Author: @SoDakCampaigns

Rounds Named 5th Most Effective Republican Senator for 118th Congress
Rounds named a top lawmaker in defense, agriculture and Indian Affairs issues

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) was named as one of the top-five most effective Republican lawmakers in the 118th Congress by the Center for Effective Lawmaking (CEL). The CEL score is based on metrics such as substance of bills introduced, their progression throughout the legislative process and how many were signed into law.

In addition to being recognized as one of the top-five most effective Republican lawmakers in the Senate, Rounds was also named:

• 2nd most effective Republican on Agricultural issues (9th overall)
• 3rd most effective Republican on Indian Affairs issues (6th overall)
• 3rd most effective Republican on Labor and Employment issues (6th overall)
• 4th most effective Republican on Defense issues (6th overall)
• 14th most effective Senator overall

“As lawmakers, one of the most important parts of our jobs is writing and introducing substantive bills and shepherding them through the legislative process with the ultimate goal of getting them signed into law,” said Rounds. “We were successful in getting results for the people of South Dakota in the 118th Congress across policy areas ranging from agriculture to national security and defense.

“As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, a large part of my daily work is focused on national security. Each year, the committee works to compose the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which authorizes funding to support our national defense programs as well as our men and women in uniform and their families. This past year, I authored 40 individual provisions that were included in the NDAA. The bill also included $282 million in projects at Ellsworth Air Force Base and $2.6 billion for procurement of B-21 Raider bombers which will be based at Ellsworth. We also included a number of provisions related to cybersecurity and artificial intelligence efforts to support our national defense.

“South Dakota is also home to a robust agriculture industry. Despite not serving on the Senate Agriculture Committee, I continue to work on introducing legislation that supports our farmers and ranchers that call South Dakota home. This includes supporting American-made products all the way from the farm to the shelves at the grocery store.

“In addition, as the only member of the South Dakota delegation serving on the Indian Affairs committee, I’m committed to working with all nine tribes in South Dakota on legislation that helps tribal members while also upholding tribal sovereignty. This includes legislation that improves the Indian Health Service and addresses the ongoing public safety crisis on reservations. Last Congress, our legislation, the Native American Direct Loan (NADL) Improvement Act, was signed into law, which reformed the NADL program administered by the VA to make it more accessible to Native American veterans living on tribal trust land.

“There is still plenty of work to be done on all of these issues and more in the current Congress. I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues in the Senate to get results for the people of South Dakota.”

Click HERE to read more about the CEL’s Legislative Effectiveness Scores.

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Just received this interesting message..

“In the Pennington County Democratic party e-mail this morning they have a call to collect Dem-friendly businesses.  I’m not a dem, so I have no additional information.  I just wonder if it will turn dems from doing business with businesses that aren’t on the list.  I also wonder about publication of the list and what business in the mostly Red Pennington county shopping area.”

Democrat Friendly Businesses in South Dakota by Pat Powers on Scribd

In looking at the Google Form, it’s not something created specifically by Pennington County Democrats, but by the state-level South Dakota Democratic Party. So, I would assume that all of the Dem party organizations may be sending it out.  Very interesting.

If I were cynical and had worked in politics a long time.. I might wonder if this is a way for Democrats to gather a list of business owners to recruit, since there are a few too many Republicans who have tried to close South Dakota for business, as they attack data centers, wind, solar & mining, building and development, etcetera and so on.

Who knows? Democrats might be trying to see how many business owners are re-evaluating the political causes they put their coin and efforts behind?

When there are Republicans out there who deride basic economic development as crony capitalism and the liberals against the transport of ethanol byproducts via pipeline have taken over the SDGOP, I’m not sure that I can blame Democrats for shooting their shot.

Thune: Agriculture is the Lifeblood of Our Country

 “[W]e have a responsibility to the men and women who work hard every day to deliver food, fuel, and fiber for America and the world.”

Click here to watch the video.

 WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) today delivered the following remarks on the Senate floor.

Attorney General Jackley Announces Brookings Area State Employee Charged With 11 Counts of Possession of Child Pornography and Sexual Exploitation of a Minor

PIERRE, S.D. – South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley announces that a Brookings man has been charged with 11 counts of Possession of Child Pornography and Sexual Exploitation of a Minor.

Mohammad Ghosheh (Go-shin) was arrested Tuesday, March 25. He was released on a $10,000 cash bond. His initial court appearance is April 28 in Brookings County Circuit Court.

