Author: @SoDakCampaigns

Attorney General Jackley Announces $15 Million Settlement With Interactive Gaming Platform Roblox

PIERRE, S.D. – South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley announces that South Dakota has reached a $15 million settlement with Roblox, an immersive gaming and creation platform. The settlement will be used to protect children from online threats and enhance the state’s educational system.

“This settlement is about protecting our kids,” said Attorney General Jackley. “South Dakota is establishing a national standard for platforms to protect kids and work with law enforcement to help parents. It improves on-line security and provides funds to those state agencies involved in protection and education.”

The proceeds from this settlement will go to:

*** Year One – $2.6 million to fund South Dakota’s Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, which is part of the Attorney General’s Office.

*** Year One – $1 million, to be divided into $500,000 for a two-year period, to create a PSA campaign on online child safety, including specific references to interacting with Roblox safely, designed to reach a South Dakota audience.

*** Year Two – $2.5 million to fund the South Dakota Department of Education, with 20 percent of the payment allocated for funding governmental and nonprofit after-school programs.

*** Year Three – $2.5 million to fund the South Dakota Department of Education, with 20 percent of the payment allocated for funding governmental and nonprofit after-school programs.

*** Year Four – $1 million to fund the South Dakota Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Fund, which will fund future investigation and litigation against companies that violate our consumer protection laws.

South Dakota could also receive up to another $5.4 million in damages if Roblox fails to meet any of the agreement provisions.

“Keeping South Dakota safe isn’t limited to our streets. It extends to our digital world where our children spend more time than ever before,” said Gov. Larry Rhoden. “I am grateful for Attorney General Jackley’s leadership on this issue. We will continue to work together to build a safer South Dakota.”

As part of the agreement, Roblox will underwrite a two-year multi-media PSA campaign valued at $1 million. The campaign will focus on online child safety, including specific references to interacting with Roblox safely, designed to reach a South Dakota audience. South Dakota may suggest local organizations to be considered as partners in the campaign.

Roblox will require all users to undergo age verification to ensure children have access only to age-appropriate content on the platform. Roblox has committed to using facial age estimation technology and government- issued ID for age confirmation and will use behavioral monitoring to identify users who may have been aged incorrectly. The settlement also explicitly addresses privacy concerns related to age verification.

Parents will also have expanded control over their children’s use of the platform under the agreement. The expansion of parental controls allows parents to decide who their children are talking to and the games they are playing on the platform as well as restrict the transfer of in-game currency (Robux) from adults other than trusted connections. In the absence of a parent account, the default content mode provides protections to minor users.

Adult users and users under 16 will not be able to chat unless they are identified as a “trusted friend” on the platform. Trusted friends for users under 13 require parental consent. Unless a parent elects otherwise, users between 13 and 15 years old may add trusted friends through a QR code or phone contact importer.

Under the agreement, Roblox will not allow communication involving minors to be encrypted. Unencrypted communication allows law enforcement to be able to more easily combat child exploitation networks, trafficking, and the distribution of illegal and harmful content.

South Dakota is one of several states to secure agreements with Roblox. The ‘most favored nation’ clause included in the agreement ensures that South Dakota is entitled to any improved terms that are later agreed to by Roblox and any other state.

The agreement is attached: https://atg.sd.gov/docs/Roblox%20SD%20-%20AVC.pdf

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• John Beranek – Intersections Group
• Tamien Dysart – CEO and Co-Founder at Think 3D Solutions; Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce Board Chair
• Scott Erickson – President and CEO at American Bank & Trust; Commissioner at South Dakota Housing Development Authority
• Alex Jensen – Henry Carlson Construction; Sioux Falls City Council (2020-2024); State Representative (2015-2016)
• Rick Kiley – Retired Teacher; Sioux Falls City Council (2014-2022); Sioux Falls Charter Revision Commission (2025-present)
• Matt Paulson – Founder and CEO at MarketBeat
• Jodi Schwan – Align Content Studio; former Chief of Staff to Sioux Falls Mayor Dave Munson (2006-2010)
• Justin Smith – Woods Fuller Law Firm; Parks and Recreation Board (2026-present); Sioux Falls Charter Revision Commission (2015-2023)
• Karlie Solum – Director of Community Relations at Marsh McLennan Agency
• Kadyn Wittman – State Representative (2023-present); Sioux Falls YMCA Director of Development

The Emerson poll is in the field tonight. Just took it myself.

