Author: @SoDakCampaigns

Governor Noem Announces Secretary Bergquist to Retire

PIERRE, S.D. – Today, Governor Kristi Noem announced that Darin Bergquist, Secretary of the South Dakota Department of Transportation, will retire, effective November 13, 2020.

“Darin has been a tremendous servant to the people of South Dakota for over 20 years, including 13 years as Secretary of Transportation, and his service will be greatly missed,” said Governor Noem. “He’s helped our state navigate countless challenges over the years. We wish him all the best in his retirement.”

Bergquist was appointed Secretary of Transportation by Governor Mike Rounds in 2007 and continued in the administrations of Governor Dennis Daugaard and Governor Noem. He first joined the Department in 1998 as an assistant attorney general in the Office of Legal Counsel. He subsequently worked for the Department as the program manager for the Right of Way Office, then as director of operations. He first started working for state government in 1996 as an administrative law judge with the Department of Labor.

“After more than 22 years with the Department, the decision to resign has not been an easy one,” said Secretary Darin Bergquist. “I’ve been extremely blessed in my career to have had the opportunity to serve as a member of cabinet for three different governors over the last 13 years. I will miss the Department and all the outstanding people that I’ve had the chance to work with throughout my career. However, I am also looking forward to the next chapter in my life and what it may have in store for me.”

Bergquist is a Milbank native. He graduated from Jamestown College in North Dakota with a degree in Business Administration. He then earned his J.D. from the University of South Dakota School of Law in 1993.

Bergquist and his wife Leslie reside in Pierre.

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Hearing from a legislator this AM that special session might not happen next week.   It’s already been reported that Governor Noem has not signed the proclamation declaring it, but I just heard from a current legislator that “We are not doing the special session,” expressing disenchantment with House leadership trying to drag it out.

Stay tuned for more on this, since it was supposed to happen next week.

South Dakota Democrats sent out an attack mailer for their former Executive Director mailer in the last day or so against District 9 State Senator Wayne Steinhauer:

The front is kind of weak & clichéd, as you’d expect coming from someone who has only worked as a political operative.  I’d anticipate the air war is going to continue in earnest as Pranger attempts to attack.

Thune Statement on Commerce Committee’s Decision to Authorize Subpoenas to Tech CEOs

“I think that the social media platforms’ content moderation processes remain largely a black box, to both the user and to Congress….  that’s why I support the efforts today to hear firsthand from Google, Facebook, and Twitter.”

Click here or on the image above to watch Thune’s full remarks.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), chairman of the Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, Innovation, and the Internet, today issued the following statement after the committee authorized subpoenas to hear testimony on Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act from the Chief Executive Officers of Google, Facebook, and Twitter.

“I’m very interested, and I think that the social media platforms’ content moderation processes remain largely a black box, to both the user and to Congress,” said Thune. “The lack of transparency has led to this concern that we have about bias and discrimination online, and I think it is a bipartisan concern. And that’s why I support the efforts today to hear firsthand from Google, Facebook, and Twitter.”

Earlier this year, Thune introduced the Platform Accountability and Consumer Transparency (PACT) Act, bipartisan legislation with Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) to address some of the issues surrounding Section 230 with respect to platforms like Google, Facebook, and Twitter. In July, Thune led a subcommittee hearing to examine online platforms’ content moderation practices and to discuss what legislative measures can be taken to ensure consumers are protected and empowered while on the internet.

From the mailbox, apparently Democrat Senator Nesiba is up in arms because Susan Wismer is taking a little heat in her race… over her bobolink?

Wismer and Nesiba seems to be trying to make it out that Wimer was postcarded over her state songbird bill. Well, not exactly.

Because the bobolink bill is not all that this postcard says, if you pay attention to where it says “Since being elected in 2018, State Senator Susan Wismer was the author of 6 bills. All of them failed.”

And they omit the front of the card, which according to the copy I obtained, says a bit more about it.

That picture tells a lot more of the story than all of Nesiba’s whining about Wismer’s doomed bobolink measure.

Taken all together, it’s about her not being able to get any of the bills she authored off the ground.

And maybe it is about District 1 being the site of the Wismer waste of legislative space?

 

Johnson to Visit Aberdeen on Monday

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Representative Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) will host a “Drive-Thru Dusty” town hall in Aberdeen on Monday for constituents. Constituents are encouraged to attend, ask questions, share concerns, bring issues with a federal agency they need help with or just stop by to meet their Congressman. He will also tour the Presentation College campus.

What: Drive-Thru Town Hall with Representative Dusty Johnson
When: Monday, October 5; 11:30AM CT
Where: Parking lot of Fairfield Inn next to Lang’s, 2727 6th Avenue, Aberdeen, SD 57401

What: Presentation College Campus Tour
When: Monday, October 5; 3:30PM – 4:30PM CT (RSVP)
Where: 1500 North Main Street, Aberdeen, SD 57401

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Johnson Introduces Sweeping Cattle Reform Bill 

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representative Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) introduced the PRICE Act, a bill that will increase transparency in the cattle market, improve risk management, and support new and expanding meat processors. Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released the “Box Beef & Fed Cattle Price Spread Investigation Report,which identified a number of systemic issues in the cattle market. Johnson introduced the PRICE Act in response to the findings of this report.

