SDPB, SD News Watch, DWU, McGovern Center to co-host Vote South Dakota forum

SDPB, SD News Watch, DWU, McGovern Center to co-host Vote South Dakota forum

South Dakotans are invited to a Vote South Dakota forum presented by SDPB, South Dakota News Watch, the McGovern Center at DWU and Dakota Wesleyan University on Thursday, Sept. 19.

MITCHELL - South Dakotans wanting to learn more about the statewide candidates and issues that voters will decide on in November are invited to a Vote South Dakota forum presented by SDPB, South Dakota News Watch, the McGovern Center at DWU and Dakota Wesleyan University on Thursday, Sept. 19, at 8 p.m. CDT at the Sherman Center on the Dakota Wesleyan campus in Mitchell.

This two-hour forum will also be televised live on South Dakota Public Broadcasting. Viewers will hear from candidates for the Public Utilities Commission and from representatives of both sides of several constitutional amendments, initiated and referred measures including open primaries, repeal of the sales tax on groceries, recreational marijuana, abortion, a Medicaid work requirement and land owner regulations.

Teams of regional journalists and DWU students will ask questions of those representing each issue. Each candidate or representative will have a predetermined amount of time to respond. The forum will be moderated by SDPB's Jackie Hendry.

Republican U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson and his Democratic opponent, Sheryl Johnson, will meet in a separate debate on Oct. 15 that also will be broadcast live on SDPB.

The event is free and open to the public. It will be broadcast live on local SDPB stations and streamed online. More information is available at votesouthdakota.com.