Author: @SoDakCampaigns

America: A Year-Round Celebration
By: Governor Kristi Noem
July 7, 2023

I am a firm believer that our upbringing makes us who we are. I often talk about how I grew up on our family farm with my parents giving me impossible things to do. By challenging me with seemingly unachievable tasks, my mom and dad taught me that I can do anything I set my mind to.

What I didn’t know as a kid was that my parents were instilling in me a traditional American work ethic. They were giving me the “pull yourself up by the bootstraps” mentality. Now, I’ve strived to teach my kids and my grandkids the same thing. This is the kind of work ethic that we will all need to ensure the preservation of this great American experiment in self-government and democracy.

In 1912, President Teddy Roosevelt said, “This country will not be a permanently good place for any of us to live in unless we make it a reasonably good place for all of us to live in.” If we are to have any hope of giving the next generation a great country, we need to remember the things that have made us great today and protect those opportunities for everyone, including future generations.

When we celebrate America, we are celebrating the Freedoms that so many have fought to protect over the last 247 years. I can think of no better symbol of America than Mount Rushmore. That’s why I am continuing to fight to bring Independence Day fireworks back to our national monument. The Biden administration has consistently denied us the ability to properly commemorate the birth of our nation, but we’re not giving up. My Department of Tourism and I have officially submitted our application for a special works permit for the 2024 Mount Rushmore Fireworks Celebration!

We are also preparing for future celebrations of Freedom. America’s 250^th birthday is less than three years away. I have created the America 250^th South Dakota Commission to prepare for this momentous occasion. This event deserves a year-long celebration of our history, our people, and our Freedom. I am looking forward to throwing the biggest birthday party South Dakota has ever seen.

But it will be more than just a party. The celebrations that we are preparing for will show our children what is truly means to be an American – and that lesson won’t end there. We are emphasizing our nation’s true and honest history at both the K-12 level and at the Board of Regents level. We should teach our kids how lucky they are to live in the United States of America. By raising a generation of patriots, we will ensure that this great nation will live on to see many more Independence Day celebrations.

The Fourth of July may have already passed this year, but we celebrate America all year long. We are a state of Freedom-loving folks, and I am confident that we will raise many more generations of proud Americans right here in the heartland.

In South Dakota, America gets a year-round celebration.

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Guest Column: Igniting a Passion for Policy
By Kiara Ehle, Ben Reifel Intern
July 7, 2023

At the start of my first day as the Ben Reifel intern for Congressman Dusty Johnson, I was convinced the biggest takeaway would be the experience. I did not imagine I would be swayed into the world of politics. The intern experience has been amazing, and I’m even more thankful Congressman Johnson has given me the opportunity to have policy exposure I would not have had otherwise. I am truly inspired, and I now have a passion for politics and tribal affairs.

The first day of my internship, I went to a hearing for the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and as a civil engineering student, it was reassuring I was not completely lost while listening and taking notes. That began my understanding that maybe this field was something I could see myself a part of.

While interning in the Washington D.C. office, I have had the privilege of attending meetings with the American Council of Engineering Companies of South Dakota, Oglala Sioux Tribe President Frank Star Comes Out, Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Chairman Ryman LeBeau, and many more tribal and non-tribal affiliated organizations. With each meeting I sat in on, I became more driven to want to take a more active role in politics aside from voting. 

During the last week of June, I was given the opportunity to accompany Congressman Dusty Johnson to tour Oyate Health Center and attend several events at the Pine Ridge Reservation for the Wounded Knee Massacre Memorial and Sacred Site Act. Every event inspired me as I saw how Congressman Johnson had taken an active role in strengthening his relationship with tribal members. Congressman Johnson was incredibly considerate and took the time to have conversations with individuals in attendance. The relationship Congressman Johnson and his staff have fostered is critical to paving a pathway of advocacy on behalf of his constituents.

The relationship Congressman Dusty Johnson has built is something I hope every Representative has with their tribal members and communities. The big and small actions like kneeling when talking to seated patients at Oyate Health Center or wearing a Pikachu pin gifted by a young child was very heartwarming to witness. Actions like those, and more, mean so much in terms of understanding and respecting cultural differences.  Congressman Johnson and his staff exude a degree of professionalism and respect that I, and others from all communities, appreciate. As a future civil engineer, I never would have imagined a life in politics, but this experience has brought forth new passions I am eager to pursue.

