skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Friday, November 22, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Trump suffers first defeat but as always doubles down for the next fight; From Ohio to Azerbaijan: How COP29 could shape local farming; Funding boosts 'green' projects in Meadville, PA; VA apprenticeships bridge skills gaps, offer career stability.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Trump has a new pick for Attorney General, his incoming "border czar" warns local Democratic officials not to impede mass deportation, and the House passes legislation that could target any nonprofit group accused of supporting terrorism.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

The CDC has a new plan to improve the health of rural Americans, updated data could better prepare folks for flash floods like those that devastated Appalachia, and Native American Tribes could play a key role in the nation's energy future.

South Dakota gets 'C-plus' grade for redistricting

play audio
Play

Monday, October 16, 2023   

A non-partisan political group is out with state-by-state grades for recent redistricting efforts, including South Dakota.

Common Cause gives South Dakota a C-plus for how it carried out the process of redrawing legislative districts based on updated Census data.

The report credits the Legislature for holding numerous hearings and allowing testimony from community members. But the authors say there wasn't enough education about the details.

OJ Semans Sr. - co-executive director of the Native American group Four Directions - said for tribal communities and organizers, he agreed with the report and that there were barriers. But it wasn't all bad.

"It did take a while to get the Legislature in coming out and actually meeting with tribes," said Semans, "but the outcome was beneficial for Indian country in South Dakota."

He said policymakers heard concerns about specific regions, resulting in some gains.

That includes the Crow Creek and Lower Brule reservations being drawn into a single state legislative district, as opposed to fragmenting those boundaries and hindering tribal representation.

Semans said groups like his also made sure tribal representatives were more present at redistricting meetings, a factor cited by Common Cause.

But the report says under-resourced communities need more funding and other support to train participants, and Semans added a separate, longstanding issue still exists.

"The challenge is to get the United States Census to do a proper job," said Semans.

Native Americans have been historically undercounted in the Census. The report recommends solutions such as hiring tribal members as census workers or having them guide census staff around reservations.

The Census Bureau recently announced it will create a new federal advisory committee in hopes of addressing issues like undercounts ahead of the 2030 Census.

Support for this reporting was provided by the Carnegie Corporation of New York.




get more stories like this via email

more stories
The smoking rate among adults in Maryland is 9.6%, much lower than the national average of 12.9%. (Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

A new report on lung cancer by the American Lung Association showed Maryland has quite a bit of room to improve diagnoses and treatment but experts sa…


Social Issues

play sound

La Niña is bringing a cooler, wetter winter to Oregon and likely driving up heating bills as systems work harder. This is the third year of …

Environment

play sound

The number of pedestrians and bicyclists killed on roadways in the U.S. has nearly doubled in the past 12 years and a New Mexico researcher wants to …


Social Issues

play sound

CLARIFICATION: We updated language to clarify the timing for when the study's authors began tracking certain outcome measures for children within the …

Health and Wellness

play sound

By Kyla Russell for WISH-TV.Broadcast version by Joe Ulery for Indiana News Service reporting for the WISH-TV-Free Press Indiana-Public News Service C…

Social Issues

play sound

A recent study from Florida Atlantic University highlights a concerning rise in alcohol-related deaths across the United States, with mortality rates …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021