In case you missed this video from last week (4/25), Attorney General Marty Jackley was interviewed by Dan Santella of KELO, and had noted that he’s considering getting in the race for Governor in 2026:
Gov. Rhoden Works With U.S. Government to Save Maudes from Unjust Criminal Prosecution
PIERRE, S.D. – Today, following the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) announcement that the U.S. government has dropped criminal charges against the Maude family, Gov. Larry Rhoden shed light on his work with Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins to achieve this outcome.
“I have been working closely with Secretary Brooke Rollins behind the scenes to achieve this result and deliver fairness for the Maude family,” said Governor Larry Rhoden. “I’ll be joining Secretary Rollins and the Maudes in Washington on Wednesday morning to celebrate this fantastic news!”
Secretary Rollins invited Governor Rhoden, the Maudes, and other members of the Trump Administration to celebrate this announcement at an in-person press conference. More details will be forthcoming shortly.
“The Maudes are not criminals. They have worked their land since the early 1900’s and something that should have been a minor civil land dispute that was over and done with quickly turned into an overzealous criminal prosecution on a hardworking family that was close to losing their home, children, and livelihood. Not in this America, not under President Trump,” said United States Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins. “A politically motivated witch hunt was launched against the Maude family over a fence line and planting dispute with a small family farm which has cultivated land near federal grasslands since the early 1900’s. Dropping these charges against the Maude family is not only just, it affirms the America First mandate that was sent to Washington when President Trump was overwhelmingly elected and sworn into office just 100 days ago. This case, and the many others that are currently under review, shows that this Administration is fully committed to ending government regulation by prosecution. President Trump will never stop fighting for farmers and ranchers like the Maude family.”
The Maudes had faced a political prosecution at the hands of the Biden Administration over 50 acres of federal land, facing up to 10 years of prison time and a $250,000 fine.
“The prior administration’s misguided agenda must be reversed in order to make America safe again. This Department of Justice will spend our resources and efforts on prosecuting criminals, getting drugs off the streets, and identifying and dismantling the weaponization,” said United States Attorney General Pamela Bondi.
###
Hard work and common sense has finally prevailed. I am grateful that Judge Theeler signed an order dismissing charges against the Maude family of Caputa over a disputed fence line on land that was ranched by their family for decades. We have been working closely with the Maude…
— Senator Mike Rounds (@SenatorRounds) April 29, 2025
I’ve been hopeful that USDA and the Maudes could settle this outside the courts and I’m pleased to see that the charges against the Maudes were dismissed today.
I’m grateful for @RepHageman’s partnership with me to secure this outcome. https://t.co/gTDxzmd3uk
— Rep. Dusty Johnson (@RepDustyJohnson) April 28, 2025
Had a reader send this over to me. Who was the SDGOP chair who brags about voting twice for Obama….?
Thune: Senate to Prioritize Budget Reconciliation, Nominations, Repealing Burdensome Biden Regulations
“As I’ve said before, we can do this the easy way or the hard way.”
WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) today delivered the following remarks on the Senate floor:
Sioux Falls Business Journal has the announcement that’s been lurking out there for the last few weeks; that Micah Aberson has bought out and taken over the Lawrence & Schiller Ad agency:
Micah Aberson, who began as an intern at L&S, is now the advertising and marketing agency’s new CEO.
Aberson began the role today, marking a return to the firm almost one decade to the month since he left for a role at Sanford Health, where he ultimately served as executive vice president.
He then went on to serve as president of Mammoth Sports Construction and most recently as president of Cambria.
In addition to Aberson’s new role, longtime L&S leader Laura Mitchell has been promoted to president and chief operating officer — a new role for the firm. She too began as an intern before being hired after graduation from South Dakota State University in 2006 as an account coordinator.
and..
The leadership team remains in place:
- Ryan Budmayr, vice president of public relations and business development.
- Ryan Gardner, vice president of finance.
- Jamie Hegge, vice president of client service.
- Kristy Laue, vice president of creative.
In 2026, L&S will mark 50 years since its founding by Lawrence’s brother Craig and Paul Schiller.
Looks like Brian Bengs, who US Senate Majority Leader and Senator John Thune dispatched in 2022, is coming back to the woodshed for another whipping; this time against US Senator Mike Rounds:
Bengs for South Dakota F1N FEC by Pat Powers on Scribd
In 2022, Democrat Bengs was defeated in a 3-way general election contest against Senator Thune and Libertarian Tamara Lesnar on a vote of 69.6% – 26.1% – 4.2%.
Bengs’ challenge in this new contest is that I’m not sure people know him anymore than they did 4 years ago.
PLUS, as a former Democrat running as an independent, he will face a Democrat already in the race with Julian Beaudion having filed to be in the contest. Beaudion will absorb a large portion of the automatic party votes Bengs had received in 2022.
It will be interesting to see how he will run differently to get past the margin he received in the election this last time. Because I’m not sure the electoral math is there for him with little changed from 4 years ago, except his party.
SD News Watch is releasing results of a poll they did with the Chiesman Center. And it looks like the race for Governor has two leading competitors:
Of course, there’s 13 months to go in the contest. But it looks like a couple of people need to be working on things.
