Two more members of the South Dakota legislature have tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the week’s total to eight, according to House Minority Leader Rep. Jamie Smith, a Democrat who has been trying to get his Republican colleagues to observe pandemic precautions. Many in the GOP-dominated body have shunned masks, following in the footsteps of Gov. Kristi Noem. (The state Senate does have a mask mandate for members). The legislature is still scheduled to convene in person on Tuesday, with extra testing. “You just hope everybody has a mild case and we all get through it,” Smith said.
