Jim Bradford

Several legislators and education lobbyists made clear Tuesday they don’t think Teach For America should have received $250,000 from the Legislature for the coming school year.  James Curran, the national nonprofit organization’s executive...

 PIERRE — With barely a tussle, the Legislature’s Executive Board appointed lawmakers Monday to two interim committees that will study parts of South Dakota’s funding system for public schools and gaps in state laws regarding domestic...

Presiding officers  Speaker of the House is Brian Gosch, R-Rapid City. Senate president is Lt. Gov. Matt Michels. Senate president pro tem — aka No. 2 — is Corey Brown, R-Gettysburg.  Gosch and Michels generally run the House and Senate...

The only fight fiercer than big hospital groups battling each other for business in South Dakota might be when somebody wants a change in state law to make it easier  to take some of their patients.   The two big Sioux Falls health care organizations,...

PIERRE -- State senators decided Wednesday that local voters should have the opportunity for the final word if their school board decides to put armed sentinels in the district’s buildings and at school events.  That major change was one of...

Editor's note: As part of the coverage of the 2013 legislative session, the American News will provide, on most days, a list of 10 pieces of information helpful to understanding what is — and sometimes isn’t — happening at the state...

Protected from public view, some members of the Legislature and some top officials from the Daugaard administration along with a variety of lobbyists are working on a secret plan to offer tax breaks for economic development projects in South Dakota....

 PIERRE — There was no debate and almost no opposition Friday as the state Senate adopted a definition of smoking.  The legislation, which now heads to the House of Representatives, in intended to fill a big hole in South Dakota’s smoking...

Editor's note: As part of the coverage of the 2013 legislative session, the American News will provide, on most days, a list of information helpful to understanding what is — and sometimes isn’t — happening at the state Capitol during...

Public school districts shouldn’t grant exclusive broadcast rights to some media outlets, the state Senate decided Tuesday.  Senators voted 27-8 to approve legislation that would guarantee freedom of media coverage of high school activities....

Editor's note: As part of the coverage of the 2013 legislative session, the American News will provide, on most days, a list of 10 pieces of information helpful to understanding what is — and sometimes isn’t — happening at the state...

The battle over texting while driving in South Dakota is on: A lawmaker from Davison County introduced legislation Tuesday that would ban it in most cases.  “I’m looking at changing the culture. I understand up front it’s difficult...