If you’re in Sioux Falls on April 9, SDFRW & the local Minnehaha-Lincoln Republican Women are hosting a watch party for the local elections that evening:
(Normally, I’d point out that this is yet another function that Minnehaha Co GOP used to do, but the important thing is that it’s good that someone is stepping up to fill the void -pp)
Check it out!
Today, the McPherson County Commission mirrored what Lawrence County did, and unanimously sent the election conspiracists packing when presented with a petition that would have required them to violate federal laws designed to protect the rights of the disabled to vote:
The petition also sought to ban ExpressVote machines, which are used by voters who require assistance in filling out their ballots.
Use of those machines is required by federal law as part of the Help Americans Vote Act passed by Congress in 2002. Voters insert their ballot into the machine and use it to mark their selections. The machine then fills in the appropriate bubbles on the ballot. No vote information is saved on the machine.
Howard said commissioners rejected the petition because they can’t legally enforce an ordinance that conflicts with state and federal law.
I’m sure we’re going to continue to read stories like this for quite some time to come.
Gov. Noem to Tribes: “Banish the Cartels.”
PIERRE, S.D. – Today, Governor Kristi Noem issued a statement regarding cartel presence on South Dakota Native American tribal reservations.
“I call on all our tribal leaders to banish the cartels from tribal lands,” said Governor Noem. “The cartels instigate drug addiction, murder, rape, human trafficking, and so much more in tribal communities across the nation, including in South Dakota. I will work with you to sign Law Enforcement Agreements to immediately assist you, respect your sovereignty, and uphold tribal law.”
Mexican drug cartel presence in Indian country is a problem across the nation. Recent media reports say, “In many ways, Indian reservations make for ideal places for a drug operation to set up shop. The communities suffer from high rates of drug addiction and low numbers of law enforcement.”
In addition, the Biden Administration is underfunding tribal law enforcement, preventing the tribes from adequately responding to public safety issues. Last week, Governor Noem called for an audit of federal funds going to South Dakota’s Native American tribes. Since then, dozens of Native Americans from across South Dakota have reached out to the Governor thanking her for speaking the truth and asking for her help.
“Every time that a South Dakota tribe has asked me for assistance, I have done what I can, both while in Congress and as governor,” continued Governor Noem. “I will continue to speak the truth, call out corruption wherever I see it, and fight to protect the lives of Native Americans in our state – because that’s what they deserve.”
Last week, immediately following Governor Noem’s call for an audit, multiple members of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, including tribal council members, unveiled serious allegations of corruption within tribal government including:
Video of these comments will be made available upon request.
Governor Noem has repeatedly reiterated a request for Law Enforcement Agreements between the State of South Dakota and the state’s Native American tribes: “Although the state and tribes might not always agree, the need for law and order in our communities is imperative to combat illegal activities in our most vulnerable and rural areas.”
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Was it something I wrote?
Minnehaha County Republican Party Vice Chair, and leader of at least one GOP anti-incumbent facebook-based hate squad, Jennifer Foss is apparently upset with me today. And she takes to facebook deciding to bring the “ha ha” into the Minnehaha County GOP.
This crabby Karen vice-chair is demanding that ‘whoever is the SNITCH‘ to deliver a message to “outcasted GOP puppet” me.
Is ‘outcasted‘ a word? I’m not sure that’s proper english. And, if I’m outcasted (sic), I’m not sure exactly how I’m engaged in some sort of puppetry?
You can go ahead and read it for yourself, since it only took her groups’ snitches 2 hours to hand it over to the enemy, and I’m still giggling about it.
I’m sure that this is just going to bring the donors and supporters rolling back in the door for the Minnehaha GOP.
But, what do I know? Alternately being a GOP puppet or not knowing what real Republicans look like, depending on which paragraph we’re reading in her rant.
I’ll let the Vice-Chair be the queen of real Republicans in Minnehaha County, while I worry about actually getting people elected to office.
And guys, keep snitching! But don’t tell Vice Chair Jennifer. Because you all know the old saying – snitches get stitches!
Is that a spark of life over at the State Democrat Party?
Because for the first time since 2018 a Democrat successfully filed for Congress, as today the Secretary of State certified Democrat Sheryl Johnson’s petitions to run for the office.
The last Democrat who got on the ballot was in 2018, when Democrat and former Judge Tim Bjorkman got on the ballot, ultimately receiving 36% of the vote after running a lackluster campaign against Dusty Johnson who received over 60%. 6 years and two general elections later, the policy minded Congressman Johnson has been cited by at least one poll as the most popular elected official in the state, and has won national accolades for the quality of his constituent service. Johnson has also managed to build up a war chest he didn’t have to tap over the past two election cycles, and will not be taxed by a primary election.
Not an enviable environment for Sheryl Johnson to run in. But for the Democrats, they’re probably happy that they have someone who is running who could make the ballot.
Small victories.
Looks like someone is setting his sights a little lower after his last election defeat.
Mark Mowry, who ran against Senator John Thune in the Republican Primary for US Senate in 2022 has apparently set his sights a little lower, and has filed petitions to run in the District 31 House Primary election against incumbent State Representatives Scott Odenbach and Mary Fitzgerald.
Mowry had received 7.2% of the statewide vote against Senator John Thune, who received 72.2% in the 2022 GOP primary.
And lest we all forget, when he got into the race back in 2021, Mowry had some odd justifications on why he had decided to run, and noted that he was a participant at the January 6th rally in Washington DC.
