Author: @SoDakCampaigns

Here’s an interesting tidbit from this weekend’s news cycle. If Steve Haugaard had his way in 2019, it would not have been his place to run for Lt. Gov:

Haugaard, a Sioux Falls Republican, in 2019 supported changing South Dakota laws on who controls the nomination of candidates for lieutenant governor.

He co-sponsored legislation that would have made candidates for governor solely responsible for deciding who would run with them for lieutenant governor. The legislation would have removed delegates at the political party’s convention from the decision process.

And..

KELOLAND News asked Haugaard about why he chose to take a path that he had once wanted to shut down. He hasn’t responded.

Read it here

There’s a strong possibility Haugaard may get his way 4 years later in this next session.

I haven’t gotten to this sooner, as I’ve been dealing with kids, and a massive resurgence of the summer head-cold that I thought I’d shook.  But it’s still worthwhile discussing a week later in the aftermath of convention.

A reckoning has been inching forward for how statewide candidates are selected in recent years, and after this last convention there has been more rumbling. And the last race at convention this year may have been the last nail in the coffin for convincing legislators that a change needs to be made in how the candidates for statewide office need to be selected.

After nearly a month of lead-time to declare his intent, in mid-afternoon on June 24^th, with nearly no -time to spare, Steve Haugaard, who lost the race for Governor on a 3-1 basis (76-24%) entered the race for Lt. Governor at convention, with about 24 hours to campaign.

With the make-up of convention delegates, Haugaard lost to Rhoden on a tighter weighted vote of 56% to 44%. Literally, the Governor who won on a 3-1 basis was within 10% of being saddled with a running mate who she not only soundly defeated, but a person who often maligned her with some pretty harsh attacks.  Which strongly raised a question that had been mentioned in passing as recently as the last time we went through this process – it is time to change the law and allow the Governor to appoint their running mate?

Many candidates for Governor do this in virtual terms now, by pre-announcing their running mate prior to convention, as Kristi did 4-years ago, and Democrats do in the run up to their convention. When things go as planned, it’s only a perfunctory blessing, but in a year like this, when voters clearly made their choice known, delegates elected to represent their precincts seem to have ignored their voters and gone awry.

I’ve heard chatter that there are legislators who want to move that pick directly to the Gubernatorial candidates. And really, unless we’re going to pick those offices individually, is there any justification to force a Lt. Governor onto the ticket with a Governor in a shotgun convention wedding?

After the convention results, there is also talk to move the selection of other candidates to the primary ballot.

There are those who think in addition of letting the Gov have their pick for their Lt Governor, Attorney General and Secretary of State could easily be sent to the Republican electorate as a whole in the primary election, making the primary elections a little larger, and giving all Republicans an opportunity to have a say in who their candidates are.

Going back to the results of what happened at the GOP Convention, there has been concerned expressed that precinct representatives of the counties were not representative of the area they represented. One example was how Brown County came in for Secretary of State Steve Barnett.. or how it didn’t.

Brown County Republican Convention delegates came in nearly 2-1 against Steve Barnett.In 2018, Barnett won Brown County in the general election on a 68-31% basis, even with Democrats voting. But at convention, the vote against him were the Republicans in his home county. Was there any great scandal or controversy to cause them to abandon him? No. Not at all.

Which is one example. And brings up the question whether delegates are elected to represent their precinct, or if they are there to represent their own views.

All this talk might be just that – talk. But it’s talk coming after a convention designed for unity saw a lack of unity from some of the people there. As they found themselves shut out from the June Primary ballot, some might say they made an effort to seize power at the next place they thought they could, at the convention.

But is the convention supposed to be about seizing power, or about the party coming together after a primary and moving the best candidates forward? Because when factions within the party are doing their best to block resolutions recognizing the top of the ticket as they did this year, someone’s crazy aunt needs to settle down at the table before they ruin the holiday for everyone.

