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Tag: Larry Rhoden

  • A pipeline, property taxes and a prison: Rhoden’s audition continues with a third big swing

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    South Dakota Gov. Larry Rhoden attends the Sept. 9, 2025, grand opening of High Plains Processing in Mitchell. (Joshua Haiar/South Dakota Searchlight)

    Larry Rhoden’s opponents should probably hope he doesn’t get his way Tuesday when he asks the Legislature to approve his $650 million prison construction plan.

    If the legislation passes, it’ll be another big win for the Republican governor in only eight months on the job.

    Whether you agree with Rhoden and his policies or not, he’s proven surprisingly effective at resolving disputes and achieving his goals, and at making himself look like a contender in next year’s election.

    When Gov. Kristi Noem departed in January to join President Donald Trump’s Cabinet and Lt. Gov. Rhoden was elevated to governor, Rhoden was viewed as a seat-warmer. U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson was expected to easily thwart him in the June 2026 primary.

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    That scenario would echo the history of 1993-1994, when Republican Gov. George Mickelson died in a plane crash and Lt. Gov. Walter Dale Miller took over, only to lose in the primary to the better-known Bill Janklow (who served four years as attorney general, 16 as governor and one in Congress).

    Rhoden is perfectly cast as the new Miller, not only because of the situation both were thrust into and the subordinate role they were expected to play. Miller, who died in 2015, was also a former legislator like Rhoden, was from the same county as Rhoden, was a rancher like Rhoden, and wore a cowboy hat and boots like Rhoden.

    Although Miller’s political career ended with his loss to Janklow, being the next Miller might not be so bad, thanks to a bit of trivia that’s been obscured by Janklow’s outsized place in state history: Miller only lost to Janklow by 8 points in 1994.

    When South Dakota News Watch and the Chiesman Center for Democracy released their poll about the 2026 governor’s race in April, Johnson’s lead over Rhoden was 1 point. Since then, Johnson has continued adding to his intimidating pile of campaign cash, which stood at about $7 million as of the most recent filing deadlines for campaign finance reports. Rhoden hasn’t had to file a new report since becoming governor, and there are questions about his ability to gain traction with donors.

    Yet Rhoden keeps getting things done.

    After taking over in January and applying a reset (his word) to every mess (my word) his predecessor left behind, Rhoden has been wrestling political problems to the ground like rodeo steers. The biggest of those are the three P’s — a pipeline, property taxes and prison construction.

    The controversial Summit Carbon Pipeline proposal was tearing the state Republican Party apart when Rhoden came into office. He signed a ban on eminent domain for carbon pipelines into law and put the issue to bed, at least for a while.

    Rising homeowner property taxes bedeviled legislators for years before Rhoden became governor, but nobody had come up with a workable response. He needed less than two months to propose, shepherd through the legislative process and sign a bill designed to slow the increases.

    Noem left behind a wreck of a prison construction plan, with a site under litigation and a revolt from legislators who didn’t like the price or the location in rural Lincoln County. Rhoden appointed his lieutenant governor, Tony Venhuizen, to lead a task force that came up with a new plan, a lower price and a different location in Sioux Falls for legislators to consider Tuesday.

    Rhoden hasn’t declared himself a candidate to keep his job yet, but he has a campaign website and is traveling the state on an “Open for Opportunity” tour that’s really an extended, state-funded campaign trip.

    Johnson has won nine statewide races including primaries and general elections, and he’s not likely to be outworked in a campaign. There are other announced Republican candidates — Aberdeen businessman Toby Doeden, who was at 4% in the April poll, and state House Speaker Jon Hansen, of Dell Rapids, at 2% — who could make up ground or play the role of spoiler in the primary.

    A Trump endorsement for any of them would probably be a clincher. Failing that, Rhoden’s best hope is completing a successful audition for the job.

    Those are the stakes for Rhoden on Tuesday, when he could clean up another Noem mess and rack up another political and policy win, or suffer a setback of his own making.

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  • Three of five SD governor hopefuls endorse statewide approach to cellphones in classrooms

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    (StockPlanets/Getty Images)

    Three candidates hoping to be South Dakota’s next governor support a statewide policy or law banning cellphones from school classrooms. Another said the decision should be left to local school districts, while a potential candidate is seeking local input on the issue.

