referring practitioner. 

Sexual assault allegations

SB 98 establishes the admissibility of suspects’ previous sexual assault allegations in prosecutions of child sexual assaults. Lawmakers rejected a similar bill addressing suspects in adult sexual assault cases.

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During testimony on the bills, supporters pointed to federal rules allowing such evidence, written in the 1990s but never adopted in South Dakota. 

Guaranteed income ban

SB 115 prevents a county, township or municipality from authorizing a guaranteed basic income program, such as those that have been offered to low-income people in some U.S. cities.

The bill defines a guaranteed income program as “a plan funded or administered by the government under which an individual is provided with regular, unconditional cash payments to be used for any purpose by the individual.” The bill says the term does not include unemployment benefits.

Feral cats

SB 172 allows a person to temporarily take responsibility of a feral cat for the purpose of spaying or neutering the animal.

Carbon pipeline bills

Following through on a pledge she made immediately after the bills’ passage, Noem signed three bills intended to strengthen landowner protections while maintaining a regulatory path forward for a multi-state carbon dioxide pipeline proposed by Summit Carbon Solutions.

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The bills are HB 1185, HB 1186 and SB 201. Among other things, they require pipeline companies to pay landowners $500 for access to survey land; allow counties to impose a pipeline surcharge of up to $1 per linear foot, with half of the proceeds going to affected landowners as property tax relief; restrict pipeline easements to five years if a project isn’t permitted and to 99 years otherwise; give landowners rights to contest surveys and request survey results; and stipulate that a pipeline permit from the state Public Utilities Commission overrules local pipeline regulations, unless the commission decides to require compliance with local rules.

 

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South Dakota

SD Lottery Mega Millions, Millionaire for Life winning numbers for March 10, 2026

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

Here’s a look at March 10, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Mega Millions numbers from March 10 drawing

16-21-30-35-65, Mega Ball: 07

Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.

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Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from March 10 drawing

03-27-43-45-49, 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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Trading property tax for sales tax: Legislature moves forward with parts of homeowner relief package

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Trading property tax for sales tax: Legislature moves forward with parts of homeowner relief package


PIERRE — Two pieces of a property tax reduction package prepared by South Dakota’s legislative leadership and the executive branch are moving forward, but one bill failed during votes on Monday as lawmakers began the final week of the annual legislative session.

The House of Representatives voted

42-27

in support of

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Senate Bill 245

, which would pull future revenue from a scheduled sales tax increase from 4.2% to 4.5% next year into a relief fund for homeowner property taxes, and use nearly $56 million in one-time money to seed the fund before the sales tax increase.

The Senate supported

House Bill 1323

, which would reduce the number of petition signatures needed to force an election on a local government’s decision to levy property taxes beyond limits set by the state. The Senate passed the bill 19-15.

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Both bills have to return to the opposite chamber for consideration of amendments.

The Senate rejected

House Bill 1253

, which would cap annual assessment growth for owner-occupied homes and commercial properties at 5% annually and reset assessments back to market value every five years. The bill failed with a 9-24 vote.

The bills are part of a broader,

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five-bill legislative package

targeted at property tax relief.

Another bill

in the package, which would allow counties to implement a half-percent sales tax with proceeds going to homeowner property tax credits, is awaiting the governor’s signature after he proposed it and it received both chambers’ approval.

The legislative budget committee is scheduled to consider a fifth piece of legislation in the package on Tuesday.

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The bill

would reduce maximum property tax levies for school districts.

Sales tax bill overcomes concerns about future budget needs

SB 245 would capture revenue from the impending sales tax increase to deposit into a “homeowner property tax reduction fund” meant to reduce property taxes levied by school districts. The Legislature and then-Gov. Kristi Noem reduced the state sales tax rate three years ago but scheduled the reduction to sunset in 2027.

House Speaker Jon Hansen, R-Dell Rapids, told lawmakers on Monday that the bill would be an “investment in the people,” because it’ll give South Dakota homeowners more money to spend as they choose. Hansen, the bill’s sponsor and a candidate for governor, said that would lead to more spending and, therefore, more sales tax revenue. The state relies on sales taxes, while counties and schools rely on property taxes, and cities receive revenue from property taxes and sales taxes.

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Some opponents said the legislation would favor wealthier, property-owning South Dakotans rather than lower-income renters.

Rep. Mike Weisgram, R-Fort Pierre, speaks on the House floor at the Capitol in Pierre on March 9, 2026.

(Photo by Makenzie Huber/South Dakota Searchlight)

Rep. Mike Weisgram, R-Fort Pierre, worried that automatically diverting future state revenue to reduce homeowner property taxes would come at the cost of other priorities, such as annual funding increases for state employees, Medicaid providers and public schools — which are known as the “big three” budget priorities. Lawmakers often

aim

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to increase funding for the groups by 3% or inflation, whichever is less. An inflationary increase this legislative session would be 2.5%, according to the state Department of Education.

“We are just clawing to get 1.4% for the big three,” Weisgram said. “I don’t think any of us are proud of that.”

Hansen said the decision “is not an either-or” situation.

“We can help the property taxpayers in the state who desperately, desperately need it,” Hansen said, “and then I trust fully that this state is going to continue to grow and that we are going to be able to meet the needs of our core obligations of this state.”

The bill was introduced as an amendment to placeholder legislation last week, and it will head to the Senate for approval. The Senate narrowly rejected a

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similar proposal

earlier this legislative session.

Senate approves lower signature threshold to force election on excess taxes

The version of House Bill 1323 that passed the Senate would set the number of petition signatures needed to force an election on an excess tax levy (often called an “opt-out”) for a local government at 2,500 or 5% of registered voters within its jurisdiction, whichever is less. The current threshold to refer decisions by a local government is 5% of registered voters in the district, without a 2,500 signature cap.

The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Taffy Howard, R-Rapid City, said it will still be difficult to refer decisions by a local government to voters.

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“You’re talking dozens and dozens of volunteers, weeks of organized effort,” Howard said. “There’s not a lot of people that have been through that and can even organize that kind of effort. So it’s not a trivial bar.”

Because the bill was amended since it last appeared in the House, it’ll now go to the House for approval.

HB 1253 intended to provide South Dakota homeowners and commercial property owners predictable increases in their property assessments, which factor into property taxes they pay, over five year periods.

But opponents said the change would shift the property tax burden onto farmers and ranchers and surprise homeowners every five years when assessments would be re-based on market value, which could lead to double-digit increases in assessments.

This story was originally published on

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SouthDakotaSearchlight.com.

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Political Pulse: South Dakota Senate Majority Leader Jim Mehlhaff on data centers, property taxes and more

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Political Pulse: South Dakota Senate Majority Leader Jim Mehlhaff on data centers, property taxes and more


RAPID CITY, S.D. (KOTA) – State Senate Majority Leader Jim Mehlhaff joined Political Pulse over the weekend.

Mehlhaff weighed in on property tax proposals, data centers, and effort to repeal the death penalty and speculation that Kristi Noem could run for Senate.

The interviewed was taped on Saturday.

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