We have a lot of months to go until the election, and we can hope that there’s more of a spirit of cooperation that comes to the surface in that time to help all Republican candidates in November.

Or not. And that’s when we’ll start losing elections.

In the words of Rodney King, “can’t we all just get along?”

The Fourth of July means many things to many people. It’s an opportunity for communities to come together for picnics and parades. It’s a time for friends and families to gather and create new memories. And while we celebrate all of the blessings and opportunities we have as Americans at parades, barbeques, and fireworks shows, we must not overlook the true meaning of the holiday – we should honor our freedoms that have been paid for by the sacrifices of so many Americans past and present.

On Independence Day, I’m reminded of our Founding Fathers who put together the greatest statement of self-government the world has ever seen: the Declaration of Independence. They proclaimed that “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.”

America is the greatest country the world has ever known, not only because of what we have achieved, but because we’re humble enough to know that we always have room to listen, learn, and grow as we continually strive to live up to the founding principles of the Declaration of Independence. The rights that the founders described in that document aren’t determined by one’s social status, where an individual is born or raised, or even any standard set by government itself. That’s what makes them so unique. They’re granted to us by God. They are unalienable. And the governments born from these free people are created and maintained with their consent. That’s pretty remarkable when you think about it.

As we celebrate the stars and stripes, we also honor those who served and continue to serve our great nation, paying tribute to them by upholding the values for which they continue to fight. I think about my father, Harold, a fighter pilot who flew Hellcats off of the U.S.S. Intrepid in the Pacific theater during World War II. Through him, I learned about the Greatest Generation – their humility, their quiet service, and their dedication to the cause of freedom. The stories my dad would tell us about the men he served with will stay with me forever – these men were driven by an unwavering love for our country, full of pride and patriotism. The world had never met, nor will it meet again, a group of individuals so dedicated to the pursuit of freedom and democracy around the world.

Our nation continues to have the blessings of liberty and freedom our forefathers sought for future generations of Americans. The Founding Fathers dedicated their lives to creating our great nation, and the brave men and women who have answered the call to serve continue that fight today. We are forever grateful for their bravery in defending freedom, liberty, and the American dream.

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This week, South Dakota’s agriculture communities got to show off. I hosted the Republican leader on the House Agriculture Committee, Congressman “GT” Thompson from Pennsylvania, and introduce him to the wonderful people of South Dakota. We closed off June Dairy Month with a celebration at Valley Queen and at the Holstein Association USA’s National Convention.

We’re diving into Farm Bill discussions on the Ag Committee – no better way than meeting with boots on the ground to do so. Ranking Member Thompson and I had a busy day. From checking out a quarter scale tractor at SDSU that won the International Quarter Scale Tractor Student Design Competition to bottle feeding calves – South Dakotans gave him a warm welcome.

Once Ranking Member Thompson arrived, our first stop was meeting with SDSU President Barry Dunn at the university’s Raven Precision Agriculture Center. As a land grant university, SDSU depends on state and federal funding to be a competitive research university. Research from land grant universities spurs innovation in agriculture, creating new and improved technologies and practices for agriculturalists and beyond.

Our next stop was a farm in Bridgewater to hear from agriculture member organizations like S.D. Corn and S.D. Cattlemen’s Association. We discussed their priorities and the roadmap for crafting the next Farm Bill that will be completed next year. Farm Bill discussions in the Ag Committee have already started, and hearing from the folks on the ground that will be impacted by our decisions is critical to ensure the Farm Bill addresses the needs of our agriculturalists.

Our final visit was the Holstein Association USA’s national convention. Ranking Member Thompson and I spoke with dairy farmers about the next Farm Bill, the dairy industry’s efforts in carbon capture technology, and school nutrition policies, including milk in schools. Their thoughts echoed discussions that we have had over and over again in the House Agriculture Committee—our farmers are committed to reducing their environmental impact and produce products that are safe and healthy for the consumer.

