PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN COMMUTES LIFE SENTENCE OF LEONARD PELTIER ON HIS WAY OUT OF OFFICE
WASHINGTON D.C. (Dakota News Now) – In the final hour of his presidency, Joe Biden commuted the life sentence of 80-year-old Leonard Peltier.
Peltier is a Native American activist who has been serving life in prison after being convicted of killing two FBI agents in 1975.
Peltier was active in the American Indian Movement, which began in the 1960s in Minneapolis, and fought issues of police brutality and discrimination against Native Americans.
In 1973, the movements caught the attention of the nation with a 71-day standoff with federal agents in the Pine Ridge village of Wounded Knee.
On June 26, 1975, federal agents went to Pine Ridge with arrest warrants.
Agents Jack Coler and Ronald Williams were injured in a shootout and later killed.
American Indian Movement members Robert Robideau and Dino Butler were acquitted of the killings.
Peltier fled to Canada but was extradited to the United States where he was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder in 1977, despite claims of falsified evidence.
Decades later, Peltier is 80 years old, has had his sentence commuted, and will serve the remainder in home confinement.
Peltier has not been pardoned of his charges.
The news was met with anger from South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley who pointed out that Peltier’s conviction has been reviewed and upheld by 22 federal judges since his initial conviction.
South Dakota Congressman Dusty Johnson points out that repeated denials of parole are evidence that altering Peltier’s sentence is simply a bad decision.
Tribal Nations, Nobel Peace Prize laureates, former law enforcement officials, lawmakers, and human rights organizations strongly support granting Mr. Peltier clemency due to his age, health issues, leadership in the Native American community, and the long time he has already spent in prison.
GF&P SAYS NO ICE IS 100% SAFE AND OFFERS GUIDELINES FOR SAFE ICE FISHING
PIERRE, S.D. – As ice fishing season continues across South Dakota, it’s crucial for anglers to maintain a strong focus on safety. The South Dakota Game, Fish, and Parks Department emphasizes the adage, “NO ice is 100% safe,” which remains valid, especially during the mid-winter months.
As the ice thickens, anglers become more confident in using ATVs, side-by-sides, and even full-sized pickups. However, this increased confidence can lead to a relaxation of the early ice safety mindset.
New dangers such as heaves, slush pockets, pressure ridges, and other natural elements can emerge, often concealed under a blanket of snow. Several vehicles have been reported as falling through the ice, emphasizing the importance of caution.
To ensure safe navigation on the ice throughout the mid-season, the department offers the following reminders:
- Travel during daylight hours: Darkness can conceal dangers even further.
- Slow down: If you’re unsure about the ice’s condition, get out and check.
- Keep seat belts off and windows down when driving on the ice.
- Trust your instincts: If you’re unsure, leave the vehicle on shore.
- Use GPS, maps, and other tools: Ensure you stay on a safe course. A passenger monitoring the map while the driver focuses on the path ahead is the safest combination. The South Dakota Game, Fish, and Parks Department also provides guidelines for recommended minimum ice thickness:
- 3″ OR LESS: STAY OFF THE ICE
- 4″: Safe to walk on, ice fish, or skate
- 5-6″: Snowmobiles and ATVs
- 8-12″: Cars and other small vehicles
- 12-15″: Medium trucks
A medium pickup pulling a heavy-duty recreational camper-style ice shack should consider 20 inches or more of ice before driving.
In the unfortunate event that your vehicle goes through the ice, notify your local law enforcement agency as soon as possible. Even if you and your passengers are safely on shore, it’s essential to report the incident to prevent others from mistaking it for an accident and to keep everyone safe from the dangerous area.
MAKING IT HARDER TO CHANGE THE STATE CONSTITUTION
PIERRE, S.D. (SDBA) – South Dakota lawmakers are pushing to make changing the state’s constitution more difficult.
The House State Affairs Committee today (Friday) approved a measure that would require 60% of voters, instead of a simple majority, to pass any constitutional amendments.
Rep. John Hughes, R-Sioux Falls, says out-of-state money is flooding into South Dakota to influence voters.
He cites recent examples where hundreds of thousands of dollars came from places like California and Illinois to support ballot measures.
“South Dakota has become a meeting point for out-of-state interests to take advantage of our simple majority rule,” Hughes said.
Opponents argue this change would make it too difficult for citizens to update their constitution.
Zebediah Johnson from the Voter Defense Association says it would give too much power to a minority of voters to block changes that most South Dakotans want.
Rural lawmakers like Rep. Spencer Gosch (gosh), R-Glenham, worry that growing cities could eventually overpower rural voices in state decisions without this protection.
The measure passed the committee on a partisan 11-2 vote.
HJR 5003 now heads to the full House for consideration.
If the legislature approves this change, voters will have the final say in the 2026 election.
AGE VERIFICATION BILL FOR ADULT WEBSITES PASSES OUT OF COMMITTEE IN PIERRE
PIERRE, S.D. (John Haiar / South Dakota Searchlight) – A committee of South Dakota lawmakers endorsed a bill Friday that would require pornographic websites to implement age verification measures.
The House State Affairs Committee passed the measure 11-2, with all yes votes from Republicans and the two no votes from Democrats. It now goes to the full House of Representatives.
The legislation would require pornographic websites to ensure users are at least 18 years old by verifying their identification, via means that could include submitting an image of an identification card. The bill would also prohibit the websites and any third parties conducting age verification from retaining users’ identifying information post-verification.
Non-compliance by websites would result in a misdemeanor for the first offense and escalate to a felony for subsequent violations. The bill contains lengthy definitions for pornographic content harmful to children.
Rep. Bethany Soye, R-Sioux Falls, is the prime sponsor of the bill. She said it’s essential to protect minors from exposure to explicit online content.
Hollie Strand is a forensic examiner with the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office who said she was testifying on her own behalf. She said children as young as kindergarten students are being exposed to pornography, whether parents take measures to protect their kids or not.
“I had a kindergartener ask me what to do when his friend showed him porn and he asked him to stop,” she said.
The state Attorney General’s Office endorsed the bill.
The American Civil Liberties Union of South Dakota testified in opposition and said that while the intention is to safeguard minors, the legislation could undermine the First Amendment rights of adults who might be deterred by age-verification privacy concerns from accessing legal content.
“Allowing the government to restrict access to sexual content will inevitably lead to more censorship and a more restricted internet for everyone,” said Samantha Chapman, ACLU of South Dakota advocacy manager. “Young people deserve our protection and support, but age-gating the internet is not the answer.”
The legislative effort follows similar, failed legislation from last year.
In response, an interim study committee was established to examine the issue further. A separate, similar bill also addresses the issue this session in the Senate but hasn’t had a hearing yet.
Sen. David Wheeler, R-Huron, a sponsor of the Senate bill, said it’s modeled after Texas legislation that’s under consideration by the U.S. Supreme Court. The bill would only take effect if the Texas law is upheld. Wheeler said that would prevent South Dakota from having to face litigation and pay legal fees for its own law.
The other difference is the Senate bill would only require age verification for sites where at least one-third of the content is harmful to minors, to more clearly distinguish between pornographic sites and sites that merely contain some adult content. In response to a South Dakota Searchlight question, Wheeler acknowledged that pornographic sites could transition two-thirds of their content to non-harmful material to avoid being age-gated.
“That just illustrates the difficulty of regulating this stuff,” Wheeler said.