I’m guessing we will see the results on KELOland.com fairly soon.

Rhoden for Governor Responds to Toby’s Attacks with “Toby Tax” Ad

Pierre, SD – Today, the Rhoden for Governor campaign responded to Toby Doeden’s attacks with a new “Toby Tax” ad.

“Larry Rhoden delivered the largest property tax cut in South Dakota history – reducing property taxes 30% or more,” the ad states. “Toby Doeden’s plan blows a $1.8 billion hole in the state budget.”

The ad points out that the fiscal hole created by Doeden’s plan would gut funding for education, roads, police officers, and firefighters. Doeden’s plan would also create a $500,000 tax windfall for himself.

The only way to pay for Doeden’s plan would be to double the sales tax or impose a new state income tax. Governor Larry Rhoden has signed a pledge to not support any new taxes.

“A half-million for Doeden – a new Toby Tax for us,” the ad concludes.

Learn more at thetobytax.com.

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From USA Today, former Governor Kristi Noem’s family is confirming that former Governor Noem and her husband Bryon are planning to divorce after public allegations of Bryon patronizing on-line adult entertainers:

Kristi Noem plans to divorce her husband of 34 years, Bryon Noem, her mother said, bringing a public end to a marriage that came under new scrutiny this year after allegations about his private life surfaced in a tabloid investigation.

Corinne Arnold, Noem’s mother, told the Daily Mail that the former Homeland Security secretary shared the decision with family members this spring. The revelation comes months after a Daily Mail report alleged Bryon Noem paid adult entertainers and cross-dressed during role-playing encounters, which left the family “blindsided,” according to a spokesperson.

You can read the story here.

Please keep the family in your thoughts.

More Opportunities for the Next Generation
By Sen. John Thune

There’s almost nothing parents won’t do for their kids. From the moment they hand you that little bundle, your whole life becomes about giving them a better life. For many of us, that’s the essence of the American Dream: to give your children a better life than you had.

Last year, in the Working Families Tax Cuts, Republicans worked to make it easier for parents to set their kids up for success. This bill opens new education pathways, helps parents save for their kids’ education, and creates new investment accounts to empower parents to give their kids a nest egg for the future – money they can use down the road to get a head start on their American Dream.

Parents know that a good education is the foundation of their kids’ success. For decades, the 529 savings plan has been a powerful tool for parents to save and invest in their kids’ education. At first, 529s could only be used for college. Then, in 2017 Republicans expanded them to include K-12 expenses too. And in last year’s Working Families Tax Cuts, Republicans again expanded 529s so parents can use them for things like tutoring, vocational education, homeschool materials, and continuing education. And in addition to these new flexibilities, we doubled the amount that you can withdraw from a 529 account to $20,000 per year.

For postsecondary education, the Working Families Tax Cuts implements reforms and accountability measures to put downward pressure on the cost of college degrees. On top of those measures, it also makes permanent a policy I’ve long championed that allows employers to repay a portion of an employee’s student loans each year without the employee having to pay federal taxes on that income.

The Working Families Tax Cuts also creates a new Workforce Pell grant program, which supports students pursuing shorter-term training programs that prepare them for in-demand jobs. This promising new program began just this month, and I’m proud that South Dakota has begun working to identify programs in our state that will be eligible for the Workforce Pell program and will enable South Dakotans to seize new opportunities and strengthen our local workforce and economy.

