Very sad news, long time South Dakota attorney and Republican politico Rolly Samp passed away on Tuesday at the age of 82.

Rollyn “Rolly” Habeger Samp, 82 of Sioux Falls, SD, passed away on Tuesday, September 1, 2026, at Dow Rummel Village.

Visitation with the family present will be from 4 to 7 pm on Monday, September 7, 2026, at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church. A funeral service will be held at 10 am on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be directed to the family to be distributed in Rolly’s honor at a future date.

You can read his obituary here.

While not in the obit, a bio of Rolly’s hints of his long-time involvement in South Dakota politics:

Rolly headed the South Dakota field staff of U.S. Rep. Ben Reifel, then managed his three successful re-election campaigns. He then headed the gubernatorial campaign of Attorney General Frank Farrar, and at age 25 became chief of staff to the Governor of South Dakota.

In 1972 he organized a citizens group to successfully authorize and fund a four-year medical school for the state. He successfully fought for authorization of private college student funding in 1976. In 1977, Rolly was a leader in the group that removed a 45 year ban on championship high school football playoffs in the state. In 1985, he founded South Dakotans to Save Our Lakes and served as president from 1987 to 1991. He was chairman of the Minnehaha County Ambulance Study in 1993. He served on the Governor’s Task Force on Trust Reform which was enacted by the SD Legislature. He co-authored a South Dakota Law Review article on trust situs (SD Law Review No. 44/3).

Rolly served 8 years as Chief Tribal Judge of the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe. He served as chairman of the SD Bar Association Group Insurance Committee, a member of the Minority Task Force of the SD Association of Christian Churches and as the Governor’s appointee to the SD Emergency Food & Shelter Board.

He is the author of several books including, “The Final Tithe: A Christian Approach to Estate Planning.” He was a YMCA youth basketball coach for 18 years, spent five years as a Boy Scout leader, served on the Sioux Falls Library Board and has held many church, civic and charitable positions. Rolly and his wife Karen have four children along with serving as foster parents to over 70 children.

Rolly was awarded a Honorary Doctoral Degree of Public Service at Dakota State University in December of 2022 for his contributions to South Dakota and was recognized as being partly to credit for Dakota State changing their mission to focus on computer education.

Rolly also masterminded Bill Janklow’s first campaign for Governor, and was involved in many, many Republican campaigns in the state through his many years.  Rolly also mentored many in politics, myself included, and fostered their involvement. We’re all a richer state for his working to make South Dakota a better place.

Have you ever heard an elected official do something dumb, and then try to shift the blame to others because they didn’t check their work?  That would be State Senator Taffy Howard, who is doing just that.

And Howard is apparently taking to Social Media because she isn’t getting her way, increasing the volume because they can’t just give her a do-over:

So, elected State Senator Taffy Howard is the prime sponsor of a Constitutional Amendment on the ballot… claims she submitted a “pro” statement about the ballot measure.. but didn’t have a clue what letter was assigned to it, so she thinks they need to re-do all the ballots because it makes her look silly on a statewide basis?

Go to the SOS website – because That’s absolutely what Howard is doing. The statement provided to the Secretary of State by the Senator does just that – she submitted a statement where she makes it more than evident that she doesn’t know her own amendment:

Under Amendment J, Howard writes how people need to vote yes on what she’s calling Amendment G.  But, Freudian slip, Taffy?If you recall, Amendment G was decided 2 years ago. And was “South Dakota Constitutional Amendment G, the Right to Abortion Initiative.”   Two years too late.

That is just too funny.

There’s a good reason why Taffy should have checked her work. Because according to State Elections Director Christine Lehrkamp in the Secretary of State’s office, despite Taffy’s demands to edit her statement, they can’t. It’s against the law:

12-13-23. Distribution of public information.

The secretary of state shall distribute public information on any amendment to the Constitution, initiated measure, or referred law submitted to the electors for approval. The secretary of state shall compile the public information by printing a statement in support of the amendment to the Constitution, initiated measure, or referred law written by its proponents, if any can be identified, and a statement against the amendment to the Constitution, initiated measure, or referred law written by its opponents, if any can be identified. No statement written by a proponent or an opponent may exceed three hundred words in length. The secretary of state is not responsible for the contents, objectivity, or accuracy of the statements written by the proponents and opponents. The pamphlet shall also include the attorney general’s title, explanation, and a recitation of the effect of a “Yes” or “No” vote as written pursuant to § 12-13-9 or 12-13-25.1; number of pages and sections in the proposed or referred language; and, if applicable, a fiscal note.

