EAGLE PASS, TX – South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem was at the United States’ southern border again on Tuesday, this time to get an update from 50 of the state’s National Guard soldiers stationed there as part of Texas’ efforts to stop illegal immigrants from entering the country (Operation Lone Star).
Noem was joined at the border by South Dakota Adjutant General Mark Morrell and South Dakota Secretary of Public Safety Bob Perry, who officially started his job yesterday.
Due to a recent surge in border crossings, September 2023 is expected to surpass previous monthly highs. US Customs and Border Patrol data shows encounters have remained at record high levels for the past three years.
Noem says the Mexican drug cartels are taking advantage of the open border and the situation continues to deteriorate. She says South Dakota National Guard troops are serving alongside soldiers from Texas and other states to bring some stability to the “warzone.”
Last week, Texas Governor Greg Abbott invoked Article 1, Section 10, Clause 3 of the United States Constitution, “enabling the State of Texas to protect its own territory against invasion by the Mexican drug cartels.”
PIERRE, SD – The final meeting of the South Dakota Indigent Legal Services Task Force took place on Monday and suggestions were finalized to bring to the state legislature at its next session.
The task force came together at the request of South Dakota Supreme Court Chief Justice Steven Jensen.
One of those recommendations calls for the Sixth Amendment Center to gather more information from various counties in South Dakota and conduct “a thorough review” of the data.
Another recommendation that would require action from state lawmakers is establishing a state appellate defender’s office with a staff of seven and a $1.4 million budget for its first year.
The third is an actual list of possible changes to South Dakota’s current system for legal defense of indigent people.
The report’s list includes:
“Consider a one-time appropriation to the county reimbursement funds to offset costs to counties. This one-time appropriation could be limited to small counties or enhanced to support small counties as they will see fewer immediate benefits from the proposed state office focusing initially on appellate cases.
“Create a reinvestment pool between the state and counties that reimburses county indigent defense costs when those costs exceed a certain baseline cost. There exists a model for such a structure in current South Dakota codified law that could be expanded further and should consider state participation in that program.
“Create a dollar cap on the amount a county is responsible for related to an individual case and also a total cap on the maximum outlay a county is required to pay for court-appointed defense costs on an annual basis. Any amounts above those caps would become the responsibility of the state.
“Explore cost-sharing of criminal defense costs with tribal governments.
“Require the defendant to pay a reasonable fixed cost for court-appointed counsel.
“Require a fiscal note on the costs of public defense associated with the creation of a new or enhanced criminal penalty as part of any proposed legislation.
PIERRE, S.D. – Governor Kristi Noem has proclaimed October Cybersecurity Awareness Month in South Dakota.
Cybersecurity Awareness Month aims to raise awareness about digital security and empower everyone to protect their personal data from digital forms of crime.
“Every business, organization, and individual needs to understand the value of taking steps to be safe online,” said Jeff Clines, Commissioner of the Bureau of Information and Telecommunications. “The ‘It’s easy to stay safe online’ campaign helps to communicate essential steps we can all take to be aware of the risks of participating in a digital world.”
This year’s campaign theme — “It’s easy to stay safe online” — reminding internet users that there are plenty of simple ways to keep personal information and private data secure when browsing and using the internet.
To avoid such threats, the citizens of South Dakota are reminded to do the following:
- Never share your password;
- Enable two-factor authentication;
- Update software; and
- Recognize phishing attempts.
For more information, please visit https://staysafeonline.org/resources/online-safety-privacy-basics/.
Since 2004, the President of the United States and Congress have declared October to be Cybersecurity Awareness Month, helping individuals protect themselves online as threats to technology and confidential data become more commonplace.
