BISMARK, N.D. (Dakota News Now) – South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley argued in federal court on Tuesday against a proposed DACA rule regarding healthcare.

The attorney generals for 19 states, including Jackley, filed a lawsuit in August against the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services over the final rule that would make Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA recipients, eligible for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act.

“The burdens fall on the States when Washington fails to address illegal immigration and secure our Southern Border,” said Jackley in a statement after the court arguments. “It has affected the public health and safety with the flow of meth and fentanyl from the Southern Border into our States. The financial burden of this proposed DACA rule for South Dakota families is real, ranging between $26 million to $35 million per year.”

The final rule is scheduled to go into effect on November 1 and the states asked presiding judge Daniel Traynor for a stay, which he took under advisement.

The U.S. argued the states have provided no evidence of the rule’s high cost to the states and taxpayers.

In addition to South Dakota, Kansas, and North Dakota, other Attorney Generals who joined this suit are from Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia.

Copyright 2024 Dakota News Now. All rights reserved.

SIOUX FALLS — Republican U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson and Democratic challenger Sheryl Johnson both vowed to work across the aisle during their first and only debate on Tuesday, but revealed sharp contrasts on key issues like climate change, abortion, and gun violence.

Sheryl Johnson is the first Democratic challenger to Rep. Johnson since 2018, when the Congressman beat former judge Tim Bjorkman and a Libertarian Party candidate to secure the state’s lone U.S. House seat.

The debate at the South Dakota Public Broadcasting studio in Sioux Falls saw both candidates emphasize their commitment to pragmatism and civil discourse. 

Dusty Johnson, who has held South Dakota’s sole U.S. House seat since 2018, pointed to his record of negotiating bipartisan legislation, and recognition as a problem solver by organizations like the nonpartisan Center for Effective Lawmaking. 

Sheryl Johnson, a first-time congressional candidate and former Republican, framed herself as a political outsider. She touted her background as a mother of four, a public school employee and the owner of an part time, at-home business. Her campaign slogan, “SD Mom for Congress,” underscores her critique of the political establishment, which she says is out of touch with the needs of ordinary South Dakotans. 

“They’re all fed up with politicians that don’t listen to them,” she said of the those she’s met on the campaign trial.

The debate also revealed the candidates’ ideological differences. 

Dusty Johnson argued against sweeping mandates like the “Green New Deal.” The Green New Deal is a broad outline for revamping U.S. policy to focus on climate change by transitioning to renewable energy sources.

The Representative said Democratic climate policies have had a negative impact on the environment and national security by making the nation and its allies dependent on countries with less strict environmental regulations, like China and Russia. 

Sheryl Johnson said “climate change is real,” and that she’s worried about the droughts and flooding that have increased in frequency in the Midwest as a result.

Even so, she is not comfortable with Summit’s proposed carbon capture pipeline, which she doesn’t see as a workable option to mitigate the impacts of climate change. The project aims to collect and store CO2 from 57 ethanol plants in South Dakota and other neighboring states, collecting federal clean energy tax incentives along the way.

On abortion, Dusty Johnson said the constitutional amendment South Dakota voters are considering this election cycle is not the answer because it allows no restrictions on abortion in the first trimester. 

“Amendment G is extreme,” he said

Sheryl Johnson, however, described it as a reinstatement of Roe v. Wade, referencing the U.S. Supreme Court case that protecting abortion rights in 1972. The current Supreme Court overturned Roe two years ago in a case called Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health. 

She called for the restoration of federal protections for reproductive rights, and said current laws in some states make it unclear if and when doctors can perform abortions to protect the life and safety of women.

The candidates also differed sharply on gun violence. Sheryl Johnson said she supports the Second Amendment, but said she’d like to see moderate gun safety measures like stricter background checks.

She said the U.S. is failing its children, and that it’s too easy to get a gun.

“Guns are not toys, and I think we glamorize them too much in today’s society,” she said. 

Dusty Johnson emphasized the need to protect Second Amendment rights. He said the U.S. needs a comprehensive policy to address  the mental health crisis he says has contributed to the epidemic of gun violence and suicides.

“President Biden signed a piece of gun control legislation,” he said. “Do any of us really think that has changed the trajectory of this violence?”

Both candidates talked about how their  political experience or lack thereof would be an asset to South Dakotans. Dusty Johnson said his years in Congress have given him  the skills to navigate Washington D.C.’s complexities and pass meaningful legislation. Sheryl Johnson argued that her outsider perspective makes her better equipped to address the concerns of everyday South Dakotans.

The founding fathers envisioned a citizen legislature in the U.S. House, she said, noting that she supports term limits for members of Congress.

“We need to send a fresh voice to Washington,” she said during closing remarks.

The candidates thanked one another for a cordial and respectful debate. Dusty Johnson said that in the current political climate, that kind of debate is not guaranteed.

“This could have devolved into a mess, like so many debates do, jagged insult hurling,” he said. “This could have been a Scandinavian night fight, Johnson versus Johnson, but we, I think, really gave South Dakotans the debate they deserved”

RAPID CITY, S.D. (KOTA) – In the 1990s, Toadstool Jamboree was at the forefront of Rapid City’s downtown music scene. Their intoxicating swirl of music drew in fans from across the state, solidifying them as hit makers here in the hills for over 10 years.

After a decade, the band decided to go their separate ways, and it wasn’t until the summer of 2023 that they were convinced to do a reunion show in Rapid City, Deadwood and Spearfish. Since then, the band produced a live album, “Live at Outlaw Square,” from their reunion show in Deadwood.

Ahead of their departure to Sioux Falls, Toadstool Jamboree is hosting a free concert on Thursday, October 17 at The Park in Rapid City. Opening for the band is Outside Kids, a local pop-punk band.

It was thanks to their many fans and supporters over the years, writing letters to the Hall of Fame board that the band will now get this honor. Solidifying them as Rock and Roll legends in South Dakota.

For more information on their history as a band, and what it means to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, check out their website.

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