South Dakota’s Odd Duck Legislature
South Dakota’s legislature will soon convene to address issues impacting residents statewide. Unfortunately, this body isn’t representative of the state’s population and includes several unusual figures who likely wouldn’t survive a fully competitive election in which...
The RINOs vs. The Wackadoodles
Republican Dominance in South Dakota The South Dakota Republican Party (SDGOP) is arguably the most powerful special interest group in the state. With just over half of the state’s registered voters, Republicans dominate all statewide offices and nearly 90% of...
It’s Time for Our 30 Year Tune Up
Sioux Falls has seen significant growth and success in recent decades, due in part to the strong leadership of its mayors. The city's mayor-council system has granted mayors substantial authority to manage city government and offer community leadership. However, the...
South Dakota Doesn’t Have Too Many Ballot Issues in November
As we approach the November election, voters will start to focus on the ballot issues they are being asked to decide. There are seven this year, which is about normal. Two of the seven are constitutional amendments submitted to voters by the legislature. They must get...
Minnehaha County Should Adopt a Charter
Minnehaha County Commissioners finally appear ready to address some fundamental operational shortcomings in the structure of our county government. They are considering putting a home rule charter on the ballot for voters to consider in November. The State’s Model for...
Our Open Primaries Proposal is Having a Moment
Amendment H, our top-two open primaries initiative in South Dakota, is gaining momentum. The state recently approved it for voters to consider on the November ballot. Then the recent primary election left many people in the state disappointed. Increasingly, South...
One Reason Your Property Taxes Are Too High
Property taxes are painfully high in South Dakota for some taxpayers, and they continue to rise. One contributing factor may be the excessive number of governments and unnecessary public employees in the state. Too Many Governments South Dakota has the second most...
South Dakota Legislature Bans Ranking, Then Uses It
Every summer the South Dakota legislature commissions a limited number of studies that lead to possible legislation the following year. This year there was an abundance of ideas for possible topics to be studied, including studies on prison funding and design,...
South Dakota’s Closed June Primary Election
Unfortunately, the upcoming 2024 South Dakota primary election promises more of the same for our state. Many voters will be prohibited from meaningful participation and there will be little competition in most races because of our closed primary system. I hope it will...
The South Dakota Legislature is Once Again Attacking Our Initiative Process
There they go again. The South Dakota legislature is advancing legislation attacking our long-established initiative rights in South Dakota. They have been doing this repeatedly over the last several years. But courts and the voters have repeatedly struck down their...