Author: @SoDakCampaigns

Roseland Announces Candidacy for District 23 State Senate

SENECA–Steve Roseland today officially announced his candidacy for the South Dakota State Senate for District 23. With nearly 30 years of experience as an elected official, Roseland touts his experience in agriculture and county government as what gives him the opportunity to serve District 23 to the fullest.

“District 23 is the heartland of South Dakota, and I want to put years of experience to work for our district in the state Senate,” said Roseland. “The legislature needs a proven leader to be an advocate for agriculture, small towns and rural values. I look forward to having conversations in the weeks between now and the election to learn about the issues important to the people of District 23.”

Raised on a ranch in Faulk County, Steve attended South Dakota State University and returned home to Seneca and became a fourth generation South Dakota rancher. Steve and his wife, Deb, have four adult children–Kelly, Slade, Sal, and Kim–and 14 grandchildren. Sal and Slade have followed in Steve’s footsteps as the fifth generation of South Dakota ranchers, and they too are continuing the family’s legacy by working cattle alongside their children.

Roseland believes in serving his surrounding communities to help them continue to be the best place to live. His family worships at St. Thomas Catholic Church and he is a member of the Knights of Columbus. Steve is a 20-year member of the Faulk County Commission and Faulk County Zoning Board. He also served on the Faulkton School Board for nine years.

During his time in public service, Roseland has put the people of South Dakota first and led with conservative values. He is a strong advocate for landowner rights and fiscal responsibility. As a Senator, Steve will work on school, road and county funding to help preserve and advance the rural South Dakota way of life.

“Thank you to Bryan Breitling for his years of service representing District 23, and I wish him well as he takes a step back from public service,” said Roseland. “Following in the footsteps of Bryan, John Lake and Corey Brown, I’ve got big shoes to fill, but I am energized by the opportunity to give back to the state and communities that I love.”

District 23 includes the counties Campbell, Edmunds, Faulk, Hand, McPherson, Potter, Walworth, and portions of Brown. The general election is Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024.

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Denise Maher Announces Candidacy for Republican National Committeewoman

September 12, 2023 – Bringing her extensive experience and collaborative spirit to bear for the Grand Old Party, Denise Maher will seek election as Republican National Committeewoman.

A Rapid City resident with a background in marketing, training, and communications, Denise has the skills and experience required to represent South Dakota on the national level. She will be an asset to the SDGOP and our Republican grassroots. Having served as Communications Director for the Pennington GOP, she possesses in-depth knowledge of the Party and its operations. Denise won election to serve Pennington County as a 2022 SDGOP Convention At-Large Delegate. Over the years, she has been instrumental in helping dozens of candidates defeat liberals and defend conservative principles.

Known for her extensive record of Party and community involvement, Denise is a founding member of South Dakota Strong – West River, a local organization created to provide conservative community leaders and elected representatives a platform to directly connect with South Dakota citizens. She is also a member of the South Dakota Federation of Republican Women. Denise successfully ran the Facebook social media campaign for 2022 Ellsworth Air & Space Show. Rapid City’s Mayor appointed her to the City Human Relations Task Force where she demonstrated her ability to work with diverse groups and build common ground on very complex issues.

“I truly believe unity is not absence of disagreement but a consensus to agree to work together. I am looking forward to representing South Dakota at the RNC and working with county party leaders and grassroots efforts at home to strengthen our party’s messaging. I’ll bring unity to the Party and serve all South Dakota Republicans,” Maher said.

HOUSING NEEDED FOR 2024 LEGISLATIVE SESSION

PIERRE – The 2024 Legislative Session begins January 9, 2024, bringing legislators, interns, and pages to Pierre for January, February, and March. Those working during session are in need of places to stay for those months.

People in the Pierre/Fort Pierre area with furnished houses, apartments, or rooms they would be willing to rent to a legislator or session employee from January 9 through March 7, 2024, are asked to complete the Housing Questionnaire on the LRC website or call (605) 773-3251 to request that a copy of the housing form be mailed to them. The form requests information on the type of housing being offered, any restrictions (no smoking, no pets), and other information that may be useful to the renter (proximity to the Capitol, available parking). Rental prices are negotiated between the property owner and the person renting the space.

