An October legislative meeting proved to be frustrating for lawmakers. For reporters, it offered the sweet taste of vindication. At issue during the meeting of the Legislature’s Government …
It is almost impossible to be against a rule announced by the Environmental Protection Agency this month requiring utilities to replace all lead pipes within a decade. After all, who opposes the …
It was in December of 2004 that I got an odd phone call from the South Dakota Republican Party. The caller, a young fellow, probably an intern, wanted to thank me for helping his party defeat Tom …
Based on 58 multi-hour interviews and more than 7,000 documents, the independent bipartisan panel President Joe Biden assigned to analyze the Secret Service after the attempted assassination of …
I’ve never been much good at political predictions. I knew George Mickelson as a tall guy I played volleyball against in the adult league in Brookings. While he was a force at the net, I …
The South Dakota Legislature has set aside $569 million for the creation of a new men’s prison in rural Lincoln County. Since construction costs rarely go down, it’s safe to say that …
Tim Johnson described us as a couple of “old codgers” that day in the spring of 2013, as we spoke whimsically about politics and life and campaigns won and, well, won. Because …
Nov. 5, Election Day, is an important date for South Dakota. Almost as important is Monday, Oct. 21. That’s the last day that eligible South Dakotans can register to vote in this election. …
It was July of 1984 and I had just been named editor and general manager of The Redfield Press. That was quite a gamble for the people who owned the newspaper as all I had to recommend me was five …
It’s important to understand a couple of things about the No on G signs stuck in the grass and affixed to the front of Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church in western Rapid City. First, …
In the run-up to the Nov. 5 election, South Dakota voters should be hearing quite a bit about seven ballot issues. Looking back, there are some lessons inherent in the way some of those ballot issues …
The federal government is predicting a nursing shortage in 2025, and we’re already seeing signs of one locally. Around one-fifth of registered nursing positions in Massachusetts home health …
Democracy and discomfort go together. Or at least they should. A democracy without some discomfort in its educational system and public dialogue probably isn’t much of a democracy at all. …
The new National Football League season will see plenty of records set on the field — and it’s expected to hit new heights off the field, too: specifically, the American Gaming …
As the nation celebrates Democracy Day, it’s a good time to be thankful for the freedoms that we have but also be wary of the threats that democracy faces. Those threats aren’t limited to …
Whether he knows it or not, Chris Larson is channeling Nancy Reagan. Mrs. Reagan asked us to “just say no to drugs.” Larson is asking us to say no to four issues that will be on South …
Imagine leaving a gun in an unlocked vehicle. Imagine that gun is stolen and ends up shooting a kid. Killing a kid. It’s more than an exercise in imagining. It happens. It just did in …
As South Dakota voters get ready to wade through seven ballot issues in November, more are lining up for the 2026 election. Already turned in to the Secretary of State’s Office are two …
Even in these deeply troubled political times, you can sometimes see a flicker of hope coming from what former President George H.W. Bush called “a thousand points of light.” And I …
Just when we thought bipartisanship was dead in South Dakota, Democrats have joined Republicans in opposing Amendment H. That amendment, on the ballot in November, creates what detractors are …