The Minnesota political website “Unicorn Riot” has done an expose’ on self-declared “election expert” Rick Weible who isn’t just backing Secretary of State Challenger Heather Baxter against incumbent Secretary of State Monae Johnson as per SD Searchlight…

Weible and his wife, Gretchen, worked on Johnson’s campaign. Gretchen served as her campaign manager. They now work for Baxter’s campaign, they told South Dakota Searchlight during a November 2025 event in Sioux Falls, where they were training people on how to hand-count. 

(Read that here).

… He also has a role in the campaign of the pillow guy – Mike Lindell – Trying to run for Minnesota Governor.  But there’s a lot to unpack that’s useful in either contests

Weible, the former mayor of St. Bonifacius – coincidentally also where Lindell’s campaign is based – and state GOP operative, has been paid $32,000 in the past six months for his role on the campaign, and his company R & G Visions has been paid more than $200,000 for services foreign to computer consultation businesses, like legal services and security.

While Lindell runs a campaign focused heavily on election security – an obvious focus for one of the leading figures of Trump’s 2020 election denial – the campaign committee has doled out hundreds of thousands of dollars that have gone directly into the pockets of the two people running it. 

and..

The business is not findable in aggregated corporate records or even the Minnesota Secretary of State’s business filings, but it is easily found through the South Dakota Secretary of State’s office. Determined customers who have thus far refused to take the previous dead ends for an answer will be led to the current Weible residence in a small community outside of Brookings, a single-level country home with a Trump flag flying high in the front lawn on Google Maps.

Could this be the very location Weible broadcasts from while filling in for Lindell on his broadcasts, a cluttered room with piles of this and that behind him accentuated by the odd piece of Trump merchandise, including a poster that directly references the 2020 election fraud claims?

What could a business such as this possibly be providing the Lindell campaign?

Read the entire story here.

Current Secretary of State Monae Johnson became Weible’s enemy #1, when he figured out there was no way she was going to hand him the keys to the kingdom. Now he’s actively pushing an opponent who is fully on board with his agenda.

Not sure I want to see someone who makes claims of election fraud on a “for-profit” basis having anything to do with selecting who the next Secretary of State is.

 

Security and Stewardship
By Rep. Dusty Johnson
June 12, 2026

BIG Update

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced a comprehensive plan to support small meat and poultry plants — mirroring the goals of my Butcher Block Act, which was included in the House‑passed Farm Bill. This initiative provides $60 million in new investments and reduces regulatory burdens for small processors. These grants will help local facilities expand their operations and better meet market demand.

USDA’s decision to prioritize small processors is a win for both producers and consumers. America needs more domestically processed beef and poultry, and I’m glad to see the USDA implementing my plan to strengthen and grow American processing capacity.

Click here or the image above for more details

BIG Idea

Fraud drains federal programs meant for families, seniors, children, small businesses, and people who actually need help. We’ve seen the consequences firsthand in Minnesota, where funds intended for children and education programs were stolen from those who relied on them. This kind of theft of taxpayer dollars is unacceptable.

This week, I voted for two bills to better safeguard public funds from abuse. The Fraud Prevention and Accountability Act establishes a government‑wide watchdog to identify suspicious payments before any money goes out the door. Additionally, the Stopping Fraudulent Payments Act requires federal agencies to assess fraud risks and gives the Department of the Treasury the authority to return questionable payments for further review.

Click here or the image above to watch Johnson discuss the legislation on Newsmax

BIG News

A secure southern border is essential to America’s safety. Congress and President Trump have taken significant steps to strengthen border security, and this week Congress approved funding, with my support, for the law enforcement agencies responsible for maintaining that security through 2029. This investment also targets fentanyl smuggling, combats child exploitation, and empowers local law enforcement to help locate and arrest criminal illegal aliens.

