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Governor signs windstorm disaster declaration; updates on DOJ filing, abortion-pill litigation and SNAP waiver debate
Summary
The governor said he signed a disaster declaration after recent windstorms and is awaiting FEMA’s decision; he also said he was briefed by the attorney general on litigation over mailed abortion medication, expressed concern about reported Social Security data-sharing allegations, and urged Congress to handle SNAP soft-drink policy rather than individual state waivers.
The governor said he signed a disaster declaration for recent windstorms and described it as the administration’s step while federal review continues. "Our federal delegation is working with us, and... let's wait and see what FEMA decides," he said.
On a separate matter, a reporter cited a Department of Justice court filing alleging that Social Security Administration data had been shared with an undisclosed advocacy group; the governor said he had not seen that reporting and that the state is always concerned about the security of citizens’ personal information.
Reporters asked about litigation over abortion pills and whether the state can prohibit mailed medication. The governor said he had been briefed by the attorney general, described the federal hearing in New York as pending a decision, and said his personal view, while not legal advice, is that "abortions are illegal in South Dakota" and he finds it "hard to believe that they rule that we can't stop an, a product like the abortion pill from coming into our state." He noted related state-court proceedings are scheduled in South Dakota and that appeals could follow in the federal system.
On SNAP, the governor said he supports rethinking whether soft drinks should be eligible but argued the administrative cost of state-level waivers is high and that Congress should resolve the issue through the national task force created in recent federal legislation.
Next steps: FEMA will decide on federal disaster assistance; federal and state court proceedings are ongoing in the abortion-pill cases; Congress or federal agencies would need to change SNAP rules or administer waivers centrally to affect eligibility for beverages.