    Most school districts in South Dakota already have a policy in place that doesn’t allow cellphones in classrooms. About one-third of school districts take the further step of removing or locking away cellphones during class or school hours, based on a South Dakota Searchlight survey of superintendents and analysis of published school policies.

    South Dakota’s lone U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson, a Republican, announced three days after the publication of Searchlight’s story that, if elected governor next year, he would seek a statewide prohibition on student cellphone access during class time.

    “The state constitution makes it clear that kids should have quality education,” Johnson told Searchlight. “The state government setting a broad-stroke policy and then having the execution of that strategy and management done at the local level will give us the best of both worlds.”

    South Dakota is one of 24 states to not implement a statewide policy or law to ban or limit cellphone use in classrooms. State lawmakers considered a statewide effort last legislative session, but held off after school administrators said they’d prefer to determine policies at the local level. The Legislature instead passed a resolution encouraging school boards to implement such policies.

    According to a 2024 Pew Research Center survey, 72% of U.S. high school teachers say cellphone distraction is a major problem in the classroom. Some research suggests student performance improves after schools ban cellphones.

    Other candidates weigh in

    Two other announced candidates for governor said they support efforts to establish a statewide law or policy removing cellphones from classrooms.

    South Dakota House Speaker Jon Hansen, R-Dell Rapids, would support a statewide policy to ensure students focus “on learning, not on distractions” and foster healthier social interactions.

    From left, U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson, Gov. Larry Rhoden, Aberdeen businessman Toby Doeden, and state House Speaker Jon Hansen. (South Dakota Searchlight images)

    Democrat Robert Arnold, a 20-year-old college student who said he plans to run for governor, said a statewide policy or law would benefit students, but added that other efforts would be more impactful on student wellbeing, including providing universal free lunch and ensuring the federal Department of Education remains intact. Arnold said Johnson should support those efforts.

    “Not a peep from him about policies that will have a real impact on our people, but he’ll of course propose legislation that at least makes it look like he cares about our children’s education,” Arnold said in an emailed statement.

    Aberdeen businessman and Republican Toby Doeden said phones in classrooms are “roadblocks” to education and a “breeding ground” for negative influences and distractions. But he said school boards should address the issue.

    “Allowing state leaders to mandate individual policy changes at the local level would set a terrible precedent and is an obvious constitutional overreach,” Doeden said in a text message. “As governor, I would absolutely lean on our local school boards to ban cellphones from the classrooms.”

    Robert Arnold announces his campaign for governor in June 2025 at the state Capitol in Pierre. (Courtesy of Robert Arnold)

    Robert Arnold announces his campaign for governor in June 2025 at the state Capitol in Pierre. (Courtesy of Robert Arnold)

    Current Republican Gov. Larry Rhoden has not announced his intention to run, but is expected to enter the race. The Rhoden administration is asking school leaders if they prefer cellphone policies that come from the local or state level, spokesperson Josie Harms said in an emailed statement.

    First Lady Sandy Rhoden spent the first few months of the Rhoden administration visiting schools to talk about the consequences of using cellphones during school hours.

    Students at Platte-Geddes School District, the first in the state to lock away student cellphones during the school day three years ago, said the restriction improved relationships and academics, the first lady said in a statement. The students started to spend less time on their phones outside of school, too, leading to better self-discipline.

    “Our students have so much to gain, and the constant distraction impedes their ability to learn,” she said.

    School administrator representative encourages local control

    Rob Monson, executive director of School Administrators of South Dakota, said school administrators prefer to handle the issue themselves. He surveyed members of his organization last year, when legislators considered introducing a bill.

    “I think most school districts are doing what they feel they should and what’s best for their school districts and patrons,” Monson said.

    Monson added that if a bill is introduced this legislative session, his organization will likely oppose it. 

    Johnson hopes the Legislature passes a bill this winter setting a statewide standard, saying it’s a “no-brainer.”

    “Once you identify an approach that clearly increases educational outcomes,” Johnson said, “that’s when it’s time to come together as a state and make sure every student is able to benefit from that policy.”

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