South Dakota
Senator Johnson to Run for 3rd Term In South Dakota
On Friday South Dakota senior Senator Tim Johnson confirmed what had been suspected for months: the 2-term Democratic incumbent will run for a 3rd term in 2008. Senator Johnson is extremely popular in his home state, and perhaps has gained…
Read MoreSen. Johnson Makes First Public Appearance in SD Since Illness
On Tuesday evening Sioux Falls hosted a “Welcome Back” celebration marking Democratic Senator Tim Johnson’s birthday and return to South Dakota for the first time since nearly losing his life last December. The Senator spoke for a little more…
Read MoreSD 2008 Election Forecast: Will Momentum Towards the Democrats Continue?
South Dakota, one of the most reliably Republican states in the Midwest, will be an interesting state to watch in 2008. First, the state will have a high-profile Senate race, whether or not the state’s senior Senator, Democrat Tim…
Read MoreSenator Tim Johnson: Update
South Dakota senior Senator Tim Johnson remains in an in-patient rehabilitation center in Washington, D.C. as he continues his recovery from the arteriovenous malformation that struck him late last year. Before falling ill, Johnson was already considered one of…
Read MoreGun Ownership Upper Midwestern Snapshot
The mass murders at Virginia Tech University this week have inspired those in gun control circles to renew their pressure on politicians to reexamine our nation’s gun laws; it has also caused 2nd Amendment strict constructionists to dig in deeper…
Read MoreSouth Dakota Passes Qualified Minimum Wage Increase
This week South Dakota enacted legislation increasing the state hourly minimum wage—contingent upon an increase in the federal minimum wage law. South Dakota’s current minimum wage is fixed at $5.15 per hour—identical to the federal law—and will not increase…
Read MoreUpper Midwestern States Contemplate Presidential Primary Dates
As Election 2008 heats up, states across the nation are strategically shuffling their primary and caucus schedules in attempt to become more relevant players in the presidential campaign. Upper Midwestern states are also contemplating changes to their schedules in view…
Read MoreFemale Legislators in MN At Record High; IA, WI, and SD Lag Behind National Average
Minnesota voters set a record in November 2006 by electing the highest percentage of female legislators to both the state House (43, 32.1 percent) and Senate (27, 40.3 percent) in Gopher State history. Overall, at 34.8 percent, Minnesota ranks 4th…
Read MoreSouth Dakota Abortion Policy Update
One week after the South Dakota House of Representatives easily passed a bill banning most abortions in the state, a similar abortion ban bill died in committee in the state Senate. The House recently passed a ban outlawing all…
Read MoreCensuring the Media’s Censure Coverage of SD Senator-Page Scandal
On Wednesday the South Dakota State Senate voted 32-2 to censure Democratic Senator Dan Sutton, in the wake of allegations that Sutton groped a male page in a hotel room in 2006. While the charges are disturbing in and…
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