Attorney General Jackley Releases Draft Explanation on Proposed Ballot Issue Requiring 60 Percent Approval for Constitutional Amendments and Revisions
PIERRE, S.D. – As required by state law, the South Dakota Attorney General’s Office has drafted an explanation for a Constitutional Amendment proposed by the Legislature that would require any future proposed Constitutional Amendment or Revision receive an affirmative vote of at least 60 percent of the votes cast to be approved. The draft explanation has been filed with the Secretary of State’s Office.
Attorney General Marty Jackley takes no position on any such proposal for purposes of the ballot explanation. He has provided a fair and neutral explanation to help assist the voters as required by state law.
Rep. John Hughes and Sen. Sue Peterson are listed as the prime sponsors of the proposal which was approved by the 2025 South Dakota Legislature.
State law requires the Attorney General draft a title and explanation for each initiated measure, initiated constitutional amendment, constitutional amendment proposed by the Legislature, or referred measure that may appear on an election ballot. The Attorney General’s explanation is meant to be an “objective, clear, and simple summary” intended to “educate the voters of the purpose and effect of the proposed” measure, as well as identify the “legal consequences” of each measure.
Once the Attorney General has filed and posted the draft explanation, the public has 10 days to provide written comment. The explanation was filed May 1, 2026, and the deadline for comments on this explanation is May 11, 2026, at the close of business in Pierre, South Dakota. The final explanation is due to the Secretary of State on May 19, 2026.
If approved, the explanation will accompany the proposal on the 2026 general election ballot which is Nov. 3.
To file written comments regarding the language of the explanation, not the merits of the proposal, please use one of the following methods below. Copies of all comments received by the deadline will be posted on this website.
Comments may be submitted via mail, or through hand delivery, to the Attorney General’s Office at:
Office of the Attorney General Ballot Comment 1302 S.D. E. Hwy. 1889, Suite #1 Pierre, SD 57501
Comments that are hand delivered must be received by the close of business in Pierre, South Dakota, by May 10, 2026.
Comments may also be emailed to ATGballotcomments@state.sd.us by May 11, 2026 Comments should be clearly expressed in the body of the email. The Attorney General’s Office will not open attachments in an effort to prevent malware or other digital threats. Please include your name and contact information when submitting your comment. The title of the comment must be included in the subject line of the email.
Rounds Discusses Eliminating the Department of Education with Secretary McMahon
McMahon: “Governors, state superintendents, state school boards will decide how this money should be spent in their state”
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) recently discussed plans to eliminate the U.S. Department of Education with Secretary Linda McMahon at a hearing of the Senate Appropriations Committee’s Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies.
“I am concerned, as most of the people on this committee are, with regards to the direction that education has been going nationally since the creation of the Education Department,” said Rounds. “The latest scores from the National Assessment for Educational Progress, they’re really kind of a national embarrassment. Two thirds of our nation’s fourth graders can’t read proficiently. Even worse, one-third of eighth graders scored below basic, the highest percentage ever recorded. That means these kids can’t identify basic literary elements in a text. In math, the gap between high and low performing students is the widest it’s ever been. The Department of Education was originally created to collect education data and advise state and local organizations on best practices, but it’s really become a place, until you came into the picture, where it was a top-down direction-giving program. I like the approach that you’re taking in returning it back to the states.”
“Well, to your point, sir, in this proposed budget is $2 billion that would go as a block grant to states through a formula that’ll be worked on,” said McMahon. “What this will allow states to do that don’t always participate in grant making because they maybe don’t have enough money to hire grant writers, etc. But now all states will participate in money coming from this $2 billion. And then governors, state superintendents, state school boards will decide how this money should be spent in their state, where the greatest needs are, whether that’s in rural communities. Whatever those programs are, they will be deciding how to spend that money.”
Rounds has long been pushing to dissolve the Department of Education and return critical programs back to other agencies. He first introduced the Returning Education to Our States Act in November 2024 and reintroduced it for the 119th Congress in April 2025. Rounds has met with McMahon multiple times to discuss this legislation, which aligns with the Secretary’s plans for the Department.
Watch the exchange HERE. Read a transcript of the exchange below.
