From Facebook, former State Representative Cooper Garnos has thrown his hat in the ring for a seat on the Lyman County School Board.

Thune Statement on the Budget Resolution

 “It is now time for the Senate to move forward with this budget resolution in order to further advance our shared Republican agenda in Congress.”

 WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) today released the following statement:

“Republicans in the Senate and the House are committed to working with President Trump to stop Democrats from imposing an automatic $4 trillion tax hike on the American people at the end of this year,” said Thune. “Democrats’ knee-jerk opposition to President Trump nearly caused a government shutdown weeks ago, and now it threatens economic catastrophe for the country as Democrats want to allow the pro-growth Tax Cuts and Jobs Act to expire. This would mean higher tax rates for families, slashing the standard deduction claimed by roughly 90 percent of tax filers, and cutting the child tax credit in half – per child. We cannot allow this to happen.

“In addition to preventing an automatic multi-trillion-dollar tax increase on the American people, this budget resolution will pave the way for a generational investment in border security and national defense and unleash American energy dominance,” continued Thune. “This budget also demonstrates a commitment to reducing the size and scope of the federal government by cutting waste, fraud, and abuse, while we stand with President Trump to protect Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid.

“The Senate parliamentarian has reviewed the Budget Committee’s substitute amendment and deemed it appropriate for consideration under the Budget Act,” continued Thune. “It is now time for the Senate to move forward with this budget resolution in order to further advance our shared Republican agenda in Congress.”

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A recent announcement from Governor Rhoden marked the end of a long road for Senate Bill 14, an act to revise and repeal provisions related to agricultural production facilities and to provide a penalty therefor.

The measure was designed to protect information from being released to those who would do ag producers harm, including eco-terrorists and foreign adversaries, and was supported by most of the ag establishment including SD Farm Bureau, Coops, Dairy Producers, Pork Producers, the Cattleman’s Association, etcetera.  It also included provisions to criminalize using deception to “access an ag facility that is not open to the public, with the intent to cause physical or economic harm or other injury to the agricultural production facility.“

The measure had sailed through the Senate with only token opposition from 2 of the Democrats in that chamber.. but then ran into a buzzsaw in House Ag where the bill codifying what the Depatment of Ag was already doing – protecting family agriculture producers –  found itself killed as several hard-right Republicans as led by Julie Auch linked arms with the hard-left, represented by the lone Democrat on the panel, Dakota Rural Action and former Democrat Senator Frank Kloucek. And they killed the measure.

Rep. Auch and Jana Hunt teamed up to kill the bill protecting information on ag producers and was joined by Travis Ismay, Kaylee Nolz, Kathy Rice, Spencer Gosch and Democrat Kadyn Wittman.

The bill was changed later to remove the protections that would have been put in place where the Department of Ag & Natural Resources would be barred from releasing aggregated lists to groups who would target animal operations. One can only assume PETA sent the naysayers thank you notes.

After the protective language against releasing aggregate lists was stripped, the bill eventually passed. But it was another example where the hard right joined the liberal left to fight agriculture in South Dakota.

SOUTH DAKOTA BOARD OF REGENTS ANNOUNCES NEW OFFICERS

ABERDEEN, S.D. – Today, the South Dakota Board of Regents (BOR) announced board officers, reaffirming experienced leadership while welcoming a new Regent to its ranks.

Tim Rave has been re-elected as president, continuing his leadership in guiding the state’s public higher education system. Jeff Partridge will also remain as vice president, providing continued strategic oversight. Additionally, Randy Frederick has been elected as secretary for his first term, bringing a fresh perspective to the board’s leadership team.

“I am honored to continue serving as the president of the Board of Regents,” said Rave. “We have significant responsibilities ahead to ensure that South Dakota’s public universities remain accessible, affordable, and focused on student success. I look forward to working with my fellow board members to build on our progress.”

The April meeting also marks the first meeting for newly appointed Regents, Miles Beacom of Sioux Falls and Griffin Petersen, a University of South Dakota student from Onida.

The BOR April Meeting is currently in session at Northern State University this Wednesday – Thursday, April 2-3.

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Looks like bad Shad Olson is going to ask a jury to decide his fate in Meade County for the domestic assault charges, after backing out of an earlier plea agreement:

In February of last year, 52-year-old Shad Olson was accused of assaulting a woman at her home in Meade County. Olson allegedly grabbed the woman by the shoulders and threw her to the ground multiple times.

He was charged with aggravated assault-domestic violence. However, that charge was dismissed back in November, and he still faces a charge of simple assault-domestic violence.

Read that here at KOTA news.

Attorney General Jackley Confirms DCI Investigating Officer Involved Shootings in Sioux Falls

PIERRE.S.D.  – South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley confirms that the Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI), at the request of the Sioux Falls Police Department and South Dakota Highway Patrol, is investigating two separate, but related, officer involved shootings with the same suspect that occurred Tuesday, April 1, 2025 in Sioux Falls.

One of the Officer Involved Shootings occurred in Sioux Falls and the other in Union County.