“The South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation received a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children regarding a missing 15-year-old female from North Carolina. Our investigation discovered that she had been in contact with the defendant,” said Attorney General Jackley. “Our investigation continues, and further charges may be filed.”

Ghosheh is a South Dakota state government employee.

DCI is leading the investigation and has been assisted by the South Dakota Internet Crimes Against Child (ICAC) Task Force, U.S. Homeland Security Investigations, and the Brookings Police Department. The South Dakota Attorney General’s Office will prosecute the case.

The defendant is presumed innocent under the U.S. Constitution.

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Johnson Named Most Effective House Member on Native American Issues, 3rd Most Effective on Transportation

 Washington, D.C. – The Center for Effective Lawmaking named U.S. Representative Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) the most effective House member on Native American issues and third most effective on Transportation issues during the 118^th Congress.

“South Dakota knows the importance of transportation and Native policies,” said Johnson. “I’m proud to receive these rankings and deliver real results for my constituents. The 119^th Congress is off to a strong start, and I’m determined to keep up the good work.”

Johnson also received top ranks from the Center for Effective Lawmaking in the 117^th Congress and the 116^th Congress.

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The long arm of the law (albeit in diminished form) will catch up with former local newscaster Shad Olson tomorrow as he faces a change of plea/sentencing hearing at 8:30 AM.

According to court records, the Change of Plea/Sentencing hearing is set for 8:30 AM, I believe in the Meade County Courthouse. If you recall, this has been a long and twisted saga that began over a year ago, when Olson was arrested and on charges of domestic assault in February of 2024:

A political activist, podcaster and former television anchor from the Black Hills is in jail facing felony assault charges.

Shad Olson was arrested earlier this week by the Meade County Sheriff’s Office following allegations of domestic assault causing serious bodily injury for an incident that reportedly took place Friday at his home north of Rapid City, according to an arrest affidavit obtained by The Dakota Scout.

Read that here.

And as more details came out, the story got worse and worse..

The victim asked Olson “if he was drinking already and he became mad.” She then told Olson, who she described as unemployed and lacking a source of income, that she “works hard to support their family,” to which he simply retorted she was a “crazy [expletive],” documents state.

and..

From there, the victim said Olson chased after her as she ran away from her home. They had been living together from some time, but she told the officer “she pays for everything in the home while Olson worries about the country,” the documents read.

The officer asked the victim if Olson had assaulted her before, with her replying “yes.”

The victim said Olson, who runs his own far-right, eponymic podcast, is “stressed over politics,” which influences his drinking. She then told the officer Olson blames his political frustrations on her.

Go read this story now.

There was also this affidavit:

After the arrest, the twists and turns continued, as despite past boasting of Olson on social media of being of significant financial resources, his actual financial situation was not so rosy. And Olson found himself “indigent and financially unable to obtain counsel.”

And in a surprising interlude, he was stuck in the county jail for a couple of weeks, due to his indigence, until a not unfamiliar name in Rapid City conservative political circles bailed him out of jail:

His $5000 bail was paid by former District 34 Legislative hopeful Jodie Frye-Byington, the twin sister of controversial District 30 State Senator Julie Frye-Mueller.

Gov. Rhoden Signs 20 Election Bills into Law00
Also VETOES One Bill

PIERRE, S.D. –  Today, Governor Larry Rhoden signed 20 bills to promote free and fair elections. He also VETOED one bill.

“South Dakota continues to be an example of free and fair elections. Our election system has integrity, and these bills improve our already strong system,” said Governor Larry Rhoden. “America is founded on the principle of freedom, and I am proud that we live in a nation and a state where we can choose our leaders.”

Governor Rhoden also VETOED HB 1169. He articulated the reasons for his VETO in a letter to the legislature, which you can find here. You can find a photo of him VETOING the bill here.

“This bill has a worthy goal: placing safeguards on the process to add constitutional amendments to the ballot in South Dakota,” wrote Governor Rhoden. “However, I am concerned that this bill will not withstand scrutiny in the courts. This bill attempts to change the South Dakota Constitution in statute, and I believe that approach to be misguided.”

