Author: @SoDakCampaigns

Caught in a Self-Inflicted Energy Crisis
By Governor Kristi Noem
December 3, 2021

The United States faces a federal-government-created energy crisis, and South Dakota is caught in the middle of it. Gas prices continue to rise, driving up the cost of shipping and making it more expensive to visit loved ones over the holidays. As we enter the winter season, Americans are outraged by the rising cost to heat their homes.

It is no secret that the regressive policies coming out of Washington, D.C. have led to this energy crisis. The President’s agenda has hurt the energy industry and damaged other vital industries as well.

President Teddy Roosevelt once said, “Conservation is as much about development as it is protection. I recognize the right and duty of this generation to develop and use the natural resources of our land; but I do not recognize the right to waste them, or to rob, by wasteful use, the generations that come after us.”

Instead of a balanced approach to development and protection consistent with Teddy’s comments, the current president sides against energy production every time.

First, President Biden canceled the Keystone XL Pipeline. He then doubled down by failing to support other pipelines, like Willow and Line 5.

To be clear, President Biden does not oppose all pipelines — just American pipelines that create American jobs and support our position as the number one global energy producer.

For instance, he gave his full backing to Russia’s Nord Stream gas pipeline. He also begged OPEC to produce more oil. Yet, he limited American producers as they sought to increase activity. Making things worse, the President then sold off 50 million barrels of oil from our Strategic Petroleum Reserve, which had no effect on prices and only weakened our strategic reserves for a self-inflicted crisis.

Other energy-slashing policies include new regulations on methane emissions at oil and gas wells; attempting to ban new oil and gas development on federal lands and in federal waters; proposing to increase royalty rates and bonding requirements on federal oil and gas leases; and reducing access to credit for fossil fuel projects.

Add record surges in inflation fueled by out-of-control spending from Washington, D.C. and the country finds itself stuck in a mega-crisis that continues to drive up the price Americans pay at the gas pump.

Of course, just as these federal policies hurt South Dakotans, they help foreign companies and countries.

In South Dakota, at the state level, we do things differently. Unlike the White House, here in South Dakota we do not demonize the energy industry.

We recognize our diverse energy resources and make full use of them. For example, most of the state’s electricity supply is generated by renewables. South Dakota did not issue any government dictates to accomplish that.

We also recognize that our citizens rely on fossil fuels to heat their homes, to travel to work, and to grow crops from-seed-to-sale at the market.

That is why I have fought the Biden Administration’s attack on our energy sector and will continue to fight for South Dakota. I will fight for your jobs, fight to grow our industries, and fight for responsible management of our natural resources.

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This is an interesting tweet from the Haugaard campaign:

“College students.. help us put South Dakota first!”

Unfortunately, Steve doesn’t feel the same way about putting them first to help them attend college:

And as you’ll note, he’s joined in his opposition to the needs based freedom scholarships was also joined by fellow candidate Taffy Howard.

Senate Bill 171 was to endow the scholarship with $50 million, an investment that has grown nearly four-fold, at $175 million and counting. As noted in a release at the time..

This endowment will allow us to tap into a network of students who are eager to excel in their studies and professional pursuits,” Governor Noem said. “This scholarship will ensure that South Dakota is securing some of the top talent in our colleges and universities. As more and more companies move to our state, we need today’s workforce ready to take on tomorrow’s jobs.”

It’s one way the state is trying to keep top talent in the state, instead of forcing them to go elsewhere.

Interestingly, at the Lincoln County Lincoln Day Dinner as it was related to me, a number of College Republicans were fuming as Haugaard took them aside and was ‘steve-splaining’ why this scholarship was not something the state should do. It went over about as well as you think it would.

And now, a couple months later Steve Haugaard is seeking those same college students to come onto his campaign and volunteer for him.

It’s a good reminder of how he’s going to view them and their educational opportunities if elected.

The Argus Leader has a new story up with Democrats trying to complain that Governor Kristi Noem is being active in selling South Dakota for tourism, development and for generally being a great place to be:

“We have heard many times from South Dakotans who are concerned about the way Gov. Noem uses state dollars to market herself,” said Berk Ehrmantraut, the executive director of the South Dakota Democratic Party. “Gov. Noem should be focused on solving South Dakota’s problems, not boosting her personal brand.”

and..