Read that law here.

It’s stated in the law that “The secretary of state is not responsible for the contents, objectivity, or accuracy of the statements written by the proponents and opponents.”  According to Christine, it is the policy of the Secretary of State to follow the law, and they don’t edit the statements. Ever. 

Additionally, it has already gone to print.

You know, when there’s a law that says the SOS is not responsible for informational measure submitted by the proponent, and they submit something completely incorrect, the law says what the law says. As a lawmaker bound to follow the laws of South Dakota, you’d think she would want to protect the integrity of the elections, since these are election materials?

You would think.

As for any mistakes? That’s on Taffy. Not the Secretary of State.

Anthony Mirzayants, former Lobbyist for the Texas-based libertarian student activist group Young Americans for Liberty is apparently now spending his time out on facebook trying to organize pressure campaigns against members of the Minnehaha County Commission over flock cameras in the area.

Mirzayants had recently taken after Minnehaha County Commissioner Cole Heisey on flock cameras, and today, he’s going after Minnehaha County Commissioner Dean Karsky, trying to adopt the tools of the far left and taking to facebook to organize campaigns to harass elected officials by staging protests at their private residences:

 

This is the same lobbyist who at the time ended up on the poke end of Arch Beal’s cane during the 2025 legislative session after being caught sticking his phone in the window of the Senate Caucus trying to film it:

At the time, my correspondent noted that more than 25 people at the time were apparently willing to testify to boot him from the lobbyist corp, noting that Mirzayants had allegedly threatened them. With my correspondent noting at the time that they were “not sure what the South Dakota legislature is more united on; our appreciation for veterans or hate for Anthony.”

Not sure what exactly he’s trying to accomplish, as I’m sure he’s going to be as effective in Sioux Falls as he was in Pierre.

In case no one has fully wrapped their arms around the fall election yet, as I find myself guilty of..  from the Secretary of State’s office…

General Election Date: November 3, 2026
Voter Registration Deadline: October 19, 2026
Absentee Voting Begins: September 18, 2026

We are just 16 days.. a smidge over two weeks from when people will start voting.  (Good time to get those signs ordered, BTW).

Gov. Rhoden Announces 618 Build Dakota Scholars
Honors T. Denny Sanford’s Legacy

PIERRE, S.D. – Today, Gov. Larry Rhoden announced 618 students have been awarded Build Dakota Scholarships for the 2026-27 academic year. These recipients make up Cohort 12, representing the 12th year of scholarship awards through the Build Dakota program. You can find the complete list of recipients here.

“These 618 scholars represent the future of South Dakota. When we invest in students, we create opportunity for them to succeed, and South Dakota grows right alongside them,” said Governor Larry Rhoden. “I am grateful for T. Denny Sanford’s leadership and foresight to help launch this program. More than a decade later, we see that vision at work across our state. This year’s scholars are the next chapter of his remarkable legacy.”

This year’s announcement holds special meaning as South Dakota remembers T. Denny Sanford and the extraordinary legacy he leaves behind. In 2015, his $25 million investment helped launch Build Dakota alongside a $25 million investment from the State of South Dakota. His vision was simple but powerful: invest in students, create opportunity, and build a stronger South Dakota.

5,196 Build Dakota Scholarships have been awarded since the program began. A 2025 economic impact study conducted by Dakota Institute found Build Dakota generated an estimated $235 million in economic output during its first decade, or $4.33 for every dollar invested.

“Denny always believed in people and in South Dakota,” said Dana Dykhouse, Chairman of the Build Dakota Scholarship Board and Chairman and CEO of First PREMIER Bank. “He knew an investment in education could become so much more than a scholarship. Today, Build Dakota is launching careers, connecting students with employers, and creating opportunities that can change families for generations. With industry partners now investing alongside Build Dakota in 90% of our scholars, Denny’s vision continues to grow through people investing in people and in South Dakota.”

