ONE INJURED IN MILBANK SHOOTING, SUSPECT ARRESTED

MILBANK, S.D. (Dakota News Now) – South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley announced that one person had been arrested following a shooting that occurred at a Milbank nursing home on Wednesday.

Jackley said that an employee dispute led to the shooting at Avantara Milbank where a supervisor was shot in the nose area and received minor injuries.

The suspect was arrested and there is no danger to the public at this time.

The Attorney General applauded local law enforcement for their swift response.

“It was a very strong and quick law enforcement response, they had to make sure that they contained the area, that the victim was taken care of, and that the suspect was apprehended. And so they did a very strong job of doing that in a very efficient manner bringing safety to the Milbank community,” Jackley said.

South Dakota DCI is leading the investigation and the suspect is in the process of being formally charged.

They are presumed innocent under the US Constitution.

 

NEBRASKA GOVERNOR JIM PILLEN DELIVERS STATE OF THE STATE ADDRESS

LINCOLN, NE – Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen said the state is “extraordinarily strong” when outlining his vision during the 2025 State of the State Address on Wednesday.

Pillen began by talking about his recent fall from horseback that put him in the hospital with several broken ribs. “I recently had a real, real reminder of the preciousness of each moment…” Pillen said. “A few weeks ago I dropped my guard and I was humbled by the power of that horse. I stand before you here today, simply only by God’s grace.”

He then addressed what he calls “wins” for the state, including having one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country. He said that the state’s tax burden is less on Nebraska residents than it was in 2022.

“For the first time, Nebraskans opened their property tax statement and it was lower than the year before.” Despite this progress, he emphasized that “the work of making Nebraska a low-tax state is far from over.”

Education was another focal point of Pillen’s address. “School funding should always fund the student, not the system,” he said, sharing plans for a “Blue Ribbon Commission” to recommend a new model for education in Nebraska.

Pillen also highlighted a bill introduced this legislative session that would combine the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy with the Department of Natural Resources to streamline government operations. He also wants to pass legislation aimed at banning lab grown meat and protect data collected by farm equipment from being shared without the farm owner’s consent.

The governor spoke at length about protecting Nebraskans, voicing support for Senator Kathleen Kauth’s Stand with Women Act. The proposed legislation would restrict transgender athletes’ participation in sports and mandate that bathroom use align with biological sex rather than gender identity.

Pillen also outlined a series of bills aimed at safeguarding children from social media’s negative effects, addressing issues like phones in classrooms and tightening child pornography laws. “We need to level the playing field between parents and big tech giants,” he said.

Wrapping up, Pillen called for Nebraska to move away from its current split electoral college system, urging lawmakers to adopt a winner-take-all approach during this legislative session. “It’s time to end this 30-year experiment,” he said.

 

IOWA’S CHIEF JUSTICE CALLS FOR INCREASING PAY FOR JUDGES, COURT APPOINTED ATTORNEYS

DES MOINES, IA (Gray Media Iowa Capitol Bureau) – Iowa’s top judge is calling on state lawmakers to make reforms to the judicial system this legislative session. In particular, she’s asking for changes when it comes to judicial pay and public defenders.

Before a joint session of the legislature Wednesday, Iowa Supreme Court Chief Justice Susan Christensen laid out her vision to make the judicial system better in her Condition of the Judiciary address.

“While we respect the priorities of leaner government and fiscal responsibility, I ask for your partnership in ensuring the courts have the resources needed to fulfill this promise to Iowans,” she said.

Christensen says a top issue for the Iowa Judicial Branch is getting more attorneys who are willing to represent clients who can’t afford their own attorney. She says the state has only half the number of contracted attorneys to do that compared to 10 years ago.

“If a criminal defendant isn’t provided court appointed counsel, critical deadlines may be missed and the case could fall apart, allowing the defendant to avoid prosecution entirely. It’s that plain and simple,” she said.

Christensen says Iowa pays less than every surrounding state. She says judges have been asking attorneys to sign up for contract work, but aren’t having success.

“We’re told it’s little success because the attorneys won’t work at our low state rate when they have clients that can pay a competitive hourly rate,” she said.