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Rounds: Madam Secretary, welcome. Let me just begin by saying thank you for taking the time to visit South Dakota and to talk about the goals moving forward with regard to the planning that you’ve got to deliver education decision making back to the states. Before I really get into that portion of it, I’d like to kind of share some concerns as well with regard to the TRIO program. I think this is one that a lot of folks have got some concerns with. And I would just ask that with the amount of attention you’ve seen here in this committee, if you would just commit to us that you would do the follow ups with it on some of the concerns that have been expressed about the loss or the changes to the TRIO program and that it is a sensitive area.
McMahon: Certainly will do that.
Rounds: Thank you Madam Secretary. I’ve appreciated your willingness to visit the issue of bringing the decisions for education back to the states, and your Returning Education to the States tour I thought was a really good idea. I like the idea that those decisions should be made at the local level. I think there’s a number of areas within the Department of Education that we’ve been working on, through legislation, trying to divvy back out again to the departments that they were in before the Department was ever created. I like the fact that you’ve been working very hard at doing agreements with other agencies, in which you would take something which is currently with the Department of Education, and moving it back over to where it was before 1980. I like those ideas. We’ve introduced legislation that would do something similar and work our way back through, providing more block grant opportunities to the states with money, but then looking at specific areas such as impact aid and IDEA and so forth. Not block granting those things, but keeping those areas together in an office and the money with it. So, I just appreciate the way that you’ve focused on this.
I am concerned, as most of the people on this committee are, with regards to the direction that education has been going nationally since the creation of the Education department. The latest scores from the National Assessment for Educational Progress, they’re really kind of a national embarrassment. Two thirds of our nation’s fourth graders can’t read proficiently. Even worse, one-third of eighth graders scored below basic, the highest percentage ever recorded. That means these kids can’t identify basic literary elements in a text. In math, the gap between high and low performing students is the widest it’s ever been. The Department of Education was originally created to collect education data and advise state and local organizations on best practices, but it’s really become a place, until you came into the picture, where it was a top-down direction-giving program. I like the approach that you’re taking in returning it back to the states.
Can you just, in a broad sense, would you like to share a little bit about what your vision is in terms of what the Department of Education should be like, as opposed to what it was when you found it, in terms of listening to the states and empowering the states, but not necessarily telling the states what they’re supposed to do in a one-size-fits-all model?
McMahon: Well, to your point, sir, in this proposed budget is $2 billion that would go as a block grant to states through a formula that’ll be worked on. What this will allow states to do that don’t always participate in grant making because they maybe don’t have enough money to hire grant writers, etc. But now all states will participate in money coming from this $2 billion. And then governors, state superintendents, state school boards will decide how this money should be spent in their state, where the greatest needs are, whether that’s in rural communities. Whatever those programs are, they will be deciding how to spend that money.
It is a reduction in the total amount of dollars that are going. There are some programs that the Department has looked at that we have eliminated. We’ve also condensed about 17 programs into this block process. So, I think there is opportunity for states, you know, to take on this responsibility. And as a reminder, as you’re aware, states provide about 93% of their own education budget. So, the amount that comes from, you know, the federal government is small by total comparison of the money that is spent in each state, you know, for its education process. So, I think the government wants to continue through Title 1A funding. We’re recommending that’s level funded. IDEA, we have, through our budget, proposed the greatest increase in a long time, a half a billion dollars for IDEA funding, and that includes $50 million for infants and children in their programs so that they’re ready to accept these children who might have disabilities at birth or very early on. So I think that you know, the administration is showing that we’re very concerned about our children and about education across the board.
Rounds: I appreciate your comments on it. I’m going to run out of time, but I did want to I just identify one more item on and that’s Impact Aid. It’s really important because that’s the money that comes back to the states to replace what would otherwise have been property tax dollars and so forth that were found for like an area where on a Native American reservation or in an air force base, where it’s the assistance to an area that may have federal lands that otherwise aren’t taxed. And Impact Aid is really important to some of our more rural states like South Dakota. And I think one of the questions had been if it was to be delivered back out, would you keep it with a particular other department in terms of an agreement or an operational plan? Do you know where Impact Aid might end up or would you keep it within the Department of Education?
McMahon: We haven’t determined that. Happy to get back to you on that. However, I want you to know that the Impact Aid dollars are going out on time where they’re supposed to go.
Rounds: Excellent. Excellent. That takes a load off of a lot of these smaller school districts that really rely on that Impact Aid. Yes. I thank you for the attention to that matter.
