Polls

Have you avoided going outdoors recently due to the Canadian wildfire smoke in the area?

Do you agree with the Trump administration's recent actions against Harvard University, including canceling federal contracts, freezing grants, threatening tax-exempt status, and revoking international student admission rights, in response to allegations of partisan and Anti-Semitic hiring and admissions policies?

Though the weather disagrees, summer vacation is here! Do you and your family plan to head out of your area for a vacation/vacations this summer?

Former President Donald Trump says Qatar has offered the U.S. a Boeing 747 jet to use as Air Force One due to delays in the production of a new presidential aircraft. Do you think Trump should accept Qatar’s offer of a 747 jet to serve as Air Force One?

Do you think it's a good idea to allow South Dakota law students to become licensed attorneys through a public service-based pilot program instead of taking the traditional bar exam?

Context:
The new five-year pilot program allows a limited number of law students from the University of South Dakota to earn their law license by completing two years of full-time public service work—such as in a public defender or state’s attorney’s office—and submitting a portfolio for review, rather than passing the state bar exam.

For more information: https://southdakotasearchlight.com/briefs/nine-students-in-pilot-program-could-become-lawyers-without-passing-bar-exam/

Earlier this week marked the end of President Trump's first 100 days in office—a traditional milestone used to assess a new president’s early performance. Do you approve of how he has handled the job so far?

The Department of Education announced it will resume collecting federal student loans in default starting May 5, ending a five-year pause that began during the pandemic. Over 5 million borrowers are currently in default. Do you think restarting collections is a good idea?

With the average cost of eggs in the U.S. now over $6 a dozen, do you still plan to dye Easter eggs this year?

How do you feel about the most recent round of Trump tariffs? Supporters argue this measure is necessary to address trade imbalances and protect domestic industries, while critics warn it could escalate trade tensions and increase consumer prices.​ Where do you stand?

South Dakota Governor Larry Rhoden has proposed allowing counties to implement a half-percent sales tax to help fund property tax reductions for homeowners. The plan would shift some of the property tax burden to consumers, including tourists, by increasing sales tax in participating counties. Supporters say it could save homeowners hundreds of dollars annually, while critics argue it increases sales tax and changes longstanding tax policy. Do you agree with this proposal?

Gov. Rhoden is considering bills that would change voting eligibility rules for full-time travelers and RV voters. HB 1066 would require a person to have spent 30 consecutive days at a single physical location in SD at some point in their life to be legally eligible to vote in the state. HB 1208 would allow people with a SD mailbox address but no physical abode or proof of a 30-day stay to register for a federal-only absentee ballot, limited to candidates for president, U.S. senator and rep. If only 1066 is signed into law, full-time travelers who use SD as their residency state could lose access to all absentee ballots unless they can prove a 30-day stay in a single location. Do you support these proposed changes to South Dakota’s voting laws?

A resolution passed by the SD legislature in recent weeks will eventually ask voters to increase the approval threshold for constitutional amendments from a simple majority to 60%. The measure will appear on the general election ballot in November 2026. Do you agree with this increase?

Additional info-

Supporters said the change is necessary to protect the state’s constitution from being amended by outside interests and prevent policy from being inserted into a document that’s intended only to stipulate the structure and powers of the government.
Rep. John Hughes, R-Sioux Falls, sponsored the resolution.

“Our constitution is more than a statute,” Hughes said in a statement. “It is a contract between the state itself and the people that assures us that if we live here, raise our families here, worship here, and conduct our vacations here, we can count on certain core values remaining constant.”

Opponents said initiated constitutional amendments are necessary because lawmakers sometimes refuse to adopt a popular policy, and because lawmakers can repeal or amend a regular initiative on their own but can’t change the constitution without public approval. They said raising the threshold would make it significantly harder for South Dakotans to amend their constitution.
Opponents also alleged that the measure is an attempt to stifle citizen-driven initiatives and would ensure that only proposals with backing from powerful political and financial groups can succeed.

Source: https://southdakotasearchlight.com/2025/03/17/legislature-approves-several-new-restrictions-on-citizen-ballot-measures/