South Dakota

The Midwestern state, South Dakota, is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux Native American tribes, who still make up a large portion of the state’s population. The state is the 17th largest by area measuring at over 78,000 square miles, and is the 5th least densely-populated state with under 900,000 residents. South Dakota was the 40th state to join the union on November 2, 1889.

The state is geographically split into three regions, the Black Hills and eastern and western South Dakota. Eastern South Dakota generally experiences more precipitation and lower topographical regions than Western South Dakota. The Great Plains cover a majority of the lower ⅔ portion of the state. The Black Hills region are situated on Black Elk Peak, which is the highest point in altitude in the state, and is also the highest point in the United States, East of the Rocky Mountains.

After WWII economic stability returned to the state, as demands for agricultural and industrial products grew. In recent years, the state’s economy has become more diversified and hasn’t relied solely on agricultural development as was the case in the past.In 1981 Citibank also moved its financial headquarters from NY to Sioux Falls, helping expand the banking/financial/investment industries in the state.

A majority of the state’s tourism industry stems from visitation to national parks and monuments. Mount Rushmore, Black Hills, Custer State Park, Badlands National Park, and Corn Palace, are a few of the popular destinations visitors flock to annually. The state’s economy is greatly driven by tourism dollars; however, the agricultural sector is still the largest in the state.

The state government of South Dakota is described by the Constitution of South Dakota, and is broken into judicial, legislative and executive branch.

• The executive branch of the state government is led by the governor.  The governor serves a four year term, and has the power to either sign into law or veto bills passed by the state legislature, to serve as commander-in-chief of the state's armed forces, to appoint a cabinet, and to commute criminal sentences or to pardon those convicted of crimes.
• The legislative branch consists of a legislature, and is broken into two:  The upper house, the Senate, with 35 members, and the lower house, or House of Representatives with 70 members. The state is divided into districts, with each district sending two representatives and a senator to the legislature.
• The judicial branch has several levels, with a State Supreme Court comprised of four justices and a chief justice.  There are circuit courts, with 41 circuit judges serving in the seven circuits in South Dakota, and magistrate courts to handle minor criminal and civil actions.

South Dakota is allotted 3 votes in the electoral college.

The National Law Review covers cases, news, and top-stories from the state and the 8th Federal Circuit Court. Litigation stemming from online sales, regulatory law, tax and bankruptcy litigation and legislation, minimum wage hikes, labor and employment law, labor unions, and coverage of federal agency news, are among the different articles visitors to the National Law Review will find when visiting the site.