Brock Greenfield

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...

 PIERRE — Members of the state House of Representatives failed Tuesday to approve a definition of smoking that is missing from South Dakota’s laws banning smoking in bars, casinos and restaurants with alcohol licenses.  The heart of the...

 PIERRE — South Dakota voters won’t be asked after all whether to impose a higher standard for approving tax measures through the ballot box.  The Legislature fell two “yes” votes short Tuesday in the House of Representatives...

 PIERRE — The state House of Representatives voted 40-19 Monday afternoon to give final passage to creating a school sentinels program in South Dakota.  The legislation goes next to Gov. Dennis Daugaard. It would allow school boards to place armed...

Money was on the minds of lawmakers as they expressed concerns over the sequestration and funding within the state.  From discussion of the federal government going into sequestration to a debate on the wisdom of spending the state's reserve funds, to...

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 Second Amendment grants U.S. citizens the right to bear firearms is a fact, but what restrictions, if any, should be placed on that right continues to be debated more than 200 years after the Bill of Rights was written.  The debate — gun...

 PIERRE — Legislation that would provide prenatal services to pregnant women who are illegal immigrants in South Dakota narrowly won approval Friday in the state House of Representatives.  The 39-28 vote turned on the strength of support from...

Guns and schools are a dangerous combination. If schools want an armed faculty member, that's their right.  Those were the key points made by each side on one of the hotly discussed questions facing the state Legislature: Is it acceptable to allow...

PIERRE - A major expansion of services in South Dakota's criminal justice system received final approval Thursday from the Legislature. The plan calls for more offenders guilty of nonviolent crimes to serve their punishments in their communities, living...

A major expansion of services in South Dakota’s criminal justice system received final approval Thursday from the Legislature.  The plan calls for more offenders guilty of nonviolent crimes to serve their punishments in their communities, living...

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...