As I’ve mentioned before in this space, I serve as the lead Co-Chair on the Joint Appropriations Committee, the budgetary committee of the South Dakota Legislature. If we’re doing our job well, rarely will you hear about our work until the end of the session when the budget is presented.... Read more

Shopko announced the closure of 139 more stores today. The list includes the Milbank store which will close May 12. The new list of South Dakota stores and their expected date of closure includes: Milbank – May 12 Sioux Falls – 41st Street – May 12 and Arrowhead Parkway –... Read more

This week at the South Dakota Legislature, your Appropriations Committee began looking at some of the larger agencies that have control of a larger portion of the total budget. Most of the week was spent hearing from the Board of Regents and the 6 Universities and 2 special schools that... Read more

The big news this past week is probably the “gun bill”. Senate bill 47 (SB47) passed the House 43-27 on its final stop in the legislative process, and was signed into law by Governor Noem at her first official bill signing ceremony on Thursday. The Governor had clearly campaigned that... Read more

This week at the South Dakota Legislature, the Appropriations Committee had a very busy week. As we continue with our agency budget hearings, Governor Noem delivered her budget presentation on Wednesday. Since then, we’ve been working out the differences, charting the changes from former Governor Daugaard’s Budget, and discussing how... Read more

Think it’s cold outside? Could it get colder? Let’s just say it’s possible. The coldest temperature ever recorded in South Dakota was a cool -58 degrees Fahrenheit on February 17, 1936 in McIntosh. In Minnesota, the mercury plummeted to -60 degrees Fahrenheit on February 2, 1996 in Tower. Parshall, North... Read more

Think it’s cold outside? Could it get colder? Let’s just say it’s possible. The coldest temperature ever recorded in South Dakota was a cool -58 degrees Fahrenheit on February 17, 1936 in McIntosh. In Minnesota, the mercury plummeted to -60 degrees Fahrenheit on February 2, 1996 in Tower. Parshall, North... Read more

Ray Butch Christensen, age 46, of Marvin, SD, died January 21, 2019, at his home. Funeral services are scheduled for Saturday, January 26, 2019, at 10:00 a.m. at Mundwiler Funeral Home in Milbank, SD. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service. Private burial will be at a later... Read more

Week 2 of the South Dakota Legislature went by awfully fast. As the work load ramped up, we started hearing bills on the Senate Floor and the committees are doing their work. As the process ramps up, I am amazed by it. A lot of new Legislators and new chairs,... Read more

After two weeks the legislature is heating up. Hot Topics Two national resolutions were introduced this week. The first expressed support to build a wall along the southern border of the US. The second thanked Senators. John Thune and Mike Rounds for supporting Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh in the... Read more