Author: @SoDakCampaigns

Mark this down on the list of things I did not think I would be writing about on a South Dakota political blog.

Apparently Former South Dakota Secretary of State Shantel Krebs has brought a lawsuit against a teen pageant group as she protests a coup removing her from the group’s board:

A Miss America Organization board member hit a Miss America affiliate with a lawsuit in Delaware Chancery Court Thursday, alleging the organization improperly jettisoned her from its board and renamed the teen scholarship and talent offshoot after their trademark licensing negotiations went sour.

In an eight-page complaint, former South Dakota secretary of state and MAO chair Shantel Krebs accuses Crown and Scholar Inc., which was formerly known as Miss America’s Outstanding Teen Inc., of kicking her off the teen pageant’s board in violation of the nonprofit’s bylaws, which require that at least two of its board seats are filled by MAO delegates. One of those delegates must be MAO’s chair, according to the suit.

Read the tale of a teen pageant board rebellion here (registration required)

Joe Sneve at the Argus is posting his story on the Marijuana Legalization challenge which was filed this afternoon by two of South Dakota’s top law enforcement officials:

Challenge Filed to Constitutional Amendment A

Pennington County, SD – Today, Pennington County Sherriff Kevin Thom and the Superintendent of the South Dakota Highway Patrol, Colonel Rick Miller, filed two causes of action contesting the constitutionality of Amendment A. The challenges were filed in Hughes County Circuit Court.

“I’ve dedicated my life to defending and upholding the rule of law,” said Sheriff Thom. “The South Dakota Constitution is the foundation for our government and any attempt to modify it should not be taken lightly. I respect the voice of the voters in South Dakota, however In this case I believe the process was flawed and done improperly, due to no fault of the voters.”

“Our constitutional amendment procedure is very straightforward,” said Col. Rick Miller. “In this case, the group bringing Amendment A unconstitutionally abused the initiative process. We’re confident that the courts will safeguard the South Dakota Constitution and the rule of law.”

The causes of action focus on the unconstitutional drafting and proposal of this issue as a constitutional amendment. First, the causes of action cite this clause in Article XXIII Sec. 1. of the South Dakota Constitution: “A proposed amendment may amend one or more articles and related subject matter in other articles as necessary to accomplish the objectives of the amendment; however, no proposed amendment may embrace more than one subject.”

Second, the pleadings emphasize that Amendment A attempted to insert an entirely new article into the Constitution, and therefore needed to follow the revision process set out in Article XXIII Sec. 2 of the Constitution. The proponents of Amendment A failed to follow that basic textual requirement.

Given that this matter is now part of pending litigation, neither Sheriff Thom nor Col. Miller will be making further comment.  All media inquiries should be directed to legal counsel.

Click here to read the filing.

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Election Contest Verified Complaint 11-20-20 by Pat Powers on Scribd

So, had an e-mail this afternoon:

Pat, this morning on KELO-AM I heard an ad paid for by Lora Hubbel.

Inviting the Public to a meeting today (Fri 11/20) at noon at the Eastside Pizza Ranch.

Would be presenting evidence and results of studies that the masks don’t work, etc, etc.

And in looking at the former Republican/Independent/Constitutional candidate’s facebook page, it would appear that Lora did have some plans..

However, running a radio ad might have gotten the event a little too much publicity.

Uh oh.  And the next thing you know…

Wasn’t there another Pizza Ranch that put distance between themselves and a bunch of goofballs?

Are we going to be able to go home for Christmas?  If you listen to Sanford’s CEO, it sounds as if things might be turning around quickly on COVID:

Sanford Health’s chief executive says South Dakota doesn’t need a mask-mandate, and the worst of the pandemic is days away from being in the rear-view mirror.

and…

 And though state health officials have previously stated vaccine doses would begin arriving in South Dakota sometime in December, Krabbenhoft said new information provided to him Thursday indicates Sanford’s first vaccine shipment could come even sooner than that.

“I feel like with a vaccine — I’m told we’re about 10 days away from receiving it — it feels like the cavalry is coming,” he said.

Read the entire story here.

What do you think?  Are we going to be moving the pendulum back towards normalcy in just a few weeks?

Governor Noem Announces New State Historian and Director of Historical Society

PIERRE, S.D. – Today, Governor Kristi Noem announced that Ben Jones, Secretary of the South Dakota Department of Education, will be taking a new position as State Historian and Director of the South Dakota State Historical Society, effective December 9, 2020.

“Ben has been a dedicated leader of the Department of Education,” said Governor Noem. “He has supported students and educators alike, working with schools on improving opportunities and outcomes in our K-12 schools. The South Dakota Historical Society will benefit tremendously from his experience and expertise.”