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Salute to Sound Structure
By: Gov. Larry Rhoden
June 12, 2026

A few times a year, folks in Pierre wake up for morning walks through Hilger’s Gulch to a sea of Old Glory that seems to have magically appeared. Each time, we are reminded to be grateful for our freedom, the Founders who had the foresight to enshrine it in our Constitution, and those who have made the ultimate sacrifice to protect it. This weekend for Flag Day, we celebrate the symbol of the Stars and Stripes that unite our country as one.

Although our colonists were united against the British, at the very beginning of the American Revolution in 1775, they were not fighting under one flag. It wasn’t until two years later, on June 14, that Congress affirmed the 13 stripes and 13 stars “representing a new constellation.” It is said that the Founders carefully chose this term “constellation” to send a message of political unity. Just like each individual star in a constellation works to form a unified and recognizable structure, so did the 13 stars on the sea of blue in the original flag. Today of course there are 50 stars, but the structure remains.

Our Founders also designed our tax structure. They envisioned limited, localized, and uniform revenue collection that restricted our federal government’s power to tax citizens directly. Government works best when it is closest to the people, and in South Dakota, our tax structure still reflects that.

Working South Dakotans keep more of their money than almost any other state because we do not have a state income tax. Any suggestion to completely turn our tax system on its head should be met with skepticism that it could result in a state income tax. And state government does not keep a dime of property taxes – all money paid by the property taxpayer goes to the local governments – closest to the people – to support their safety, infrastructure, and schools. We have done good work in the last two years to cut property taxes, and we did it in way that doesn’t hurt the ability of local governments to fund essential services.

Our citizen-legislature of 105 people come to Pierre each year with varying priorities, representing their own communities and voters. But each leave for home at the end of session with a balanced state budget. In fact, our state government spends $1,000 less per capita than any other state in our region. We have the second lowest total tax burden per-capita in the nation. We don’t overtax. We don’t overspend. And we’ve set an example for the nation of preventing waste, fraud, and abuse.

In South Dakota, we don’t spend money we don’t have or allocate one-time dollars for ongoing expenses. Every previous Governor and all those who served in our state House and Senate are unified by the 137 years of balanced budgets. Every former legislator that has voted to pass a budget is bonded together by their determination to solve problems and their focus on keeping our great state moving forward.

I am grateful for the Founders who went before us – the ones who created our stars and stripes and defended the freedom it stands for. As long as I am Governor, I will continue to do everything I can to keep our state strong, safe, and free under those same freedoms and principles so many have fought to defend.

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Working Families Get a Tax Cut
By Sen. John Thune

It’s been almost one year since Republicans passed the Working Families Tax Cuts and secured permanent tax relief for hardworking South Dakotans and families across the country. And after one year, it’s clear that Republicans’ landmark tax relief bill is delivering on its promise to put more money in Americans’ pockets.

At the start of this year, Americans saw their take-home pay increase as the new tax law took effect. When they filed their taxes in April, many Americans saw a significantly larger tax refund. And we recently got data showing that 97 percent of Americans saw a tax cut this year, collectively saving $82 billion on their tax bills.

In many cases, the tax savings from the Working Families Tax Cuts is significant, and as this recent data shows, the overwhelming majority of people seeing tax relief earned less than $200,000 last year, and many earned less than $100,000. As its name indicates, the Working Families Tax Cuts is cutting taxes for Americans who get up every day and go to work to provide for their family and create a better life for their children. This bill lets these hardworking Americans keep more of their hard-earned money – money that they would otherwise be sending to the IRS without Republicans’ bill.

Millions of Americans were eligible for additional tax relief this year thanks to the Working Families Tax Cuts. Middle-income Americans saw tax relief in the hundreds of dollars, and many saw a tax cut greater than $1,000 this year. The new senior deduction helped 35 million older Americans reduce their tax bill. No tax on tips provided relief to 7.5 million workers, and 29 million workers took the new overtime deduction too.

This bill was designed to help make life easier for everyday Americans, and beyond lower tax bills, one of the ways it does that is through new investment accounts for American kids. The tax-advantaged Trump Accounts created in this bill allow parents to save for their children’s future beyond their education: to give them a nest egg to help them buy their first home, start a business, and help them pursue their American Dream. For kids born between 2025 and 2028, parents can opt in for an initial investment of $1,000 from the federal government to get their savings started.

