Representative Erik Muckey

06/17/2026

A bill we passed this past session isn't quite law yet, but it's already faced its first test.

Last session, I introduced HB 1219, aka Helen's Law, to close a real, noticeable gap in state law. Until Helen's Law was passed, the State of South Dakota didn't cover the cost of interpretative or translation services in contested administrative cases. However, those services have long been covered by the state for civil cases and counties for criminal cases.

The law's namesake, Helen Red Feather, is one of five Lakota-first language speakers who requested interpretative services as part of a uranium mining permit process in Fall River County, known as the Craven Canyon project.

The Board of Minerals and Environment took a critical step by approving the use of interpretative services for its hearing process before Helen's Law took effect. Right now, the permitting hearings are on hold while a federal discrimination lawsuit plays out over the lack of interpretative services on the first day of the hearing, despite initial approval.

What will be the legacy of Helen's Law? Ultimately, that will be seen once the law actually takes effect after July 1. But the intent, and the expected impact, are clear: South Dakotans will have access to their government.

The State of South Dakota will no longer be able to pass the buck to you when you need an accommodation to participate in a legal proceeding that impacts your life, property, and livelihood.

Due process of law is about effectiveness and ensuring every voice, every piece of evidence, and every proper step is taken. Without that due process, we lose the integrity of our democracy and government created by the people, for the people.

There is much more to come, but I will continue to stand up for you and your rights.

Because you're worth the fight. And together, we'll win.

The law requires the decision-making office or board in a contested case to hire an interpreter or translator when a witness or party needs it.

06/15/2026

Thank you, Turn SD Purple, for the great interview.

I'm not interested in feeding culture wars, because I'm far more interested in feeding people.

District 15 (and every district in South Dakota) deserves representation that will fight for their economic needs instead of sowing division.

You can count on me for that. And you can count on South Dakota Democratic legislative candidates across the state to do the same.

06/14/2026

Happy Pride, Sioux Falls. 🏳️‍🌈

Yesterday, thousands of people of all ages came together in Sioux Falls for the annual Pride Parade in downtown to celebrate love, life, and equality for all.

I live my life in a way to be present for every South Dakotan. And that means something bigger when LGBTQ+ South Dakotans face regular, daily attempts to erase them from the Land of Infinite Variety.

When we are all free, we are all free. When members of our community face threats and discrimination, we're not all free. That's why being an ally is so important to me personally, professionally, and as an elected official.

And it's why I showed up yesterday. I was proud to join this group of candidates and volunteers to let our fellow South Dakotans know that there is a place for them here.

06/10/2026

I will fight for our children and families. And we will win.

After more than a year of fighting to restore Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) direct benefits for children and families at or below 30% of the poverty line, the Interim Rules Review Committee approved a 6.4% increase in TANF benefits.

When the South Dakota Department of Social Services cut benefits against the intent of the Legislature, I held up a light to the injustice of their actions. And over the course of a year of hard work and communicating with my colleagues, we reversed their course.

The work isn't over. But if there's any proof you need that I'll fight for the many and not just a few: here it is.

This is a win for the most vulnerable children and families in our state. This is a win for South Dakota.

The South Dakota Rules Review committee has approved a rules package that increases funding for needy families. Though some on the board did say it’s an increase to South Dakota’s welfare state, the majority say it’s a needed investment.

06/08/2026

We all have a role to play in the democratic process.

This is half the room at yesterday's South Dakota Democratic Party State Convention in Sioux Falls. 192 of 204 eligible delegates from 37 counties came to Convention for one of the largest turnouts in recent memory. I was honored to co-chair State Convention with Representative Eric Emery and work alongside a multi-generational coalition from every corner of the state.

Together, these delegates nominated our constitutional officer candidates for November, built a platform that reflects the best of South Dakota, and passed resolutions on what matters at our kitchen tables: investing in our kids' education, guaranteeing access to healthcare and housing, protecting the Constitution and our right to vote, restoring competitive markets for our farmers and ranchers, and guarding our communities and our grid from unregulated hyperscale data centers.

