Jim Hundstad

 Gov. Dennis Daugaard’s plan to shift millions of dollars annually from the state treasury to a new fund for grants to large economic development projects received final approval Thursday from the South Dakota Legislature.  State senators voted 28-4...

Much like the first cracker barrel of the season, education cuts, taxes and the state budget were the primary topics of the final Aberdeen legislative cracker barrel. About 100 or so area residents listened to tough questions of - and some tough answers...

Education and ag assessments were the main topics at a well-attended Cracker Barrel session Saturday morning. Between 180 and 200 people jammed into the Centennial Room of the Northern State University Student Center for the first cracker barrel of...

South Dakota's 86th legislative session begins today in Pierre as new Republican Gov. Dennis Daugaard gives his state of the state address. Local lawmakers are in the capital to start their work during the session's scheduled 38-day run. The...

Saturday is the second cracker barrel meeting of the legislative session. The public can ask questions of state lawmakers from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday in the Centennial Room of the Northern State University Student Center. Each Friday before the...

Nonresident hunters who pursue pheasants in South Dakota received red-carpet treatment Thursday at the Legislature, while nonresidents who hunt waterfowl were told to keep waiting in line. A House of Representatives committee endorsed a change that...

Education was again a major topic at Aberdeen's second legislative cracker barrel - and legislators were even asked Saturday when was the last time they were in a school. Rep. David Novstrup, R-Aberdeen, drew laughs from the roughly 90 people in...

Many South Dakota motorists could pay more to register their vehicles in the years ahead under a change approved Thursday by the state Senate. Currently noncommercial vehicles at least five years old get a 30 percent discount on annual registration...

The nuts-and-bolts of solving the state's $127 million budget shortfall was on the minds of area legislators and the public Saturday at Aberdeen's third legislative cracker barrel of the season. "It's getting to the exciting time of the session. It...

South Dakota Democrats want a public vote on a program they say amounts to corporate welfare. The party has started a drive to collect signatures from residents in an attempt to refer House Bill 1230, approved during the legislative session and signed...

Aberdeen school officials have invited area legislators and officials from area districts to discuss how potential education funding cuts could impact schools. The issue will be discussed at a noon luncheon on Dec. 16 at the District Service Center, said...

It's strange to Aberdeen School District Superintendent Gary Harms that he would be delighted with no increase in funding to K-12 education in South Dakota. But a flat-line budget is preferable to the 5 percent budget cut proposed by outgoing Gov....