The suspect has been identified as Samir Albaidhani, 25, (Sha-mir All-Ba-Don-ee) who is in custody.

A Sioux Falls Police Officer and the suspect were both injured. The Highway Patrol Trooper was not injured.

Attorney General Jackley said that the DCI is working with the Beresford Police Department, Minnehaha County Sheriff’s Office, the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, and the Union County Sheriff’s Office on the investigations. The Sioux Falls Police Department and Highway Patrol are cooperating with the investigations.

“There is no further danger to the public based upon the strong response by local and state authorities,” said Attorney General Jackley. “DCI will do separate, but concurrent, investigations for each Officer Involved Shooting, and there will be additional criminal investigations.”

In both cases, the DCI will process the crime scene, conduct a forensic examination of all collected evidence, interview officers and witnesses, and review all video cameras from the area.

After the investigation are complete, the DCI will issue shooting summaries for both cases.

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Uh, what? Unfortunately, it’s not an April Fools’ joke.

In case you haven’t read anything off-the-wall crazy today, a new group has been formed on Facebook, including several state legislators. And apparently, they want airplanes to be shot out of the sky:

“South Dakotans Against Chem Trails” – This group is for South Dakotans who oppose the use of poisonous chemical trails in our skies and are committed to advocating for legislation that would obligate the National Guard to shoot down these poison pushing planes dispersing chem trails.

I think we’ve dipped into crazy town at this point. So, who is the group advocating that aircraft be shot down, which would likely kill the pilots and crew?

That would be the State Director of the South Dakota Freedom Caucus.  Along with some of her friends…

State Representative Dylan Jordan. State Representative Brandei Schaefbauer. State Representative Logan Manhart and State Senator Tom Pischke have all apparently clicked “Join Group” when presented with the manifesto that includes “obligate the National Guard to shoot down” airplanes.

ARE THEY KIDDING OR ARE THESE LEGISLATORS ACTUALLY THAT NUTS?

I have edited out most of the names, but J.F.C… we have 4 State Legislators advocating for airplanes to be shot out of the sky based on internet conspiracy theories?

Is this how bad some of our legislators have gotten?  Good gosh.

Dakotans for Health Sues to Protect Voter Rights and Defend Direct Democracy

South Dakota’s Continued Attempts to Undermine Citizen Initiatives Challenged in Court

Pierre, South Dakota – April 1, 2025 — Dakotans for Health and its Chair, Rick Weiland, today filed a legal challenge against Secretary of State Monae Johnson, seeking to prevent the enforcement of House Bill 1184, which severely limits the state’s citizen-initiated petition process. This new law is the latest in an ongoing effort by the Republican-dominated South Dakota legislature to undermine direct democracy and block the will of the voters.

“We believe in the power of the people, and the people of South Dakota have consistently used the initiative process to bring about important reforms, from healthcare access to minimum wage increases. This new law is just another effort to silence the voices of South Dakotans and deny them the right to make decisions that impact their lives,” said Rick Weiland, Chair of Dakotans for Health.

The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of South Dakota, targets HB 1184, which moves the filing deadline for citizen petitions from the first Tuesday in May to the first Tuesday in February, shortening the time available for petition circulators to gather the necessary signatures. It also imposes additional challenges, including harsher winter conditions and decreased voter interest due to the far-removed election date.

The suit argues that HB 1184 violates the First Amendment by infringing on South Dakotans’ right to petition their government. The plaintiffs cite past rulings, including from the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals, which have consistently found that deadlines for citizen petitions should not be set too far in advance of an election, as it dilutes public participation and limits political speech.

“In a state where one political party controls every branch of government for more than three decades, the citizens’ right to initiate change has never been more important. The legislature’s move to roll back the petition filing deadline is a direct attempt to make it harder for everyday South Dakotans to propose changes to the laws that affect them,” said Weiland.

House Bill 1184, enacted as part of a series of legislative restrictions on the citizen initiative process, is part of an ongoing pattern where the South Dakota Legislature has repeatedly sought to restrict or undermine voters’ ability to directly change state law. These efforts include recent battles over petition circulation rules and campaign finance laws that infringe upon the First Amendment.

The plaintiffs, Dakotans for Health, are fighting to preserve a system that allows voters to have a direct say in their state’s laws. In 2024, they successfully submitted over 54,000 signatures for a constitutional amendment aimed at restoring Roe v. Wade rights for South Dakota women. Their work, alongside other organizations, is being undermined by HB 1184, which shortens the critical window in which petition drives can gather signatures.

The case also highlights the practical challenges faced by petition circulators, who must gather tens of thousands of signatures in harsh weather conditions, while working within tight timeframes that diminish their chances for success. According to the plaintiffs, reducing the time available to circulate petitions makes it less likely that any petition will gather enough valid signatures, discouraging future citizen engagement and activism.

“We are asking the court to protect the right of South Dakotans to engage in direct democracy by issuing an injunction to stop the enforcement of HB 1184. If this law is allowed to stand, it will severely restrict our ability to gather the signatures needed to bring important issues before voters. The people of South Dakota deserve better,” Weiland concluded.

