South Dakota lawmakers approved several emergency measures in response to the coronavirus pandemic in a session that dragged into early Tuesday morning.
Legislators refused Governor Kristi Noem’s request that her secretary of health be granted the power to order businesses closed during a health emergency.
Many conservative lawmakers remained wary of granting broad powers to the government during the crisis.
It was a historic day in the Capitol as legislators convened and voted on bills remotely through conference calls in order to follow social distancing guidelines.
