Author: @SoDakCampaigns

Governor Noem Announces Merging of Agriculture and Environment and Natural Resources Departments

PIERRE, S.D. – Today, Governor Kristi Noem announced the South Dakota Departments of Agriculture and Environment & Natural Resources will merge to form the streamlined South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

Hunter Roberts, the current Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources, will be tapped to oversee the new department. Beginning September 8, and until the merger is complete, Roberts will serve as interim Secretary of Agriculture while continuing to also lead the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

“Lieutenant Governor Rhoden has stepped up to guide the Department of Agriculture through this important transitional time period, and I really appreciate his hard work and leadership,” said Gov. Noem. “Agriculture is our number one industry, and under Secretary Roberts’ leadership, this department will serve our producers better than ever before.”

Roberts is an owner and operator of the Roberts Ranch in Stanley and Lyman counties. He has worked in the Governor’s Office of Economic Development as state energy director and as a policy advisor for Governor Daugaard working on agricultural policy and overseeing the South Dakota Department of Agriculture. It is worth noting that Roberts’ grandfather, Clint Roberts, served as SD Secretary of Agriculture from 1979-80 during the first Janklow administration.

“I’ve worked in agriculture my entire life, and I am excited to lead this department,” said Secretary Roberts. “South Dakotans know that farmers and ranchers are the best conservationists, and this department will promote our number one industry while we simultaneously protect our natural resources.”

###

In case you missed it, here’s Governor Kristi Noem’s speech from last night’s Republican National Convention:

Johnson Honors West River Vietnam Veterans

Washington, D.C. – Today in Rapid City, U.S. Representative Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) honored thirteen Veterans who served during the Vietnam War with a commemoration pin for their service to our nation.

“Too many of our Vietnam-era veterans were not welcomed home properly. It’s never too late to do the right thing,” Johnson said. “That’s why it’s important for me to look these leaders in the eye and tell them that our grateful nation thanks them for their service.”

 

Rep. Johnson honors Vietnam Veterans will commemorative pins for their service during the Vietnam War.

Vietnam Veteran Stanley Self Sr. Stanley served in the Marine Corps from 1963 to 1967 and medically retired in 1969 as an E3 Lance Corporal. He was a machine gunner and had been stationed at Camp Lejeune and Oahu.

 

Vietnam Veterans and Brothers, John Deming (left) and Dean Deming (middle). John served in the Army from 1968-1971. Dean served in the Army from 1963 to 1966, and then in the National Guard for a year before going back to the Army from 1967 to 1970.

 

Vietnam Veteran Jack Dean. Jack was in the Navy and served combat time in Vietnam. He then served in the Air Force and retired as an E6 Technical Sergeant. He was the SD State VFW President from 2000-2001 and current Post 463 Commander. Jack is also the SD State Council President for Vietnam Veterans of America.

 

###

The Center of the American Experiment hosts an Annual Dinner celebrating conservative victories, and this year their honoree isn’t a Minnesotan (where they are based), but South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem.

The group will be honoring Governor Noem on Saturday, September 19 at 7:00 pm. The event will also feature Sarah Huckabee Sanders.

You can reserve your virtual seat by clicking here.

From the SDSU Student Newspaper’s Twitter feed, as they were covering the Student Association Meeting last night, apparently SDSU President Barry Dunn is not happy with all the tomfoolery going around Brookings:

“If this behavior continues, everyone’s going home and you’ll be in your parents’ basement for another six months,” Dunn said.

— SDSU Collegian Live (@collegian_live) August 25, 2020

I’m also hearing that Dunn may be pushing the Brookings City Commission to limit gatherings to no more than ten people.

Governor Noem Signs Executive Order for Educational Flexibility

PIERRE, S.D. – Last Friday, Governor Kristi Noem signed an executive order to provide flexibility for South Dakota high school graduates pursuing South Dakota Opportunity Scholarships.

