South Dakota Politics & News
South Dakota politics from The Daily Signal, featuring coverage of conservative governance, personal freedom, fiscal discipline, and the Mount Rushmore State’s approach to limited government.
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How a Nonprofit That Helps 15-Year-Old Girls Obtain Abortion Pills Found Itself in the Crosshairs of South Dakota
South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley, a Republican, received over 650 consumer complaints in December about advertisements across the state that read, “Pregnant? Don’t want to be?” directing consumers to Mayday Health. Jackley filed a cease and desist order in state court against Mayday Health, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides education about the abortion pill. The attorney general claimed that the advertisement was in violation of…Virginia Grace McKinnon -
‘Model for Rest of the Country’: South Dakota History Standards Scrap Critical Race Theory, Build on Hillsdale Foundation
While much of the cultural debate about education centers on school libraries removing sexually explicit books, South Dakota Republican Gov. Kristi Noem's team has been hard at work crafting new K-12 history and social studies standards that her chief of staff calls a "model for the rest of the country." Noem rejected an earlier effort…Tyler O’Neil -
South Dakota Democrat Says the ‘Quiet Part Out Loud’ on Abortion
A South Dakota Democrat characterized abortion as an act of “killing” during a Thursday press briefing at the state Capitol in Pierre. While speaking about exceptions for rape, state Rep. Erin Healy, a Democrat from Minnehaha County, warned that a woman might face risk of prison time “for killing her… her fetus.” She questioned whether…Tyler O’Neil -
South Dakota Has Never Placed a Male in a Women’s Prison, Gov. Noem Says in Response to Criticism of Trans Policy
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, a Republican, is considering changes to her Department of Corrections policy following criticism from conservatives, particularly National Review writer Nate Hochman. Earlier this month, Hochman claimed that "the Noem-appointed prisons director recently signed off on allowing inmates to transfer to prisons that match their 'gender identity' rather than biological sex—and…Tyler O’Neil -
EXCLUSIVE: South Dakota Health Secretary Out of a Job After Noem Discovers Transgender Group’s Contract
FIRST ON THE DAILY SIGNAL: South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem announced the retirement of her state health secretary, Joan Adam, days after the governor discovered that the state Health Department had contracted with a transgender activist group that will host a "gender summit" next month. Noem announced Adam's retirement Monday morning, four days after the…Tyler O’Neil -
Governors Have ‘Incredible Ability’ to Rescue Education, South Dakota’s Noem SaysÂ
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem says governors can counter federal overreach in schools and accused Dr. Anthony Fauci of destroying kids’ education. “We can talk about members of Congress eliminating the Department of Education, or reforming it to that level, but governors have incredible ability to make a difference right at home,” Noem, a Republican, said in remarks Wednesday…Samantha Aschieris -
South Dakota’s Noem Indignant After State Lawmakers, Pro-Life Group Stop Her Heartbeat Bill
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem sharply criticized state lawmakers for denying the introduction of her pro-life bill—a bill lawmakers fear could affect the outcome of the state’s major legal battle against Planned Parenthood. South Dakota’s House State Affairs Committee declined Wednesday to allow the governor’s draft bill, modeled after widely discussed Texas legislation banning abortions…Mary Margaret Olohan -
South Dakota’s Noem Praised for Bill Banning Biological Males From Women’s Sports After Conservative Firestorm
Conservatives who criticized South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem for failing to certify a bill banning biological males from women’s sports are now praising the Republican for her draft “Fairness in Women’s Sports” legislation. The governor released draft text legislation Tuesday that would codify her executive orders mandating that only biological female athletes can participate on…Mary Margaret Olohan -
Governor Restricts Use of Abortion Drugs in South Dakota
Gov. Kristi Noem, a Republican, signed an executive order Tuesday restricting the use of abortion drugs in South Dakota. “The Biden administration is continuing to overstep its authority and suppress legislatures that are standing up for the unborn to pass strong pro-life laws,” Noem said in a statement. “They are working right now to make it…Mary Margaret Olohan -
South Dakota Bill Would Ban Abortion of Down Syndrome Babies
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem on Monday introduced state legislation that would ban abortions based on a fetal diagnosis of Down syndrome. Noem announced the proposal on Twitter Jan. 22, the 48th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1973 ruling in Roe v. Wade, which effectively legalized abortion nationwide. “I look forward to the day…Steven Hall -
Mom of Transgender Child Praises South Dakota Legislation
“It’s an absolute nightmare for a mother to live through.” Elaine Davidson’s voice shook as she talked. “I found out about the surgeries after the fact,” she says haltingly. It was social media, she explained, where she first saw the photo of her daughter’s chest—bloody bandages covering the places where her breasts had been cut…Tony Perkins -
South Dakota Ponders Change in Rules for Transgender Athletes
South Dakota lawmakers are considering legislation that would make a student’s birth certificate the determinant of “sexual identity” for participating in high school athletics. According to the South Dakota High School Activities Association, current state law says: “All students should have the opportunity to participate in SDHSAA [South Dakota High School Activities Association] activities in…Courtney Joyner -
South Dakota Republicans Push for Higher Taxes
President Donald Trump may have spearheaded a large tax cut late last year, but two members of his party apparently prefer that Americans pay more. In two different battlegrounds, South Dakota Republicans are leading the charge to increase the ability of tax collectors to reach out and collect revenue from anyone in the U.S. Twenty-five…Adam Michel -
South Dakota GOP Governor Has No Problem With Boys in Girls’ Locker Rooms
South Dakota Governor Dennis Daugaard, a Republican, officially has no problem with boys in girls’ locker rooms. There’s no other way to say it. Special interests and big businesses effectively lobbied the governor to veto a good bill because of the threats they made. Welcome to cultural cronyism at the bathroom. Welcome to cultural cronyism at…Ryan T. Anderson -
South Dakota Governor Vetoes Transgender Bathroom Bill
South Dakota Gov. Dennis Daugaard, a Republican, vetoed a controversial bill Tuesday that would have prohibited public school students from using bathrooms, lockers, and shower rooms opposite from their biological sex, saying the measure “doesn’t address any pressing issue concerning the school districts of South Dakota.” Before making his decision, Daugaard met with transgender students…Kelsey Bolar -
Transgender Bathroom Bill Heads to South Dakota Governor
Citing student privacy rights, the South Dakota Senate this week passed a bill that would prohibit students at public elementary and secondary schools from using bathrooms, lockers, and shower rooms that don’t match their biological sex. The bill, however, also requires reasonable accommodation of students who identify as transgender through the provision of alternate facilities…Mariana Barillas