AG wants tougher election laws, penalties for would-be cop killers

PIERRE — South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley isn’t wasting time.

The Republican who spent 10 years as the state’s top prosecutor returned to the Attorney General’s Office this month after a four-year hiatus in private practice and serving as state’s attorney for a pair of counties. And unlike some other newly elected officials who spend their first few weeks or months in office getting a lay of the land, Jackley’s familiarity with his new, old job, allows him to get an aggressive start.

The 52-year-old Sturgis native this week filed a series of criminal justice reform bills with the state Legislature that do everything from bolster data privacy protections, put teeth into South Dakota election laws and toughen sentences on certain violent crimes.

“When you look at our overall bill package, what we’re looking at doing is strengthening public safety, enhancing the integrity of our elections and protecting the privacy of South Dakotans,” Jackley told The Dakota Scout during an interview from his office at the George S. Mickelson Criminal Justice Center.

Here’s a look at the bills Jackley testified on Thursday before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

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