South Dakota

South Dakota House fails to pass bill requiring cash for school events. But it could come back

Published

1 year ago

January 30, 2025

South Dakota House fails to pass bill requiring cash for school events. But it could come back

House Bill 1017, which would require school districts to accept cash payments for admission to school events, failed Thursday despite receiving 34 supporting votes and 32 dissenting votes on the House floor.

Two representatives — Republicans Jessica Bahmuller from Alexandria and Spencer Gosch from Glenham — were excused from the vote. There’s also two fewer legislators in the House after Tony Venhuizen became lieutenant governor and Herman Otten from District 6 declined to serve the term for which he was elected.

So, 34 wasn’t a high enough threshold to pass the bill on Thursday, even though it was the majority at the time.

Speaker of the House Jon Hansen said shortly after the vote that “the intent to reconsider is hereby noted,” so lawmakers may reconsider the bill per joint rule 5-11 on the next legislative day, Feb. 3.

That’s after Rep. John Sjaarda, R-Valley Springs, brought an amendment to limit HB 1017 to apply to events that aren’t sold out, remove the Board of Regents and Board of Technical Education from the legislation, and put a $200 maximum in the bill. That amendment passed in the House.

Sjaarda said he brought HB 1017 after seven large schools in his area stopped accepting cash, which he said impacts accessibility and fairness at local schools.

He did not specify which local schools opted for that policy but in the House Education committee hearing for the bill Monday, testifiers discussed it was related to Brandon Valley, Harrisburg, Sioux Falls and Tea Area school districts’ partnerships with Iowa-based company Bound that provides mostly digital and cashless ticketing.

But those schools have testified that they work ahead of events and with athletic directors to accept cash for those who wish to use it to pay for events. Brandon Valley Superintendent Jarod Larson said that his schools still take cash for events.

Sioux Falls School Board of Education president Carly Reiter said Monday that the concerns brought by a very small number of people who spoke in favor of HB 1017, and against the district’s policy in August, weren’t “great enough” considering the benefits the district’s change to cashless ticketing gained for hundreds of other people.

She said athletic directors at schools have gone “above and beyond” to accommodate requests for paper tickets or to pay for tickets with cash.

What did local legislators say?

Rep. Erik Muckey, D-Sioux Falls, said the intent of the bill is good but agreed that the House shouldn’t override local control and didn’t want to enforce something statewide that is a local issue.

Rep. Brian Mulder, R-Sioux Falls, said the bill was a “knee-jerk” reaction to something new. He suggested the Legislature let local schools fix their policy before implementing a statewide law.

Rep. John Hughes, R-Sioux Falls, said a mandatory cashless policy takes more money from families and schools and gives more money to banks.

Rep. Keri Weems, R-Sioux Falls, said the Legislature is part-time because it gives a lot of control to local entities and urged parents with problems getting their children into local activities and events to contact their local school boards to change their policy.

Legislators across state differed on local control

Rep. Terri Jorgenson, R-Rapid City, said she supported the bill because she felt it was a privacy issue and that use of credit cards and digital means is tracked as opposed to cash.

Rep. Roger DeGroot, R-Brookings, said he agrees people should accept cash, but said the House shouldn’t tell districts what to do.

Rep. Josephine Garcia, R-Watertown, said board members failed to help the people who said they couldn’t use cash.

Rep. Tony Randolph, R-Rapid City, said cash has been part of the economy “forever,” that he didn’t understand the objections to the bill, and said he didn’t see it as a local control issue.

Source link

Click to comment

South Dakota

South Dakota: GFP Commission modifies bounty program – focuses on youth trapping and coyote removal

Published

5 hours ago

March 6, 2026

Press Room

South Dakota: GFP Commission modifies bounty program – focuses on youth trapping and coyote removal

The South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks (GFP) Commission passed a resolution to end the current Nest Predator Bounty Program at their March meeting in Pierre and create two separate programs within the existing budget and time period.The Nest Predator Bounty Program began in 2019 with the implementation of the Second Century Initiative. This reinvigorated trapping as an outdoor recreational opportunity and a means to get youth engaged and spend more time outdoors.

Data collected from the program shows that the level of youth participation over the past 4 years has exceeded 30%. In 2024 and 2025, youth participation reached 46%.”The Nest Predator Bounty Program has been incredibly successful at engaging youth in wildlife management and our tradition of trapping in South Dakota,” said Kevin Robling, GFP Secretary.

In total, 342,743 nest predators were removed since the program’s inception.”Intense nest predator removal in localized areas during the nesting season can contribute to higher nest success and we encourage individuals to continue to participate in this management activity,” continued Robling. “In 2026, we are going to focus on continuing to get youth outdoors and addressing our coyote population.”

As part of this focus, the current Nest Predator Bounty Program is ending. The allocated $500,000 for this program will be split into two separate programs: the Youth Trapping Recruitment Program and the Coyote Bounty Program.

Youth Trapping Recruitment Program

The Youth Trapping Recruitment Program will be open for South Dakota youth age 17 and under. Tails from raccoon, striped skunk, badger, opossum, and red fox will be worth $10.The program will run from March 1-July 1, unless the $200,000 limit is reached first.”Youth recruitment and retention in trapping and wildlife management is a key component of this program,” said Robling. “We are thrilled with the amount of youth participation we have seen, so we want to continue this momentum.”

Coyote Bounty Program

The Coyote Bounty Program will be open for all South Dakota residents. Tails from coyotes will be worth $30.The program will run from April 1-July 1, unless the $300,000 limit is reached first.”Controlling the coyote population is critical for both our agricultural industry and wildlife populations,” stated Robling. “The newly created Coyote Bounty Program will assist in the management of these predators to help protect newborn calves and lambs for agricultural producers and enhance fawn survival for deer and antelope.”

Tail Submission Opportunities

Individuals wishing to participate in either of these programs may submit tails to their local GFP office during designated tail turn in opportunities. Households are eligible to submit up to $590 worth of tails in each program.

–South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks

Source link

South Dakota

SD Lottery Millionaire for Life winning numbers for March 5, 2026

Published

17 hours ago

March 6, 2026

Press Room

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

Here’s a look at March 5, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from March 5 drawing

17-20-23-30-33, Bonus: 05

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.

Source link

South Dakota

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

Published

1 day 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.