I had a great time showing off South Dakota to Ranking Member Thompson. We are looking forward to continue working together to craft a Farm Bill that addresses the needs of our producers.

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The patriotism South Dakotans display on the Fourth of July has deep roots in our state’s history. In fact, we waved the Stars and Stripes before we even became a state! The Dakota Territory in the 1880s stood out for its love for civic virtue, and historians recount how few holidays rated higher than Independence Day to the settlers. Those same historians note that this ingrained love for America explains why so many South Dakotans served in the World Wars, and why we as a state revere our veterans.

As we pause to observe the nation’s birthday this week, I am concentrating especially on our veterans. Why? Because the bureaucrats in Washington, D.C. have thrown in the towel on their poorly thought-out plan to close down several VA hospitals across the nation, which included Fort Meade and Hot Springs, and to stop emergency services at the Sioux Falls VA, as well as close the clinic in Wagner.

When Biden Administration officials initially announced earlier this year their intent to take such drastic action, I immediately raised my voice in opposition. As I explained in my mid-March letter to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, those closures would have severely and negatively impacted the care of veterans in South Dakota and surrounding states. I noted that America should offer its veterans more health care, not less, and that this plan’s intent to “centralize” services would force our veterans to travel hundreds of miles for medical care they desperately need.

In short, I made clear that these recommendations to dramatically change veterans’ health care represented a betrayal of our veterans who offered to sacrifice life and limb to protect us and our freedoms. Thankfully, many other South Dakotans agreed with me and also raised their voices in protest of this terrible plan. I’m thankful the members of our congressional delegation—Senators John Thune and Mike Rounds, and Congressman Dusty Johnson—were likewise united in opposition.

So often, when we observe the federal government initiate a plan that is so obviously wrong, it seems like nothing can be done to stop it. But here, we made a difference. By speaking up in a measured, thoughtful, and powerful way, we drummed up more opposition, culminating in a bipartisan group of Senators who took action this past week to force the bureaucrats to back down. By honoring the First Amendment and protesting a terrible federal government plan, we vindicated our veterans, those who have willingly offered their lives to protect our freedoms. Standing up for their right to quality health care barely scratches the surface of all we owe our heroes—but thank goodness we did.

President Calvin Coolidge, the only President of the United States born on the Fourth of July, once said, “The nation which forgets its defenders will be itself forgotten.” This Independence Day let’s all pause and remember our defenders—our veterans. We are the land of the free because of the brave—and we who live in freedom owe them a debt that we must continuously make good on: especially on Independence Day.

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Telemedicine Abortion Ban Becomes Law; Gov. Noem Repeals Executive Order

PIERRE, S.D. – Today, Friday, July 1, HB 1318, which bans telemedicine abortions in South Dakota, becomes law. In preparation for the law taking effect, Governor Kristi Noem signed Executive Order 2022-08, which repeals her previous executive order on the subject.

“South Dakota is focused on helping moms who may be facing a crisis pregnancy situation. Those moms should know that telemedicine abortions are not safe for their health – they are four times more likely to cause the woman getting the abortion to end up in the emergency room,” said Governor Kristi Noem. “This law will have no effect on treatment for miscarriages, but doctors who knowingly break the law and prescribe these medications to end a human life will be prosecuted.”

Following the United States Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision, South Dakota’s trigger law made all abortions illegal in South Dakota.

Research demonstrates that chemical abortions are four times as likely to cause the woman receiving the abortion to end up in the emergency room following the procedure.

Executive Order 2022-08 repeals Executive Order 2021-12, which banned telemedicine abortions in South Dakota.

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Girls’ Sports Legislation Becomes Law; Gov. Noem Repeals Executive Orders

PIERRE, S.D. – Today, Friday, July 1, SB 46, which protects fairness in girls’ and women’s sports, takes effect. In preparation for the law taking effect, Governor Kristi Noem signed Executive Order 2022-07, which repeals her previous executive orders on the subject.

