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…
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…
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…