Author: @SoDakCampaigns

If there was doubt about Governor Rhoden getting into the race for his current seat, this weekend‘s events in connection with the State of South Dakota‘s annual Governors Hunt should remove those questions.

For the Governor, this week kicks off a dual effort; including both a formal fundraising letter from his campaign, and a fundraising event this afternoon for a political action committee supporting him.

This afternoon’s pre-Hunt PAC event for the Arch Beal/Mike Derby fronted “Strong, Safe, and Free PAC” has no formal invitation noting major sponsors, but at least some people found themselves personally invited not by PAC sponsors, but the Governor himself calling them from his personal cell phone asking for their attendance.  (Update – hearing $5k a pop is the ask being made.)

This comes simultaneously with a fundraising letter dated 10/23 that went out from the Rhoden for Governor campaign:

With a light indication of his plans, and lamenting that “campaigns are too long,” but that “we would like to continue to serve,” Rhoden asks for “help” and asks recipients to “consider a donation so I have enough money to run a competitive campaign.”

The letter might be one of the lightest asks that I’ve ever seen in modern politics, omitting any indication of what he will use it for, eschewing a direct ask for a specific amount, or even summarizing the main points with a PS.

I did not receive any enclosures with this piece, so I am unaware if there was a donation card, or indication of a way to donate online which was not included in the main body of the letter. In fact, there is no indication of his website address on the letter at all! (See update – pp)

But clearly the fact this went out is an indication that Governor Larry Rhoden plans to announce.

Separately from this letter, what I am hearing through the grapevine is that an official announcement will be forthcoming in the next 2 to 3 weeks, at which time we will see more on what Governor Rhoden’s election agenda will be and how it could play out.

And it will play out in a competitive field.

Considering that the leader of the House of Representatives, Representative Jon Hansen, is the trailing candidate in the race for Governor and prides himself on opposing nearly all forms of government encouragement for economic development, the governor’s declaration of South Dakota being open for business could find itself stymied when we hit the realities of the legislative session.

This will be a hard fought race, and Governor Rhoden is just getting to the starting line.

**Update**

I’m informed that a card did go out with the letter, and it does have the website address with it:

Thune Joins The Ben Shapiro Show

“[T]his is a real losing hand for [Democrats] to play. It’s certainly costing people all over the country, big time, particularly federal employees. And the longer this thing drags on, the worse it gets …”

Click here or on the picture to watch the video.

 WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) today joined The Ben Shapiro Show.

Mike Crane Announces Campaign for Sioux Falls City Council

Trusted Community Leadership Focused on Safety, Sensible Growth, and Good Governance

Sioux Falls, SD — Community leader and longtime public servant Mike Crane today formally announced his candidacy for the Sioux Falls City Council in the Southeast District. With years of experience in city planning, business development, and public service, Crane is running to ensure Sioux Falls remains a place where families can thrive, neighborhoods are strong, and citizens’ voices are valued.

“As Sioux Falls continues to grow and change, we need leaders who understand where we have been, and who have a clear vision for where we can go,” Crane said. “I am ready to continue working for a city that listens to its people and puts them first.”

Crane’s campaign centers on three core priorities:

• Safety
  From the youngest to the oldest, residents deserve to feel safe at home and throughout the city. Crane will champion continued investment in police, fire and rescue services, and support programs that reduce recidivism and build trust with youth—like Project POSTCARD—which bring young people and first responders together to build stronger community relationships.
• Sensible Growth.
  Sioux Falls has seen extraordinary growth over the past decade. Crane will work to ensure continued success by strengthening existing neighborhoods and roads, safeguarding fair property taxation, and expanding affordable housing opportunities. “Good, clean growth keeps Sioux Falls thriving,” Crane said. “Not just growth for growth’s sake.”
• Good Governance.
  Crane is committed to transparency, accountability, and public participation in city decision-making. He will work to empower neighborhood associations, enhance access to boards and commissions, and expand parks and recreation opportunities for families. “Everyone who calls Sioux Falls home should feel they have a stake in our future,” Crane said.

About Mike Crane:

Crane grew up in South Dakota and earned degrees from SDSU and USD and served in the U.S. Air Force. A career opportunity brought him back to Sioux Falls as a city planning intern, allowing him to make the community his permanent home.

He has since built a distinguished career in business development, including expertise in both market-rate and affordable housing as Managing Member of Crane and Fowler Investments.

Crane and his wife, Candy Hanson, are members of Calvary Episcopal Cathedral. Together they share a blended family deeply connected to Sioux Falls and beyond.