GOED Commissioner Steve Westra said those kind of results don’t happen if Noem didn’t ensure businesses could operate here without fear of being shut down. And that’s something he hears regularly.

“Gov. Noem has been South Dakota’s most effective marketing resource, boosting both economic development and tourism to our state,” he said. “When people come here, whether it’s to visit or to move here permanently, they consistently point to her leadership as a reason why.”

and..

“Personally, I think she’s the best in the country at it, a belief supported by the data, all the records we’re breaking and the fact that South Dakota currently has the strongest economy in America,” Noem’s spokesman, Ian Fury, said last week when asked about the governor’s role in the state’s marketing. “The voters will have a chance to make their own determination.”

Read it here.

The part in the story where Democrats and others who are mewling that the Governor is being used to market the state are utterly silly, as South Dakota Governors are part of the state’s brand and marketing tools as long as we’ve had governors.

Such as this example to the left from 1985 where a state tourism poster pictures Governor Bill Janklow in front of the old Governor’s Mansion with his corvette advertising for the 1985 Black Hills Corvette Classic. So that maybe we would look more cool than stodgy North Dakota, or otherwise more desirable than our other riff-raff neighbors.

I can’t help but shake my head at people complaining about our state’s success.

South Dakota is 46th out of all 50 states in population. But during the COVID pandemic, our isolation, the outdoors & wide open spaces, and our laissez-faire approach to government is what people across the country were – and continue to be – looking for.

It’s literally part of the Governor’s job to be the state’s salesperson-in-chief and ambassador of the state to the country at large as we try to get people to come here versus go to someplace with more amenities and attractions, not to mention a more hospitable climate.

To the complainers, I’m sure in time South Dakota’s interstate travel will become more sparse and not as many people will want to come here soon enough.

But until then, yes, Governor Noem, please be the face of our state and get people to come spend money, and maybe possibly get a few businesses to pick up and move here.

Let’s keep surfing the wave of success for as long as we can make it last.

Cole Announces Sioux Falls Council Campaign

SIOUX FALLS–Sarah Cole today announced plans to bring her fresh ideas to move Sioux Falls in a positive direction as a member of the city council.

“I would be honored to serve on the Sioux Falls City Council as a strong advocate for the people that call this great community home,” said Cole. “I’m a working mom and I want to fight for the future of Sioux Falls because it’s where I’m raising my family, and I hope it’s where they choose to stay when they’re adults. There is so much the council can accomplish in our great city for working families, and I want to be part of those solutions.”

With a track record of collaborating with others and leading with a servant mindset, Cole has the ability to build relationships with fellow council members and the mayor to work together in a productive manner to move Sioux Falls forward. “Our city has big decisions ahead of us, and we must remain focused on the policies and decisions that will improve the lives of our residents today, and set the foundation for the decades ahead of us,” says Cole

Cole grew up in Moorhead, Minnesota, and graduated from Concordia College. After college, she pursued a lifelong dream of serving others and graduated from medical school at the University of North Dakota. Cole currently serves patients in Sioux Falls as a pediatric gastroenterologist.

“My passion for helping families led me to become a doctor and I work closely with families across the region in need of help. Now, I want to bring that same passion, empathy and professionalism to the Sioux Fall City Council,” said Cole.

Cole and her family quickly fell in love with Sioux Falls when they set roots here for her pediatric residency program in 2012. As the proud mom of Jacob (11) and Emily (9), the Cole family enjoys the endless opportunities Sioux Falls provides for youth and families.

As a working mom, Cole understands the needs of the average Sioux Falls family and is ready to work hard representing them and the rest of Sioux Falls to help make Sioux Falls an even better community for all.

Cole filed paperwork today to run in the At-Large A position in the upcoming election. Election Day for the city is scheduled for April 12, 2022.