Jones replaces the retiring Jay Vogt who has served as the Director of the Historical Society since 2003.

Jones was appointed Secretary of Education by Governor Noem in January of 2019 and previously was Dean of Arts and Sciences at Dakota State University and a faculty member at the US Air Force Academy.

“I am looking forward to stepping into this new role serving South Dakota,” said Secretary Ben Jones. “Leading the Department of Education has been extremely rewarding. The Department’s people are deeply committed to students and their education; to supporting local libraries; and to making South Dakota’s compelling history more widely available. Now I look forward to being South Dakota’s Historian and working with the Society’s Trustees and members, universities, researchers, authors, archeologists, preservationists, and the public in preserving, promoting, and explaining our state’s history.”

Jones was born in Sioux Falls, grew up in De Smet, and after graduating from SDSU, served as a US Air Force officer for twenty-three years before returning to South Dakota. He has a masters degree in History from the University of Nebraska and a PhD in History from the University of Kansas.  He’s the author of Eisenhower’s Guerrillas: The Jedburghs, the Maquis, and the Liberation of France and contributed essays or chapters to other books and presented his research around the United States and the United Kingdom.

To join the South Dakota State Historical Society go to: https://history.sd.gov/Membership.aspx

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Flags at Half-Staff at State Capitol to Honor Former State Legislator Jim Bradford

PIERRE, S.D. – Today, Governor Kristi Noem ordered that flags at the South Dakota State Capitol be flown at half-staff from sunrise until sundown on Saturday, November 28, 2020, in honor of former State Senator James (Jim) Bradford.

Bradford’s funeral will be held at 11:00 a.m. MT on Saturday, November 28, 2020, at the Martin Community Cemetery in Martin, South Dakota.

WHAT: Gov. Noem orders that flags be flown at half-staff at the South Dakota State Capitol in honor of former State Senator Jim Bradford.

WHEN: Saturday, November 28, 2020, from sunrise until sundown.

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Rounds’ General Counsel to serve as DC Deputy Chief of Staff  

PIERRE —U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) today announced that Kyle Chase will serve as Rounds’ Deputy Chief of Staff in his Washington, D.C., office. Chase, who has worked for Rounds since 2017, will continue to serve as Rounds’ General Counsel.  Additionally, Mark Johnston, head of Rounds’ DC office since 2018, will remain on Rounds’ staff as a Special Advisor. Chase will report to Chief of staff Rob Skjonsberg, who will remain based in South Dakota.

“Kyle is one of my most trusted advisers and plays a critical role on our team,” Rounds said. “Over the past four years, he’s proven to be a steadfast leader who understands the needs of South Dakotans and can cut through DC’s dysfunction to get results. I am excited to have him lead my office in Washington, D.C., where I can continue to rely on his knowledge and insight as we serve the people of South Dakota.”

Originally from Mobridge, Chase served as a policy analyst for the South Dakota Department of Tribal Relations prior to working for Rounds’ office. He earned his B.S. in history and education from South Dakota State University and his J.D. from the University of South Dakota School of Law. He is an enrolled member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe.

“Mark is a dedicated public servant to the people of South Dakota who continues to be an indispensable asset to our team,” Rounds said. “I am thankful for his leadership in our DC office over the past two years, and know he’s looking forward to serving South Dakotans in this new role, which will allow him to spend more time back home in Sioux Falls. I will continue to rely on his trusted service as I begin my second term.”

Johnston served as the head of Rounds’ DC staff since 2018 as DC Chief of Staff.  Prior to that, he served as Vice President of Advancement at Dakota State University in Madison. He previously worked for Sen. Rounds as Regional Director in his Sioux Falls office, and as press secretary for then-Governor Rounds. He is a former South Dakota State Senator and a retired Colonel in the U.S. Army, serving 28 years in the National Guard and Reserve. Johnston also spent more than seven years as Vice President at Sanford Health, focusing on communications, public policy and development and research.

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In her press conference yesterday updating South Dakotans regarding the COVID-19 virus, Governor Kristi Noem reiterated that she does not believe she has the authority to order people to wear masks or cast edicts down about restrictions from the state level, and also asks that people at least attempt to be decent with one another. As related by the Pierre Capital Journal:

From the Legislative Research Council:

Looks like nearly everyone gets a participation trophy in the Democrat caucus this year.

Especially in the Senate. As the question was posed to me by a Lobbyist this morning “Wonder who’s in Nesiba’s whip group?”

… some questions are better off unanswered.