Proven Leadership in Public Service
Crane is well known for his leadership on the Sioux Falls School Board, where he helped drive transformational improvements, including moving to the middle school model and constructing new high schools and elementary schools to support a growing student population.

His board service also includes:

• Mary Jo Wegner Arboretum & East Sioux Falls Historic Site (Board Chair)
• Children’s Inn (Chair)  now the SD Children’s Home Center for Family Safety
• Downtown Parking Facilities Board(Chair)
• Southeast Technical Institute Council & Foundation (Chair)
• Sioux Falls Parks and Recreation Board (Chair)

Crane has also been a member of the Sioux Falls Area Chamber of Commerce Board, and Main Street Sioux Falls.

“This community is the closest thing to my heart. I am running because our residents deserve leadership they trust,” Crane said.

Contact:
Mike Crane
https://www.facebook.com/craneforcouncil

Austin B. Hoffman Announces Candidacy for South Dakota Attorney General

Eureka, S.D. – Austin B. Hoffman announced today that he is running for Attorney General of the State of South Dakota, vowing to stand with law enforcement, ensure trust in the office, and uphold the rule of law with fairness and accountability.

“As South Dakota’s next Attorney General, my duty will be to uphold the rule of law, and ensure justice is applied equally to every citizen.” Hoffman said. “That means standing shoulder to shoulder with law enforcement officers, preserving the conservative values that make South Dakota strong, and leadership that puts the law above politics.”

Hoffman’s campaign will focus on a clear set of priorities:

• Backing the Blue: Strengthening partnerships with sheriffs, police, and prosecutors to ensure criminals are held accountable.
• Recidivism Reduction: Implementing smart policies to reduce repeat offenders and help offenders successfully reintegrate into society.
• Drug Trafficking and Fentanyl: Working with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement to stop interstate and reservation drug distribution networks.
• Protecting South Dakota Families: Prosecuting crimes against young victims to the fullest extent of the law, protecting rural communities, and defending South Dakota’s way of life from federal overreach.

A lifelong South Dakotan, attorney, and community leader, Hoffman brings experience in prosecution, public policy, and enforcing the law without political prejudice.

“Our justice system must work for everyone – rural and urban, rich and poor, Republican and Democrat,” Hoffman added. “South Dakotans deserve an Attorney General who will enforce the law without apology and without political games. I will defend our freedoms, protect our families, and ensure that justice is served from Sioux Falls to Buffalo.”

Hoffman is currently the McPherson County State’s Attorney and serves on the South Dakota Open Meetings Commission and the South Dakota Board of Elections.

Hoffman will be traveling across South Dakota in the coming months to meet with voters, law enforcement officials, and community leaders. “The Republican candidate for Attorney General will be chosen at the Republican State Convention in June of 2026. I hope to earn your trust for that nomination and your vote next November.” Hoffman concluded.

For more information, visit: HoffmanforAG.com

The Marty Jackley campaign is hosting a Brookings area fundraiser this next week on Tuesday, October 28th from 5-7 pm at the Innovation Center (and I’ve got the invite)  – 10/23, slightly updated version..:

Check it out if you’re in the area.

US Senator Mike Rounds’ WEEKLY ROUND[S] Up
October 5-19, 2025

Welcome back to another Weekly Round[s] Up. We have officially passed three weeks of being in a government shutdown. Democrats have now had 11 opportunities to reopen government but are refusing to do the right thing for the American people. The shutdown is having real, damaging effects on many Americans. Federal workers, including full-time uniformed members of the National Guard have missed a paycheck, food assistance is in jeopardy, some seniors are left without access to telehealth and air travel is growing more chaotic by the day.

On a positive note, the National Defense Authorization Act passed the Senate during the government shutdown. While we still have to conference it with the House version of the NDAA, the Senate version contains many wins for South Dakota. I’m particularly pleased that this version includes my legislation to ban individuals and entities controlled by China, Russia, Iran and North Korea from purchasing agricultural land and businesses located near sensitive military sites. The NDAA is a great example of bipartisan work in the Senate. As we remain in a government shutdown, I hope my Democrat colleagues decide to work with us to open the government up. After that happens, we can continue to work through the pressing issues that are facing the American people. More on the rest of my week in my Weekly Round[s] Up:

South Dakota groups I visited with: Merchant Payments Coalition; Kory and Ali Anderson with Dakota Foundry; Kelsey Lovseth, NEA Director for South Dakota, Stephanie Hageman, President of South Dakota Education Association; and the South Dakota Newsmedia Association, Flandreau Sioux Tribe, and Student Media Organizations students from Black Hills State University.

Met with South Dakotans from: Brookings, North Sioux City, Vermillion, Watertown, Webster, and Wessington Springs.

