Was going to write about convention this AM, but news happened…

I was starting to prepare a post about Brookings presenting for the site selection committee for the 2024 or 2026 GOP state convention, and then as you might have seen, news happened..

The Supreme Court on Friday struck down Roe v. Wade, eliminating the nearly 50-year-old constitutional right to abortion and handing states authority to drastically limit or ban the procedure.

The 6-3 decision by a majority of conservative justices to fundamentally reshape American society by overturning the landmark 1973 precedent is certain to ignite a political firestorm and yield a complex patchwork of state laws that will effectively block large swathes of the population from terminating unwanted pregnancies.

Read that here.

Well, that kicked a hornet’s nest in politics, on a Supreme Court vote that wasn’t even close, as they kicked the regulation of abortion back to individual states to make a decision on.

As you’ll see, South Dakota has already announced a special session, and I’m sure there will be far more news to come on this topic in coming weeks.

Gov. Noem and Legislative Leaders Announce Plans for Special Session to Save Lives, Help Mothers

Gov. Noem and Legislative Leaders Announce Plans for Special Session to Save Lives, Help Mothers

PIERRE, S.D. – Today, in response to the United States Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision, Governor Kristi Noem and leaders in the South Dakota State Legislature jointly announced plans for a special session later this year to save lives and help mothers impacted by the decision.

“Every abortion always had two victims: the unborn child and the mother. Today’s decision will save unborn lives in South Dakota, but there is more work to do,” said Governor Kristi Noem. “We must do what we can to help mothers in crisis know that there are options and resources available for them. Together, we will ensure that abortion is not only illegal in South Dakota – it is unthinkable.” 

South Dakota’s trigger law, found in SDCL 22-17-5.1, provides that as of today, all abortions are illegal in South Dakota “unless there is appropriate and reasonable medical judgment that performance of an abortion is necessary to preserve the life of the pregnant female.”

“South Dakota Right to Life enthusiastically applauds this decision.  We will continue helping women navigate pregnancies they did not plan for as we remind South Dakotan’s that the pro-life movement cares about women and their unborn children,” said South Dakota Right to Life Executive Director Dale Bartscher. “Our movement includes nearly 3,000 pregnancy help centers across the United States designed to provide free services for women where and when they need it, such as free ultrasounds, pregnancy tests, prenatal vitamins, baby clothing, formula, parenting classes, and additional practical and material help. These centers and our tens of thousands of volunteers will continue looking for more ways to help mothers in need.”

The exact dates of the Special Session will be decided promptly after discussion with legislative leadership. The Legislature intends to take the time to make sure South Dakota law protects the unborn and helps mothers.

“With the end of Roe, South Dakota can again work to have enforceable laws to protect our children,” said Senate President Lee Schoenbeck. “A special session is necessary because we could not have known this winter in session that we would have this opportunity and new responsibility to protect lives presented by the Supreme Court’s decision. Also, there will be more work to do on the many challenges a post-Roe world presents in regular session next January.”

“South Dakota recognizes that an abortion terminates the life of a whole, separate, unique, living human being, and we celebrate today that the grave injustice that the United States Supreme Court perpetrated upon generations of Americans in Roe vs. Wade has ended and that South Dakota can once again protect the lives of all beautiful, innocent, unborn human beings,” said House Speaker Pro Tempore Jon Hansen. “I look forward to working with Governor Noem, my fellow members of the legislature, and all South Dakotans to defend life; support mothers and fathers; and promote strong, healthy families.”

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Thune Statement on Supreme Court’s Decision to Overturn Roe v. Wade

Thune Statement on Supreme Court’s Decision to Overturn Roe v. Wade

“This decision to overturn Roe is long overdue, and it’s a historic day in the pro-life movement.”

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today released the following statement after the U.S. Supreme Court issued its opinion on Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which overturns Roe v. Wade:

“This decision to overturn Roe is long overdue, and it’s a historic day in the pro-life movement,” said Thune. “Our country is dedicated to the defense of human rights, and I hope that we can further live up to that promise with the question of abortion now rightfully returned to the states, the democratic process, and to elected officials who can be held accountable to the American people for their decisions.”

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Getting to understand that old adage.

A number of years back, I asked an old political hand if he was attending the state Republican convention that year.

His reply was that “in his experience, the state convention is where you go to see old enemies, and make new ones.”

As I look around at the people here at convention so far, I am reminded of that adage.

(Just kidding. Everyone here loves me. I’m sure of it.)

Release: South Dakota Secretary of State Steve Barnett Opposes On-line Voting

BARNETT OPPOSES ONLINE VOTING

WATERTOWN – South Dakota Secretary of State Steve Barnett today reiterated his opposition to allowing online voting in public elections.

“I unequivocally oppose online voting in any form,” said Barnett. “The sanctity of our elections is too precious to allow online security threats to undermine the will of the voters. As Secretary of State, I will continue to protect South Dakota laws requiring paper ballots and oppose all attempts to move voting online.”

Barnett was recently misquoted by the Volga Tribune in an article following a speech to high school students. Once the incorrect statement was discovered, Barnett requested a correction be printed by the newspaper.

South Dakota has some of the strongest election laws in the United States and is an example for other states on best practices. South Dakota Codified Law 12-16-2 requires ballots for South Dakota elections to be paper.

“South Dakota has secure and honest elections with dependable results. We can be confident in our election results because in South Dakota, we do the right thing to safeguard our democracy with election security,” said Barnett.

Barnett is seeking a second term as Secretary of State and is asking Republican Delegates for the party’s nomination at this week’s State GOP Convention. Prior to his 2018 election as Secretary of State, Barnett served as the State Auditor for eight years.

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GOP convention update – Thursday afternoon.

Rolled into Watertown a short time ago, and picked up my credentials.. and it sounds like I missed some of the fireworks, which took place in the convention’s adoption of the rule committee’s work.

First off was a debate to make convention free. Not kidding. The “freeloader motion” would have literally bankrupted the convention, and probably put the GOP on thin ice financially.

Thankfully, the freeloaders lost. Then there was the Saturday surprise motion.

How it was related to me was that Taffy Howard & crew was pushing to remove any deadline for candidates to declare their intentions. I heard the committee did resist a move from 3:30 for registration deadline and the committee balked at removing the deadline altogether.

Sounds like the former congressional candidate was hoping to remove the requirement to register an intent to run before the election… and I don’t know why, because it doesn’t make any sense.

It’s not like the Republican Party is the Democrat party, and we have to scour the taverns for candidates. If Taffy doesn’t know if she’s running, or doesn’t have a candidate to run until Saturday morning, they’ve got a lot bigger problems been worrying about the deadline for a protest candidate.

Attempting to bankrupt the party & turn candidate races into a circus? The Republican party in South Dakota has dominated state politics for decades because it is a well organized volunteer organization. It seems that a few want to turn it into the the kind of sideshow that Democrats have had for years.

It might be a long weekend.