The 618 scholars in Cohort 12 represent more than 160 home communities across South Dakota, demonstrating the statewide reach of Build Dakota. The recipients will attend one of South Dakota’s four technical colleges and prepare for careers in some of the state’s highest-demand workforce fields. Scholars commit to living and working in South Dakota in their field of study for three years following graduation.

Businesses, students, and community leaders can learn more about the Build Dakota Scholarship program by visiting www.BuildDakotaScholarships.com. Details on eligibility, Cohort 13 (2027) programs, and how to become an industry partner are available online.

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Bringing ‘CLARITY’ to the Stablecoin Interest Loophole
by Karl Adam, President, South Dakota Bankers Association

Sometimes the most consequential policy debates come down to a few words in a piece of legislation.

That may be the case with stablecoins and the ongoing effort to establish clear rules for digital assets. Congress took an important step last year when it passed the GENIUS Act, creating a federal framework for payment stablecoins and, importantly, prohibiting stablecoin issuers from paying interest or yield to holders.

That prohibition was intentional. Congress recognized that payment stablecoins should function as payment instruments—not as savings or investment products.

But there is a problem: The current language can be worked around.

Some cryptocurrency exchanges and digital asset platforms are offering rewards or yield-like incentives to customers who hold payment stablecoins. Because those rewards may come from an exchange, affiliate or other third party rather than directly from the stablecoin issuer, they can get around the prohibition Congress established in the GENIUS Act.

That is the loophole the banking industry has been working to close.

This isn’t about opposing cryptocurrency or financial innovation. Banks understand that technology continues to change the way consumers and businesses move money, and we support responsible innovation. The issue is whether a product designed to function as a payment instrument should be allowed to become a de facto interest-bearing alternative to a bank deposit simply because the payment comes from a different entity.

The distinction matters because banks operate differently.

When a customer deposits money at a bank, those deposits help provide the funding banks need to make loans to farmers, ranchers, small businesses, homebuyers and families in our communities. Banks operate under extensive safety, soundness and consumer protection requirements, and the banking system’s ability to provide credit depends in large part on maintaining a stable deposit base.

If dollars instead move from insured bank deposits into uninsured stablecoin products offering attractive rewards, those dollars are no longer available to support the same lending activity. The consequences aren’t theoretical. Less funding can mean less credit availability, higher borrowing costs and fewer resources available to support economic activity in our communities.

This is why the South Dakota Bankers Association (SDBA) has been engaged on this issue for nearly a year.

We’ve asked South Dakota bankers to make their voices heard with Senators John Thune and Mike Rounds, explaining why closing this loophole matters to the banks they lead and, more importantly, to the communities they serve. Our members have responded, participating in multiple SDBA calls to action and adding their voices to a broader banking industry effort.

Those efforts have been part of a much larger conversation. The American Bankers Association (ABA) and state bankers associations across the country have repeatedly urged Congress to ensure that the prohibition on interest and yield cannot simply be avoided through exchanges, affiliates or other digital asset platforms.

This is advocacy at its best: bankers seeing a potential policy problem, understanding how it could affect their communities and taking the time to make sure policymakers hear directly from those on the front lines.

The GENIUS Act established an important foundation. Now Congress has an opportunity to make sure the law works as intended.

The CLARITY Act is broader legislation addressing the regulatory framework for digital assets, but it also includes provisions addressing stablecoin yield. Section 404 seeks to prohibit crypto platforms, which are not FDIC insured, from providing interest or economically similar rewards on stablecoins. Banking organizations have urged lawmakers to make important technical refinements to that language, so the prohibition is clear, comprehensive and difficult to work around.

In other words, GENIUS established the guardrail. CLARITY provides an opportunity to strengthen it.

The goal isn’t to prevent innovation. It is to ensure that innovation occurs on a level playing field—one where products that function in similar ways are subject to appropriate and comparable rules.

Banks aren’t afraid of competition. South Dakota’s bankers compete every day by serving their customers, supporting local businesses, financing agriculture, helping families purchase homes and investing in the communities they call home.