Executive Order 2020-31 suspends requirements for Opportunity Scholarship applicants who did not have the chance to take an ACT test this previous spring or summer due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Students will have the option to replace the ACT requirement with the equivalent or higher score from their SmarterBalanced test. For students attending college this fall, the SmarterBalanced test would have been taken in the spring of their junior year of high school.

To learn more about executive orders to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, please visit COVID.sd.gov.

###

State Republican Party Chairman Dan Lederman is speaking with KWAT Radio today about the environment that the Delegates to the National Convention are choosing our next president in:

State Party Chairman Dan Lederman says great measures have been taken to keep people safe and healthy.

Lederman says the 10 remaining weeks before Election Day will further serve as a window of opportunity to show contrasts between President Trump and Joe Biden.

Read (and listen) to the entire story here.

I can tell you that from an overabundance of caution, they’ve severely cut the number of attendees to make sure everyone is safe.  And I’m speaking as one of those who were cut.

While it would have been nice to have gone, the important work is getting done, and the GOP is prepared to win the November election!

Neitzert Requests Board to Release All Information

SIOUX FALLS, SD: Today, Councilor Greg Neitzert requested the Sioux Falls Board of Ethics release all information regarding a politically motivated and coordinated attack against him.

“I’m only interested in improving public policy, not in petty politics. During my four years as a city councilor, I have served with the highest levels of integrity,” Neitzert said. “The allegation against me is unwarranted and has highlighted the need to clarify the existing vagueness in city ordinance and align it with state law.”

Neitzert continued: “Today, I sent a letter to the city’s Board of Ethics waiving the confidentiality protections provided by city ordinance. I also asked them to release all information regarding this complaint. It’s time for the Board to dismiss this politically motivated complaint.”

Earlier this month the city’s Board of Ethics recommended no sanctions against Councilor Neitzert as well as recommending clarification to its policies. Councilor Neitzert is ready to work with the Board and his council colleagues to improve the city’s policy, adding clarification and making sure the process cannot be abused in the future.

###

So, State Representative Julie Frye-Mueller recently had the opportunity to speak glowingly about taking a trip funded by a group called “We Build the Wall” in her August 12 Legislative Column, as noted in area papers, this one from the Custer County Chronicle:

and…

Frye-Mueller also asked her constituents to “check out” this organization:

Apparently, someone was already in the process of checking them out:

Bannon and Kolfage were arrested Thursday, along with two other men, Andrew Badolato and Timothy Shea, on charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering. According to an indictment filed in the Southern District of New York, the four men allegedly solicited millions of dollars in donations from Trump supporters under the false promise that all of the money would go toward construction of a border wall. Instead, prosecutors charge, they each secretly siphoned off six-figure amounts for themselves.

and..

The 24-page indictment, which was unsealed Thursday, outlines a cynical scheme in which Bannon and the others allegedly sought to capitalize on Trump supporters’ desire to fund a border wall — a core tenet of Trump’s 2016 campaign — in order to enrich themselves.

Read that here.

So Rep. JFM was wined and dined, wrote a column extolling the virtues of the group that flew her out, only to have the group’s leaders arrested for fraud and money laundering less than a week after her column appeared.

Did I mention that it’s getting a little local attention as well?

Representative Julie Frye-Mueller assisted their scam when she accepted a free trip from them to go to the border and then came home and publicized the organization to help solicit more donations. President Donald Trump disavowed the organization and it’s project.

Read that here.

Maybe she should have passed up that free trip in an election year.

As a result of COVID, Are you going to be suffering from a lack of football this fall, as games are dropped here and there from the SDSU Schedule?

Well, take heart. This just popped up in my facebook feed, so there might be hope after all for some gridiron entertainment:

The Women’s Tackle Football League are coming to Brookings and are announcing tryouts this fall for “The South Dakota Pheasants” team, which is noted on the website.

The WTFL league itself has the SD Pheasants team noted on its roster, but, from a look at their facebook page, they may not be active at the moment due to COVID. As noted on the post, they’re planning on playing in the spring of 2021.