The latest episode of “Dakota Town Hall” moved from a mysterious scientific event nearly a mile beneath the Black Hills to a November ballot fight that could change how South Dakota amends its constitution.

Hosts Murdoc and Jake first spoke with Sanford Underground Research Facility Executive Director Mike Headley and senior research scientist Marcus Horn about research underway at SURF in Lead.

Horn discussed a single unexplained event detected by the LUX-ZEPLIN dark matter experiment while researchers analyzed data collected in 2023 and 2024. The event appeared in an area where researchers did not expect one, but Horn emphasized that scientists are far from declaring a dark matter discovery.

“It is intriguing, it is interesting, it is head scratching,” Horn said.

Headley also highlighted SURF’s broader impact on South Dakota. He said the laboratory is expected to have a $2 billion economic impact in the state during the current decade and support 1,200 jobs statewide. SURF also works with more than 20,000 K-12 students each year.

The conversation later turned to South Dakota politics with Jessica Gilbertson, government relations director for the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network.

Gilbertson discussed the organization’s opposition to Amendment L, which would increase the voter approval threshold for state constitutional amendments from a simple majority to 60%.

“We just think that the power belongs with South Dakota voters,” Gilbertson said.

The organization previously worked on the successful 2022 ballot measure expanding Medicaid in South Dakota. Gilbertson said about 30,000 additional South Dakotans now have health coverage following expansion.

“Anything that expands the access to health care for folks, we feel like is good for cancer patients,” Gilbertson said.

She said the organization is also opposing Amendment I, which concerns the state’s ability to repeal Medicaid expansion if federal funding for the program falls below 90%.

The episode closed with Murdoc and Jake discussing other South Dakota political developments, including Amendment J, former state lawmaker Taffy Howard and recent political headlines surrounding Gov. Larry Rhoden and former Gov. Kristi Noem.