Category Archives: Opinion

By Sen. Tom Jones District 17 Governor signs tourism tax Last Thursday, Gov. Dennis Daugaard signed the bill which increases the tourism tax permanently to 1.5 per cent. This tax affects all entities that are involved with tourism during the months of June, July, August, and September. The tourism business … Read Article →

By Gov. Dennis Daugaard Last year, I had the opportunity to join a Department of Defense trip to Kuwait and Afghanistan to visit South Dakota troops who were serving in those countries. Seeing the bleak landscape of Afghanistan and the extreme desert conditions made me appreciate even more the sacrifice … Read Article →

Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman, a Republican, announced earlier this week that he has approved the new route through Nebraska for the Keystone XL pipeline. The pipeline will also run through western South Dakota. Heineman's decision more or less clears the way for the U.S. State Department and President Obama to … Read Article →

"The reader's ear must adjust down from loud life to the subtle…sounds of the written word. [For] an ordinary reader…it will take half an hour to pick up the writing's modulations, its ups and downs and louds and softs." – Annie Dillard, "The Writing Life" You would think that seasoned … Read Article →

A piece of legislation that likely is very similar to a bill that couldn't survive a veto from Gov. Dennis Daugaard at the end of last year's legislative session has been introduced again. The new bill may have the same intent as the one from last year. It couldn't be … Read Article →

"In the depth of winter, I finally learned that there was in me an invincible summer." – Albert Camus, French author, journalist and philosopher This time of year, fruit baskets make their way into our frostbitten homes – juicy pink grapefruit, oranges, tangelos, pineapples and the like. This is perhaps … Read Article →