Author: @SoDakCampaigns

From Facebook:

Protect South Dakota From the Pain of Federal Interference
By: Dr. Bill Cohen

As a physician who has spent decades at the American Pain Relief Institute, I’ve seen how harm affects people in ways that go beyond the physical. My work has taught me how easily poorly regulated systems can create stress, financial strain, and emotional pain for families. That’s why South Dakota’s approach to government matters to me: when the rules are strong and locally guided, we protect people from risks they may never see coming. Safeguarding our state sovereignty is a key part of that, because decisions made close to home reflect the needs and values of the people who live here.

When South Dakota voters approved sports betting in 2020, we did it the right way—our way. We built a system rooted in accountability, local control, and common-sense responsibility. Our Gaming Commission and Deadwood casinos ensure that legal wagers follow strict rules, protect consumers, and support the state programs and communities that make South Dakota special. That’s how it should be: South Dakotans regulating South Dakota issues.

And the proof is in the results.

Our state-regulated market is working exactly as intended. Sportsbooks must be licensed, vetted, and regularly audited. Regulators know the operators personally, understand the local landscape, and hold them to the same high standards we expect across all gaming activities in the state. That level of oversight simply isn’t possible from a federal agency thousands of miles away. Because our regulators know our people and our priorities, problems are identified quickly, rules are enforced consistently, and consumer protections are actually meaningful.

Most importantly, the revenue generated stays here. Over the years, in my clinical work and research, I’ve met countless South Dakotans whose well-being depends on clear rules and fair systems, which is why I pay close attention to how new state regulations are handled. Tax dollars from sports wagering support responsible gaming programs, fund tourism and economic development, and help maintain the quality of life South Dakotans value. We built a system that strengthens our local communities while keeping betting activity transparent, accountable, and safe.

But now, a federal agency in Washington is threatening to upend that balance. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission, or CFTC, has begun allowing a new form of online wagering called “prediction markets.” These platforms let people place bets on the outcomes of sports and other real-world events—but they label them “financial contracts” to dodge state gaming laws. If you’re putting money on the outcome of a football game, that’s not a financial hedge. That is sports betting, plain and simple.

And unlike our licensed sportsbooks, prediction market platforms don’t follow our rules. They operate under federal approval, completely outside South Dakota’s regulatory framework. They don’t pay taxes that fund our state programs. They don’t support addiction treatment or responsible gaming efforts. They don’t contribute to tourism or community development. They don’t even answer to our regulators.

That’s not just unfair—it’s dangerous. It undermines the businesses playing by the rules and puts consumers at risk by allowing unregulated operators to skirt the safeguards that South Dakota intentionally built.

The CFTC was never meant to be a gambling regulator. Its job is to oversee commodities like wheat, corn, and cattle—things that matter deeply to South Dakota producers and our economy. That’s where its focus should stay. The last thing we need is Washington bureaucrats deciding how our state handles sports betting.

At the end of the day, South Dakota doesn’t wait for Washington to tell us what’s right, and we never have. We built this system ourselves, with our values in mind, and it’s serving our people well. If Washington wants to help, it can start by staying out of the way.

Because here in South Dakota, we don’t need someone else calling the shots. We’ve got this covered.

—

Dr. Bill Cohen is the former medical director at American Pain Relief Institute.

From Facebook:

From KELOland, Governor Rhoden has apparently announced this afternoon that he’s running:

Dan Santella: So, you’re running to stay governor in ’26.
Larry Rhoden: That’s right.

and..

Asked which issues will be the biggest on the campaign trail, the governor quotes Tom Hanks as Forrest Gump and his famous line that life is like a box of chocolates: we never quite know what we’re going to get. But here Rhoden pivots to a quality that’s less sweet than sour.

“Part of what makes me feel the best equipped to be governor as such a time as this is some of the, just the times we live in and kind of the toxic environment that seems to want to keep boiling up and even in the legislature,” Rhoden said.

Read the entire story here at KELOland.

Well, what do you think?

From Toby Doeden on November 14:

Today, I want to make something absolutely crystal clear: there is no room for hate, vitriol, or personal attacks from people supporting our campaign.

 – Toby Doeden for Governor
Facebook Post, November 14, 2025

Also Toby Doeden:

It’s going to become abundantly clear that there are two choices in June: light versus dark, good versus evil. I’m light; I’m good. Dusty’s dark; Dusty’s evil. Those are going to be the two choices.

 – Toby Doeden
KELOland News, July 16, 2025

So when Toby claims that there’s no room for personal attacks from people supporting his campaign, did someone suggest he go to the doctor to get checked for early onset Alzheimers?  Because it seems like he’s completely forgotten how he’s been running his campaign from the beginning, which has largely consisted of hate, vitriol and personal attacks.

Or is he only referring specifically to the people supporting his campaign, and not himself? Because it sure seems like a case of do as I say, and not as I do.

At the very least, he should see a proctologist. Because when he makes this statement, everyone else out there recognizes that he’s completely full of sh*t.

From my e-mail box, it appears that Larry Rhoden is making his announcement in Rapid City, with a secondary announcement in Sioux Falls on Thursday November 20th:

It looks like the 2026 legislature is going to have a lot of pledge legislation being brought by a cast of characters who keep popping up on the pledge lists based on crazy stuff they read on the Internet as opposed to genuine needs for changes in South Dakota law being brought based on the wants and needs of constituents.

