First Bill to Pass Both Houses: SB 5, Labeling Ballot Questions as Products of Citizens or Legislature

South Dakota governor signs bill authorizing state spending of federal rural health funding

South Dakota Gov. Larry Rhoden signs House Bill 1044, appropriating funding for the Rural Health Transformation Program, at a private signing ceremony with state officials and lawmakers on Jan. 29, 2026. (Courtesy of the South Dakota Governor's Office)The first bill Gov. Larry Rhoden signed into law this legislative session approves spending of federal funds for South Dakota’s Rural Health Transformation Program. The federal government awarded S…

First Bill to Pass Both Houses: SB 5, Labeling Ballot Questions as Products of Citizens or Legislature

In his address to the Legislature two weeks ago, Governor Larry Rhoden told legislators he “would love it if” House Bill 1044, the Rural Health Transformation Plan, “was the first bill that reaches my desk.” But the debatable $189-million consolation prize for Trump’s much larger cuts to Medicaid only cleared the House Monday. The first bill heading for Rhoden’s desk is Senate Bill 5, Senator Michael Rohl’s (R-1/Aberdeen) plan to indicate on our…

South Dakota Gov. Rhoden's bill load criticized by cadre of GOP lawmakers

PIERRE — A faction of Republican lawmakers at the South Dakota Capitol is accusing the Rhoden administration of overstepping with a heavier-than-usual slate of proposed laws.But the charge brought swift dismissal from the governor’s office this week, with Gov. Larry Rhoden’s top spokesman rejecting the criticism as misleading and premature.