Governor Rhoden signed the following 20 bills into law:

• SB 68 requires an individual be a citizen of the United States before being eligible to vote and to provides a penalty therefor;
• SB 73 requires that an individual registering as a voter when applying for a driver license be a resident of this state for the purposes of voting;
• SB 75 requires an indication of United States citizenship status on a motor vehicle operator’s license or permit, and on a nondriver identification card;
• SB 89 repeals the requirement that judicial officers be listed on a separate nonpolitical ballot;
• SB 91 revises the requirements for a petition to initiate a measure or constitutional amendment or to refer a law;
• SB 92 requires that the director of the Legislative Research Council and the secretary of state review an initiated measure and determine if the measure embraces more than one subject;
• SB 106 requires an individual be registered as a voter of this state before being eligible to be a petition sponsor for a ballot measure;
• SB 164 prohibits the use of a deepfake to influence an election and provides a penalty therefor;
• SB 173 revises the process by which a recount may be requested;
• SB 185 amends provisions pertaining to the process by which the qualifications of a registered voter are verified;
• HB 1062 amends provisions pertaining to the maintenance and publication of the statewide voter registration file;
• HB 1066 revises residency requirements for the purposes of voter registration;
• HB 1126 modifies provisions pertaining to the compensation of a recount board;
• HB 1127 requires that notice of a county’s canvass, post-election audit, and testing of automatic tabulating equipment be posted to the secretary of state’s website;
• HB 1130 provides permissible dates for municipal and school district elections;
• HB 1164 revises the process for nominating candidates for lieutenant governor;
• HB 1184 amends the deadline for filing a petition to initiate a measure or constitutional amendment;
• HB 1208 designates an individual using the address of a mail forwarding service or post office box when applying to register as a voter or vote by absentee ballot as a federal voter;
• HB 1256 requires the inclusion of certain information on a candidate’s nominating petition or on a ballot question petition; and
• HB 1264 requires the disclosure of an outstanding loan balance on a campaign finance disclosure report.

You can find photos of Governor Rhoden signing SB 73, HB 1062, and HB 1208 in signing ceremonies at the Capitol.

Governor Rhoden has signed 177 bills and VETOED two this legislative session.

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Rounds Reintroduces Legislation to Leverage Artificial Intelligence for Pandemic Preparedness and Response

 WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), co-chairs of the Senate Artificial Intelligence (AI) Caucus, today reintroduced the MedShield Act of 2025. This legislation would implement a recommendation of the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence to create a program titled MedShield to leverage AI for national pandemic preparedness and response.

MedShield would be the United States’ “shield” to protect the nation against future pandemics. MedShield would foster collaboration between the public and private sectors as well as with global allies and partners. The program would leverage AI to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of U.S. pandemic prevention and response across five key areas:

• Pathogen detection and surveillance
• Vaccine development
• Therapeutic development
• Modeling for pathogen tracking and vaccine distribution
• Rapid manufacturing of vaccines and therapeutics

“Artificial intelligence gives us the opportunity to completely revolutionize health care as we know it, including when it comes to rapid response to pandemics,” said Rounds. “The MedShield program would utilize artificial intelligence to help the U.S. identify pathogens that pose pandemic threats and work quickly to develop necessary protections. We can leverage artificial intelligence not only to improve the quality of life for Americans, but to literally save lives and taxpayer dollars. We need to take steps now to effectively respond to pandemic threats.”

“AI holds amazing potential to supercharge major scientific and medical advances – including our ability to anticipate and address the next public health crisis,” said Heinrich, Founder and Co-Chair of the Senate Artificial Intelligence Caucus. “By leveraging AI’s potential, our Medshield Act will ensure we are more prepared for the emergence of new biological threats to mitigate the next pandemic.”

“I am excited to see the MedShield program move forward,” said Dr. José-Marie Griffiths, President of Dakota State University. “When we embrace the full potential of artificial intelligence to address complex problems such as chronic and rare diseases, epidemics, and pandemics, we can find new and innovative solutions for serious issues. These technologies allow us to open the door to possible approaches which will not only solve problems, but prevent them.”

“As we identify needs in our communities and develop solutions, a key focus for the University of South Dakota and our state is ‘AI for good,’” said Sheila K. Gestring, President of the University of South Dakota. “AI plays a powerful role in health care and community health, as it helps us access accurate and reliable information, make predictions based on data, and support informed decision-making. Through the smart and effective use of AI, we have the opportunity to improve human lives and develop the tools we need to face the challenges of the future. I applaud Senator Rounds for his continued focus on supporting efforts to leverage AI for good.”

“We applaud this initiative to leverage AI for creating an integrated system that will identify threats and speed response times during a pandemic,” said Dr. Brian Tande, President of the South Dakota School of Mines. “It is essential that we take advantage of advances in AI to more quickly process information from disparate sources, enable better decision-making, and facilitate the rapid development of treatments and other solutions.”