In addition to supporting education, the Working Families Tax Cuts created Trump Accounts, a new tax-advantaged investment account designed to allow parents to save for their children’s future beyond their education: to give kids a nest egg, help them buy a home, or start a business. If they choose not to withdraw money once they reach adulthood, they can also use these accounts to kickstart their retirement savings. And to get savings started, parents can opt in for an initial deposit of $1,000 from the government for kids born between 2025 and 2028. Millions of Americans have already signed up their children for Trump Accounts, and parents can enroll their kids online or by downloading the Trump Accounts app.

As we celebrate 250 years since our nation’s founding, we’re especially mindful that America is a land of opportunity. The Working Families Tax Cuts helps create new opportunities and empowers the next generation to seize them and enjoy even greater success. The Working Families Tax Cuts is about our country’s future, and it’s helping to strengthen the American Dream for the next generation.

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Responding to Devastation
By: Gov. Larry Rhoden
July 10, 2026

Natural disasters are devastating, but they also provide opportunities for our state to show what we are made of. I’ve served as a volunteer firefighter my entire life, and my administration is ready to respond to any emergency.

Most recently, Sandy and I have been on scene in Hyde and Beadle counties after record setting straight line winds. Everywhere we looked, there were neighbors helping each other, folks from the next town bringing needed equipment, and businesses offering goods and shelter. The volunteer efforts have just been incredible.

I’m always amazed by how well our state agencies work together and with local officials to respond quickly. In both recent storms, state agencies responded within hours of the damage – and they stuck around for a week of long hours from seven agencies.

In both Huron and Highmore, our public safety officials are on the ground providing security and traffic control. Transportation crews are helping with road closures and heavy equipment. We have crews of inmates cleaning up debris at no cost to the communities. While all that is happening, the Department of Social Services is working with community partners to make sure residents have access to the resources and support they need, and the Department of Human Services is working with nursing homes across the region to place displaced residents in facilities that have offered to provide care.

My immediate visits are always worth the time. It is important to me to look people in the eye and let them know we are doing everything we can to put their lives back together.

The National Weather Service has now confirmed a tornado touched down in Huron. Even before that confirmation, we were working with FEMA to receive a Presidential Major Disaster Declaration, which will hopefully draw down federal support. These communities are continuing to assess the full extent of the damage and calculate recovery costs. Although it is too early to determine whether the disaster will meet the thresholds necessary for FEMA, we will continue to put in the work to help get these communities back on their feet.

There are many more heroes to mention, but a special thanks to our electric companies. A natural disaster often comes with loss of power for some of our citizens. This is when linemen become heroes. They are out at all hours and in all conditions getting power back to as many customers as possible as fast as possible.

In addition to the seven agencies responding to storm damage, we have National Guard and the Bureau Information and Technology helping Pennington County through a cybersecurity incident. The GRIT task force I created last year has had countless benefits for our preparedness as a state, including the strengthening of partnerships between state agencies and our communities. The investigation is still underway, but GRIT has laid a foundation for a faster and more robust response to these types of situations. I am proud of the work of our soldiers and technology professionals. Their specialized expertise in cybersecurity has been critical to this response.

South Dakotans always look out for one another, especially when times are tough. Thank you to everyone lending a hand and praying for those who have been impacted. We can be thankful that neither of these storms resulted in a loss of life. We’ll continue working together to help our fellow South Dakotans rebuild.

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Investing in America
By Rep. Dusty Johnson
July 10, 2026

BIG Update

It’s been a little over a year since the Working Families Tax Cuts became law. This landmark legislation prevented the largest tax hike in American history, preserves the American Dream for the next generation, and supports workers, parents, seniors, and main street businesses. As this bill is implemented, families and workers across the country are starting to see the benefits. If you’re curious about how this legislation will impact you, visit Working Families Tax Cuts to see the benefits to your family and Americans across the country.

