Tag: south dakota
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Marijuana legalization may be on the ballot for a third time in South Dakota as campaign submits signatures
South Dakotans for Better Marijuana Laws, a campaign supporting the legalization of recreational marijuana in South Dakota, submitted 29,030 signatures to the secretary of state on May 7, 2024. If approved by voters, the initiative would legalize the recreational use, possession, and distribution of marijuana for people who are 21 and over. It would provide…
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South Dakota campaign submits signatures for right to abortion amendment, may join three other states voting on abortion in 2024
In South Dakota, a campaign supporting a ballot initiative to provide a state constitutional right to abortion submitted 55,000 signatures on May 1, 2024. If at least 35,017 of the submitted signatures are validated, the initiative will be certified to appear on the ballot for Nov. 5, 2024. Voters in 12 states may decide on…
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Thirty-six South Dakota state legislative seats are open this year—the most since 2016
There are 105 seats up for election this year in South Dakota’s legislature—35 in the Senate and 70 in the House. Thirty-six incumbents (three Democrats and 33 Republicans) are not running for re-election. This is the highest retirement rate since 2016, when 42 incumbents (10 Democrats and 32 Republicans) retired. The average number of retirements each year…
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Signatures submitted for South Dakota initiative that would repeal state grocery tax
A South Dakota campaign supporting an initiative that would ban the state sales and use tax on groceries submitted signatures to the secretary of state’s office on April 24, 2024. According to Rick Weiland, the co-founder of TakeItBack, the campaign supporting the initiative, about 25,000 signatures were submitted. For the measure to make the ballot…
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One Democrat is running for South Dakota’s At-Large U.S. House seat—the most since 2018
This year’s filing deadline for candidates running for Congress in South Dakota was March 26, 2024. Two candidates are running for South Dakota’s one U.S. House district, including one Democrat and one Republican. That’s the same as the two candidates who ran in 2022, 2020, 2016, and 2014. Four candidates ran in 2018, the only…
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South Dakota voters to decide on Medicaid work requirement amendment in Nov. 2024
South Dakota voters will decide on a constitutional amendment that will allow for the state legislature to establish work requirements for certain individuals to receive Medicaid. The amendment will appear on the November 2024 ballot. The amendment, which was introduced to the state legislature as Senate Joint Resolution 501 (SJR 501), passed the Senate by…
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South Dakota Senate passes resolution on Medicaid work requirements
The Republican-led South Dakota Senate passed Senate Joint Resolution (SJR) 501 on January 25, 2024, which would ask voters to weigh in on a proposed constitutional amendment allowing for work requirements in the state’s expanded Medicaid program. South Dakota voters in November 2022 approved a constitutional amendment to expand Medicaid to people who earn up…
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South Dakota unemployment insurance tax cut takes effect
South Dakota House Bill 1011, which decreases the state unemployment tax rate for employers by 0.5%, took effect Jan. 1, 2024. The state estimates businesses will save about $18 million in taxes in 2024 under the new law. Gov. Kristi Noem (R) signed the bill on Feb. 1, 2023. The state Senate passed the bill…
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Gender-neutral language amendment certified for the ballot in South Dakota
In 2024, voters in South Dakota will decide on an amendment to make references to officeholders in the state constitution gender-neutral. The amendment would do so by changing male pronouns to specific titles. The South Dakota House of Representatives voted 58-12 to approve the amendment on Feb. 28, 2023. The South Dakota State Senate voted…
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Initiative to expand Medicaid to appear on South Dakota ballot
On June 9, 2022, South Dakota Secretary of State Steve Barnett (R) announced that an initiated state statute to expand Medicaid will appear on the ballot for November 8. The initiative will appear on the ballot as Initiated Measure 28. This is the third measure to appear on the South Dakota ballot this November, and…