It’s less than two weeks to the opening of the 2024 South Dakota Legislative Session and Gov. Kristi Noem has yet to fill two vacant Rapid City-area seats: House District 34 and Senate District 35
Representative Jess Olson cited ongoing health issues when she resigned in November while Senator Jessica Castleberry resigned over a possible conflict of interest issue involving pandemic business-relief funds.
Attorney General Marty Jackley ruled that state law specifically barred lawmakers from receiving the federal business aid – in Castleberry’s case about a half-million dollars for her childcare business.
After Jackley’s ruling, Noem’s office asked the South Dakota Supreme Court to determine if Castleberry violated state constitution provisions on conflicts of interest.
The governor’s office says it won’t check the qualifications of potential candidates for Castleberry’s seat until the Supreme Court issues a response.
Pennington County Republican Party chair Amy Wagner says she understands the concerns about putting the right people in the seats in Districts 34 and 35, but that she’s more worried about the seats not being filled by the time the session begins.
Wagner says if the seats are still vacant at the start of the session, the residents of the two districts will be denied representation in the legislature.
She adds that she has submitted three recommendations on behalf of the party for the two seats and believes all 3 would be good fits for the positions.