Jim Peterson

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...

Teenage motorists with less experience behind the wheel should be prohibited from using handheld communication devices such as cellphones and smart phones while driving in South Dakota, the state Senate decided Wednesday.   The 23-10 vote was final...

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...

 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...

 PIERRE — As taxpayer relief and job incentives go, the best idea of the 2013 legislative session never stood a chance.  That was the proposal from Sen. Tim Begalka to phase out South Dakota’s 2 percent contractor’s excise tax....

PIEREE, S.D. - Penny video gambling took another step toward legalization in the House of Representatives Thursday. Senate Bill 52 allows a penny as an eligible denomination for video lottery terminals. Currently terminals accept only nickel and quarter...

Huron - The South Dakota Farm Bureau is hosting a series of meeting across the state this month for farmers and ranchers to learn more about the EPA's Oil Spill Prevention, Control & Countermeasure (SPCC) Program, which requires compliance by May 10 of...

 PIERRE — Video lottery machines soon will be allowed to accept bets as small as one penny in South Dakota.  The state House of Representatives gave final legislative approval to the change Thursday, after lawmakers argued yet another chapter in...

The Legislature’s battle over pursuing a federal balanced-budget amendment ended Tuesday as the final measure died like those before it last week, with lawmakers stuck between two outcomes they can’t control and don't like. The argument came...

 PIERRE — Rep. Manny Steele fell short of convincing enough members in the state House of Representatives to take the first step Thursday toward a national constitutional convention seeking a federal balanced-budget amendment.  House members voted...

PIERRE - Township boards of supervisors could be getting broader ability to raise money for their local highways, roads, bridges and culverts. Legislation cleared its first test Thursday granting townships the authority to levy an additional tax up to...

Township boards of supervisors could be getting broader ability to raise money for their local highways, roads, bridges and culverts.   Legislation cleared its first test Thursday granting townships the authority to levy an additional tax up to 50 cents...