Author: @SoDakCampaigns

Attorneys General Jackley, Kobach, and Wrigley Argue DACA Rule Would Place Undue Burdens on States

PIERRE, S.D. – South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley, Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach, and North Dakota Attorney General Drew Wrigley Tuesday argued in North Dakota U.S. Federal Court that a proposed federal rule that treats DACA recipients as legal citizens would impact the financial health and public safety of States.

“The burdens fall on the States when Washington fails to address illegal immigration and secure our Southern Border,” said Attorney General Jackley. “It has affected the public health and safety with the flow of meth and fentanyl from the Southern Border into our States. The financial burden of this proposed DACA rule for South Dakota families is real, ranging between $26 million to $35 million per year.”

Attorney Generals in 19 States filed the suit this August challenging the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ final rule regarding eligibility of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients for a Qualified Health Plan through an Affordable Care Act exchange.

The federal court has now taken the case under advisement and ordered the federal government to produce factual information to the States. A decision will be announced in the near future with the Rule going into effect Nov. 1, 2024.

In addition to South Dakota, Kansas, and North Dakota, other Attorney Generals who joined this suit are from Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia.

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Senator Thune continues to add to his unmatched campaign account as he prepares to help candidates across the country.

John Thune Oct 2024 FEC by Pat Powers on Scribd

Senator John Thune filed his latest FEC report today, underlining why he’s going to be the next majority leader as he transferred an incredible $4 Million to the National Republican Senatorial Committee.

The Senator raised $865,939.28, and spent $4,173,553.55, including that big transfer. And he still has $15,210,883.39 cash on hand.

 

Dusty Johnson just posted what might be his best quarterly fundraising total ever in the congressional race. Not to mention he just broke $5 million cash-on-hand.

Dusty Johnson Oct 2024 FEC by Pat Powers on Scribd

In a 250-page plus Federal Elections Commission filing, Congressman Dusty Johnson has managed to hit new heights in flexing his fundraising ability in the race for Congress, as he reported raising $562,655.82 from his primary campaign committee, along with transferring another $90,900.00 in from his Joint Fundraising Committee, plus $18,959.80 in interest – totaling $672,515.62.

I had to call and ask, and campaign staff are reporting to me that this appears to be Congressman Johnson’s highest quarterly total ever.  That’s against only $139,215.51 in campaign expenditures.

But the big number Dusty put up was a new peak in fundraising where I believe he broke the ceiling for his cash on hand, setting a new benchmark of $5,198,727.36 cash-on-hand to use in his race against Sheryl Johnson. Or not.  Johnson is not done raising money this year either with a number of fundraisers yet to come in the remaining three weeks before the election. Including one in Brookings that I’ll attend next week.

Congressman Johnson is on a huge roll towards election day.

And perhaps an election beyond.

Governor Noem and Colleagues Defend “Help Not Harm” Legislation  

PIERRE, S.D. – Today, Governor Kristi Noem and nine fellow governors submitted an amici curiae brief to the United States Supreme Court for the United States v. Skrmetti case. This case regards the constitutionality of a Tennessee law that, similar to South Dakota’s “Help Not Harm” law, bans harmful, irreversible medical procedures on vulnerable minors. 

“South Dakota’s kids are our future, and I will always stand up for the next generation of South Dakotans,” said Governor Kristi Noem. “The Biden-Harris Administration intervened in this case, but the federal government has no business forcing states to perform harmful, irreversible, and unscientific medical procedures on children.”

In 2023, Governor Noem signed House Bill 1080, which passed 60 to 10 in the House and 30 to 4 in the Senate. It is now codified at SDCL 34-24-33 through 34-24-38. 

Governor Kristi Noem is joined on brief by South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster, Alabama Governor Kay Ivey, Arkansas Governor Sarah Sanders, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, Georgia Governor Brian P. Kemp, Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry, Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves, Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt, and Utah Governor Spencer Cox.

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Tourism Coalition of South Dakota (TCSD) Urges Voters to Reject IM-28
IM-28 is a Threat to South Dakota’s Communities and Tourism Industry

Pierre, SD, October 15, 2024 – The Tourism Coalition of South Dakota (TCSD) opposes Initiated Measure 28 (IM-28), warning that the measure would create serious financial challenges for communities large and small across the state. From family-owned businesses to major tourist attractions, the consequences of IM-28 would affect every corner of South Dakota’s tourism industry.

