The South Dakota Catholic Conference supports passage of House Bill 1239, which strengthens existing laws designed to protect children from obscenity. Current law in South Dakota prohibits the distribution of material “harmful to minors,” which is defined as material that “predominantly appeals to a prurient, shameful, or morbid interest of Read more…
The South Dakota Catholic Conference supports passage of House Bill 1260, an act to ensure the accuracy of vital records and personal identification documents issued by the state. While South Dakota law currently prescribes that a state-issued birth certificate is to record a person’s biological sex as observed following birth, Read more…
The South Dakota Catholic Conference supports House Bill 1259, which protects privacy and dignity by requiring that public schools and government buildings designate multi-occupancy restrooms and changing rooms for the exclusive use of males or females. Requiring men and boys, and women and girls, to utilize restrooms that are designated Read more…
The South Dakota Catholic Conference opposes Senate Joint Resolution 507, a proposed constitutional amendment that would legalize mobile sports betting throughout the state. The Catholic Church does not understand games of chance to be inherently wrong in every instance. However, very serious concerns arise in the context of modern sports Read more…
The South Dakota Catholic Conference supports passage of Senate Bill 119, legislation to repeal the death penalty. In his landmark encyclical Evangelium Vitae (The Gospel of Life), St. Pope John Paul II explained the Church’s teaching on criminal punishments: “Public authority must redress the violation of personal and social rights Read more…
The South Dakota Catholic Conference supports passage of House Bill 1044, authorizing the installation and use of newborn safety devices, commonly known as “baby boxes,” to facilitate the safe surrender of newborn children under the state’s safe haven law. We must always strive to enact public policies and instill cultural Read more…
Education freedom on agenda for 2025 legislative session By Michael Pauley, Executive Director, South Dakota Catholic Conference Parents who want more choices for educating their children have much at stake in the 2025 legislative session. Lawmakers are considering House Bill 1020, a measure that would usher in an “education savings Read more…
The South Dakota Catholic Conference supports passage of House Bill 1053, a measure that would require websites containing obscene content to implement “reasonable age verification” procedures to prevent access by those under the age of 18. The policy proposed by HB 1053 resembles existing legal requirements that restrict minors from Read more…
What is House Bill 1020? House Bill 1020 would create an education savings account for South Dakota. Under the program proposed by HB 1020, the state will deposit a portion of taxpayer dollars allocated for education into a parent-controlled “education savings account” or ESA. Parents, after application and approval by Read more…
The South Dakota Catholic Conference supports House Bill 1020, legislation that would empower parents with more freedom to choose the type of education that works best for their children. HB 1020 authorizes the creation of an “education savings account” (ESA) program. The state would deposit a portion of taxpayer dollars Read more…
Statement of the Bishops of South Dakota on Defeat of Amendment G
Measure 29 threatens human health, undermines the common good South Dakota voters are once again being asked to decide on the legalization of recreational marijuana. One of the enduring myths of contemporary culture is that marijuana is a harmless drug. Yet evidence from states that have gone down the Read more…
AMENDMENT G Text of Amendment G https://sdcatholicconference.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/TEXT.2024.ABORTION.AMENDMENT.pdf Diocese of Sioux Falls Respect Life webpage https://www.sfcatholic.org/respectlife/ Pastoral Letter on the Abortion Amendment: “Bearing the Face of Jesus” https://sdcatholicconference.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/PASTORAL.LIFE_.pdf Resolution of the South Dakota Legislature on Amendment G https://mylrc.sdlegislature.gov/api/Documents/265688.pdf Tri-fold brochure on abortion amendment (SD Catholic Conference) Amendment G trifold for distribution Read more…
Joint Statement of the Spiritual Leaders of the Roman Catholic Dioceses of South Dakota on the Anniversary of the Dobbs Decision
Joint Statement of the Spiritual Leaders of the Roman Catholic Dioceses of South Dakota on Ballot Measure to Legalize Marijuana
Joint Statement of the Spiritual Leaders of the Roman Catholic Dioceses of South Dakota on Certification of Abortion Amendment
The South Dakota Catholic Conference supports House Bill 1178, which will prohibit the use of state-owned facilities or public moneys to support or facilitate obscene live conduct at public universities under the control of the Board of Regents. Public authorities should work to uphold morality, rather than undermining it by Read more…
The South Dakota Catholic Conference supports House Bill 1217, a bill that would give county and municipal governments the ability to restrict or prohibit the placement of video lottery machines within the boundaries of a local jurisdiction. While games of chance are not intrinsically evil or unjust, gambling becomes morally Read more…
The South Dakota Catholic Conference opposes Senate Bill 216, which would permit medical providers to prescribe puberty-blocking drugs and cross-sex hormones to minors, for the purpose of making an individual appear to be a sex that is not consistent with his or her biological sex. SB 216 would partially repeal Read more…
The South Dakota Catholic Conference opposes Senate Bill 210, which proposes to legalize abortion throughout pregnancy and repeal most of the pro-life laws enacted in South Dakota during the last several decades. In the encyclical Evangelium Vitae (62), St. Pope John Paul II stated: “…direct abortion… always constitutes a grave Read more…