To set the stage, there is a new pledge being brought by a Texas Ear Nose and Throat specialist who seems to be in conflict with her state medical board when they try to stop her from doing what she wants:

The Texas Medical Board on Friday voted to issue a public reprimand to a Houston physician for prescribing medication to a COVID-19 patient at a Fort Worth hospital where she lacked permission to provide treatment.

The reprimand of Dr. Mary Talley Bowden came after two administrative law judges with the State Office of Administrative Hearings determined she could be subject to discipline from the medical board. The judges determined Bowden engaged in unprofessional conduct, behaved in a disruptive manner toward staff at the Fort Worth hospital and interfered with patient care, according to court records.

and..

Bowden said during the meeting that she does not regret her actions, and that she intends to appeal the reprimand. She also said she plans to file a lawsuit against the medical board and its members, according to the recording of the meeting shared by the medical board.

and..

The medical board’s president, Dr. Sherif Zaafran, pushed back on Bowden’s claim that she was being punished for her views on the COVID-19 vaccine and support for ivermectin.

Read that entire story here.

On the heels of that mess, this scolded physician from another state has decided that she wants legislators to sign pledges to pull COVID Vaccines off the market.. I’m guessing because she apparently prefers Ivermectin, the medicine for sheep, popularized during the epidemic?

Not shockingly.. Dylan Jordan and BranDEI signed right up, because signing a pledge is easier than thinking.

God save us from legislators – whom we wouldn’t trust to watch our plants – who think they know more than our family physicians.

Looks like the election conspiracists goofballs backing Heather Baxter to take over the Secretary of State’s office are taking the gloves off on Facebook, as they dial up the gaslighting and delusional narcissism and declare that people should do things their way, because the rest of the world is stupid and they’re the only ones who understand.

Yet, oddly enough, not one of them can point to an election in South Dakota that came out wrong.  At the same time that hand-counting has been proven to not be so great when it comes to accuracy.

I guess they will have to accept that South Dakotans aren’t big on the paranoia they keep trying to sell.

Important Work Ahead
By Sen. John Thune

More than 40 days after Democrats chose to shut down the government, Congress has finally passed a funding bill to reopen it. While I’m disappointed that the vast majority of Democrats in Congress were apparently willing to let the shutdown continue, I’m glad that the pain of the shutdown has ended, and Congress can get back to the important work before us.

As Democrats’ shutdown dragged on for six weeks, it caused pain that was felt across the country. Nutrition benefits were in jeopardy for millions of needy families. Air travel was in an extremely precarious situation. Federal workers didn’t receive a paycheck for weeks. Many turned to food banks to feed their families, and others couldn’t afford to put gas in their cars to get to work. Many military families, too, were forced to turn to charity in order to put food on the table amid uncertainty about their paychecks.

South Dakota was not immune to these challenges. I was proud to work with the Trump administration to mitigate the harms the shutdown caused, as we did by finding funds to reopen Farm Service Agency offices that had been closed due to the shutdown. I know how critical FSA services are to farmers and ranchers, especially during harvest season, and I’m glad we were able to find a solution to that issue. But at the end of the day, there is no substitute for reopening the government, and I’m glad that enough Democrats finally relented to allow all the services that Americans depend on to be funded.

I also want to express my gratitude to the South Dakotans whose jobs were impacted by the shutdown. I know the last six weeks have been challenging for military families and federal employees. I’m especially grateful to every air traffic controller in South Dakota who showed up during the shutdown despite not being paid. Thank you to those who kept working and to those organizations and neighbors that helped these South Dakotans during this difficult time.

With the government shutdown behind us, Congress now returns to work on full-year government funding bills. I made it clear when I became majority leader that the Senate would be taking its role in the appropriations process seriously. My preference is for a regular order process that allows senators to advocate for their views and the views of the people they represent – the way things are supposed to work. My hope is that we will continue to build on the progress we’ve already made with the three funding bills that have been signed into law.

There are no winners in a government shutdown, but Democrats’ 40-day long shutdown produced a lot of losers. It caused pain, uncertainty, and chaos for the American people. I hope that Democrats will leave these partisan political games in the past and join Republicans in the important work we need to do for our country.

###

Angels in Adoption
By Rep. Dusty Johnson
November 14, 2025

November is National Adoption Month. Adoption is a truly selfless decision and a meaningful way to grow a family.

Each year, the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute selects individuals, families, or organizations across the country who have demonstrated a commitment to improving the lives of children in need of permanent, loving homes.

This year, Marcus and Jackie Isakson of Hill City were selected as South Dakota’s Angels in Adoption honorees. Marcus and Jackie have a big heart for fostering and adoption, which is evident through their story.

Marcus and Jackie had four biological children but had always desired to pursue fostering and adoption. After having kids of their own, they decided to begin the process. Over the years, they have fostered countless children and recently fostered four siblings. When the children’s biological mother passed away, the Isaksons decided to pursue adoption of these four children.

On February 7, 2025, the Isakson family went from a family of six to a family of ten. This jump hasn’t deterred the family’s desire to continue fostering children. The Isaksons continue to take in emergency foster cases and currently have two foster children living in their home.

I had the privilege of meeting Marcus and Jackie this summer to honor them and thank them for their dedication to helping children in need find a loving home. I enjoyed talking with them and hearing their thoughts on how to improve our foster care system.

As the Thanksgiving season quickly approaches, it is a good time to be thankful for those in our communities who help others in need. I’m grateful to the Isaksons, and many other South Dakota families who foster or adopt, and for their commitment to make our families and our communities stronger.