Author: @SoDakCampaigns

Rapid City Businessman Steve Duffy announces bid for District 32 South Dakota House

Steve Duffy, longtime Rapid City businessman, announces today his candidacy for a seat in the South Dakota House of Representatives for District 32.

With Rep. Chris Johnson recently announcing he would not seek reelection, several current and former Republican leaders from around the state encouraged Duffy to run for the open seat. After talking with family, the fourth generation South Dakotan is excited to announce his candidacy. “I’ve watched the legislature up close for the last three years and believe I can make a difference,” says Duffy.

Smart growth in Rapid City and South Dakota will be his main priority. “I have worked with so many small businesses over a 40-year career in Rapid City and am a small business owner myself,” explains Duffy. “There are many challenges and risks for these self-reliant job creators. As a small business owner, I always found it easier to do business with free-market policies in place that promote sensible economic growth.”

Duffy worked 23 years as a television advertising executive and sales manager. He also managed South Dakota Cable and now owns several rental properties.

“If elected, it would be an honor to serve my city and state, promoting economic growth, balancing business interests with quality-of-life issues, always striving to keep the tax burden low.” Duffy continues, “This includes good-paying jobs, work-force housing, reliable transportation, quality education and much more.”

Steve Duffy is married to Helene Duhamel. With their three children they have lived in District 32 for nearly 40 years.

Hot out of my instant messaging, Joe Kippley in Minnehaha County is having a fundraiser on March 30 in support of his candidacy for Minnehaha County Commission. Check it out:

Gov. Noem Blasts National Park Service for Denying Mount Rushmore Fireworks Permit

PIERRE, S.D. – Today, in a letter to the South Dakota Department of Tourism, the National Park Service (NPS) denied Governor Kristi Noem’s permit application for the 2022 Mount Rushmore Fireworks Celebration.

“Mount Rushmore is the best place in America to celebrate our nation’s birthday – I just wish President Biden could see that,” said Governor Kristi Noem. “Last year, the President hypocritically held a fireworks celebration in Washington, D.C., while denying us our own event. This year, it looks like they are planning to do the same.

“NPS announced this denial less than 24 hours after we reminded the court that this year’s permit application was still pending,” continued Governor Noem. “Many of the reasons presented for their denial have been previously addressed, indicating that these reasons are not in good faith. We will move forward with our litigation and urge the court to help us come to a speedy resolution.”

Under Governor Noem’s leadership, the Fireworks Celebration was returned to Mount Rushmore in 2020 after being canceled for more than a decade. The 2020 Celebration incorporated NPS’ regular programming that was referenced in the letter.

Governor Noem is currently in litigation with NPS over the rejection of the 2021 Celebration and future annual celebrations. The lawsuit currently is in front of the United States Eighth Circuit. The name of that lawsuit is Noem v. Haaland.

The Fireworks Celebration would occur in conjunction with the Memorandum of Agreement signed on May 6, 2019, between the Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior and Governor Noem.

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I don’t know why, but this candidate event announcement that just came out today has me wondering.

So.. do they want to know you’re attending, because you get a coupon for a free soda? Because if you get a free soda with your Bruce, that might draw a couple of more people in.

And really, this might be your last chance to see him, because I don’t believe he’s going to get on the ballot.

As I was dropping off my daughter in Vermillion yesterday afternoon after running some signs to that area of the state, I checked for an update on who was filing for office. And one of the latest entries on the candidate filings yesterday afternoon list shocked me somewhat.

Is that former State Republican State Representative Tom Holmes who just filed to run as a Democrat for County Auditor?

Well, the address is correct. And according to the live database..

After being defeated in 2018 when attempting to return for a third term of office in the House, Holmes ran again in 2020, coming in second in a 3-way contest for 2 seats in the primary, but still posting third place in the general. If memory serves, late in that election a Biden sign was in his yard, which caused quite a bit of chatter among the Minnehaha GOP circles.. and might have served as foreshadowing for his migration to another party.

It certainly appears that he has swapped parties to run against the (newly) incumbent County Auditor, Republican Ben Kyte, who was appointed to the position, taking over for Bob Litz, who left with 2 years to go on his term of office.  Kyte has already announced.

Having come in third in the House race, I’m not sure what switching parties earns Tom in terms of advantage of running for the office of County Auditor. I don’t suspect there are deeper pockets on that side to raise funds to run. And given Biden’s approval ratings, and spotty candidate placement above him, there doesn’t seem to be goodwill flowing from the top of the ticket.

