Rep. Tony Randolph, R-Rapid City, listens to a committee hearing in January 2026 at the South Dakota Capitol in Pierre. He sponsored a bill in the House that sparked debate about the separation of church and state. (Photo by Makenzie Huber/South Dakota Searchlight)

PIERRE — Both chambers of the Legislature have approved a resolution that urges the people of South Dakota to “seek the Lord Most High for His healing presence and mercy,” after debates about the role of religion in government.

The measure passed 22-11 on Tuesday in the Senate and 42-23 on Thursday in the House of Representatives.

Rep. Tony Randolph, R-Rapid City, who sponsored the bill in the House, said the state is “in trouble from an internal manner,” citing rising violent crime rates. Throughout the country’s history, he said, people have turned to prayer.

“We are in the lowest moral state, probably, in the history of our nation,” he told lawmakers Thursday. “How do we deal with that? I say we go back to the root of what made this nation great, and call on Him.”