None of it came together overnight. It took weeks of deliberation, with every delegate sharing their voice and their ideas that now stand as the platform and policies of the South Dakota Democratic Party.

I'm proud of the work delegates performed and was honored to hold the gavel throughout the deliberations over the platform and resolutions. The ideas proposed by everyday South Dakotans only get better when more people are at the table. I can only imagine how much richer the conversations would have been with even more representation from across the state.

The thing is: no one is pledging allegiance to a party. Just pledging to protect the United States Constitution.

They were contributing ideas to help advance South Dakota and the United States that they know, love, and want to see succeed. No, not everyone agrees on how to accomplish that, even within a political party. But it's part of the democratic process to seek the broadest possible consensus on ideas and to preserve participation.

To be American is to have choices. And that means that country, state, and community come before party. That's how it's supposed to be.

But I'm not going to pretend everything is fine. Plenty of South Dakotans have walked away from this party over the past dysfunction, and plenty are frustrated with Democratic leaders in Congress and with the DNC. And right now, I see countless friends who feel so disenfranchised in South Dakota that they're registering as Republicans to vote in primaries. While I'm sad to see that this is the state of things in South Dakota, I know it's bigger than me and any one person. And I will do everything in my power to see that fellow South Dakotans have their rights to the democratic process preserved.

The people in that Convention room yesterday showed up anyway, despite all the frustrations, all the challenges, and all the reasons they shouldn't. Heck, many of them share the same frustrations that I just named.

They're not sitting out because we answer to South Dakota, no matter the odds.

Democracy doesn't begin at the ballot box. A party platform or a candidate's journey doesn't begin in the halls of Congress or the White House. It comes from the people, your neighbors in Parker and Timber Lake, Chamberlain and Webster, Vermillion and Mission, who answer you. That's how this system works.

Many of these folks could have called it quits years ago. Many new members could have chosen to stay on the sidelines and wait for someone else to change things.

They didn't.

They showed up because, like you, they care about democratic institutions that actually work. Without participation, we become the story that says our democracy is broken and bad actors can take our state and our country away from us. This room is proof of the opposite, but it has plenty of room to grow.

You have a place at the table in the South Dakota Democratic Party. Whatever you bring, you have a home here as long as I'm in this fight.

If you want a better South Dakota, become a precinct committeeperson. Every county needs a hand, especially the ones that aren't organized yet. Precinct committeepeople build county parties, recruit and support candidates, and set the direction of this party. They work for a future we can all be proud of by representing the voices of the people who share their polling place. It doesn't get much more local than that.

It's the ground floor for changing systems you may not like. It's the place where I got started. And it's where the work really begins.

Want in? Send me a message. I'll help you take the first step.

06/05/2026

Our students aren't just our future. They're leading now.

I was proud to join ALA South Dakota Girls State and HOBY South Dakota over the course of a week, speaking with more than 200 South Dakota high school students from all corners of the state.

They asked the best questions about leadership and issues facing our state, but my personal favorite: "What's the best way to reach someone you disagree with?"

You see, our students understand what's at stake in South Dakota. They weren't looking for a sound byte. They wanted to dig into what it really meant to become a leader worth following. How to work together. How to find common ground. How we can become the best version of ourselves so we can build a brighter future.

Our students have vision, hope, and a heart for our state. As I told them: don't let anyone tell you that you're too young to lead.

And they already are. Let's listen to them.

📸: Hannah Cutshaw, ALA Girls State South Dakota
📸: HOBY South Dakota

06/02/2026

Use your power. Vote. 🗳

Tomorrow is a big day in South Dakota. Voters across the state can choose their city and county leadership and their school boards. Here in District 15, every voter will get the chance to weigh in on our mayor, city council, and school board.

The primaries are also here. And I can't say I've not heard from a single constituent who isn't ready for an ugly campaign season to come to an end, even for a little a while. We've seen a lot of ugliness from this primary season, and it speaks volumes.