Potential $646 Million Revenue Loss

IM-28 could strip up to $646 million from South Dakota’s budget, a deficit that would impact all communities and essential state programs. With 80% of state expenditures going to education and health & human services, the resulting budget shortfall would disproportionately affect children, patients, and seniors. “The loss in sales tax revenue would force devastating cuts to local programs, which are essential for attracting visitors and supporting local businesses across South Dakota,” said Carmen Schramm, Executive Director of TCSD. “IM-28 would hurt every South Dakotan — from small business owners to large employers, and from city streets to rural roads,” added Schramm. “We cannot afford to weaken the funding that supports our towns, schools, and health services.”

Impact on Local Communities 

The effects of IM-28 extend beyond the state budget. South Dakota communities will be prohibited from taxing items the state cannot tax under SDCL 10-52-2, which states that “no tax may be levied … unless such tax conforms in all respects to the state tax.” Since IM-28 eliminates taxes rather than setting them at 0%, this provision would significantly impact local budgets. This means that towns and cities will lose a critical source of revenue, including taxes currently collected on tobacco, vapes, and other related products. As a result, additional cuts to local budgets could affect essential services like law enforcement, road maintenance, public pools, and parks.

Risk of Income Tax

IM-28 could also fundamentally change South Dakota’s tax system. With such a significant revenue shortfall, there is concern that a ballot measure might be introduced to establish an income tax to compensate for the lost funds, placing a heavy financial burden on taxpayers statewide.

A Coalition to Protect South Dakota’s Future 

The Tourism Coalition of South Dakota (TCSD) has joined more than 60 organizations and over 75 cities and towns that have passed resolutions in opposition to IM-28 as part of the “No on

IM-28” campaign. This coalition is working to educate voters about the serious risks posed by IM-28 and the potential harm it could inflict on the state’s economy. You can visit their website to learn more: nosdincometax.com. “IM-28 is poorly drafted and will lead to major cuts to the state and municipalities or it sets us up for major tax increases,” said Nathan Sanderson, Executive Director of the South Dakota Retailers Association. “Don’t take the bait; vote no on IM-28.”

About the Tourism Coalition of South Dakota (TCSD):

The Tourism Coalition of South Dakota represents a diverse group of businesses and organizations working to promote and protect South Dakota’s tourism industry. TCSD advocates for policies that support tourism’s role as a key contributor to the state’s economy, ensuring the industry’s sustainable growth.

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I had my nose buried in work tonight, and had forgotten I needed to monitor this eBay auction.. but luckily no one else wanted to get in on this sale.  And I managed to acquire another State Capital fight ribbon that I didn’t have. This time from either the the 1889 or 1890 battle when Watertown was in the fight:

It has been trimmed up and has a little wear, but as I’ve said before these ribbons are not an everyday thing to stumble across. So any time I can find one is a happy occasion.

You ever make an investment that didn’t pan out?   I did once, where my wife and I bought a beautiful lot of land in Pierre just above the Dam to build on… but before we could break ground, the water district put a moratorium on rural water hookups.  And then after a job offer, we moved to Brookings which meant we weren’t building in Pierre.

Unless we wanted to take a complete bath, we were stuck with the Pierre land until the moratorium was lifted.  After the water hookups eventually came back, we were able to sell for about what we purchased it for plus realtor fees, somewhat breaking even. If you don’t count loan payments, taxes, etc. We were out those. It wasn’t a big loan, but it still cost us money to pay for a dream that never came to fruition.

I tell that story, because it’s a lot like Justin McNeal running for Congress and getting a $50,000 loan for his campaign which was unable to get on the ballot. (Twice.)

JustinMcNeal_Oct2024Quarterly by Pat Powers on Scribd

Now, apparently Justin McNeal found a couple people – family friends I’m assuming – to hand him $975 for his campaign which flamed out for a campaign suffering from electoral dysfunction. But he continues to spend down the campaign account – this quarter around $3000. Lots of gas money that he’s claiming was “campaign related” for a campaign that hasn’t existed for a while. He’s reporting $38,845.30 cash on hand. But that includes funds from a $50,000 loan he gave himself in January.

In other words, he’s starting to burn through that loaned cash as he tries to chase something that – after failing twice in his signature collection – just isn’t going to happen.

Justin, you loaned yourself $50k, thinking you might be able to gamble that cash on a Congressional seat. And now you’re down about $12 large at the electoral roulette wheel? I think I’d be giving serious thought to limiting myself to only being down $12,000 before I’m down the full $50k.

Sometimes you need to cut your losses.

US Senator John Thune is taking on the CBS News monolith, and noting that they should be honest with the American people in the interview with Presidential Candidate Kamala Harris that they promoted to the world:

Controversy erupted after “60 Minutes” published remarks from Harris in a promotional video of her interview with the show that did not match what she stated when the interview aired.