Zesto’s > Ben and Jerry’s pic.twitter.com/QeCPgCgA72

— Kristi Noem (@KristiNoem) July 6, 2023

Way the heck better…

Gov. Noem Establishes the America 250^th South Dakota Commission 

PIERRE, S.D. – Today, Governor Noem signed Executive Order 2023-11 to establish the America 250^th South Dakota Commission. The purpose of this commission is to prepare for the celebration of the 250^th anniversary of the United States of America in 2026.

“Our United States of America is the greatest nation to ever exist in the history of the world. In less than three years, we’re turning 250. This momentous occasion deserves a year-long celebration worthy of our great country,” said Governor Noem. “I am looking forward to working with the America 250^th South Dakota Commission to commemorate our history. Together, we will cherish our founding principles and celebrate our Freedoms.”

The America 250^th South Dakota Commission will plan, encourage, develop, coordinate, and promote observances and activities to be held in South Dakota in honor of the 250^th anniversary of our nation’s beginning.

Governor Noem may appoint as many members as she deems necessary to carry out the directives of the commission. This will include:

• Cabinet Secretaries, or their designee;
• Director of the State Historical Society, serving as chairperson;
• The State Librarian;
• Representative(s) form the Board of Regents;
• Representative(s) of the Historical Society Foundation;
• Members appointed by the governor representing the geographic and cultural diversity of the state;
• Representative(s) and senator(s) of the state legislature;
• Representative(s) of local history organizations; and,
• Any other interested representative(s) deemed necessary by the governor.

The America 250^th South Dakota Commission will complete its work and be dissolved and repealed on March 31, 2027, with a prior report to the governor that will be maintained in the State Archives for a potential tricentennial commission to use in preparation for its work in 2076.

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Corresponding from the national portrait gallery this afternoon.

Learned an interesting fact. Apparently both President Donald and Melania Trump are represented by photographs because artists cannot be secured to paint them.

Similarly, only found one picture of them during their residency while on my White House tour.

Doing a capital tour for my youngest, who has never been here before, and I just missed Belinda Carlisle from The Go-Go’s’s doing a practice song for tomorrow’s 4th of July concert. 

In the summer of 1776, the Revolutionary War was in its second year, and the ragtag Continental Army faced long odds for success against the British. It was under these circumstances that the delegates to the Second Continental Congress not only declared independence from Great Britain, they put forward a bold statement of self-government rooted in their belief in individual freedom. The ideas set forth in the Declaration of Independence would cement the American Revolution as a truly revolutionary moment in history.

In a world in which power was often concentrated in a single person, the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence committed to a very different idea. They said that all men are created equal, that our rights come from God, and that government’s power comes from the people. These ideas are the cornerstone of our country, and they continue to inspire Americans and freedom-loving people around the world more than two centuries later. The signers could hardly have imagined at that time that their new nation would one day stretch from sea to shining sea. As the country grew, the millions of Americans seeking a new life on the frontier gave Jefferson’s words in the Declaration an even greater significance.

Like many Americans, I can trace my roots to people who exemplify the idea of the pursuit of happiness. My grandfather, Nikolai, and his brother, Matthew, lived the American Dream, immigrating from Norway and finding work building the transcontinental railroad across South Dakota. They saved enough money and started a small merchandising company and, later, a hardware store in Mitchell. Like the founding fathers, these men understood that anything was possible in America.

While we celebrate our country and the freedom we enjoy, we should also take a moment to acknowledge that these freedoms have not come without sacrifice. Throughout our history, generations of Americans have left the comforts of home to fight for our country. Freedom has a special meaning to those who know what it takes to defend it. I recently had the privilege of welcoming dozens of South Dakota veterans to Washington, D.C., who were there to visit the memorials that honor their service in Korea and Vietnam. It was humbling to meet these South Dakotans and to be with them as they reflected on their service and what it has meant for our country.

On the Fourth of July, we celebrate the enduring nature of what began in Philadelphia 247 years ago. Our founding principles have been sustained by the patriotism of the American people who have fought for our country, taken risks in pursuit of a better life, and who pass our heritage of freedom on to the next generation. I’m grateful that America continues to be a beacon of hope and a bulwark for freedom.