A Safer Parole System By: Governor Larry Rhoden May 1, 2026
South Dakota is a safe place, and, thanks to the work of our law enforcement, we have decreased crime in double-digit percentages in several categories. But we never settle – and we are not satisfied. Just like life on the ranch, there is always work to be done.
It took everyone working together to achieve the largest single investment in public safety: building a new men’s prison. Because of that success, we are now able to expand opportunities for rehabilitative programming. Soon, we will be past the overcrowding of our current gothic prison. It is time to move on to the next public safety challenge: designing a safer parole system.
Parole reform has always been a topic of conversation, even more so since the prison plan took shape. My team has been working with experts and stakeholders to peel back the layers of the issue and target them with solutions, one at a time. I recently announced some serious reforms at the Department of Corrections (DOC) to tackle these issues.
Parolees committing new crimes is a problem. Most folks think parolees would never commit any crimes so long as they are supervised by their parole agent – if only it were so simple. Parolees were in prison because they committed a crime, and despite our best efforts, some of them will fall into their old ways when they get out. Agents can’t be with parolees 24/7, so no parole system will prevent all crime, but there are ways to improve. I have formed a new team of specialized parole agents. This will include more check-ins, especially evenings and weekends, for the most intensive parolees. If they aren’t following the laws, they will go back to prison.
When an inmate is released on parole, the inmate promises to follow nine standard conditions. When a violation occurs, parole agents do their best to balance accountability with the opportunity for rehabilitation. The stories I have heard about parolees receiving too many second chances are frustrating and wrong, so we have changed this process. I have directed the DOC to take a tougher stance on DUIs, drug use, simple assault, and weapons violations that are a danger to others.
In just the first week since changing this policy, DOC nearly doubled the average number of revocations. These policies and others will continue to be reviewed by DOC as they plan the “Smarter Supervision Initiative,” which they announced last month.
I’m committed to working with law enforcement, judges, and other elected officials on additional changes. Parole is one component of the criminal justice system. When the blame for a “broken” parole system is placed on one agency, remember: the Legislature makes the law, the executive implements it, and the judiciary applies it. If inmates display good behavior in prison, state law requires DOC to release them at their initial parole eligibility date. There is no discretion to hold them past that date, or DOC would be breaking the law. As legislators participate in the Correctional Rehabilitation Task Force and consider how to enhance rehabilitation, this may be an area to consider legislative changes.
Make no mistake, we are not done yet. This will take time. And just like work on the ranch, the work will never truly be done. I am thankful to all our law enforcement leaders for working together to keep South Dakota safe. If you have concerns and ideas, I would love to hear them. I am committed to working on legislation to further reform our parole laws.
If you read my earlier post on this, this is the news article that you need to go with it. Recalling the images hitting social media….
Dylan Jordan’s buddies in the Young Americans for Liberty group have declared war on many legislators in the Republican Party, whether they are conservative or hard-right. And according to this article from 2024, we might expect that they will soon flood South Dakota with postcards:
There is no political organization that has spent more money on Wyoming’s 2024 primary election than Make Liberty Win, an out-of-state Libertarian-affiliated group that supports the legalization of marijuana.
As first reported by Cowboy State Daily, Make Liberty Win is an Alexandria, Virginia-based group that spent $371,260 on more than 40 state Legislature races around Wyoming in 2024. It’s unlikely that a single group has ever spent this much money on Wyoming state legislative races before.
Make Liberty Win is a subsidiary of the Austin, Texas-based conservative Libertarian group Young Americans for Liberty.
and..
A number of the mailers sent out by Make Liberty Win encourage people to “join the RINO hunt” against a particular candidate, in reference to the acronym Republican in name only. The doorknob fliers declare “RINO SPOTTED,” with a binocular-style image of the lawmaker seen as not conservative enough for the group.
Make Liberty Win used a similar theme in other state races across the country in places like South Dakota, Idaho, Michigan and Texas, posting similar graphics when one of the alleged RINOs lost an election with “(BAGGED AND TAGGED)” printed over their faces.
and..
“There’s so much outside money infiltrating Wyoming elections with possibly bad actors connected to it,” Tyrrell said. “Groups like Make Liberty Win and Wyoming Gun Owners are only interested in getting money from their followers and trying to sway elections.
How nuts do you have to be to get this group’s endorsement? Not that we’ve ever heard of them before.
Because it seems they are only interested in the farthest fringes of ideology, and you have to be in the range of Dylan Jordan “shoot down jet contrail planes” crazy to earn their favor:
I think it’s less about Liberty winning and more about fringe lunatics running the asylum.