But so do really great candidates for our local races who have worked hard to earn the support of our city.

We can't control everything. But if you're registered to vote, there's something you can control: whether you show up to the ballot.

If you haven't voted yet, go to vip.sdsos.gov to find your polling place and sample ballot for tomorrow. Research what you can. Make a plan. But don't let the noise keep you from exercising your rights.

Vote, because our democracy depends on it.

05/29/2026

We voted. 🗳 Now, it's your turn!

Early voting is still possible at the Minnehaha County Courthouse through Monday, or make your plan to head to your voting precinct on Tuesday, June 2nd.

Local elections are absolutely essential for your daily life. Whether city council, school board, county commission and officers, or a primary election, everyone regardless of their party in District 15 will have a chance to make their vote count.

Yep, that means everyone: Democrat, Republican, Independent, Libertarian, No Party Affiliation, Just Here for the Party, whatever. You get a vote for Mayor, City Council, School Board, and key city initiated measures and charter amendments.

But it only counts if you show up. And your city, county, and state can be changed through your vote.

I won't tell you how you should vote because I believe that you are capable of making a choice that fits your vision of what you hope Sioux Falls can and should be.

If you want to hear my stances, ask me! Send a message, an email, or a text. But ultimately: your voice and your vote are yours. That's what makes our representative democracy so exceptional.

I will leave you with my favorite guide of the season, from Sioux Falls Simplified, highlighting the key city races that every single voter in Sioux Falls will get to weigh in on.

https://www.sfsimplified.com/your-complete-guide-to-the-2026-city-election-sioux-falls-election-june-2-candidates-bios-information-whos-running-mayor-city-council-school-board/

Go vote, friends.

05/27/2026

The primary is one week from today. Before you head to the polls, pull up your sample ballot at vip.sdsos.gov and count the races.

If state and local races are missing, you've been quietly reclassified as a "federal-only" voter, one of roughly 1,500 South Dakotans this happened to since January, most without ever being notified.

This week's Muckey Minutes is about what happened to two of our District 15 constituents, how the same residency laws get applied very differently to people in power, and what real election integrity should look like, including what I'm going to do about it in 2027.

Check your ballot. Then vote.

https://erikmuckey.substack.com/p/the-muckey-minutes-5272026

05/25/2026

Memorial Day is more than a day off.

For countless families across the country, Memorial Day is an opportunity to remember lost loved ones who have served our country and connect with the heart of who we are.

Sadie and I joined my parents this weekend to lay flowers and wreathes on graves in Corsica and New Holland before stopping in Harrison, where much of our family settled when they emigrated to South Dakota. Much of my parents' families' gravesites can be found in those three communities, including family members who died serving our country.

That includes Roy, my great-grandfather's youngest brother, who was killed in action as a navigator on a B-24 crew with the 8th Air Force. Roy was a 24-year-old school teacher who met his fate serving his country and fighting a N**i dictator who sought to subjugate and destroy anyone who stood in his way. Roy is the Beukelman namesake of Everson-Beukelman Legion Post #274 in my hometown of Corsica, an honor he earned with his life.

I don't doubt for a minute that anyone in our family would have traded those honors to have him home safe, even for a cause so great and necessary. That's why I don't take for granted the sacrifices made by our servicemembers and their families, especially when both sides of my family have experienced the grief of losing a family member serving in war.

It's also why I think of that legacy often as a lawmaker. The responsibility of preserving and defending our representative democracy is worth the effort, yet we cannot forget those who sacrifice for it. While I don't cast any votes to send servicemembers to war, legislators play a key role in supporting veteran services. And I will do my part to remember veterans and families in my decisions.

This peaceful scene is a common one at the Harrison Cemetery, where the pasture meets a peaceful resting place for countless relatives of our family. I hope this scene reminds you, like it does for me, that peace doesn't come without responsibility and sacrifice.

To our servicemembers and their families, thank you. May we see more than your sacrifices and remember our responsibilities to you.