“The ‘MedShield Act of 2024’ presents an opportunity to leverage cutting-edge AI technologies that could support the efficiency, accuracy, and effectiveness of our healthcare response infrastructure,” said Dr. Shanna O’Connor, Department Head of Pharmacy at South Dakota State University. “As someone who has firsthand experience in navigating the challenges of public health crises, I believe the integration of AI-supported tools in both therapeutic development and deployment may significantly strengthen our preparedness for future health emergencies.”

“I strongly support and applaud Senators Rounds’ and Heinrich’s leadership in introducing legislation to create the MedShield program. This critical program is a key recommendation from the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence, recognizing the transformative role AI can play in pandemic preparedness,” said Ylli Bajraktari, the former Executive Director of the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence. “The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need for rapid innovation in detecting threats and accelerating vaccine and therapeutic development with AI. MedShield will bring together the power of AI and human ingenuity, significantly enhancing our ability to respond to future biological threats with speed and precision. This legislation is a crucial step toward creating an integrated AI-enabled system that will safeguard public health and our national security.”

The legislation includes:

• Findings and a Sense of Congress addressing the nation’s need to be better prepared for a pandemic, noting the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence (NSCAI) recommendation and the need to avoid an initiative such as Operation Warp Speed for the next pandemic.
• Requirement for the United States Department of Health and Human Services to operationalize AI to implement the NSCAI recommendation.
• Authorization of funding for each fiscal year during FY 2025 – 2029.

Click HERE for full bill text.

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Back in November, we had previewed one of the biggest contests that will be up in 2026 that isn’t Senate, Congress or Governor; Sioux Falls Mayor.  Literally, it’s an executive level job that’s second only to Governor in how many people it touches and the depth of the issues the person in office is forced to address.

How many elected officials have to deal with managing the safety and welfare of over 200,000 people, AND make sure the potholes on the street are filled?  It certainly isn’t the state legislature, despite their attempts to do so based on the local control they tried to usurp this session.

As we move closer to that contest, it’s worth checking back in to see how the field is shaping up. A few names seem to have dropped (or just not continued to come up) and new names are popping into the discussion.

Here’s where things sit in the contest which will likely be in June 2026, due to changes in State law. Or November. But I would wager we’re more likely to see it in June.  Here’s the field as of March 2025:

• Christine Vinatieri Erickson is the early favorite to enter the contest. As CEO of SD Auto Dealers/Trucking Associations and as a former Legislator & Councilwoman, Christine has close ties to the business community, is active in the legislative process (just helping to deliver a big win for her group), and has 8 years’ experience on the Sioux Falls City Council.
• State Representative Greg Jamison’s name has also bubbled up in the race, which would make this potentially his third time at bat after running for mayor in 2014 & 2018. Jamison has been voted into office by Sioux Falls residents for a long, long time in both City Council and State Legislative races. However, the House Republican Minority Whip was also in the position of taking some bad votes in Pierre this year such as voting yes on the lock-up librarians act, which if he does get in, his voting record might draw some heat from potential opponents.
• Erika Beck, Chief of Staff to Mayor Paul TenHaken seems to be out, and former Sanford Executive Micah Aberson is the new name is being floated out there. Aberson, an Augustana grad, had climbed the corporate ladder at Sanford from marketing to being named Executive VP before being bought out in 2021.
• Joe Batcheller, formerly the president of Downtown Sioux Falls from 2015-2025 has long been mentioned as a possible candidate, and his name continues to come up as one of the more serious contenders contemplating getting into the race.
• Current City Councilor Rich Merkouis‘ name had come up in discussions, as has Marshall Selberg’s. I’m told both seem to be still toying with the idea.
• And we’re likely to see some of the also-rans enter the contest. Don’t be shocked to see the zombie guy, David Zokaites running just because. Possibly Jordan Deffenbaugh jumps in after his surprisingly spry effort in the at-large race against Richard Thomason in 2024, where he finished 47% to Thomason’s 52%.

Of course, this list will continue to see some shift as time passes, and things develop. But given that it is a congressional level contest in terms of the logistics involved with organizing and running this sort of race, we should expect to see some solidification of the race by the end of the summer.

Stay tuned.

Thune: Promises Made, Promises Kept

 “In just two months [President Trump’s] bold action to secure our border and enforce our immigration laws has led to a precipitous drop in illegal crossings at the southern border.”

Click here to watch the video.

 WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) today delivered the following remarks on the Senate floor.