U.S. House Passes Farm Bill with Johnson’s Support
Washington, D.C. – Today, the House of Representatives passed the Farm, Food, and National Security Act, also known as the Farm Bill, with a bipartisan 224-200 vote. U.S. Representative Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) voted to pass the Farm Bill which contains dozens of Johnson’s priorities that support farmers and ranchers in South Dakota and across America.
“Farmers and ranchers have made it clear – we need a completed Farm Bill,” said Johnson. “I worked hard to ensure this Farm Bill invests in rural America, secures our supply chains, and puts producers first. I’m glad it has passed the House, and I hope the Senate considers it soon to provide certainty for our hardworking producers.”
After the Farm Bill passed the House Agriculture Committee in March, Johnson successfully worked to remove the Greyhound Protection Act to protect the use of and training of hunting dogs.
Johnson’s bills included in the Farm Bill:
The SAFETY Act to safeguard American exports from unfair trade practices.
The Butcher Block Act to assist with new and expanding livestock and meat processors.
The Healthy Dog Importation Act to ensure dogs imported into the U.S. are in good health and have received proper vaccines and medical treatment.
The A-Plus Act to increase investments in small meat packers.
The ACES Act to add agricultural cooperatives with fewer than 2,500 employees as qualified entities under the Rural Energy for America Program.
The Increased TSP (Technical Service Providers) Access Actto improve and expand the certification and participation process for Technical Service Providers under United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) conservation programs.
Transfer Food for Peace from United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to USDA, as seen in H.R. 1207.
The CAREERS Act to strengthen workforce development and career education programs.
The Save Our Bacon Act to block California’s Proposition 12 requirements on producers.
Johnson’s crop and conservation priorities included in the Farm Bill:
Provides long-term investments in working lands conservation programs, such as the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP).
Johnson’s amendment to clarify that tech-neutral modernization is eligible for fencing repair or replacement under the Emergency Conservation Program (ECP).
Johnson’s rural development priorities included in the Farm Bill:
Updates and modernizes USDA broadband programs, providing faster buildout speeds and strengthening connectivity to rural communities.
Codifies the Circuit Rider Program, which provides technical assistance for rural water systems.
Broadens the Business and Industry Guaranteed Loan Program to support new investments in food infrastructure for a more resilient and diverse U.S. food supply chain.
Reauthorizes the Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant Program and permits awardees to provide other forms of collateral to secure loans.
Johnson’s other agricultural priorities included in the Farm Bill:
Johnson’s amendment to strengthen Tribal 1994 Land Grant Institutions by expanding their ability to acquire land, modernize facilities, and invest in equipment to support ag research and extension.
Reauthorizes the New Beginnings for Tribal Students Program and removes the cap on funding each state can receive.
Reauthorizes the Sun Grant Program, expands the scope to include bioproducts, and allows universities to better utilize grant funding.
Reauthorizes the Wood Innovation Grant Program, reduces the non-Federal match, and authorizes grants for hauling materials to locations that can utilize it.
Directs additional resources toward livestock and poultry disease preparedness, including the National Animal Health Laboratory Network, National Animal Disease Preparedness and Response Program, and the National Animal Vaccine and Veterinary Countermeasures Bank.
More than doubles authorization funding for the Market Access Program (MAP) and Foreign Market Development (FMD) Program, enabling better market access and trade promotion.
Reforms reporting requirements under the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act to ensure accuracy and transparency of data on farmland owned by foreign persons.
Allows the Secretary to enter into self-determination contracts with Tribes to operate SNAP, consistent with the SNAP Tribal Food Sovereignty Act.
The Farm Bill has the support of more than 500 agricultural organizations from across the country, including seven from South Dakota: South Dakota Agri-Business Association, South Dakota Association of Conservation Districts, South Dakota Corn Growers Association, South Dakota Farm Bureau, South Dakota Soybean Association, South Dakota State University, and South Dakota Wheat Growers Association.
Gov. Rhoden Announces Additional Parole Reform Solutions
PIERRE, S.D. – Today, Governor Larry Rhoden announced immediate steps to help improve parole supervision in South Dakota, all of which have been executed or are in the process of execution.