Having helped a number of candidates do so, I can tell you that running a Minnehaha County-wide race is not like running a legislative race. It’s tougher. Far tougher. Everything is more.  More mailers. More signs. More media. And MORE expensive.   In his last race, Tom spent $15-18k.  He might have to double that or more to cover things county wide.

Tom was always cordial and likable, but after 2 losses, I’m not sure what running as the Dem Candidate for County Auditor gains him, except a place on the ballot, and a far bigger bite to to try to chew.

*Update* This was originally mis-entered on the system. He is a candidate for County Commission.

As many rocks that get thrown at Governor Kristi Noem, the incumbent Governor fared far better than the people who would like to replace her, according to a KELOland news story today:

As for Haugaard, the former House speaker saw lawmakers in one chamber or the other vote down all but one of his proposals.

and..

His one note of success was the annual resolution expressing South Dakota’s status as a sister state of Taiwan.

Smith also fared poorly. None of his three bills made it past the first hearing. One proposed expanding the scope of soil conservation. Another would have reduced penalties for ingestion of controlled substances. The third would have regulated school resource officers. He tabled his concurrent resolution supporting the initiatives of the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate.

Read the entire story here.

However, Steve did find a different way to earn plenty of press otherwise.

Thune to President Biden: An Iran Agreement Without Broad Congressional Support Will Not Survive

“By every indication, the Biden Administration appears to have given away the store.”

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today joined his Republican colleagues in telling the Biden administration that he will not support any revived Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action with Iran that fails to materially curb Iran’s malign agenda. According to public reports, the Biden administration is negotiating a renewed agreement with Iran that would weaken sanctions for Iran’s state sponsorship of terrorism and lesson restrictions on Iran’s nuclear program.

“According to press reports, the Biden Administration may soon conclude an agreement with Iran to provide substantial sanctions relief in exchange for merely short-term limitations on Iran’s nuclear program,” the senators wrote.

“By every indication, the Biden Administration appears to have given away the store. The administration appears to have agreed to lift sanctions that were not even placed on Iran for its nuclear activities in the first place, but instead because of its ongoing support for terrorism and its gross abuses of human rights. The nuclear limitations in this new deal appear to be significantly less restrictive than the 2015 nuclear deal, which was itself too weak, and will sharply undermine U.S. leverage to secure an actually ‘longer and stronger’ deal. What is more, the deal appears likely to deepen Iran’s financial and security relationship with Moscow and Beijing, including through arms sales.

“The administration has thus far refused to commit to submit a new Iran deal to the Senate for ratification as a treaty, as per its constitutional obligation, or for review under statutory requirements that passed on a bipartisan basis in response to the 2015 deal. Additionally, despite earlier promises to the contrary, the administration has failed to adequately consult with Congress.

“Republicans have made it clear: We would be willing and eager to support an Iran policy that completely blocks Iran’s path to a nuclear weapons capability, constrains Iran’s ballistic missile program, and confronts Iran’s support for terrorism. But if the administration agrees to a deal that fails to achieve these objectives or makes achieving them more difficult, Republicans will do everything in our power to reverse it. Unless Iran ceases its support for terrorism, we will oppose removing and seek to reimpose any terrorism-related sanctions. And we will force the Senate to vote on any Administration effort to do so.

“We strongly urge the administration, our Democrat colleagues, and the international community to learn the lessons of the very recent past. A major agreement that does not have strong bipartisan support in Congress will not survive.”

The statement was also signed by U.S. Sens. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), Mike Braun (R-Ind.), Richard Burr (R-N.C.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Shelly Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), John Kennedy (R-La.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Rob Portman (R-Ohio), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Mitt Romney (R-Utah), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Ben Sasse (R-Neb.), Richard Shelby (R-Ala.), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Pat Toomey (R-Pa.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), and Todd Young (R-Ind.).

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Yes, I Agree.
By U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.)
March 14, 2022

I was going through mail the other day when I came across a letter from a high school student in Martin. The letter started out, “Dear Senator Rounds – I am going to be honest with you here, I don’t understand government very well nor do I have a burning passion to do so.” I think that’s relatable to lots of people, not just those in high school.

The student continued on to say: “I am going to have my own car soon and I am not quite sure how I am going to afford gas. It makes me apprehensive, especially since it costs so much to fill a little car even. If it’s out of your control I do understand, I just hope you will do what you can to help us all out.”