Other meetings: CIA General Counsel nominee, Joshua Simmons; Bill Pulte, Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency; Inspector General Michael Horowitz with the Federal Reserve Board, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau; Oleksandra Ustinova, Member of the Parliament of Ukraine and Anton Henov, F-16 Pilot, Head of the Ukrainian F-16 Program; Postmaster General David Steiner; Leadership with GeoExchange; General Kenneth S. Wilsbach, Department of the Air Force’s 24th Chief of Staff nominee; Major General Pirak; Javier Perez-Tasso, CEO of SWIFT; Paul Coussan with the National Parks Foundation; and Marissa Marshall from the Badlands National Park Conservancy.

Hearings: I attended 4 hearings last week including an Emerging Threats and Capabilities Subcommittee hearing, two Senate Armed Services Committee hearings, and an Open Nomination hearing for the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. During the open nomination hearing, I was able to give opening remarks for Peter Metzger, who I used to work with on the Select Committee on Intelligence. I know he will do great in this new role once confirmed. Watch a clip from the hearing here.

Briefings: Last week, I attended two briefings, one with the Senate Armed Services Committee as well as a closed Senate Select Committee on Intelligence briefing.

Senate Bible Study: I attended our Senate Bible Study, where the verse of the week was Luke 3:8 which speaks of repentance. I also attended our weekly Senate Prayer Breakfast with our speaker, former Senator Don Nickles from Oklahoma.

Votes taken: 32 – I voted again (several times) for the clean Continuing Resolution to extend government funding through November 21. As I’ve said, we need to open government back up. I also voted twenty times on different amendments to the NDAA, ending with the official vote to pass the FY2026 NDAA. I voted for Harold D. Mooty III, of Alabama, to be US District Judge for the Northern District of Alabama.

My staff in South Dakota visited: Aberdeen, Brookings, Lennox, Mobridge, and Vermillion.

Steps taken: 60,775 steps or 28.93 miles in week one, 45,472 steps or 21.36 miles in week two.

Video of the Week: Last week I joined Stuart Varney on Fox Business, watch the interview by clicking below.

Jason Green Announces Candidacy For Senate In Rapid City’s District 34

Rapid City, SD – Today, Jason Green is excited to announce his candidacy for the South Dakota Senate serving District 34 and the people of Rapid City.  As a lifelong resident of the Black Hills and results oriented conservative Republican, Green is committed to working to keep South Dakota the best place to live, work and raise a family.  “A prosperous South Dakota benefits everyone.  Unfortunately, the current Senator and many other legislators have repeatedly voted against Rapid City’s interests in a misguided attempt to stop economic growth.  As District 34’s Senator, I will support efforts to assure a vibrant economy for our local business community.  We also need sensible restructuring of the property tax system to address the explosion of owner-occupied property taxes.” said Green.

Green brings a wealth of experience to the Senate.  After more than 10 years in the City Attorney’s Office in Rapid City, Green has continued to serve the community working as Associate General Counsel at Monument Health.  “Many District 34 voters have encouraged me to throw my hat into the ring again as we have seen the legislature take actions that directly undermine western South Dakota’s priorities.  The legislature needs to support the expansion of Ellsworth Airforce Base, the delivery of Missouri River water into western South Dakota, healthy economic development programs to support growth and expansion of local busineses,” said Green.  Green is a 2005 graduate of Leadership Rapid City, a member of the American Health Lawyers Association, past member and president of the South Dakota Municipal Attorney’s Association, a former adjunct professor at the University of South Dakota West River Campus, and a Life Member of the NRA.

Green has volunteered with Black Hills Federal Credit Union for more than 15 years, serving on both the Board and Supervisory Committee, where he was elected multiple times as Chair by his fellow Board and Committee members.  Additionally, Green has served on the Board and Finance Committee of Wellfully, Inc., a non-profit organization dedicated to providing addiction recovery, behavioral and psychiatric residential care to youth in the Black Hills area.  Green also serves on the Rapid City Parks and Recreation Golf Course advisory committee.

As a conservative Republican, Green will focus on ensuring taxpayer dollars are spent in a fiscally conservative manner, support efforts to support our local businesses and to grow new business that bring economic opportunity to Rapid City.  Green is a graduate of the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology (1996 – B.S. Interdisciplinary Science) and was recognized as an Outstand Recent Graduate in 2007.  He also holds two law degrees, one from the University of South Dakota School of Law (2000 – J.D.) and the other from Loyola University Chicago (2013 – L.L.M. Health Law).

“I look forward to working hard every day for the people of District 34 to bring a prosperity driven approach to the legislature and I ask for your support on June 2^nd  in the Republican primary election.”

