Big changes are afoot at the Family Heritage alliance. First and foremost, is the resignation of Dale Bartscher who has led the organization for many years, who is apparently leaving to pursue other opportunities.

An email came out tonight, noting in part:

Dale Bartscher has tendered his resignation. Dale is looking forward to a few weeks of rest and relaxation and then will be pursuing new career opportunities. As most are well aware, Dale’s unparalleled energy, enthusiasm, and networking skills catapulted the FHA organizations into a prominent role in South Dakota public policy and faith based activism. For that, we and this great state will continue to be grateful.  

The boards are also enthusiastic to announce some big changes in the rest of our leadership team. Ed Randazzo, who has served this organization faithfully for the last two years as our Public Policy Advisor, will assume the role of Director of Legislative Operations and will function as Chief of Staff. We anticipate Mr. Randazzo bringing to bear his exceptional knowledge of public policy and his many relationships across our state as we enhance our critical work in South Dakota’s political arena.

Stay tuned for more!

I think I’ve heard it all now.

My spies are telling me that they’ve heard there may be a petition starting to circulate to keep Ann Tornberg, the embattled Chairwoman of the SDDP who nearly was ousted from her position a week and a half ago.

Stay tuned!

State legislators seeking a solution for the meandered lakes issue are making noise that a special session of the State Legislature may be convened as soon as next month to revisit the issue, and to attempt to come up with a solution of what to do about formerly public waters that are no longer public, because they reside over someone’s land:

Greenfield is vice chairman of the task force. “I’m hopeful that special session can be very soon,” he said. “I’m talking days, really, when it comes down to it.”

and..

Hawley listed three issues the special session could be built around:

• Authorizing the game commission to decide regulations for specific bodies of water;
• Limiting landowner liability; and
• Authorizing GFP staff to negotiate with individual landowners.

Qualm said public testimony wouldn’t be part of the May 24 meeting. Conversations would continue “off-line” between legislators in the meantime, he said.

Read it all here.

Can they get 105 people to agree to an issue that has had a tendency to be contentious in the past? That may be the challenge.

We might have to prepare to fall over dead, as one of the fomenters of the failed Democrat Party revolt is finally breaking his news blackout on the attempted coup to oust Democrat party Chair Ann Tornberg to install someone who could inspire the confidence of Democrat malcontents.

As one of the principal people promoting Ann Tornberg’s ouster from her office..

Planning a snap election for new Democratic Party leadership on McGovern Day is not sudden, last-second upheaval. It does not show “bad taste.” It shows courage, inclusiveness, and good timing… all of which are good characteristics for a Democratic Party leader.

…former State Senate Candidate Cory Heidelberger was all too happy to help stoke the fires of revolution, and while earlier he characterized the ouster as having “courage,” and “good timing,” he spent the event bravely hiding in his burrow not attending the meeting he was pushing others to revolt at.

And now, after the failed revolution, we now hear some signs of activity from the Democrat’s peanut gallery, finally commenting more than 10 mornings after.

Contrary to the baldly false assertion of former Democratic legislator Larry Lucas, there were plenty of Democrats in the room who felt a “shotgun election” would have been entirely appropriate. As I said to my local party leaders before McGovern Day, if someone has a plan to produce better election results for Democrats in 2018, and if the current party leadership is unwilling or unable to carry out that plan, then get out that shotgun. No personal niceties should stand in the way of good plan for doing what the party should be doing.

and…

To whoever is circulating the petition to recall the party chair, I say, stop and redirect. A continued, extended effort to replace the party chair is at best substitutive, if not subtractive. Drop the recall and try an additive approach. Instead of directing all that energy inward, toward Democratic Central Committee members for one limited internal action, aim outward. Make recruiting calls. Go to protest marches to register voters, seek donations, and spread the Democratic message that we are on the people’s side.

and…

I am disappointed with the outcome of McGovern Day. The party needs to make progress. Individuals promising progress showed no ability to make progress, at least not in that internal setting.

Read that here.

(This response to the Democrat party upheaval is coming so long after the event, we might have to see if Cory runs back to the comfort of his burrow, so we can predict 6 more weeks of Democrat failure.)

Now that Heidelberger is likely facing being frozen out from Ann Tornberg’s inner circle, after having been one of her favored whom she featured at fundraisers, Cory seems unable to decide whether to continue the effort to dump Ann Tornberg, or to try to sweep the revolution under the rug, as he urges the dissenters to drop the recall.

As I’ve said before to the Democrats – keep on keeping on. This is one of the greatest shows in town.