But competition should be fair. A digital asset platform shouldn’t be able to replicate the economic characteristics of an interest-bearing deposit while avoiding the rules and responsibilities that apply to the institutions consumers have long relied upon for their savings.

The stablecoin market will continue to evolve, and so will the financial system around it. That makes getting the rules right now even more important.

We appreciate the South Dakota bankers and industry partners who have answered the call and made their voices heard. As Congress continues its work on the CLARITY Act, we encourage lawmakers to listen to those voices and ensure the legislation delivers what its name promises: clarity. Most importantly, it should preserve a level playing field, protect consumers and ensure South Dakota banks can continue putting deposits to work for the people, businesses and communities they serve.

Attorney General Jackley Credits Law Enforcement with Arrest in Youth Sexual Abduction

PIERRE, S.D. – South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley credits South Dakota law enforcement with the arrest in a youth sexual abduction case Monday afternoon.

Attorney General Jackley said the state’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC) was notified Monday afternoon by Wyoming authorities who were searching for a vehicle involved in the abduction of a 15-year-old female from Sundance, WY.

Highway Patrol troopers stopped the vehicle on I-90 near the Aurora County line, east of Plankinton. The stop occurred less than one hour after South Dakota authorities had been first notified.

The adult male suspect was identified as Dalton Renollet, 36, of Maricopa, AZ. He has been charged with one count of Sexual Contact with a Minor in Aurora County. The female victim was safely recovered.

Wyoming authorities had initially been working with Utah thinking that Renollet was taking the female back to Arizona. License Plate Readers (LPR) technology located the suspect’s vehicle in South Dakota.

“A 15-year-old abducted and traumatized girl has been brought to safety by the excellent work of law enforcement. This incident demonstrates how valuable technology can be in protecting the public and assisting officers to locate a vulnerable juvenile and bring her to safety within an hour,” said Attorney General Jackley.  “I remain committed to strict safeguards and oversight to ensure this technology protects the public from serious crimes with strong protections in place to safeguard personal privacy.”

Attorney General Jackley has announced plans to propose legislation to ensure that technology is used solely for legitimate law enforcement purposes with strong protection for the public’s privacy. He is working with legislators, law enforcement, and prosecutors on legislation to establish clear standards and safeguards for law enforcement’s use of this and similar technology, ensuring it is used responsibly, with appropriate oversight and consequences for any misuse.

The Aurora County State’s Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the South Dakota case. Other charges are expected to be filed in Wyoming. The defendant is presumed innocent under the U.S. Constitution.

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Gov. Rhoden Announces Marcia Hultman as Senior Advisor

Kendra Ringstmeyer Named Interim DLR Secretary

PIERRE, S.D. – Today, Governor Larry Rhoden announced that current Department of Labor and Regulations (DLR) Secretary Marcia Hultman will continue to serve in the Rhoden Administration as a Senior Advisor in his office, effective September 14. Kendra Ringstmeyer will serve as Interim Secretary of DLR.

“South Dakota is an incredible state, and I have an incredible team serving alongside me,” said Governor Larry Rhoden. “Marcia brings a new set of skills and expertise that will round out my exceptional policy team and elevate our efforts to keep South Dakota strong, safe, and free.”

Marcia Hultman is a native of Belle Fourche, South Dakota. Just like her grandmother and mother before her, Marcia was trained to be a teacher. She taught school in Hot Springs, Custer, and Rapid City before joining state government in 1997. Hultman had served in a variety of leadership roles with DLR for seventeen years before taking the role of DLR Secretary in 2014. Marcia received a bachelor’s degree in education from Black Hills State University.

“I am honored by the trust Governor Rhoden has placed in me. I have great respect for his leadership and look forward to contributing to his mission,” said Marcia Hultman. “As a Senior Advisor, I will bring my years of experience, belief in relationship building, foundation in education, and capacity to learn to the position.”

Marcia Hultman and her husband, Brian, live in Pierre. Hultman enjoys reading, gardening, and all things baking-related. You can find a photo of her here.

“I have the utmost respect for Secretary Hultman, as do her colleagues, state legislators, key stakeholders, and the team at DLR. She leads with civility and approaches solving problems with an open mind,” said Mackenzie Decker, Chief of Staff for Governor Larry Rhoden. “She brings needed strengths to our office and leaves behind a capable team at DLR who will continue meeting the workforce needs of our state.”