Yes, that rally.:
Spearfish resident and long-time musician Mark Mowry earlier this year filed his candidacy to unseat Sen. John Thune in the 2022 Republican primary election, fueled by the senior senator’s unwillingness to question the validity of the presidential election.
Mowry told the Argus Leader in a recent interview that he participated in demonstrations near Capitol Hill the day Congress was set to confirm the results of the Nov. 3 election, three months before deciding to challenge South Dakota’s three-term senator. But he was not part of the riots that broke out and led to protesters storming the Capitol, he said.
No word yet on what platform he intends to run on. But, I have my suspicions…
(And no, the bombing had nothing to do with voting machines.)
KELOland news posted an article to their website last night with South Dakota Republican Party chair John Wiik, noting that the South Dakota Republican Party is focused on defeating ballot measures this election, including the measure being circulated for a jungle primary; a measure that has seen defeat at the hands of South Dakota voters before, and will likely face strong opposition on attempt number 4, despite being funded by out-of-state interests.
But, not from South Dakota Democrats, who seem unconcerned that they’re going to be relegated to minor party status:
Wiik said if South Dakota voters don’t want to be part of a political party, they won’t be part of the decisions that political party makes, including candidate selection.
“If you’re not active and part of the process of a party, then you can’t tell the party how to do its job,” Wiik said. “Find a party you agree with. Find a party that 80% of your values (you) identify with and join that party. You can’t stay independent and tell the parties how to do their jobs. That would be the words I would say for an independent voter right now.”
and..
Kirby said too often the Republican primary election is the only election that matters. The Sioux Falls lawyer and well-known businessman said political parties can do what they want, but the state should do what’s best for everyone.
and..
The SDDP has not officially taken a public stance on the open primaries ballot measure. During a news conference last year, Democrat Rep. Linda Duba attended in support of South Dakota Open Primaries. She said she’s not concerned if Democrat candidates would be left off November ballots with the top-two primary system.
It’s odd that the state Democrat party wants to be left out of most November elections, along with Independents, Libertarians, etc. But we’ll see how that goes.
With the Secretary of State’s office being closed Friday and Monday for the Easter Holiday, today will begin the final run of petitions that we might see arrive after last Tuesday’s snowstorm forced anyone trying to turn in petitions to the SOS on the last day to mail their petitions for office at the last minute. (Hopefully they remembered registered mail, not certified).
I would suspect that this will be the last day for it, so watch the state’s 2024 Primary Election Candidate List closely. It will tell us a lot.
I’ll also be updating, verifying, and color coding my 2024 candidate list, so you can pick out those primary races as well.
From facebook, Minnehaha County GOP Vice Chair Jennifer Foss is fronting for her group of opponents to Congressman Dusty Johnson. And informing them that their primary candidate, Justin McNeal got dusted in his attempt to get on the ballot:
Getting National Security Right
By Sen. John Thune
I often say that if we don’t get national security right, the rest is just conversation. Getting it right requires demonstrating not only the strength to deter threats from materializing in the first place and maintaining the capabilities to defeat them, but also the will and credibility to hold such threats accountable. In this era of complex challenges, securing our nation requires a holistic approach that encompasses defense, border security, and energy security, among other elements.
A strong military capable of countering almost any threat is essential to American strength. Unfortunately, the Biden administration does not seem to be prioritizing investing in our military capabilities, focusing instead on its reckless tax-and-spending agenda. Despite persistent readiness and recruitment challenges, not to mention an increasingly unstable world, the Biden administration has made little attempt to ensure our military has what it needs to face future threats. In the administration’s recently released budget request, the president uses budget gimmicks to blow through non-defense budget caps to fund progressive priorities, yet he couldn’t seem to find an extra dollar for the defense budget.
On other aspects of our national security, the Biden administration’s policies have made the United States more vulnerable. The crisis at the southern border is a prime example. More than 7.4 million illegal immigrants have been caught trying to cross the border since President Biden took office. Another 1.8 million “gotaways” have evaded Border Patrol to enter the country, and hundreds of individuals on the terrorist watch list have been caught at the southern border. I agree with the chief of Border Patrol, who recently said the situation is a “national security threat,” with the number of gotaways keeping him up at night. And it’s unfortunately the result of President Biden dismantling effective border security policies.
A secure energy supply is also critical to our national security. We’ve recently seen the consequences of overreliance on foreign energy sources as Europe struggled to wean itself off of Russian energy. But, the Biden administration’s rushed energy transition jeopardizes the secure energy supply on which we all depend. Actions like the recent liquefied natural gas export permit pause, heavy-handed environmental regulations and taxes, and other actions to discourage domestic energy production are good news – not for America, but for Iran and Russia. And at a time when our electric grid is struggling to meet existing demand, the president’s plan to create a de facto mandate for Americans to buy electric vehicles is especially misguided.
As the president has pursued policies that make America more vulnerable, he has also failed to demonstrate a requisite strength to our allies and adversaries. Iran might be the best example. In the last few months, Iran-backed militant groups have launched numerous attacks against American troops in the Middle East and against civilian shipping operations in the Red Sea. Not long ago, the Biden administration was seeking to revive the flawed Iran nuclear deal and offered sanctions relief to the ayatollahs. While lately the Biden administration has suggested “red lines” for our ally Israel in its war against Hamas terrorists, there have been no such “red lines” issued for our enemies in Iran.
The United States needs to be clear-eyed about the threats we face and the steps we can take to safeguard our national security. We have to get national security right, and that means getting all of America’s national security right. That’s what I will continue to pursue as my Republican colleagues and I push back against the Biden administration’s dangerous national security policies.
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