(From my mailbox, “Team Dusty” is having a campaign kickoff next Wednesday in Mitchell, Sioux Falls, and Rapid City -pp)

I am kicking off the campaign in a BIG WAY and I want you to be a part of the fun! Jacquelyn, the boys, and I will be traveling across South Dakota to personally share why “Team Dusty” is running for Congress.

Join us for a celebration on Wednesday, May 17th from:

8-9 a.m. – Rapid City
Alex Johnson Hotel
(604 N Main St.)

2-3 p.m. – Mitchell
Corn Palace Plaza
(604 N Main St. )

6-7 p.m. – Sioux Falls
Falls Overlook Cafe
(825 N Weber Ave.)

We hope to see you there!

Your Friend,

Dusty Johnson

If you can’t attend, but would still like to be a part of “Team Dusty” visit our website: www.DustyJohnson.com.

While it has been quiet for several weeks as Dusty Johnson and Shantel Krebs have been campaigning across the state, the candidacy of Neal Tapio for Congress had slipped from the political conversation, and been fairly quiet.  Was he actually thinking about it? Had Neal abandoned considering running?

From a conversation I had with Neal Tapio recently, the answer is unequivocally that yes, the 2018 Republican nomination for Congress is very much on his radar. But don’t expect an answer anytime soon.

Neal indicated to me that running for Congress is more of a certainty than it isn’t, as he’s leaning towards pulling the trigger for a campaign, and isn’t afraid to tell people.  However, he’s also in no great hurry, despite those of us who are political prognosticators and in the business of mapping these things out.

Tapio indicates that frankly, he thinks it’s too early to get into a race. Neal told me he “enjoyed this past legislative session, and learned how much he didn’t know,” as he noted he learned an “incredible amount” serving in the State Senate, he’s looking forward to next session, and serving is good preparation for thinking about a run.

But, as far as announcing now, Neal indicated that “He’d like to shorten the campaign, because people are tired” of long campaign seasons. One of the big pressures on candidates is to raise the funds necessary in preceding months to run the race is not one he faces, as he indicated an ability to self-fund a congressional race, eliminating any need to get in early to spend his time fundraising.

Neal noted to me that he’s “met with the media people, and campaign managers,” and is doing the initial legwork to prepare to jump into a statewide contest such as Congress.  However, he takes his timeline to make a decision from our Current Congresswoman as opposed to what his potential opponents Johnson or Krebs are doing.

“My goal is to try to make a decision whether to enter the race in January or February like Noem did,” Tapio noted. “As opposed to spending the next few months out there campaigning, I’d rather spend my time talking about issues.”

The issue that rises to the top for Tapio is right along the lines of his appearance at the recent Freedom Rally help be Republicans at the end of April – He’s concerned about freedom in the United States, and in particular, the freedoms guaranteed by the first amendment, and how we make sure those freedoms are preserved.  And we’re going to be hearing more of this from him on this topic over the remainder of the year.

While he hasn’t made a final decision yet, the message from my conversation with Senator Tapio was very clear – Don’t count him out of the 2018 Congressional contest. He might not be in a hurry, but if – and more likely when – he does pull the trigger for the race, it will be for a race he’s ready to run.

From facebook, please keep the Peterson family in your thoughts and prayers as former State Rep Bill Peterson recovers from a recent illness.

From the Minnehaha Co. Sheriff’s office:

News release on arrest related to MCSO and DCI investigation pic.twitter.com/0edgRVih0k

— Minnehaha Sheriff (@MinnehahaCounty) May 8, 2017

Rounds Statement on Senate Confirmation of Dr. Heather Wilson to be Secretary of the Air Force

WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today made the following statement after the Senate voted to confirm Dr. Heather Wilson to serve as U.S. Secretary of the Air Force. Dr. Wilson has served as president of South Dakota School of Mines and Technology (SDSM&T) since June 2013.

“I congratulate Dr. Wilson on her confirmation to be our next Secretary of the Air Force, and I look forward to working with her,” said Rounds. “Her experience as president of SDSM&T, U.S. Congresswoman and Air Force officer makes her uniquely qualified to take on this important new role. People who work with Dr. Wilson in South Dakota describe her as a great manager and inspiring leader, traits which will be beneficial to her as she transitions into the job of Air Force Secretary.”

Dr. Wilson will be just the third female and first Air Force Academy graduate to serve as Secretary of the Air Force. Since 2013, Wilson has served as president of SDSM&T, a leading science and engineering school in the U.S. located in Rapid City. She represented New Mexico’s 1st district in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1998 – 2009.

Rounds supported her confirmation in the Senate Armed Services Committee, which had jurisdiction over her confirmation.

###