Legislative Session 2022

A ballot question committee is asking federal courts to toss a pending law moving up the deadline to submit petition signatures.

South Dakota Democrats are hosting town hall discussions around the state to discuss federal government cuts made by the Department of Government Efficiency and President Donald Trump.

The South Dakota Department of Social Services assumes it will have lower Medicaid utilization in the coming year. That's led state lawmakers reduced the state Medicaid match by $4.5 million for the coming fiscal year.

Should ingestion of a controlled substance be a felony? The House Judiciary Committee is considering a proposal to change the charge. We listen in on the debate.

The state Senate is passing a bill that allows the wearing of beaded caps for graduation.The bill builds off prior efforts by native lawmakers to allow eagle feathers and plumes be added to Native American student graduation caps.

A native outreach center is funding a liaison to coordinate law enforcement across jurisdictions to find Missing and Murdered Indigenous people.The position has been vacant since July 1.

A bill banning divisive concepts from state colleges and tech schools is making its way through the legislature with the support of Governor Kristi Noem. The divisive concept of concern is critical race theory.

Certain inmates serving a mandatory life sentence might get a shot at parole. The Senate Judiciary Committee has passed a bill allowing parole consideration for lifers who committed murder or manslaughter before the age of 25. But the bill requires the inmate to serve 25 years before being eligible and exempts lifers convicted of Class A felonies, which carry the death penalty.

Severely mentally ill defendants will not face the death penalty in South Dakota if a bill passed by the Senate Judiciary Committee continues to move through the legislature. Senate Bill 159 defines severe mental illness and lays out criteria to meet before a defendant can use the law’s protections.

SDPB reporters once again bring the latest updates on a variety of bills in Pierre. Today we talk tax structure for recreational marijuana, the consideration of extending SNAP benefits, and a bill that would require schools to post the state motto or seal. Lee Strubinger, Arielle Zionts, and Jackelyn Severin join us.

Each year South Dakota colleges and universities are required to submit a report on all of their efforts to promote intellectual diversity. The 2021 report was nearly 150 pages. The Senate Education Committee heard a debate on Senate Bill 117 which would repeal the requirement for the report. We listen in on the debate.

State lawmakers are setting revenue projections for the current and coming fiscal years.The numbers anticipate continued growth, but some are not convinced.

The House Judiciary has passed along a bill that disallows state cooperation with federal enforcement of gun laws stricter than those on South Dakota’s books. The committee heard from gun advocates who say the federal government shouldn’t dictate Second Amendment rights to the states. Opponents include law enforcement agencies and domestic violence networks who might lose federal cooperation and grant dollars if this bill becomes law.