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During Ronald Reagan’s first inaugural address in 1981, he spoke of the significance of American values. He said, “it is time for us to realize that we’re too great a nation to limit ourselves to small dreams… Let us begin an era of national renewal. Let us renew our determination, our courage, and our strength. And let us renew our faith and our hope. We have every right to dream heroic dreams.”

This Fourth of July marks America’s 247^th birthday. And yet modern politicians too often struggle to rely on our founding values.  They decide that small dreams are good enough – small dreams like simply throwing more government money at challenges that we face. But, as President Reagan said, America is too great a nation for that.

In South Dakota, we do not limit ourselves. We dream heroic dreams. We are the state that carved an entire mountain in dedication to America, our leaders, and our Freedom. And we continue to dream heroic dreams, today.

As Governor, it is my job to make sure that our kids and grandkids have the knowledge they need to continue the legacy of greatness we have in South Dakota. The best way to do this is to make sure we pass down our traditional American values.

South Dakota has embodied the American values of hard work and Freedom for generations. We do not need to renew our determination, courage, and strength because we have never lost it. We held true to that South Dakota grit and grind through a global pandemic, and we came out stronger than ever. We did not settle for the small dream of just surviving through the pandemic, we strived for the heroic dream of thriving through it.

Now, with the lowest unemployment in the history of the nation and open jobs to spare, South Dakota is dreaming big once again. We are showing the rest of America that Freedom Works Here. Keeping our state open worked, allowing folks to exercise personal responsibility worked, and staying true to traditional American values worked.

Since launching our nationwide workforce recruitment campaign just over a week ago, we’ve received more than 1,650 inquiries from folks who want to call South Dakota home. People are seeing South Dakota’s success – and they want to be a part of it.

Our unique success is because of our unique people. South Dakotans haven’t left tradition on the sidelines. Rather, we’ve embraced tradition and proven that true American values still have a place in modern society.

But what really sets South Dakota apart from the rest of the nation is our faith and our hope for the future. In Matthew 17, Jesus said, “if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

Nothing can ever be impossible for South Dakotans because we have a strong faith. Our faith is what gets us through hard times – our faith in God, in people, and in the founding values of this nation. And our faith allows us to have such great hope for the future.

South Dakota will always dream heroic dreams – because America is simply too great a nation for us to offer anything less.

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This week, six proud South Dakotans began military training at their respective service academies. These young men are some of the most motivated and determined I’ve had the honor of nominating to the academies.

A leader in his local MCJROTC program, Jason Lenning of Harrisburg wants to major in Foreign Area Studies and Russian at the Naval Academy and then join the Marine Corps. Approximately thirty percent of Naval Academy graduates commission as Marines.  

While the Kistner Family of North Sioux City was touring the Naval Academy, then-sixth-grader Lake was enthralled with the rich history and creed of the Midshipmen. He told his dad he would one day go to school there. Now he is living out his dream.

Kasey Broers of Pierre will be studying Mechanical Engineering at the Naval Academy and hopes to fly Navy jets. Ethan Fergel of Aberdeen has been preparing for West Point in the gym and is looking forward to basic training and starting his engineering program. 

Dexter James of Sioux Falls and Anders Enga of Mitchell both aspire to study engineering and join the Space Force. Only about ten percent – that’s about 100 people – of Air Force Academy graduates commission into the Space Force. These are not common ambitions for most eighteen-year-olds and are very inspiring.

A special hat tip to Anders for his perseverance. It is not unusual for it to take an additional year or two for students to be selected by an academy, and this was true for Anders. He decided to enroll at SDSU and the AFROTC in the interim, knowing that attending the Air Force Academy was his ultimate goal, even if it took him longer than he originally hoped.

These young men are the elite of the elite. They reaffirm that South Dakota will continue to have strong, smart leaders willing to protect and defend our great nation.

I also want to mention Maya Lee of Dell Rapids because the Air Force Academy has selected her for a prep school. This will be a great opportunity to prepare for the Academy next year.

If you know someone interested in learning more about attending a service academy, direct them to my website at dustyjohnson.house.gov/services/service-academy-nominations. Applications are due at the end of October for the Class of 2028.

Photos of the Service Academy Nominees here.