BIG Idea

Global demand for biofuels supports farm incomes and drives investment in our rural communities. S&P Global Energy predicts biofuel production could triple over the next 25 years, and the United States is well positioned to supply a growing share of that demand. If America doesn’t meet growing global biofuel demand, other countries will. The benefits of biofuels extend beyond supporting farmers by providing consumers with a more affordable option at the pump. Permanent, year-round sale of E15 has already passed the House with my support. I wrote an op-ed in The Hill outlining the need for biofuel policy that supports American agricultural and energy needs.

Click here or the image above to read Johnson’s op-ed

BIG News

The Hot Springs Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Clinic’s dialysis center has resumed serving patients after I engaged with Secretary Doug Collins to share the importance of this critical service for veterans in western South Dakota. For many veterans, traveling more than 100 miles round trip multiple times each week for dialysis created an unnecessary burden on those already facing serious health challenges. I’ve remained engaged with VA leadership, urging continued investment in the services South Dakota veterans rely on and working to ensure they have access to quality care closer to home. Dialysis is lifesaving treatment. While it took longer than I hoped, I’m grateful the VA restored this service, allowing more veterans to receive the care they need without spending hours on the road.

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Coming off of their election night victory, the Doeden for Governor campaign seemed to have found it’s footing, picking up a few endorsements from fellow Republican candidates, and clipping along. But as we get closer, they seems to be going back to some bad habits they had from the primary. This week we’ve seen somewhat undisciplined activity and what appears to be an outright false attack as the race tightens moving towards the finish line.

What am I talking about?  First off, on Wednesday we were treated to this text message blast from Toby’s captive Political Action Committee that he funds to the exclusion of nearly all other funding, Dakota First Action.

The text message blast claimed that former Democrat legislator Nancy Turbak, a pro-choice advocate, is funding Rhoden’s campaign because they reported a check from the Turbak law office .

The problem with that assumption is that there’s people running that office other than Nancy.

Via Fred Deutsch, confirmation from the Turbak Law Office that Nancy sold her office and isn’t there anymore. I’m presuming she’s enjoying retirement, and has nothing to do with who or what the office named for her supports anymore.

I don’t think that the error has forced the Doeden campaign to do anything in terms of an “oops” or change the attack, but it ends up looking a bit silly that they can’t get it right.

Then yesterday, there was unforced error #2.

Corey DeAngelis apparently endorses Toby Doeden, and it looks like they put together a graphic declaring this. Apparently, this guy is a self-declared “school choice evangelist.”

They problem is, he also appears to have been a gay porn actor:

A school-privatization activist and frequent Fox News guest whose work has been praised by former President Donald Trump was placed on leave by his conservative nonprofit employer after reports that he had appeared in gay pornography videos surfaced.

and..

A person who resembles DeAngelis and performs under the name “Seth Rose” appears in at least three gay adult films on the pornography site GayHoopla dating to 2014. In the videos, “Seth Rose” does not have sexual contact with other performers; rather, he appears in scenes masturbating solo or alongside other men. The existence of the videos was first reported last week by the blog Str8 Up Gay Porn, which shares gay porn and articles about sex.

Read that report from NBC News.

and…

Following allegations that “parental rights” activist Corey DeAngelis has appeared in gay adult films, the right-wing school choice organization American Federation for Children (AFC) has placed DeAngelis on leave, the organization confirms to Them.

Read that here.

Is gay porn – or any porn for that matter – part of the school choice debate?  I’m told he has endorsed other insurgent republicans in recent months, and “they chased him out of town.”

It really makes a person ask who is making the decisions on the attacks and endorsements? Does no one vet these things?

18 days to go. I don’t know if it can come soon enough.

Erickson Declared Winner of Recount

SIOUX FALLS–Sioux Falls Mayor-elect Christine Erickson released the following statement upon being certified the winner of the mayoral election recount.

“The results were clear on June 23 and again today after the recount. I won the election and I will be the next mayor of Sioux Falls. Thank you to everyone who has stood by my side throughout this entire campaign. I’m ready to get to work as mayor,” said Erickson.

The final recount tally for Erickson was 18,281 and 18,277 for Smith.

In the days ahead, Erickson will continue to prepare to assume the position of mayor.

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