A list of available housing needs to be available for distribution beginning November 10, 2023. The 99th Legislative Session calendar is now available online.

If you have been on the Legislative Housing list in the past and want to make sure your information is current or wish to be removed from the list, call (605) 773-3251 or email [email protected].

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With the book burners and those opposed preparing to clash tonight at the Brookings School Board meeting, the new school Superintendent, Dr. Summer Schultz, has sent out an e-mail district letting parents know that the district is not quite ready to talk about it tonight.  But, if you want to stop your child from reading something that offends your sensibilities, knock yourself out:

Dear Brookings School District Parents and Guardians,

This note intends to provide information surrounding an issue of interest to many in our school community.  As with most districts, BSD reviews policies on a schedule, but we also work to ensure policies with present-day interest are expedited. Some policies need to be considered out of rotation for many reasons, such as updated legislation or to ensure handbooks and protocols reflect the will of the current school board.  

Across the county, schools are being asked to reconsider books available in their libraries.  Brookings School District is no different; therefore, the policies related to these requests, last reviewed in 2013, must be revisited.  Although considerable time has been given, the district is unprepared to present a first draft for public viewing at tonight’s Board of Education meeting.  

I assure you we are providing diligence to this issue, but with all policies, we want to ensure the first draft mirrors our intentions.  This issue can produce strong opinions, and I ask that you offer patience as we work through the policy review process.  It’s important to clarify that this process was not initiated to “ban books.” Instead, we are working to ensure that our policies are appropriate for the current educational climate and our libraries continue to be a place where students have voluntary access to a diverse range of literature and are a foundation of knowledge, understanding, and cultural enrichment.

Moving forward, all citizen requests to challenge library materials will be received, noted, and on hold until our updated policy is in place.  Parents can still utilize the “Parent Restriction” form that is not attached to a policy but is a way for parents to restrict material for their child by working directly with the building principal and librarian.  

Thank you for your continued support of the Brookings School District and all the staff that make this a great place to learn!

Dr. Schultz

The Superintendent has plopped the issue back in the laps of parents for the time being while they figure it out, if they want to restrict the materials their child has access to.  And that’s where the issue should be.

From Facebook, Jordan Youngberg is already out and hitting the campaign trail hard, with 9 months to go…

Saw this call for protest is making the rounds on Facebook today, where s group is calling for a “Read-In” protest before this evening’s school board meeting.

This follows a previous call to action, as noted in my August 25th post, where I noted this flyer was making the rounds.

Basically, the big deal is that the book burning groups want to substitute parents’ judgement with their own, and supersede the role of parents in choosing what’s appropriate for one’s own children. As I’d written on August 25th.

Ultimately, as the parent of a child in the school, if there is something I object to, I consider it MY JOB to determine what might be appropriate or inappropriate for my child. It’s called being a parent. And guess what? I refuse to abdicate that role to a group of nanny-state zealots any more than I would abdicate that role to the school.

Having the ability to determine myself what is appropriate for my child.  That seems to be a lot closer to the definition of freedom as it has been taught to me than the “big government freedom” some want to impose on South Dakotans.

Read that here.

Protesters versus the nanny-staters… The Brookings School Board meeting will be held tonight at Dakota Prairie Elementary, and should also be streamed live via youtube here, if you’re interested in watching the show.

Had a couple of people reach out to me this weekend confirming what I had heard on Friday, that the SDGOP National Committeewoman position is going to be an open contest at the next State Republican Convention, taking place in 2024.  At the meeting, I’m told current GOP National Committeewoman Sandye Kading announced she would not be running again, making it the only open convention race so far seat that candidates will be competing for.

Public Utilities Commission, and the National Committeeman and Committeewoman positions are the only races that Convention Delegates have the opportunity to vote for at the next convention after 2022’s big contests.