Dakotans for Health and Rick Weiland are seeking both a preliminary and permanent injunction to block the enforcement of the law and protect the First Amendment rights of South Dakota’s citizens.

Attachments:

Full copies of the federal lawsuit and the legal memo for injunction are available on our website. Just scroll to the bottom of the page and you’ll see two downloadable PDF files:

• Dakotans for Health et al. v. Monae Johnson – Complaint
• Memo in Support of Preliminary and Permanent Injunction

Website: https://www.dakotans4health.com/post/dakotans-for-health-sues-south-dakota-over-hb-1184-attack-on-voter-rights

Thune, Baldwin, Johnson Reintroduce Legislation to Protect U.S. Dairy Producers 

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.) and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) and U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) today led a bipartisan, bicameral group of lawmakers in reintroducing the Safeguarding American Food and Export Trade Yields (SAFETY) Act, legislation to protect American food products from unfair trade practices by foreign countries.

“For decades, global competitors have tried to limit competition, block imports, and restrict American-made products from being able to use common food and beverage names by exploiting valid geographical indication protections,” said Thune. “I’m proud to lead this effort in the Senate to help level the playing field for South Dakota producers by ensuring they can use common food names and preserve and expand foreign market access for their products.”

“Our Made in Wisconsin agricultural and food products are rightfully world-renowned for their quality, putting our state on the map and supporting countless jobs,” said Baldwin. “But, when foreign countries penalize our producers for using common names like ‘parmesan’ or ‘cheddar,’ their unfair trade practices hurt Made in Wisconsin businesses, our economy, and our workers. I’m proud to stand up for our local meat and cheese producers and make sure they can sell their products across the globe and keep supporting good paying jobs.”

“Fair trade agreements and practices are necessary to ensure American agriculture products have access to global markets,” said Johnson. “The European Union’s actions to prohibit the use of common food names for U.S. producers is confusing for consumers and costly to producers and manufacturers. The Safeguarding American Food and Export Trade Yields Act ensures American producers retain vital access to foreign markets in a time that may be more critical than ever.”

“Unfair trade practices imposed by foreign competitors have put U.S. dairy farmers at a competitive disadvantage by falsely protecting common names, especially for cheese varieties,” said Marv Post, chair of the South Dakota Dairy Producers. “With roughly one in six tankers of U.S. milk exported, fair treatment in a global market is critical. We applaud Senator Thune and Representative Johnson for leading this legislation that takes a big step forward to combat the abuse of common names so that U.S. dairy exports have a level playing field and access to all key international markets.”

“Losing the right to use common names has direct, on-the-ground consequences for U.S. dairy farmers,” said Gregg Doud, president and CEO of the National Milk Producers Federation. “We appreciate Senators Thune, Baldwin, Marshall and Smith and Representatives Johnson, Costa, Fischbach and Panetta taking up this fight. U.S. producers deserve fair competition. The SAFETY Act is an important milestone to making that a reality.”

“When the EU restricts our ability to market and sell our cheeses using ‘parmesan,’ ‘feta,’ and ‘asiago,’ it costs U.S. dairy producers markets and consumers that our members have built up over years,” said Krysta Harden, president and CEO of the U.S. Dairy Export Council. “It is past time that the U.S. government take a more proactive approach to tackling this challenge. A new emphasis on common name protections – headlined by the SAFETY Act – will ensure that our producers can compete on a more level playing field around the world. Thank you to Senators Thune, Baldwin, Marshall and Smith and Representatives Johnson, Costa, Fischbach and Panetta for leading this important effort.”

“For years, many foreign countries have succumbed to the EU pressures to exploit geographical indication rules to confiscate common food and beverage names that American and foreign producers in the new world have used for generations,” said Jaime Castaneda, executive director of the Consortium for Common Food Names. “This lack of action has cost U.S. producers too much for too long. The Safeguarding American Food and Export Trade Yields Act is a critical step toward ensuring that American producers can count on their government to establish a policy of fairness in the global market. We thank Senators Thune, Baldwin, Marshall and Smith and Representatives Johnson, Costa, Fischbach and Panetta for their steadfast support.”

Common food and drink names such as parmesan, chateau, and bologna are used around the world to describe products to consumers. However, due to geographic indication to European locations, the European Union has begun using economic and political influence to implement unfair trade practices under the guise of protecting geographic indicators. These unfair trade practices have the potential to block United States agricultural products from being sold in international markets.

This bill would amend the Agriculture Trade Act of 1978 to include and define a list of common names for ag commodities, food products, and terms used in marketing and packaging of products. The bill would also direct the secretary of agriculture and the U.S. trade representative to negotiate with our foreign trading partners to defend the right to use common names for ag commodities in those same foreign markets.

In addition to Thune, Baldwin, and Johnson, the legislation is cosponsored by U.S. Sens. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) and Tina Smith (D-Minn.), and U.S. Reps. Jim Costa (D-Calif.), Michelle Fischbach (R-Minn.), and Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif.).

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