Republicans had working families in mind when we wrote this bill. We recognized that families’ budgets have been stretched in recent years, and we were determined to let them keep more of their hard-earned money to make it easier to make ends meet and save for the future. There’s a number of ways this bill does that, and the American people are seeing it with their own eyes.

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What’s all this complaining from Sioux Falls Democrats about a few endorsements making the Sioux Falls Mayoral contest partisan?  Because I think they should remove the log in their own eye, before complaining about the mote in the other person’s.

Because on 6/10, South Dakota Democrats dumped a massive amount of cash into the Sioux Falls mayoral contest, giving Jamie Smith’s campaign a HUGE $10,000 check.

When was the last time they made a 10k donation to one of their own candidates, much less in a “non-partisan” race?

From my mailbox, the South Dakota Federation of Republican Women have endorsed the next mayor of Sioux Falls, Christine Erickson for the Office:

And you can read the letter they sent out today for yourself.

Jackley and Swenson Endorse Erickson
Erickson’s Law Enforcement Endorsement List Grows

SIOUX FALLS–Sioux Falls mayoral candidate Christine Erickson’s list of law enforcement endorsements grew today with the official support of Attorney General Marty Jackley and Lincoln County Sheriff Steven Swenson.

“I’m honored to have the endorsements of those I’ll be working hand-in-hand with to make Sioux Falls safer,” said Christine Erickson. “Marty and Steve are doing great work for the people of Sioux Falls. We’ve worked together for years, and I’m ready to dive in to protect our residents and reduce crime on day 1.”

“Christine Erickson is a proven leader who will be a strong partner with law enforcement to keep Sioux Falls safe,” said Attorney General Marty Jackley. “Christine and I worked together during her time as a legislator and city councilor. She gets public safety, and she will be an outstanding mayor for Sioux Falls.”

Marty Jackley served as South Dakota Attorney General from 2009 to 2019 and was elected to serve as Attorney General again in 2022.

“The Sioux Falls area will be safer with Christine Erickson as mayor,” said Sheriff Steve Swenson. “Sioux Falls needs a mayor like Christine who will take on tough conversations, make hard decisions, and follow through with action to protect our residents.”

Sheriff Steven Swenson is a resident of Sioux Falls and was first elected Lincoln County Sheriff in 2018. Prior to serving as Sheriff, he served 27 years of leadership at the South Dakota Highway Patrol.

Prior law enforcement endorsements for Erickson include the Sioux Falls Police Labor Council (SFPLC), retired Police Chief Doug Barthel, Minnehaha County State’s Attorney Daniel Haggar, Lincoln County State’s Attorney Thomas Wollman, and former South Dakota Secretary of Public Safety Trevor Jones.

“Erickson’s relationship with the Sioux Falls Police Department has existed for years,” said Jason Holbeck, President of the SFPLC. “More than another candidate, she is committed to protecting Sioux Falls, collaborating with our officers, and advancing reforms to reduce recidivism.”

The SFPLC previously endorsed Erickson on May 18, 2026. They represent frontline police officers and sergeants in Sioux Falls.

“Law enforcement is lining up to support my campaign, and I couldn’t be more grateful,” said Erickson. “Everyone in Sioux Falls deserves to feel safe in our community, and I’m the right leader to advance public safety measures to protect our community.”

The runoff election for Sioux Falls Mayor is Tuesday, June 23, 2026. Learn more at christineforsiouxfalls.com.

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Now that the primary election is over, the first felony arrest warrant has been issued for one of the primary participants. The Black Hills Pioneer notes this morning that a warrant has been issued for the arrest of State Representative Travis Ismay for destruction of a highway, a class 6 felony:

Around the same time as the indictment alleges Ismay damaged the highway, an individual allegedly used a road grader, without authorization, to grade a portion of Wilson Road, near Belle Fourche, Dwayne Heidrich, who was Butte County highway supervisor at the time of the incident, said.