Senate Minority Whip John Thune (R-ND) told The Daily Wire: “If the Harris campaign stands by all of the vice president’s comments, then I’m not sure why they wouldn’t support releasing the full interview.”

“In fact, their refusal to join these calls only raises more questions,” he added.

Read the entire story here on the Daily Wire.

CBS News should release the tapes.

Biden-Harris Inflation Crisis Leaves Americans Falling Behind
By Sen. John Thune

According to the Congressional Joint Economic Committee, it costs a typical family $13,327 more per year to maintain the same standard of living it had at the beginning of the Biden-Harris administration. That’s a staggering increase for the same goods and services in the span of less than four years, and Americans are the ones bearing the brunt of this sticker shock, as the price of groceries spiked 22 percent, shelter costs went up 23 percent, and energy prices grew by 34 percent, among other necessities. And the reason costs are so much higher today is because of Washington Democrats’ addiction to reckless spending.

Eager to begin implementing their big government agenda, Democrats seized on the pandemic as an excuse to spend $1.9 trillion on their so-called American Rescue Plan in 2021. They ignored warnings that the bill was too big and that it could “set off inflationary pressures of a kind we have not seen in a generation,” and they pushed the bill ahead with Vice President Harris casting critical tie-breaking votes. As predicted, inflation began to accelerate almost immediately.

The Biden-Harris inflation crisis is a classic case of too many dollars chasing too few goods. Democrats flooded our economy with their reckless spending, and inflation began to climb as a result. It kept on climbing for years, reaching a 40-year high and causing untold economic pain across the country.

But this inflation crisis did not deter Democrats. In fact, as inflation was soaring, the Biden-Harris administration was actually trying to force through yet another reckless taxing-and-spending spree, this time with a massive $3.5 trillion price tag. One can only imagine how much worse inflation would have been had this bill passed.

For the last few years, the American people have been paying more and getting less. They have had to put more on their credit cards and dip into their savings. Others put off necessities and niceties to make ends meet. How many Americans had to lower their standard of living because of higher costs? How many car repairs, family vacations, or braces for the kids had to be put off because of inflation?

Then there’s the additional economic pain of rate hikes the Federal Reserve was forced to impose to deal with the Biden-Harris inflation crisis. Those rate hikes meant higher credit card interest rates, higher rates for car loans, and higher mortgage rates. Americans who had to put more on their credit cards to deal with high food or energy prices are now facing increased challenges paying off that debt. Other Americans are finding the American dream of homeownership out of their reach, facing elevated mortgage rates on top of already staggering home prices.

When the history of the Biden-Harris administration is written, I suspect it will be defined by the historic inflation crisis caused by its reckless spending. Years of elevated prices have taken a toll on Americans’ budgets, and I fear those effects may linger. Americans simply cannot afford another reckless taxing-and-spending spree.

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Congressman Dusty Johnson’s Weekly Update – The Big Three: Relief and Recovery

BIG Update

FEMA does not and should not use disaster funds for illegal immigrants. There are separate funds and funding sources for both the Disaster Relief Fund and the Shelter and Services Program for migrants. While this separation exists, Congress should ensure that there is no crossover of these funds. Funding designated for Americans’ disaster relief should not be used to mitigate a crisis that could be prevented by stricter border policies.

Natural disasters like hurricanes Helene and Milton are plaguing American communities. Families facing unspeakable devastation should not have to wonder if FEMA will run out of resources for recovery because it was instead used to support illegal immigrant programs.

BIG Idea

Call to Freedom serves victims and survivors of human trafficking and sex trafficking in South Dakota. Their work focuses on bringing healing and support to these individuals who have faced terrible trauma. The organization is on track to serve more than 600 individuals this year and has helped people from 61 of South Dakota’s 66 counties.

I joined Call to Freedom’s ninth annual CommUnity breakfast to hear about the impact the organization is making. There was record attendance – 1,300 people gathered to help support their mission.

Call to Freedom CommUnity Breakfast

BIG News

Earlier this week, South Dakota identified and removed 273 non-citizens from its voter rolls. While non-citizens aren’t allowed to vote in federal elections, there has been growing concern about registered voters who aren’t American citizens influencing our federal elections. I’ve been a leader on the SAVE Act in Congress to ensure non-citizens aren’t able to register in the first place. Safeguarding our elections is imperative in making sure Americans can trust the process.

I’m supporting other initiatives to bolster election security like requiring a valid photo ID to vote. Voting is an essential pillar of our democracy—every vote counts. Congress must take steps to ensure no one is voting improperly, like casting multiple ballots, voting in the wrong location, or filling out someone else’s ballot. A fair and accurate election system is critical to ensuring the success of our democracy.