Kendra Ringstmeyer, who currently serves as the Director of Workforce Development for DLR, will serve as the interim Secretary. You can find a photo of Ringstmeyer here.

Kendra has made a career in workforce development, with 15 years at DLR. She currently serves as the Workforce Development Director at DLR where she focuses on building partnerships that bridge gaps and create opportunities for individuals to engage in the workforce and contribute to their community. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Southwest Minnesota State University and a master’s in Public Administration from University of South Dakota.

Kendra and her husband, Phil, are both natives of Winner, SD. They have raised three daughters in the Pierre area.

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From my mailbox, former Representative Blaine “Chip” Campbell passed away on Friday, Aug 28, 2026 in Rapid City. He served in District 35 House from 2013 to 2018.

His viewing will be on this Thursday, September 3 from 10:00 am to 11:45 am at the LDS church at 2822 Canyon Lake Drive, Rapid City, SD 57702.  His Funeral will follow at noon, and burial will be Friday, September 4th at 12:30 at the Black Hills National Cemetery.

Indy/Dem/whatever US Senate wannabe Brian Bengs is out on facebook crowing about a passage in a recent SD Searchlight Article how “he wants to deny the majority.”  Like that’s a good thing.  And in at least one case, he wants to deny the vast majority of South Dakotans something they’ve weighed in on already – freedom from the inheritance tax.

South Dakotan’s distaste for the inheritance tax a.k.a., the Death Tax, is long on the record. In fact, there was even a ballot measure to outlaw the death tax in the year 2000 to repeal and outlaw the death tax. At the ballot in November 2000, it passed on a vote of 80.13 to 19.87. Less than 20% of voters said they want to be taxed upon their demise.

Yet, with apologies to the Beatles, Brian Bengs wants to tax the pennies on your eyes.

In Washington US Senator John Thune has long championed getting rid of the Death Tax at the federal level, and has gone into great detail about how it affects everyday South Dakotans, as he did in this column from 2025:

Death tax proponents talk as if it only affects the extremely wealthy, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. The death tax can sweep up those who have very little money in the bank. Take for example a family farm or ranch, which are often cash-poor businesses. They might have substantial-looking assets on paper, but the vast majority of that is land and farming equipment, and a small fraction of it is money in the bank.

So what happens when a farmer or rancher dies and his estate is subject to the tax? There’s a very good chance that his liquid assets – in other words, the cash that he has available in the bank – won’t come close to covering the tax bill from the federal government. The only alternative for his heirs in that case may be to start selling off land or farm equipment to pay the tax. They may be able to keep the farm – just a smaller version of it – or they may have to sell it off entirely. It’s the same plight that many ranches and small businesses face as well.

Read that all here.

(It’s worth noting that Thune has been supported in his efforts by Senator Mike Rounds, who Bengs seeks to remove from office.)

While Thune and Rounds have been talking about ending the death tax once and for all, Brian Bengs thought differently, and wrote how he actually wants to penalize those who inherit things.:

Currently, the tax system rewards passive income from capital—dividends, capital gains, and inherited wealth—more generously than income earned through labor. This disparity undermines the principle of meritocracy and fuels the rampant economic inequality that now exists.

…

Rebalancing the tax code to favor labor would mean increasing taxes on capital income to be more aligned with wage income, eliminating loopholes such as the carried interest exemption, and implementing wealth taxes or inheritance taxes that prevent dynastic accumulation of capital.

Read Bengs’ words from just a few months ago here.

He wants to “prevent dynastic accumulation of capital” in South Dakota?  Is he kidding? Has he never talked to a family farmer who is just trying to keep the family farm operation intact?

It has long been accepted that the estate tax forces families to sell generational farms, ranches, and small businesses to pay the IRS. Because the inheritance tax counts the value of land along with cash – which forces families to break up farms. And is opposed by more than 80% of South Dakotans.

So when Brian Bengs talks about “denying the majority” – that’s what he’s referring to. He wants to deny the majority of South Dakotans things they’ve voted on decades ago because it doesn’t fit with his liberal Bernie Sanders sensibilities.