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Gov. Noem to Deliver 2021 Budget Address on Tuesday

PIERRE, S.D. – On Tuesday, December 7, Governor Kristi Noem will deliver the 2021 Budget Address, updating the people of South Dakota on budget plans for the remainder of Fiscal Year 2022 and Fiscal Year 2023.

The address will take place at 1pm CT/12pm MT in the South Dakota House of Representatives. The address will be livestreamed on South Dakota Public Broadcasting, SD.net, and Facebook.com/GovNoem.

WHAT: Governor Noem to deliver 2021 Budget Address

WHEN: Tuesday, December 7, 2021, 1:00 pm CT/12:00 pm MT

WHERE: South Dakota House of Representatives

WATCH: SDPB, SD.net, and Facebook.com/GovNoem

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Sanford health’s numbers are trending upward in latest snapshot of COVID-19 Hospitalizations across all 22 Sanford Health hospitals..

Compare that to a week ago where we had 219 Hospitalized, 64 in the ICU, and 51 with ventilators.

Still not the worst idea in the world to be vaccinated.  And don’t forget your regular flu shot while you’re at it.

Wow. I heard a big one today.

Word on the street is that Troy Heinert is taking a job, possibly out of state, and will NOT be taking on Kristi Noem for Governor.

Leaving state Democrats really nobody. And they have no one to blame for the lack of candidates besides themselves.

For the past couple of decades, Democrats have labored under the mistaken belief that ballot measures could drive energy and interest towards their party apparatus and diverted significant energy towards those ends.  Unfortunately, they lost that bet, and their party has withered on the vine (while former candidate Rick Weiland has cashed in on it.)

Their miscalculation in betting on ballot measures is that energy actually comes from the top of the ticket to turn out voters. It’s why we have higher turnouts in presidential years.

The problem is that Democrats are finding that a lack of attention to the business of being a political party has seen their down-ticket success eroded to the current historic low point.

And it’s self-perpetuating. Fewer elected officials at the local or legislative level means fewer possibilities for competent statewide candidates. And fewer people willing to put themselves up to run as a Democrat in the first place, because frankly, no one wants to carry the ball as part of the losing team.

In 2022, Democrats wondering why thinks look so bad need to take a look at the hot mess they’ve created for themselves.

After a major financial crash which shut their doors for a time, the State Democrat Party is as dependent on cash from their national party to fund their daily operation just to get through the day. AND the State Democrat Party remains on shaky financial ground after rebuilding, on top of which they find themselves owing a $40K fine to the Federal Elections Commission as a result of their mishandling of money.

Only holding 11 seats between the House and the Senate, with two incumbents ineligible to run again due to term limits, Democrats are challenged to not just hold their own, but also have to recruit candidates for over 90% of state legislative races.

And with 30 days to go until petitions begin circulating, they literally have no one jumping forward to run as candidates at the statewide level, and they’ve ran the clock down to the last few seconds.

No matter how futile it ends up being, it seems that there are always candidates who think they can escape conventional wisdom and run a competitive statewide challenger campaign by starting in February of election year.  Nevermind the fact that the incumbents have been active in pulling resources – both financial and organizational – for months.

Senator John Thune (at around $15M), Governor Kristi Noem (about $6.5M) and Congressman Dusty Johnson (about 1.5M) have built up funds and organization to go towards the ends of running a competent campaign in this cycle.

At the same time Democrats have literally no idea who they can talk into it.

With Heinert out, no one stepping forward to run in the general election against Congressman Dusty Johnson, and only a Democrat party outsider whose stated party affiliation is ‘a lifelong Independent’ until he wanted to run for office expressing interest in the US Senate contest, you cannot describe Democrat’s electoral chances as anything but ‘bleak’ in the 2022 election cycle.

And those are the races at the top of the ticket. Not to mention they lack anyone talking about the mid-ticket statewide constitutional offices. Which we can accurately predict will be the usual “whoever-we-can-talk-into-it-at-convention” candidates that Democrats tend to offer.

Already, it looks as if 2022 is not looking good for the blue team.

As the clock continues to run down, we’ll continue to watch to see if all is as bad as it seems.