Christensen also wants these lawmakers to increase pay for judges.

In Fiscal Year 2023, a state District Court judge made $158,000. Christensen says that’s lower than every state surrounding Iowa and 41st in the nation.

Iowa judges got a 5% raise last year, which Christensen says was the largest raise state judges have received in the past 16 years.

Christensen says the number of people applying for a judgeship has dropped 56% in the past 20 years. She believes pay for judges is part of the problem.

“We risk attracting a pool of applicants who may not have the qualifications or the proper temperament to serve effectively. This could lead to rulings that are inconsistent or poorly grounded in the law, which ultimately undermines the confidence in our courts,” she said.

Christensen wants the legislature to raise the salaries about $27,000 over the next four years. Kansas used a similar method and increased their judicial pay ranking from 51st in the nation to 29th.

Christensen did not address the Judicial Branch computer error that sent $27.5 million in court fees to the wrong accounts over a five year period in her speech.

Judicial Branch officials previously said that the problem has been corrected.

 

JOINT SESSION OF SOUTH DAKOTA LEGISLATURE HEARS STATE OF THE TRIBES ADDRESS

PIERRE, S.D. (SDBA) – The Chair of the Sisseton-Wapehton Oyate, addressed the Legislature this afternoon (Tuesday), emphasizing collaboration between the state and tribal nations during the historic 100th session.

Speaking on behalf of the nine Oceti Sakowin tribal nations, the Chairman J. Garrett Renville highlighted challenges in law enforcement, education, and health care.

Reville called for renewed government-to-government engagement.

He acknowledged past tensions but urged lawmakers to reset relationships, emphasizing trust, transparency, and mutual respect.

“Today, let’s rebuild. Let’s start to listen and actually hear,” Renville said.

He noted that legislation impacting tribes often proceeds without consultation, eroding trust.

Renville praised recent progress, including a tribal law enforcement academy launched last year, and urged further investment in locally trained officers.

On economic issues, he advocated for honoring tax agreements and improving transparency regarding online sales tax revenues from tribal lands.

The Renville also called for increased funding for tribal schools and proposed partnerships to promote sustainable agriculture on tribal lands.

Addressing health care disparities, he outlined plans for a tribal-managed Medicaid care entity, which could help stabilize state budgets while improving outcomes.

“South Dakota’s strength lies not in our divisions but in our diversity,” Renville concluded, invoking Sitting Bull’s vision of unity to build a brighter future for all.

 

REPORT: RURAL AMERICA WOULD FEEL THE PAIN OF DEEP MEDICAID CUTS

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Mike Moen / Greater Dakota News Service) – Congressional Republicans are taking a hard look at Medicaid as they pursue spending cuts and a new report shows how the public health program is preventing care access from further eroding in rural South Dakota and elsewhere.

The incoming Trump administration promises major cuts, and a House GOP proposal floats a nearly $2.5 trillion Medicaid reduction.

Findings from Georgetown University’s Center for Children and Families show people in rural areas are more likely than metro populations to receive health coverage through Medicaid.

Katy Kozhimannil, professor of health and policy management at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health, said reimbursements keep rural providers operating, limiting a key patient burden.

“In most parts of the Dakotas, we have vast, vast areas where people have to travel great distances to access basic care,” Kozhimannil pointed out.

The report also found Medicaid is a significant health coverage source for Native Americans. Two-thirds of Indigenous elders in South Dakota’s Oglala Lakota County are covered by the program. Some House Republicans insist the programs need reform to avoid a fiscal collapse. But skeptics said drastic changes are a way to offset a planned extension of federal tax cuts.

Joan Alker, executive director of the Georgetown University Center for Children and Families, said Medicaid helps recipients get ahead of health challenges through preventive care, as opposed to letting conditions worsen.

“People wind up sicker and then they’re in the emergency room and children can’t get their asthma inhalers and they miss school,” Alker explained.

By keeping healthy enough for work and creating better health outcomes for kids, Alker argued policymakers need to realize programs such as Medicaid are not government waste.

“In the long term, it’s a much better investment of taxpayer dollars,” Alker contended. “Because it’ll pay dividends to make sure that these families are getting the care they need.”