Currently, PUC Commissioner Kristie Fiegen has announced she is running again. We have not heard from National Committeeman Ried Holien intentions to step down, so with the announcement of the only open seat at this time, there is likely to be a spirited campaign for the office.

Like a lot of South Dakotans, I can’t wait for Friday night lights in the fall. I enjoy being able to attend games and other sporting events around the state throughout the season. Friday night football, Dakota Relays, Legion baseball, and the Summit League tournament – they’re all part of the sports heritage that we cherish and that we are proud to pass on to the next generation of South Dakota athletes.

College sports have a special place in South Dakota. Many South Dakotans continue following athletes from their hometown who keep playing in college or who go on to play professionally. I know the impact that college sports can have on athletes. My daughter ran cross country in college, and she was inducted into her college’s hall of fame a few years ago. My dad played basketball for the University of Minnesota where he was lucky enough to get a scholarship that covered room and board. He was the team’s MVP during his junior year and the high point man in a game at Madison Square Garden in 1940 – quite the journey for a small-town kid from South Dakota.

Sports have certainly changed a lot since my dad played for the Gophers. But one of the most significant changes for college sports came recently with rules that allow college athletes to benefit from their name, image, and likeness (NIL). For many athletes, this is a welcome development. But, while NIL presents new opportunities for student athletes, it also brings challenges and complexities for them to navigate.

I recently joined NCAA President Charlie Baker for a discussion with student athletes and administrators hosted by Augustana University in Sioux Falls. The student panel spoke to some of the complexities of NIL, the need for a level playing field, and their hope that college sports will remain focused on playing the game, and not just making money. Their personal insights will be helpful as conversations continue in Congress about a federal role in setting NIL standards.

In my view, we need to ensure there is continued competition between large and smaller schools. A uniform set of standards to replace the existing patchwork of state laws that sometimes advantage public colleges would ensure there is a level playing field for all college athletes and their schools, no matter their size. National standards should also protect student athletes from being taken advantage of by bad actors.

One solution I’ve proposed is the Athlete Opportunity and Taxpayer Integrity Act, a bipartisan bill that would prohibit outside organizations and collectives from writing contributions off their taxes that are being used to compensate athletes. Student athletes now stand to benefit from opportunities related to their own NIL, but taxpayers shouldn’t be subsidizing such recruitment methods or payments.

As the new NIL era unfolds, it’s important that we safeguard the things that make college sports uniquely great. I appreciate Augustana University for hosting this timely discussion and the student athletes for their insight. I’m looking forward to seeing South Dakota’s athletes compete this fall, and I wish them the best of luck this season and with the opportunities ahead.

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Freedom Really Does Work Here
By: Governor Kristi Noem
September 8, 2023

I launched the “Freedom Works Here” nationwide workforce recruitment campaign in June to tell South Dakota’s story to America. South Dakota has seen unprecedented economic success over the last several years. This resulted in us having one of the lowest unemployment rates in the nation – but we still had open jobs to fill.

From the beginning, this campaign has been about filling job openings for South Dakota businesses. Our businesses are loving the results, and Americans are answering the call!

We’ve been telling our story to the entire nation, encouraging Freedom-loving Americans to move to the best state in the nation to live, work, and raise a family. Today, I’d like to tell a bit of a different story. I’d like to share the stories of the South Dakota businesses who have been able to thrive because of this campaign.

I’ve talked to businesses across South Dakota about their workforce struggles. Since the launch of this campaign, local businesses have seen an increase in out-of-state applicants, welcomed new employees from across the country, and eased the workforce shortages that used to hinder their success.

Cole-TAC in Rapid City, DemKota Ranch Beef in Aberdeen, and Journey Construction Group in Sioux Falls are just a few examples of all the businesses that have been hiring out-of-state workers to fill their open jobs.

