South Dakota Civics: How Your State Government Works

by bam

A practical, non-partisan guide to how the state of South Dakota governs itself, and how you take part where you live. South Dakota holds a national first: in 1898 it became the FIRST state to give citizens the initiative and referendum (the power to make and repeal laws directly), years before Oregon's more famous system. You'll learn South Dakota's Constitution of 1889, its plural executive, its Legislature of 35 senators and 70 representatives, its merit-selection Supreme Court, its lack of a state income tax, and its 66 counties. Time-sensitive facts are flagged, pointing to sdsos.gov. Cited to South Dakota's own official sources (sdlegislature.gov, sdsos.gov, ujs.sd.gov).