The cattle market faced extreme volatility following the Tyson Holcomb plant fire in 2019 and again during the COVID-19 pandemic. The PRICE Act provides greater price reporting and transparency, comprehensive risk management solutions, bolsters small processor and producer-owned cooperative processing opportunities, and updates the Packer and Stockyards Act to create a cattle contract library.

“Cattle country is hurting and has not fully recovered,” said Johnson. “USDA laid out several areas where Congress can implement real solutions to improve the market – the PRICE Act is the answer to many of the issues our ranchers have faced for years. Our producers want a fair market and fair prices and that’s what this bill delivers. Congress needs to deliver for cattle country.”

“Our nation’s cattle producers are facing unprecedented market challenges due to supply chain disruptions created by the COVID-19 pandemic as well as last year’s fire at the Holcomb, KS beef plant,” said Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Mike Conaway. “I am proud to join my colleagues in introducing the PRICE Act, which offers a suite of consensus proposals that will improve the marketplace.”

“Ranching and beef production have been fundamental to Florida’s heritage and economy for hundreds of years,” said Congressman Soto. “Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic has hit cattle country with one of the toughest challenges it will ever face. The bipartisan PRICE Act offers a solution to create cooperative opportunities for smaller processors bearing the brunt of supply disruption. Let’s help Florida’s cattle ranchers get the necessary help to make it through this crisis and continue to be an integral part of beef production across the country.”

“There is no disputing that the beef and livestock industry as a whole faced a challenging year. Following the fire at the Holcomb plant to the disruption caused by COVID-19, we have seen volatility like never before,” said Scott VanderWal, a producer from Volga who serves as the South Dakota Farm Bureau President. “No one solution is perfect, but a combination of common-sense, free-market changes can help. South Dakota Farm Bureau is pleased to see the introduction of the PRICE Act to promote greater price reporting and transparency in the market, diversification of processing and more comprehensive risk-management solutions.”

“SDCA thanks Representative Johnson for the comprehensive package of important issues addressed in the PRICE Act,” said South Dakota Cattlemen’s Association President Eric Jennings. “From furthering livestock risk management education to addressing cover crops on Prevent Plant acres, the PRICE Act addresses many of the issues and challenges beef producers face that have been highlighted by the Covid-19 pandemic. In particular, we have long supported the ability to ship our state inspected beef products across state lines.  It’s also critical to find the right solution to livestock marketing issues, ​the proposed feasibility study ​for additional cattle processing facilities ​along with helping smaller beef processing plants increase their production are steps in the right direction. We greatly appreciate Representative Johnson’s efforts on behalf of livestock producers.”

The PRICE Act is cosponsored by Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Mike Conaway (R-TX), and Representatives Darren Soto (D-FL), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Henry Cuellar (D-TX), Frank Lucas (R-OK), Greg Gianforte (R-MT), David Rouzer (R-NC), Rick Crawford (R-AR), Jason Smith (R-MO), Tom Emmer (R-MN), and Jim Hagedorn (R-MN). It is also supported by the American Farm Bureau Federation, South Dakota Cattlemen’s Association, and National Cattlemen’s Beef Association.

Click here to read a summary of the bill, section by section or here for the full bill text.

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We have a new advertiser for a short time until the election. “No Way on Amendment A,” the group opposing recreational marijuana in the state constitution has joined advertiser’s row, so please take a moment to click on their ad to find out more about the reasons we should not put drugs in the state’s formative legal document:

You can find out more at https://nowayona.com/, where they have a white paper on why it’s a bad idea for all of South Dakota.

And don’t forget to check out our other advertisers, such as Americans for Prosperity – South Dakota, Governor Kristi Noem, US Senator John Thune, Dusty Johnson for US Congress, our friends at the South Dakota Republican Party, and Rounds for Senate!

Remember – SDWC has limited advertising opportunities available for reaching South Dakota’s opinion leaders as we move through the 2020 campaign season and approach the 2021 Legislative Session. Advertising on the Dakotwarcollege.com website is based on a first come, first serve basis for available positions.

Information on ad prices, ad positions, and ad commitments may be directed to the webmaster by clicking here.

 

The South Dakota Republican party is hosting their annual hunting fundraiser on October 25th of this year, and as a special guest hunter, they have Dan Genter, co-chair of the Trump Victory Sportsmans Coalition.

As noted in the listing, the event will be held at Elk Point, at the Missouri River Outdoors Hunting Lodge with over 300 acres of land along the Missouri River. Also featured is a video from last years’ hunt.

Cost to participate is $2000 per gun, with both morning sessions and afternoon sessions of pheasant hunting.

To find out more, you can sign up at the WinRed link here.

So, Democrat US Senate Candidate Dan Ahlers appears to have had his biggest crowd to date. Not that anyone could understand what he was saying through the mask.

But seriously.. who on earth told him to put half his sign in light yellow on a white background, rendering the text nearly invisible in any level of direct light? Snapped this in a yard the other day with my phone.

Candidates – don’t EVER do this, because it has literally the worst contrast I’ve ever seen for colors on a sign. You want high contrast and large, easy to read letters. Not this.

It might as well be white on white, because it is impossible to read at any speed.  By the time people have driven by trying to figure out what it says, they’ve already missed the boat.

What a tremendous waste of money.