South Dakota Ranked Top-5 in “Freedom in the 50 States”

PIERRE, S.D. – Today, the CATO Institute announced that South Dakota is now ranked in the top-five states in their “Freedom in the 50 States” index. The index ranks South Dakota as the most-improved state in the nation when comparing 2018 to 2019, Governor Noem’s first year in office. The most recent edition, published in 2018, ranked South Dakota eighth. Governor Noem issued the following statement celebrating South Dakota’s success:

“South Dakota has freedom in abundance. In the few short years since I took office as governor, we’ve already propelled South Dakota from a top-10 freest state status to a top-five status. I believe that we respect freedom more than any state in America, but this ranking indicates that we have more work to do. I look forward to working with the legislature to advance policies that protect freedom, cut red tape, and promote continual growth for our state.”

The rankings are based on state laws as of January 1, 2020 and state budgets through FY 2020. Of note, this ranking did not take COVID-19 response into account. In the early months of the pandemic, Governor Noem was the only governor in America to never order a single business or church to close.

You can read the full report here.

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Wow. Check out this report from the Hill where shortly after State Rep. Steve Haugaard announced his candidacy for Governor, Governor Kristi Noem is cited as having shattered the record for the largest political fundraiser in state history:

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R) pulled in $330,000 for her reelection campaign at a Sioux Falls fundraiser last week, smashing the record for the largest single fundraising event in state history, according to her campaign manager.

and..

The Sioux Falls fundraising total was first reported on Tuesday by Politico Playbook. According to the newsletter, the $330,000 haul is nearly double the amount raised at the state’s second largest fundraiser on record.

Read the entire story here.

That’s more than a lot of Democrats manage to raise throughout their entire campaign, much less at one event.  And coming on the heels of Haugaard’s announcement, that definitely sends a message.

Big Ballot Measures Coming
by State Rep. Will Mortenson (R – 24)
November 30, 2021

In the 2022 general election, South Dakotans will decide two questions with profound impact on our communities, our laws, and our budget: Recreational Marijuana and Medicaid Expansion. These blockbuster topics will cast a shadow over our Capitol when your legislature meets in January. I expect bills to be introduced that attempt to affect both measures – by limiting their scope, preempting their purpose, or altering their terms.

The legislature ought to let the people have their say. I do not think the legislature should cut in front of measures that thousands of petitioners have already signed. Both ballot measures should get a vote of the people, as the petition signers intended. If either ballot measure is passed, the legislature must ensure that such measure is implemented fully and faithfully.

Medicaid Expansion and Recreational Marijuana arrived on the ballot following different paths. Medicaid Expansion will be placed on the ballot after a petition drive sponsored by the big hospitals. Legal marijuana had a more tumultuous path.

Last week, the Supreme Court ruled that the sponsors of Constitutional Amendment A messed up. I read the Court’s 77-page ruling. The opinion said nothing about the people’s voice or about whether legalizing marijuana is a good idea. The ruling simply said that the sponsors (lawyers from Washington, DC and Sioux Falls) failed to follow the state constitution. Our constitution says that amendments can only address one subject, and these sponsors put a measure on the ballot that combined three subjects: hemp, medical marijuana, and recreational marijuana.

I think the Supreme Court made the right decision, but I was frustrated by the result, because many of my neighbors feel that their time, energy, or vote was wasted. I wish the sponsors had followed the correct process, but they did not. Fortunately, the sponsors have learned their lesson, and petition organizers are gathering signatures to put the single subject of recreational marijuana on the ballot in 2022.

So, next November, we’ll get to vote on these two important questions. In the meantime, the legislature should not try to pass a modified version of either the Medicaid Expansion or Recreational Marijuana measures. We should let these proposals get a vote of the people. If the voters pass them, the legislature should honor their intent and should only consider legislation that faithfully honors that intent. That’s also how I will view legislation next session that affects the medical marijuana measure (“IM26”) that voters passed in 2020.

I encourage all voters to start researching these measures now – the cost, the impact, and the experience of other states that have adopted them. As with every election, we’ll have big decisions to make in 2022. The legislature should let the people make them.

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