 

In case you hadn’t heard about the Comprehensive Property Tax Task Force meeting today, there are a LOT of proposals to raise taxes and create new taxes to offset property taxes. In case you’re looking for a list of proposals that they’re going to be discussing today:

Tax Committee Proposals by Pat Powers

Some of these proposals are kind of off the wall, such as Rep. John Hughes’ proposal to tax rodeo services, mini storage, and water.  What? He wants to tax water? What’s next? Is he going to try to tax air?

Arguably, the person who is proposing more taxes than anyone is Senator Taffy Howard, another water taxer, as you can read in her two proposals for the committee. Just noting one of them:

Proposal V2: Howard

• Reduces, for owner-occupied property, the school district general fund special education fund, and capital outlay fund mill levies to zero, for owner-occupied property
• Increases state sales tax from 4.2% to 4.5%, which will generate $105.3 million
• Increases contractor’s excise tax from 2.0% to 2.25%,which will generate $27.4 million
• Increases the wholesale alcohol excise tax from 2% to 4%, which will generate $3.2 million
• Increases alcohol beverage excise taxes by 25%, which will generate $2.3 million
• Implements a new tax on vaping at 40%, which will generate $8.3 million
• Increases a tobacco products excise tax from 35% to 40%, which will generate $1.7 million
• Increases the tax mill rate on cigarettes from 76.5 to 101.5, which will generate $9.0 million
• Utilizes 33% of the future fund revenues for property tax reduction, which will equal $8.0 million
• Increases the tourism tax from 1.5% to 4%, which will generate $29.2 million
• Removes the sales tax exemption for advertising services, which will generate $41.3 million
• Removes the sales tax exemption for radio and television broadcasting, which will generate $7.2 million
• Removes the sales tax exemption for services performed for rodeos, which will generate $1.5 million
• Applies sales tax to mini storage, which will generate $1.5 million
• Removes the sales tax exemption for the supply of bulk water, which will generate $7.7 million
• Removes the sales tax exemption for membership fees to organizations, which will generate $9.3 million
• Removes the sales tax exemption for social services and credit counseling services, which will generate $12.0 million
• Removes the tax credit to insurance companies for giving money to educational scholarships, which will generate $5.0 million
• Reduces general fund expenditures by 5.07%

So, Taffy wants sales taxes to skyrocket, to tax water & rodeos, social services such as adoption services, vocational rehabilitation, and support for the elderly? And to tax memberships for service clubs and organizations?

I don’t even want to say “good luck” sarcastically. We will see how this goes.

The Association of National Advertisers through their lobbyist, former State Senator Deb Peters, has sent a letter to the Comprehensive Property Task Force expressing the group’s strong opposition to the Task Force’s proposal to tax advertising services (My emphasis):

October 22, 2025

Comprehensive Property Tax Task Force
Room 414 – State Capitol
Pierre, South Dakota 57501

Dear President Carr, Speaker Hansen, and Members of the Property Tax Task Force,

I hope this letter finds you well. I know most of you and I thank you for your continued service to the state of South Dakota. For the handful of the committee members that I have not yet met, my name is Deb Peters and I have extensive experience in state tax law. I’m a former South Dakota State Senator, past President of the National Conference of State Legislatures, and past President of the Streamline Sales Tax Governing Board. I’m writing to you on behalf of the Association of National Advertisers to express our strong opposition to your proposal to tax advertising services.

I spent many years in your shoes where I too worked to lower property taxes in South Dakota. However, the proposals which strip the sales tax exemption on advertising services in order to reduce the property tax are simply shifting the tax burden from property owners to all South Dakota families and businesses with a regressive tax.

Research shows that advertising taxes harm local businesses and consumers more than the corporations they seek to impact. A study commissioned by Deloitte found that France’s digital advertising tax impacted consumers the most, with 55 percent of the total tax burden passed on directly to them, resulting in a functional tax hike for taxpayers. For small businesses, these taxes lead to more challenging choices – either significantly raising consumer prices, reducing services, laying off staff, or shutting down completely.

Residents of South Dakota, like most Americans, are still navigating significant economic pressures, including the lingering effects of runaway inflation that began years ago. This creates even more economic uncertainty for businesses and consumers. Additional taxes would only compound these challenges, driving people and investments out of South Dakota and, in an ironic turn, actually increase property taxes.

Proponents of advertising taxes have long argued that they would only affect a handful of multi-billion-dollar companies, but the truth hits much closer to home. Like all business-to-business costs, South Dakota consumers and small businesses will be disproportionately burdened instead.