“Keeping South Dakotans safe is the most important duty of government, and we have been working specifically on strengthening the safety and integrity of our parole system,” said Governor Larry Rhoden. “I appreciate the law enforcement leaders who have been working with me to deliver immediate improvements to the parole system. Together, we will better protect our communities.”
Governor Rhoden and the South Dakota Department of Corrections (DOC) are making it faster and easier to revoke repeat parole offenders and remove them from South Dakota communities. These directives will make parole supervision more focused, hold parolees more accountable, increase penalties for repeat offenders, and send parole violators back to prison faster.
“Parole is a layered issue, and the processes involve implementing the state law as it’s written and coordinating among corrections, judges, local law enforcement, and the Board of Pardons and Parole,” said DOC Secretary Nick Lamb. “I am grateful for Governor Rhoden’s leadership as we work together to reform parole and enhance public safety.”
Governor Rhoden’s directive delivers several results, including:
Creating an enhanced compliance unit with five specialized parole agents focused on a higher level of supervision including nights and weekends for the most intensive parolees;
DOC will appoint experienced parole agents to the enhanced compliance unit and add five new agents to help lower caseloads and improve supervision at all levels. These additional parole officer jobs have been posted;
Increasing punishment for parole violators. Instead of treating all misdemeanors the same, DOC has enhanced the severity of sanctions for DUIs, simple assault, and weapons violations that are a danger to others;
Enforcing accountability by continuing to revoke parole from more people who are noncompliant, in particular with drug use. In the first week, DOC nearly doubled the average number of revocations and will continue to moving forward;
Requesting the Board of Pardons and Parole process revocations faster and impose stronger sanctions. The director will hold disposition hearings more frequently and propose to the parole board increasing the length of returns to prison; and
Working with parole stakeholders and DOC on the legislation and budgetary items to further reform parole and support local law enforcement.
All of these directives have been executed, or are in the process of execution, at the direction of Governor Rhoden.
Less than one month ago, the South Dakota Department of Corrections announced the “Smarter Supervision Initiative,” which engages a consultant to review policies to supervise more effectively and reduce violent reoffending across the state. These directives are the next step in the continued effort to help solve the problems facing South Dakota communities when it comes to parole.
PIERRE, S.D. – South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley announces that the South Dakota Supreme Court has affirmed the conviction and sentence of Lucian Celestine for attempted threat of felony terrorism. He had been convicted in Pennington County after making threats to President Donald Trump and taking steps toward carrying out those threats.
“Threats against the President of the United States and public officials are taken seriously,” said Attorney General Jackley. “We will continue to prosecute individuals who seek to harm or intimidate public officials and their families.”
According to court records, Celestine first contacted the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in September 2019 claiming he was hearing voices instructing him to kill President Trump. In June 2020, Celestine attempted to purchase a sniper-style rifle through an online firearms marketplace and requested a scope capable of shooting up to 600 yards along with ammunition. The seller, a Brookings police officer acting as a private citizen, became concerned about Celestine’s behavior and reported the interaction to the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI).
Law enforcement later contacted Celestine as authorities prepared for President Trump’s visit to Mount Rushmore National Memorial for the 2020 Independence Day fireworks celebration. During the encounter, Celestine acknowledged he had contacted the FBI and admitted he had recently obtained a rifle. Officers located a Browning X-Bolt .300 Winchester Magnum rifle, ammunition, and targets in the trunk of his vehicle.
After being taken to the Rapid City Public Safety Building and advised of his rights, Celestine told investigators that voices in his head instructed him to kill the President. He described a plan to go to Mount Rushmore and position himself above the monument. He was subsequently arrested and indicted for threat of felony terrorism.
Celestine entered a guilty plea in November 2024 to SDCL 22-8-13 which is Attempted Threat of Felony Terrorism. In March 2025, the Pennington County Circuit Court sentenced him to two and a half years in the South Dakota State Penitentiary with credit for time served.
Celestine later appealed his conviction and sentence, but the South Dakota Supreme Court affirmed the circuit court’s judgment.
The Attorney General’s Office represented the state at the appeal.
Attorney General Jackley Releases Draft Explanation on Proposed Constitutional Amendment Establishing a Trust for Unclaimed Property Fund
PIERRE, S.D. – As required by state law, the South Dakota Attorney General’s Office has drafted an explanation for a Constitutional Amendment proposed by the Legislature that would establish a trust for the state’s Unclaimed Property Fund. The draft explanation has been filed with the Secretary of State’s Office.
