Tom Hansen

PIERRE - Brad Johnson of Watertown has been an effective voice for clean water in South Dakota as chairman for the state Board of Water and Natural Resources. He seemed like a logical choice when he was appointed in 2012 to the Legislature's new...

Brad Johnson of Watertown has been an effective voice for clean water in South Dakota as chairman for the state Board of Water and Natural Resources.  He seemed like a logical choice when he was appointed in 2012 to the Legislature’s new regional...

PIERRE - Other lawmakers and many citizens scratched their heads two weekends ago over a surprise move in the 2013 session. Why would one of the top members of the Legislature, who is chairman of South Dakota's watershed task force, suddenly want to...

 PIERRE — Other lawmakers and many citizens scratched their heads a weekend ago over a surprise move in the 2013 session. Why would one of the top members of the Legislature, who is chairman of South Dakota’s watershed task force, suddenly...

Most incumbents rolled to victories Tuesday in their re-election bids for the South Dakota Legislature. But a very big name in Democratic politics lost, Democrats gained at least two seats in the Senate, Republicans gained two seats in the House of...

 PIERRE  — November is still four months away, yet nearly one-third of the 35 men and women who will be members of the South Dakota Senate for the new term starting in 2013 are already elected.  Those 11 don’t have opponents in the November...

 PIERRE — The candidate filing deadline arrived Tuesday evening for the June 5 primary elections, and voters in many parts of South Dakota will be in for some wild rides in contests for the Legislature.  Secretary of State Jason Gant can still...

There are pluses and minuses to the term limits that South Dakota voters placed on the Legislature through the 1992 constitutional amendment. We’re seeing again this election year that term limits don’t necessarily force a legislator to leave...

PIERRE — There are pluses and minuses to the term limits that South Dakota voters placed on the Legislature through the 1992 constitutional amendment. We’re seeing again this election year that term limits don’t necessarily force a...

PIERRE — The 2012 session of the Legislature took some of the normal strange turns. Lawmakers decided South Dakota didn’t need a state mascot, or at least the bison shouldn’t play that role, as Sen. Tom Nelson, R-Lead, suggested. They...

The Legislature is on a two-week break until March 19, when lawmakers return for their final scheduled working day of the 2012 session. Here’s a look at some of the topics people have been discussing.   Q. What does the possible referral of House...

PIERRE — State senators agreed Monday that South Dakota needs a task force to study establishing regional watershed districts to deal with flooding and water management. The Senate voted 23-1 to establish the 14-member panel. Its work would...