Reporter and host Meghan O’Brien works with other South Dakota Searchlight journalists to take listeners inside politics and policy in The Mount Rushmore State, including the annual legislative session.
Governor candidates debate data centers, education, economic development
The two candidates for South Dakota governor recently met for a final debate (https://www.sdpb.org/elections/2026-09-28/2026-south-dakota-gubernatorial-debate) before the Nov. 3 general election, hosted by South Dakota Public Broadcasting and South Dakota News Watch.
In this episode of Searchlight Report, host Meghan O’Brien recaps the debate (https://southdakotasearchlight.com/2026/09/28/south-dakota-governor-candidates-clash-on-data-centers-education-economic-development/), including disagreements on data center laws, school funding and how the state helps private companies.
Republican Gov. Larry Rhoden (https://southdakotasearchlight.com/tag/larry-rhoden/) took office in early 2025 after serving as former Gov. Kristi Noem’s lieutenant governor. Rhoden is a rancher from western South Dakota who served 16 years in the Legislature.
Democratic challenger Dan Ahlers (https://southdakotasearchlight.com/tag/dan-ahlers/) is a business owner from Dell Rapids who has served as executive director of the state’s Democratic Party and also served six years in the Legislature.
Early voting for the election is underway and the deadline for voter registration is Oct. 19. To learn more about the candidates, check out the South Dakota Searchlight Voter Guide (https://southdakotasearchlight.com/voter-guides/2026-general-election/).
25 Sept 2026
Pro and con voices on Amendment J, clarifying the citizenship requirement for voting in South Dakota
A question on the Nov. 3 general election ballot will ask South Dakotans to add language to the state constitution specifying that people who are not U.S. citizens are disqualified from voting. The state constitution already includes citizenship as a voting eligibility requirement.
Two years ago, state officials discovered (https://southdakotasearchlight.com/2024/10/10/state-official-says-employee-error-led-to-273-non-us-citizens-on-voter-rolls/) 273 non-U.S. citizens had accidentally been registered to vote in South Dakota while their driver’s license forms were being processed. Noncitizens can obtain a driver’s license or state ID if they are lawful permanent residents or have temporary legal status, and there’s a part of the driver’s license form that allows an applicant to register to vote if they’re a citizen.
One of those 273 people voted, according to the South Dakota Secretary of State’s Office. That was in 2016. All of the registrations were canceled after their discovery.
State Sen. Taffy Howard, R-Rapid City, supports Amendment J. She said it would close a loophole in the constitution. Rep. Erik Muckey, D-Sioux Falls, opposes Amendment J. He said the state already has laws in place that criminalize noncitizens voting. They both explain their views in this episode of Searchlight Report.
A “yes” vote on the ballot question would add language to the state constitution specifying that noncitizens are disqualified from voting. A “no” vote would leave the constitution as is.
18 Sept 2026
Supporters of creating a state trust fund for unclaimed property explain Amendment K for voters
South Dakota has collected over $1 billion in unclaimed property over the years, from sources including abandoned cash, stocks, bank accounts and even gold teeth. Much of that money has gone into the state budget, because not all of the rightful owners come forward to claim their property. Yet they could come forward at any time. That’s why lawmakers decided to start putting those assets into a cash-flow fund, and use only the interest to help fund the state’s budget.
To put the money in a trust fund earning higher returns, lawmakers need the approval of South Dakota voters.
The question is part of a legislative package (https://southdakotasearchlight.com/2025/02/18/lawmakers-stabilize-volatile-unclaimed-property-revenue-trust-fund/) that passed last year. One of the bills (https://sdlegislature.gov/Session/Bill/25909), which was signed into law, gradually transitions all unclaimed property money into a cash-flow fund that generates a small amount of interest for the state budget. Amendment K, which is on the Nov. 3 ballot, would put the money in a higher-earning trust fund managed by the state Investment Council, like other state trust funds such as the retirement pool for public employees.
State Treasurer Josh Haeder and state Sen. Taffy Howard, R-Rapid City, joined Searchlight Report to explain their support for the amendment. No organized opposition to the ballot measure has surfaced yet.
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