Author: @SoDakCampaigns

Not sure ‘sticky’ Tom Pischke can give up being booted from the State House this year, reminding voters of the incident over 6 months later:

From NPR, while nearly every other state could point to something musical relating to their state, South Dakota Democrats were unable to offer up musical tribute relating to their brand:

DJ Cassidy and the Democrats played special tracks for each state and territory during Tuesday night’s roll call.

But what song — or songs, in some cases — repped your state? We found them all so you don’t have to. Better yet, we offer some reasons behind the choices.

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South Carolina: Get Up I Feel Like Being A Sex Machine – James Brown. James Brown was born on May 3, 1933, in Barnswell, S.C.

South Dakota: What I Like About You – The Romantics

Tennessee: 9 to 5 – Dolly Parton. Country music star Dolly Parton was born in Pittman Center, Tenn., and currently lives just outside of Nashville. Her Dollywood theme park and resorts are located in Pigeon Forge.

Read that all here.

Did they even try? That’s just.. kind of sad.

Hot off the press is a release that was sent out from the Life Defense Fund today where the group’s Co-Chair and State Legislator Jon Hansen expresses his concern over avoiding ‘ethical boundaries’ he may cross if he would have to debate his group’s position on Amendment G.

In part:

Jon Hansen Says Debate on Abortion Measure Violates “Ethical Rules as an Attorney”

Concerning tomorrow’s “Ballot Talk: weighing the Pro’s and the Cons with Greg LaFollette regarding putting abortion up to birth in South Dakota’s State Constitution, Jon Hansen, Attorney for Life Defense Fund, issued the following statement:

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“As much as I would like to nail down Weiland on his organization’s repeated and blatant violations of petition laws and the engagement in fraudulent activities, to do so would violate legal ethical rules as an attorney.”

“Because I represent Life Defense Fund, which is suing Weiland’s organization “Dakotans for Health” in the case Life Defense Fund and Leslee Unruh vs. Dakotans for Health – Lawyers are not permitted under legal ethical rules to speak to opposing parties represented in an ongoing case about matters related to the litigation.”

Of course, no mention was made about Jon Hansen doing double-duty co-chairing the Life Defense Fund, being paid as a consultant by the Life Defense Fund, and (as State Representative) introducing legislation to aid the Life Defense Fund’s attack against the petition filed by Dakotans for Health.

In case anyone has forgotten the oath that legislators sign:

I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I …have not accepted, nor will I accept or receive directly or indirectly, any money, pass, or any other valuable thing, from any corporation, company or person, for any vote or influence I may give or withhold on any bill or resolution, or appropriation, or for any other official act.”

Article III, Section 8, South Dakota Constitution
South Dakota Legislative Oath of Office.

I’m not sure.. is the oath of office considered an ethical rule too? Or more of a suggestion?

Does that also mean that the Life Defense Fund is going to just duck Amendment G debates from here on out?

Has it been an active week or what? Traffic has been high, even when people might not like to read public documents.

And adding to the conversation is our latest advertiser, the Yes on 29 Ballot Committee, asking South Dakotans to also listen to their side of the conversation regarding Initiated Measure 29 when people are making up their minds how to vote. Please click on the ad and hear from the side that didn’t divert nun’s money to primary elections.

With two and a half months until election day, SDWC has advertising opportunities for reaching South Dakota’s opinion leaders, based on a first-come, first-serve basis for available positions. The #1 spot in the left-hand column and down page advertising spots are available, and there are discounts for longer ad commitments.  Information on ad prices, ad positions, and ad commitments may be directed to the webmaster by clicking here.

Please take a moment to visit our advertisers such as South Dakota’s chief executive Governor Kristi Noem, our friend South Dakota Senator John Thune,  Congressman Dusty Johnson, and Republican United States Senator Mike Rounds. Our friends at South Dakota Ag Alliance are also here to fight for landowner rights and common sense ag development, as Summit Carbon Solutions will keep our farmers and ethanol producers competitive on a world stage.

Aside from IM29, we also have the opponents to IM28 making sure South Dakotans know IM28 is a trap.. as badly as I’m sure they want to use the Star Wars meme.. And we have SD Open Primaries asking voters via Amendment H to let everyone who pays for our elections to vote.