“Where most politicians just say they are working on a problem, Governor Noem is actually doing something about it. Here at Cole-TAC, we have started to receive more and more applications from folks living out-of-state. They are all very well qualified, and it’s clear that they are excited about the prospect of moving to South Dakota,” said Cole-TAC President Dustin Coleman. “One of our applicants even said that Governor Noem’s ‘Freedom Works Here’ TV commercials are the reason they looked into moving to and working in South Dakota. We are excited to start welcoming these folks to our great state.”

“In addition to aggressively recruiting in our home state of South Dakota, DemKota Ranch beef routinely recruits teammates out-of-state. DemKota recruiters have visited Texas, Minnesota, Iowa, Kansas, Indiana, Illinois, Arkansas, Florida, Colorado, and Missouri. We have hired teammates from all of these states,” said DemKota Ranch Beef CEO Adam Bode. “In the last six weeks, DemKota has welcomed 82 out-of-state teammates and families into our company and community. DemKota Ranch Beef will continue to support our local cattle producers to competitively market their animals, where locker plants and large conglomerates fail to meet their needs.”

“Journey Construction Group has already hired two employees from out-of-state just in the last few weeks – one from Alaska and one from Colorado. With our need for workers, we’ve been grateful to Governor Noem for her efforts to share South Dakota’s story with the rest of the country,” said Journey Construction Group CEO Randy Knecht. “The two positions that we have already filled are professional positions, meaning they are year-round jobs, rather than seasonal roles like many jobs in construction tend to be. We are excited to hire more workers from within and outside the state of South Dakota as our need for more workers will increase again this spring.”

These businesses are proving that South Dakota’s story inspires people. Folks want to move their families to a state that values Freedom – that still believes in the beauty of the American Dream.

In the three months since the campaign launched, the five TV ads have been viewed almost 700 million times. 6,501 of people have filled out the online job application, and 1,402 of those folks are in the final stages of moving to South Dakota.

In South Dakota we’re showing America that Freedom really does work here.

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Hot off the press, just had someone send me this flyer that’s going around at the various events this weekend leading up to the SDGOP Trump event and Central Committee Meeting.  Apparently, Heidi Engelhart, 2nd Vice President for South Dakota Republican Women, has thrown her hat into the internal SDGOP race for the National Committeewoman position current held by Pennington County resident Sandye Kading.

Her predecessor Sanye Kading was originally elected national committeewoman in 2012 for the South Dakota Republican Party, and has served as the president of the South Dakota Federation of Republican Women.

In South Dakota, the National Committeeman & woman’s duties have been largely ceremonial, and have consisted largely of representing South Dakota Republicans at meetings of the Republican National Committee.  In the past, the positions had travel paid for by the party, but as I understand, that went out of practice in past years, and committeepeople have largely been left to their own devices to cover their costs as the activity level and duties of the committeepersons were minimized and became less active in party activities such as fundraising.

Engelhart recently appeared on Mike Lindell’s streaming “Frankspeech” channel unhappy about local SDFRW clubs finding out they might have to accept transgendered individuals in their ranks, and along with an Iowa official in Republican Women, Engelhart declared that Republican Women Clubs would fight against transgendered membership in Republican Women all the way to the Supreme Court:

In the August 29 interview on the “Tamara Scott Show” on Mike Lindell’s FrankSpeech network, Carlson and Heidi Englehart of the South Dakota FRW said that they were advised by conservative constitutional attorney John Eidsmoe that the NFRW has a right as a “private organization” to establish its own bylaws for membership, and, like the Boy Scouts of America, it would prevail if a pro-LGBT legal challenge went all the way to the Supreme Court.

Read that here.

If that’s how they feel, I guess that’s all well and good for them, and I hope they pay for that fight out of their own budget. Not the party’s.

But to bring it up, if Engelhart is out campaigning for the spot to be elected at the next Republican convention, I want to know #1 – what is she going to do to get Republicans elected? And #2 – what is she going to do to raise money for the party (to help get candidates elected)?

Because the rest of it just sounds like a lot of noise.

And if anyone else is looking to run to be the next SDGOP National Committeewoman, it looks like it’s game on for the convention race.