Her note took me back to a different time in my life and reminded me of the excitement of buying my first car. After my first year of college, I bought a 1964 Chevy Corvette Convertible with the money I saved up. While it was a convertible, it wasn’t fancy, and needed a paint job almost as badly as I needed a haircut at that time. I only had the car for about a year but I’ll never forget it. The memories. The music. The long drives down an endless open road. It’s amazing the power a few words have to take you back in time.

The challenges of adulthood unfortunately seem to cloud our perspective sometimes and make us forget what it’s like to be a kid. These days, it feels like kids are having to grow up a lot faster than they did in my day. While many things play into that, the fragile state of our economy certainly isn’t helping, with pocketbooks as tight for parents now as they’ve been in a long time.

Elections have consequences and our country is gaining an understanding of that right now, especially when it comes to the economy. Inflation is currently at a 40-year record high. While it’s easy to get into the weeds rather quickly talking about monetary policy and the tools the federal government has to address higher prices, to put it simply, there are two parts to inflation: supply and demand. Low supply and high demand lead to higher prices. The radical policies of the Biden administration have negatively impacted both factors through reckless spending and excessive regulations. This leaves folks in South Dakota and across the country to bear the costs. Inflation impacts everyone – kids going out to eat or the movies with friends, college students buying groceries, new parents paying for diapers, families trying to put food on the table, grandparents trying to spoil grandkids with toys and even high school students filling up their first cars.

As lawmakers, we have a responsibility to put forward policies that help our economy grow and create opportunities for businesses in our communities to thrive. Our country is deeply divided. The current administration is clearly focused on climate change to the detriment of our economy. They have limited the production of oil and gas by refusing to allow additional extractions from federal lands. They have made it more difficult through regulation to efficiently deliver oil and gas where it is needed, not just in our country but also in other parts of the world.

I believe that we should reduce inflation by reducing the cost of energy—including petroleum—everywhere that we can. This would not only reduce the cost of gas at the pump, but also reduce the cost of goods and services which are higher because of the price of fuel to get items and services to where they are needed by the American public. If we really want to address inflation, we need to address the supply side of energy.

As the student from Martin closed her letter to me, “We’ve gotta work on that.” Yes, I agree.

In case you’ve forgotten, there’s an independent candidate running for Governor.  At least until April 26th, when she doesn’t have enough signatures to be on the ballot. But we can derive amusement from her until this point.

So the indy running for Governor is the ever amusing Lora Hubbel, and she has a new campaign video posted on Rumble. Predictably, it’s full of her crackpot conspiracies …and of course, she has all the evidence… but the opener had me laughing out loud:

“I belong to a couple of groups in Sioux Falls. One is Unmask the Truth, which I’m on the board of. And another one is Patriot Ripple Effect….”

Lora is a member of Patriot Ripple Effect? Of course she is.

And why is that funny?

Now, I know Lora hates me, probably because I’ve been pointing out her bad, her brain eating nanobots, and absolutely bat-guano nuttiness for years.

But as much as she hates me, she also has it out pretty strongly for former Minnehaha GOP Chair Dave Roetman:

Now Dave Roetman hasn’t been what you’d consider a GOP insider for quite a while, as he’s spending his time trying to take out the elected officials he and his new group don’t think are conservative enough.

The name of his new outfit that he’s one of the organizers of? The Patriot Ripple Effect.

Literally, Lora Hubbel is out there telling everyone that she’s joined the Dave Roetman club as she runs to be the crackpot candidate for Governor.

At least it’s good for a laugh.

About a week ago I had a note from a legislator in the State Legislature who was noticing that when it came to voting on bills on the floor of the State House of Representatives, State Representative and Congressional wannabe Taffy Howard seemed to be more and more absent. As was noted to me “she is here today but seems to be nowhere to be found on occasion, specifically whenever we are voting on BOR issues.”

I’d also heard talk that she’d duck out to go do fundraising, etc. in connection with her Congressional campaign.

Reading that and having heard those rumors, I thought it would be an interesting research project to figure out if that was just a fleeting and possibly unfair impression from the other residents of the State Capitol. Or if she was just not there when she was supposed to be.

And here’s what I found. According to House Journals, out of about 377 recorded roll count votes in the State House of Representatives, there were 53 votes where Taffy was marked as “Excused.” Calculating it out, Taffy Howard missed 14% of the floor votes she was sent to Pierre to represent her District on.

And what were those bills Representative Howard just couldn’t be there for, for one or more votes?  (In case you were wondering, I made a list):

If you weren’t there for 15% of your job, would your employer think it’s no big deal?

All this vote skipping might be even tougher to explain for someone who is jockeying for a promotion.

What do you think?