Governor Kristi Noem is introducing a bill that bans abortions on fetuses with Down Syndrome. South Dakota saw fewer tourists last year, but despite that state officials remain optimistic. All this and more in today’s SDPB News Podcast.

Find it on Apple Podcasts or Spotify today.

Governor Kristi Noem is introducing a bill that bans abortions on fetuses with Down Syndrome. 

Critics of the legislation say it adds another ‘undue burden’ for pregnant women in South Dakota.  

The bill prevents doctors from performing an abortion if a woman wants the procedure because the fetus has Down Syndrome. 

Governor Noem made the announcement during her State of the State address. 

A doctor could be found guilty of a class 6 felony for performing the operation. 

In The Moment … January 25, 2021 Show 977 Hour 2

When Augustana College moved from Canton to Sioux Falls in 1918, it already had a long history of moving from one mid-western town to another. On today's 'Images of the Past," we'll look at the very first years of the school now known as Augustana University and how it became a permanent fixture in Sioux Falls. Guest: Liz Cisar, collections assistant at the Center for Western Studies on the Augustana University campus. 

In The Moment … January 25, 2021 Show 977 Hour 1

More than 58 thousand South Dakotans have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. But as variants of the virus emerge, getting shots into the arms of more people is a crucial part of slowing the spread of the disease. Is the supply of vaccine doses keeping up with the demand? Guest: Dr. Shankar Kurra with Monument Health.  

Health reporting on SDPB is supported by Monument Health

In The Moment … January 25, 2021 Show 977 Hour 2

For many South Dakotans, time outdoors has been essential to living a full life during the pandemic. Guest: Interim Secretary of the South Dakota Game, Fish, and Parks Department, Kevin Robling.  

In The Moment … January 25, 2021 Show 977 Hour 1

The limited-run PBS Masterpiece adaptation continues on SDPB-Tv with dramatic decisions and blossoming romance. One of the ways the books series has been updated for modern viewers is with the fullness of the series' female characters. Rancher, writer, and shepherdess Eliza Blue, and farmer and SDPB social media coordinator Heather Benson have been watching the series. They join us for an update and insight into how the story does, and doesn't, reflect life in rural South Dakota.  

In The Moment … January 25, 2021 Show 977 Hour 1

One of the traditions in the opening days of the legislature is to hear a report on the "State of the Tribes". The Chairman of the Standing Rock Tribe, Mike Faith, spoke on behalf of the nine tribes in South Dakota. His message speaks of partnerships with the state of South Dakota and other government entities and supporting efforts to strengthen their unique cultural identity. 

In The Moment … January 25, 2021 Show 977 Hour 1

The first month of the South Dakota legislative session is highlighting new challenges (particularly around pandemic-related issues) and some familiar battles (think: transgender discrimination). For our weekly SDPB journalist roundtable, we dive in to topics old and new.  Guests: Jackie Hendry, host of South Dakota Focus on SDPB-TV, Seth Tupper, SDPB's business and economic development reporter, and Lee Strubinger, SDPB's politics and public policy reporter. 

On Tuesday, state lawmakers will hear a bill that prevents people from changing the sex listed on their birth certificates. 

The sponsor says it’s meant to clarify an inconsistency in the courts. Opponents say it would codify discrimination against the transgender community in South Dakota. 

Lawmakers in the House Health and Human Services committee will hear the bill at 8 a.m. on Tuesday .

Beginning tomorrow, a legislative committee will hear a bill that prevents people from changing the sex listed on their birth certificates. All this and more in today’s SDPB News Podcast.  Find it on Apple Podcasts or Spotify today.