At a time when President Trump is cutting taxes on hardworking families and small businesses, this proposal would impose a tax on every single business advertising in South Dakota, and in turn, raise the price of the goods and services they offer. President Trump has also taken on the battle against advertising taxes and has threatened additional tariffs on countries that do tax digital advertising.

The ability of businesses of all sizes to access online platforms and reach new customers has leveled the playing field, allowing start-ups, local newspapers, and countless small businesses to grow and find success. The last thing South Dakota business owners and entrepreneurs need is a tax on their efforts to tell consumers about the important goods and services they offer.

In addition to leveling the playing field for South Dakota businesses, advertising is a critical part of South Dakota’s economy. According to an independent study commissioned by the Association of National Advertisers, advertising expenditures generated $16.2 billion in economic activity, while supporting 84,810 jobs in the state. This accounts for 18.1 percent of all jobs in South Dakota. Simply put, advertising is a critical industry for South Dakota and elected officials should be doing everything possible to protect it—not considering legislation that would endanger it.

As a former State Senator, I urge you to focus on ways to harness the state’s opportunity to build a more competitive business environment which would encourage innovation and grow the overall tax base. As a CPA and state tax law expert, I hope that you will see that this misguided idea to tax advertising services would have far-reaching, negative consequences for businesses, consumers, and South Dakota’s economy. For these reasons I urge you to oppose this proposal.

Sincerely,

 

 

Deb Peters, CPA
Tax Expert and Consultant for Association of National Advertisers

I inquired, and Deb was nice enough to provide me a 1-sheet on the issue:

South Dakota Advertising Coalition One Sheet by Pat Powers

The question is whether this is a fight that legislators want to get into, considering it would be a war against advertisers.. the same people that politicians hire to promote themselves.

The Simple Solution to Property Taxes
by Rep. Will Mortenson (R-Fort Pierre)

Property taxes are irritating. The tax notice comes in the mail twice a year, showing that you owe the county treasurer hundreds, thousands, or (if you’re lucky and own very valuable property) tens of thousands of dollars. You pay property taxes, even though you may have bought your house, farm, or business fifty years ago and paid off the mortgage twenty years ago. Because of the stark, high-dollar reminder and the fact that no transaction has taken place, property taxes represent more of a burr under South Dakotans’ saddles than about any other tax.

So, if we do not like property taxes and we want to pay less of them, how should we go about doing that? It is important to know that the State of South Dakota, your state government, does not spend one dime of property tax revenue. All property taxes are allocated to local governments, with about 90% spent in three areas: Law Enforcement, Schools, and Roads. The dollars are not going to some faceless paper-pusher; property taxes fund your teachers, sheriffs, city streets, and rural bridges. So, any real, responsible plan to reduce property taxes must replace the revenue instead of recklessly suggesting that our schools, cities, or counties simply cut their staff or their road budget by 25%.

The good news: a simple, straightforward solution has already been proposed. Last year, I co-sponsored a bill that would have cut owner-occupied property taxes by 35% for all homeowners without defunding the police, our schools, or our roads. The replacement revenue was an increase in the sales tax rate by 0.8%, moving us from 11^th lowest in the nation to 18^th lowest, and making our sales tax rate the same as North Dakota (still 1% lower than Nebraska). Despite the support of a couple dozen smart conservatives in the House of Representatives, the bill was opposed by Gov. Rhoden, the Democrats, and House Leadership, and was defeated. If it had passed, the property taxes on your home would be lower by more than one-third in 2026. Remember that when the notice comes this spring.

A consumption tax like the sales tax is the best replacement revenue. It is fair and consistent across the state. It allows frugal, conservative spenders to avoid paying some taxes, if they are willing to consume less. Another benefit: out-of-staters pay sales tax, from truckers passing through to visiting tourists to out-of-state corporations buying goods and services in South Dakota. While it may only account for ten or fifteen percent, tens of millions of dollars would be paid by out-of-staters in sales taxes that are now paid 100% by South Dakota homeowners in property taxes. Owing to that fact, the property-tax-for-sales-tax swap represents a clear and substantial tax cut for South Dakotans.

The best solution for reducing property taxes is a simple, responsible one, that replaces property tax revenue without defunding vital local services. This summer, ideas have been floated, ranging from a State Income Tax to New County Taxes to putting a 16.2% tax on eggs and bread (that last idea is proposed to go in our constitution!). Reducing property taxes for South Dakota homeowners can be achieved, but not at the expense of our law enforcement, not on the backs of our teachers, and not through income taxes or 15%+ taxes on groceries.  If we are going to deliver property tax relief and tamp down the irritation of that semiannual tax notice, we need to keep it simple, South Dakota.