Of course, at Dakota Campaign Store, down on the right, you’ll find me already busy in 2024 with yard signs, postcards, and all the things a professional campaign needs to make an impression.

Thank you to our advertisers for your support, and please reach out if you’d like to join them!

From SDAHO:

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s COVID-19 data tracker shows an 18.1% test positivity rate for the week ending Aug. 10, the highest it has been since January 2022. Wastewater surveillance, “an early warning sign of COVID-19’s spread in communities,” demonstrates “very high” viral activity for COVID-19 across the U.S. indicating positivity rates could be even higher than reported test results. CDC recommends that everyone ages six months and older receive a 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccine.

Read that here.

That does not make me excited to hop on a plane at the end of the week…

Gov. Noem Appoints Joe Fiala as GOED Commissioner

PIERRE, S.D. – Today, Governor Kristi Noem appointed Joe Fiala as the Commissioner of the Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED).

“Joe has been a great member of our economic development team for years. He has helped build the strongest jobs market in America, and we’ll keep that work going with him as our Commissioner,” said Governor Kristi Noem. “With Joe’s diligence, his positive outlook, and his ability to build and maintain relationships, I am confident that we will continue to accomplish fantastic things!”

Joe was raised with a ranching background in Custer and Hot Springs in the southern Black Hills. After taking computer science courses at South Dakota State University, he worked in the software industry, including designing business software at Microsoft.

In 2007, Joe entered the field of economic development as the executive director of the local economic development office in Miller. In 2012, he joined GOED as a business development representative and has since served as a director in several areas including research, community development, business development, and partner relations. Throughout his time at GOED, Joe has worked with countless stakeholders on numerous projects totaling billions of dollars in capital investment which have created or retained thousands of good-paying jobs for South Dakotans.

“I’m looking forward to working with my colleagues and economic developers across the state to help businesses grow and to positively impact the economy of South Dakota,” said Joe Fiala. “I would like to thank Governor Noem for the opportunity to serve as the Commissioner of the Governor’s Office of Economic Development.”

Joe lives in Miller with his wife, Andrea, who is a high school science teacher. They have two daughters, Kirstyn and Megan. They enjoy spending time outdoors on the farm where Andrea was raised. You can find a photo of Joe Fiala here.

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According to an article at South Dakota Standard, former Senator Tom Daschle has apparently moved on from South Dakota and Washington DC, where he famously declared himself to be a resident, and is now residing in South Carolina:

There has been a change in his status. He and his wife Linda Hall Daschle have relocated and he will not be part of the South Dakota delegation.

“This year I am still a superdelegate from South Carolina, since that has now been our official residence for a few years,” Daschle said.

Read that here.

From Facebook comes some advertising from the Davison County Republicans that I was not expecting this Friday night:

The Davison County GOP is having their upcoming Lincoln Day Dinner.. in September… featuring their keynote speaker, State Representative Chris Karr from Sioux Falls.. touting him as the person “who passed the largest tax cut in state history.”  Ooookay. Because there was no one else involved with that?  Like other legislators? The Governor?

Was there no one available from Brookings to speak that they had to go to Sioux Falls?

You know, if only there was a statewide elected official from around Mitchell. But that might mean supporting someone who actually lives in the community…

Here’s an interesting anecdote that came my way today. 

On her campaign website – which was recently redone – Secretary of State Monae Johnson has expressly declared that “I am against voter fraud, online voting and online voter registration.”  (You can read that under Meet Monae):

While the Secretary of State claims to be AGAINST ONLINE VOTER REGISTRATION, there is an interesting contract that she signed in her role as Secretary of State that seems to be contrary to that stated position. A $4.5 million dollar contract.

Contract between SDSOS and KNOWINK by Pat Powers on Scribd

Go ahead and read it yourself, but the latest contract between the Secretary of State and election vendor KNOWINK seems to have been written with specific provisions with regards to online voter registration.

If Secretary of State Johnson is going to sign a contract for online voter registration, she probably shouldn’t declare on her revamped website that she’s against online voter registration less than 60 days later.

Just a thought.

From Facebook, Brook Kaufman is sharing the good news of her organization’s (Visit Rapid City) successful presentation to the National Association of Secretaries of State: