South Dakota

South Dakota Sen. Johnson comes out in favor of passing climate bill

Sen. Tim JohnsonSouth Dakota Sen. Tim Johnson (D), listed as one of our fence-sitters on climate legislation, seems to be taking more of a strident stance in favor of passing a bill this year. In a column he recently penned and posted on his Senate website, Johnson argues that the climate change bill “could bring […]

Tim Johnson (D-S.D.)

Tim Johnson South Dakota’s sole U.S. representative, Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (D), voted against the climate bill in the House, and Sen. Tim Johnson may do the same in the Senate. His vote will depend in part on how the final bill deals with agriculture and coal. He’s also a big fan of biofuels (his website […]

Elk populations getting out of control in some national parks

Forget hungry, hungry hippos — here come the hungry, hungry elk. Three national parks in Colorado and the Dakotas are awash in antlered gluttons, at some places more than twice what’s considered a preferable population. “Willow and aspen stands are declining [and] that deprives other species of habitat they need,” says a spokesperson for Colorado’s […]

Regarding Badlands National Park

Last week, our InterActivist was Jarid Manos of the Great Plains Restoration Council. We received a letter today from the U.S. Department of the Interior, regarding a comment made by Manos. It’s below the fold. (Note: Manos is not actually Grist’s CEO, but the CEO of GPRC.) Dear Editor, I would like to clarify a […]

Should bicycling drunk be illegal?

Some important bicycle-related debate has been going on in South Dakota for the last few weeks. That's right, South Dakota.

Should cyclists and horseback riders be able to ride while intoxicated -- since it's usually a much safer alternative than drunken driving? The state Supreme Court just ruled that the current law says No: Bicycling can be considered "driving" because it qualifies as operating a vehicle. So cyclists still can be, and sometimes are, cited for DUIs in South Dakota.

While this comes as bad news for imbibing anti-car velorutionaries (who needs a DD when you have your trusty cruiser? I mean, really?), from a legal standpoint it could provide a solid basis for enforcing cyclists' rights on the road. After all, as any Critical Mass rider will tell you, cyclists don't block traffic, we are traffic.

Meanwhile, South Dakota's legislature, concerned about drunk driving but much less so about drunken cycling and horseback riding (and rightfully so, as I see it) have introduced a bill that would effectively make the court ruling moot and allow drunken cycling once again. The bill has already passed the state House, with a Senate vote expected soon.