As we enter the 2026 election cycle, South Dakota stands at a definitive crossroads. For the last several years, our state’s economic strategy has been dominated by a “recruitment first” mentality—the idea that the health of our economy is measured by how many out-of-state license plates we can attract and how many high-profile corporate logos…
In many of South Dakota’s rural neighborhoods, the most direct form of government we encounter is the special purpose district—whether it’s for roads, water, or sanitation. Under current state laws, these districts often operate with a small board of just three trustees. While a three-person board might seem efficient on paper, it has become a…
In South Dakota, we pride ourselves on local control. However, there is a dark side to “local control” when it manifests as Special Purpose Districts (Road, Sanitary, Irrigation). These districts were designed to give neighbors a way to manage shared infrastructure, but the laws governing them—specifically SDCL 31-12A—have created a constitutional crisis in our rural…
This is part of a conversation I had, trying to determine my next moves and what I should publish here. I decided to publish a large portion of our conversation. A couple of sidenotes: The clerk took the filing and said she would immediately check with the judge. As she continued the filing process, I/we…
When the South Dakota Legislature passed SDCL 31-12A in 1977, they had a specific vision: neighbors coming together at a kitchen table or a local garage to solve local problems. The intent was a “boots on the ground” democracy where the people who drive the roads every day are the ones who manage the budget….