“South Dakota is defending basic fairness for our girls so that they can have an opportunity to compete and achieve,” said Governor Kristi Noem. “As our nation passes the 50^th anniversary of Title IX, we must remember that this law exists to give biological girls equal opportunity. South Dakota will always stand up for our kids.”

Governor Noem signed SB 46 into law in February. It was the first bill that she signed into law in the 2022 legislative session, and it has been heralded as the “toughest law in the nation” to protect girls’ sports.

Executive Order 2022-07 repeals both Executive Orders 2021-05 and 2021-06, which protected girls’ sports in South Dakota until stronger legislation could become law.

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College CRT Ban Becoming Law

PIERRE, S.D. – On Friday, July 1, HB 1012, which protects college students and faculty from mandatory Critical Race Theory trainings and orientations, takes effect.

“College should be a place where freedom of thought and expression are encouraged – not stifled by indoctrination and political agendas,” said Governor Kristi Noem. “Critical Race Theory should not be forced on our students, and this legislation will prevent that from happening.”

Since signing the bill, Governor Noem also signed Executive Order 2022-02, which restricts Critical Race Theory at the K-12 level.

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A news article is out tonight talking about a new conservative caucus that is being formed, as noted in the Rapid City Journal, because once again there are those who think they are more Republican than others:

A contingent of South Dakota Republican lawmakers on Wednesday formally announced they were forming a group billed the “South Dakota Freedom Caucus” as they try to drive politics further to the right in a Statehouse where the GOP holds every statewide office and 90% of the Legislature.

And..

Republican Rep. Tony Randolph, who is the Freedom Caucus vice-chair, declined to say how many lawmakers are part of the group outside its three officers. He said they were looking to recruit members, but insisted they were not splitting from the Republican caucus.

Read it here.

I did find it amusing that they’re quoting Tony Randolph, who two years ago was openly supporting the non-republican in a general election. Because we need GOP traitors Tony Randolph & Tina Mulally to tell us who is more republican than anybody else.

Anyway, getting back to the whole “new conservative caucus” sham. Where have I heard all this before? I think it was way back… when they did the same thing 2 elections ago:

You can read about 2018’s breakaway caucus here.

Seriously. These guys have got to get a new act. Because the breakaway caucus schtick was lame in 2018, and it’s no less lame when they develop amnesia about forming it, and declare they’re starting a new one.

South Dakota Receives Presidential Disaster Declaration Approval

PIERRE, S.D. – Governor Kristi Noem announced today that South Dakota has received a Presidential Disaster Declaration that allows the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to help South Dakota local governments in 20 counties and on two reservations recover from public infrastructure damage sustained as a result of tornadoes, severe storms, straight-line winds, and flooding that occurred on May 12 in the eastern part of the state.

“This is good news for those in our state who were impacted by this severe weather,” said Gov. Noem. “I appreciate FEMA giving us a response. This means FEMA can start providing assistance in a timely manner.”

Public infrastructure damage assistance will be provided to the counties of: Aurora, Beadle, Bon Homme, Brookings, Clay, Codington, Day, Deuel, Grant, Hamlin, Hanson, Hutchinson, Kingsbury, Lake, McCook, Miner, Minnehaha, Moody, Roberts, and Turner as well as the Flandreau Indian and Lake Traverse Reservations.

In a letter earlier this month requesting a disaster declaration, Noem wrote that the storm resulted in two deaths, a preliminary number of 14 reported tornadoes, and wind gusts of more than 100 miles per hour in some places. The storms also resulted in the temporary closure of roads and highways. Nearly 70,000 customers experienced power outages.

FEMA staff members will be arriving soon in the state to help begin the assistance efforts with governmental and certain private-non-profit entities. The Department of Public Safety’s Office of Emergency Management will be the state agency assigned to help coordinate the assistance.

South Dakota still has six open Presidential disaster declarations for other events and is working with FEMA on the recovery process for each of those disasters as well.

You can find the letter requesting the Presidential Disaster Declaration here.

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