Governor Rhoden Makes Conservative Policy Commitments

Pierre, SD – Today, Governor Larry Rhoden issued “My commitment to keeping South Dakota Strong, Safe, and Free,” a list of ten conservative policy commitments to keep South Dakota the best, freest state in the nation. You can find the signed contract attached.

“South Dakota’s conservative values have made us the greatest, freest state in America, and for as long as I am Governor, we will keep it that way,” said Governor Larry Rhoden. “I have a long record of conservative results to keep South Dakota strong, safe, and free. These commitments represent my plans to build on that record and find opportunities to advance our conservative values.”

Governor Rhoden’s ten conservative policy commitments include:

• Civility: He will honor my commitment to civility, openness and transparency;
• Fight for Private Property Rights: We will not water down the protections for private property rights in our Constitution or laws;
• Pro-Life: South Dakota is the most pro-life state in America, and we will keep it that way;
• Pro Gun: South Dakota is the most second-amendment friendly state in America, and it will remain that way – we will lead the country in promoting the firearms industry;
• Best Tax Structure in the Country: He will continue to work to lower taxes – and he has committed not to increase any taxes;
• Fiscal Conservative: He will maintain a balanced budget and a AAA bond rating;
• Education Excellence: He will support stronger schools, education freedom, and school choice options for South Dakota families;
• South Dakotans First: No special deals for data centers – South Dakota’s taxpayers, and our power and water resources, come first;
• Protect Family Farms: He will protect farmers and ranchers, especially longstanding family farms, fight for higher commodity prices, and keep fake meat out of South Dakota; and
• Small Government and Local Control: We will always protect and improve South Dakota’s low regulatory burden and keep government decisions close to the people.

Learn more about Governor Larry Rhoden’s conservative results at RhodenResults.com

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Thune, Rounds Legislation to Advance Key South Dakota Water Projects Approved by Committee

 WASHINGTON — U.S. Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.) and Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) today applauded the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources for passing their bills that would authorize feasibility studies for the Western Dakota Regional Water System (WDRWS) and the Dakota Mainstem Regional Water System, respectively. Thune’s Western South Dakota Water Supply Project Feasibility Study Act (S. 3723) and Rounds’ Dakota Mainstem Water Supply Project Feasibility Study Act (S. 3736) now head to the full Senate.

“These bills are aimed at addressing the rapidly growing water needs in rural communities across South Dakota,” said Thune. “I’m pleased that the committee has passed our bills and look forward to their consideration by the full Senate. I’m proud to work with Senator Rounds on this critical effort.”

“Rural water projects are crucial for the success of South Dakota, both in the near future and for the next generation,” said Rounds. “I’m pleased that the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources has passed our bills to authorize feasibility studies for the Dakota Mainstem Regional Water System and the Western Dakota Regional Water System. I thank Senator Thune for his leadership on this issue and look forward to working together to get these bills through the full Senate.”

“The advancement of S. 3723 to Senate markup is an encouraging step forward for the future of water security in western South Dakota,” said Kristin Conzet, executive director of WDRWS. “WDRWS is grateful for the leadership and diligent work of Senators Thune and Rounds, whose commitment has been instrumental in advancing our legislation. Reaching this stage reflects growing recognition of the need for a reliable, long-term water supply to support our communities, economy, agriculture, and national defense interests.”

“On behalf of the Dakota Mainstem Regional Water System and our 57 member water systems, I want to thank Senators Rounds and Thune for their leadership and continued support of this important authorization,” said Ryan Johnson, president of the Dakota Mainstem Regional Water System. “Advancing S. 3736 through the markup process is a significant milestone that moves Dakota Mainstem one step closer to the feasibility study phase with Bureau of Reclamation participation. We are grateful for the senators’ commitment to strengthening water infrastructure and helping ensure a reliable water future for the communities, businesses, and residents we serve.”

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