Attorney General Marty Jackley takes no position on any such proposal for purposes of the ballot explanation. He has provided a fair and neutral explanation to help assist the voters as required by state law.
Sen. Taffy Howard and Rep. Chris Kassin are listed as the prime sponsors of the proposal which was approved by the 2025 South Dakota Legislature.
State law requires the Attorney General draft a title and explanation for each initiated measure, initiated constitutional amendment, constitutional amendment proposed by the Legislature, or referred measure that may appear on an election ballot. The Attorney General’s explanation is meant to be an “objective, clear, and simple summary” intended to “educate the voters of the purpose and effect of the proposed” measure, as well as identify the “legal consequences” of each measure.
Once the Attorney General has filed and posted the draft explanation, the public has 10 days to provide written comment. The explanation was filed April 29, 2026, and the deadline for comments on this explanation is May 9, 2026, at the close of business in Pierre, South Dakota. The final explanation is due to the Secretary of State on May 19, 2026.
If approved, the explanation will accompany the proposal on the 2026 general election ballot which is Nov. 3.
To file written comments regarding the language of the explanation, not the merits of the proprosal, please use one of the following methods below. Copies of all comments received by the deadline will be posted on this website.
Comments may be submitted via mail, or through hand delivery, to the Attorney General’s Office at:
Office of the Attorney General
Ballot Comment
1302 S.D. E. Hwy. 1889, Suite #1
Pierre, SD 57501
Comments that are hand delivered must be received by the close of business in Pierre, South Dakota, by May 9, 2026.
Comments may also be emailed to ATGballotcomments@state.sd.us by May 9, 2026 Comments should be clearly expressed in the body of the email. The Attorney General’s Office will not open attachments in an effort to prevent malware or other digital threats. Please include your name and contact information when submitting your comment. The title of the comment must be included in the subject line of the email.
Johnson Testifies in Support of His Eastern South Dakota Rural Water Bills
Washington, D.C. – Today, the House Committee on Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries held a hearing on U.S. Representative Dusty Johnson’s (R-S.D.) bills to conduct feasibility studies on supplying Missouri River water to communities in eastern South Dakota.
“As South Dakota continues to grow, investments in water supply are critical for the future of our state,” said Johnson. “I’m proud to support the Lewis and Clark and Dakota Mainstem projects to ensure safe and ample water resources for generations to come.”
Click here or the image above for Johnson’s remarks
“The Lewis & Clark Regional Water System is grateful for the support of Congressman Johnson and the tri-state delegation for the planning for water needs of our region decades into the future, planning that can occur with this feasibility study,” said Troy Larson, Executive Director of Lewis & Clark Regional Water System. “Whether it is economic development or the ongoing needs of communities big and small, access to safe reliable water is a necessary element to future growth.”
“On behalf of Dakota Mainstem, I want to thank Congressman Dusty Johnson and the members of the House Subcommittee for the opportunity to testify and discuss the importance of this project,” said Ryan Johnson, President of Dakota Mainstem Regional Water System. “Reliable water infrastructure is a shared responsibly, essential to the future growth, economic stability, and long-term drought resilience of our region. This feasibility study authorization is an important step toward ensuring communities, rural water systems, and future generations have access to a dependable water supply.”
The Lewis and Clark Regional Water System Expansion Feasibility Study Act authorizes the Bureau of Reclamation to carry out a feasibility study for a proposed drinking water project drawing from the Missouri River. This project would support Lewis and Clark Regional Water System’s efforts to supply drinking water to 350,000 people in southeast South Dakota, northwest Iowa, and southwest Minnesota. Click here for bill text.
The Dakota Mainstem Water Supply Project Feasibility Study Act authorizes the Bureau of Reclamation to carry out a feasibility study for a proposed water project drawing from the Missouri River to supplement local supplies and address long-term water scarcity and quality challenges. This project will help Dakota Mainstem support more than 50 water providers in South Dakota, Iowa, Minnesota, and Nebraska. Click here for bill text.
Johnson testified in support of his Western South Dakota Water Supply Project Feasibility Study Act on April 16, 2026.
Washington, D.C. – Today, the House of Representatives passed the Farm, Food, and National Security Act, also known as the Farm Bill, with a bipartisan 224-200 vote. U.S. Representative Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) voted to pass the Farm Bill which contains dozens of Johnson’s priorities that support farmers and ranchers in South Dakota and across America..jpg){kind=link}