Report shows S.D.'s need for more open government
November 12, 2008: South Dakotans are quietly proud of the state's reputation for politeness and a willingness to help neighbors, friends and even strangers.
Run out of gas on a country road and you won't wait long until someone stops to offer help. Old people carrying groceries are usually aided by someone who opens a door or carries a bag or two to a car.
So it comes as something of a shock to hear the state is ranked 50th in integrity in a study by the Better Government Association. It ranked states based on government transparency, accountability, whistleblower protections, open records and campaign finance laws. Read the full editorial here.
S.D. jury records to be closed, high court says
September 26, 2008: Worried about protecting jurors' personal information, the South Dakota Supreme Court last week decided all records created during jury selection should not be available to the public unless the trial judge says otherwise.
Presiding circuit judges across the state proposed the change as they grew increasingly concerned about identity theft and the potential that someone would embarrass jurors by distributing their answers to sensitive questions. Read the full article here.
Kudos to Pierre for records Web site
September 16, 2008: Up is down, black is white, and the state of South Dakota has a new Web site collecting copious amounts of public information.
OK, maybe that's a flip response to something that is in fact a real victory for free and open access to government: the state's new OpenSD Web site.
But South Dakota's record when it comes to government openness is not the best. The Legislature has yet to pass a truly comprehensive open records law - one that presumes openness and then lays out reasonable exceptions. Read the full editorial here.
| 