As I had noted in the below post, late this last week through this weekend was busy with candidate activity. Lots of things going on, including word that Attorney General Marty Jackley might be hinting about his political future at the Brookings/Lake/Moody County Lincoln Day dinner this last Friday night.
When it came down to brass tacks, Attorney General Marty Jackley did drop this item.. which might have been a hint, or it might have been a clever segue into the next speaker:
Lol. I’ll leave it up to you to decide what Marty’s future plans might be, but either way, I wish him well, as he’s truly a good guy.
Speaking of the Brookings/Lake/Moody Dinner, aside from it being notable for it’s reported length (I’m told 4 HOURS!?) it was notable for who wasn’t there – the newly announced candidate for Governor, Jon Hansen skipped the event sponsored in part by a county in his own District 25. Where was Hansen?
The Brookings LDD apparently overlapped with an event sponsored by his paymaster Leslee Unruh. So, Republicans versus the money? He went with the money and was featured at the Alpha Center annual gala, where this cringeworthy video comes from:
As one person sending the clip noted to me “At least Bill Clintons saxophone was fun! He sounds like a whiney Walmart John Mayer.” Ouch.
Toby “dumpster-fire” Doeden was at the Brookings County Lincoln Day dinner with his own introduction from the podium:
Apparently his introduction is now “running for something.” That coincides with a rumor I heard where people are campaign-shipping him to be completely slaughtered by Mike Rounds in the US Senate race, versus running for Governor. Why do I think those rumors might be coming loudest from Hansen/Lems people?
But speaking of Dumpster-fire Doeden, aside from his introduction as candidate for something, apparently he went to church this weekend …without spontaneously combusting once he crossed the threshold. So he has that.
The bigger question of his church attendance is not whether he went – but how exactly did Doeden have a photographer on hand to take pictures of him in church? Or does the church provides this photography service?
Do you come in with a donation envelope and check if you want just the Jesus part of church, or Jesus with a photo session, which for an extra fee, you can also get a pulpit souvenir photo? Just asking, as last I knew, Influencer photo facilitation isn’t available in my church.
I’m also kind of guessing Toby skipped over this verse:
“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.“
– Matthew 6:5
Stay tuned for more!
340B Reform Will Put South Dakota Patients First
By Eldon Nygaard
The 340B federal drug program was created in 1992 with a clear mission: to help vulnerable patients access life-saving medications at lower costs. The program allows hospitals and clinics to purchase medicines at highly discounted rates with the expectation that those savings would be used to support uninsured and low-income patients. However, in states like South Dakota, concerns are being raised over whether or not these savings are actually reaching rural and underserved communities as intended.
The 340B hospital markup program has strayed from its original intent over time. Instead of serving as a critical patient safety net, it has become a moneymaking scheme for large hospitals, pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), and significant for-profit pharmacy chains. Patients rarely see savings, as their copays are based on the medication’s full price, not the hospital’s discounted price.
These bad actors have been buying medicines at deep discounts for years while charging patients whatever they see fit. PBMs drive up medication costs even further by pocketing rebates and manipulating drug pricing. This unchecked markup inflates costs for everyone, making it difficult for South Dakotans to afford the medications that could be the difference between life and death for them. Without access or transparency, there is no guarantee that the billions in savings generated through 340B are actually being used to help South Dakotans.
The 340B program does not clarify how these hospitals and PBMs can use this revenue. While drug costs have continued to rise, hospitals, PBM middlemen, and for-profit pharmacies have pocketed the difference. The lack of 340B transparency has allowed these actors to play this reverse Robin Hood game for years.
A 2021 study found no evidence that hospitals joining the 340B program provided more care to underserved populations than those not in the program. 340B hospitals are growing in wealthier areas across South Dakota and nationwide by acquiring clinics, allowing these actors to maximize their profits more by serving well-insured patients living in these areas.
South Dakota is working towards a more equitable and transparent 340B program. In 2023, Governor Kristi Noem signed a bill to enhance transparency in prescription drug pricing. In 2024, 20 states enacted 33 laws regulating PBMs, specifically putting tighter restrictions around the 340B program. South Dakota was one of those states, as Governor Noem approved additional legislation to refine drug pricing regulations further and restrict certain PBM practices. Such restrictions included discrimination against 340B contract pharmacies and granting 340B entities the right to sue PBMs for discriminatory conduct.
While recent PBM reforms in the state are a big step forward, more work must be done to ensure the 340B program effectively serves its intended purpose. South Dakota is a predominantly rural state, with many small, underserved towns and farmland stretching across its landscape. Many South Dakotans rely on the 340B program to access everything from daily medications to lifesaving treatments, which is why it’s so critical for this program to operate as intended.
Congress must prioritize reforms to this program to increase transparency and hold hospitals accountable for these disingenuous acts. 340B needs to be transparent and sustainable in South Dakota to ensure patients have access to the healthcare they need. Without it, South Dakotans risk losing the affordable treatment options they expect and rely on.
Some participants are proposing a 340B rebate model. Under this approach, providers are required to show that a properly eligible 340B entity purchased and dispensed the drugs receiving the substantial 340B discount before they are reimbursed. This is a first step towards providing the transparency necessary to ensure the billions in 340B profits are actually being used for patients. However, members of Congress have not taken any action to allow for the operation of this model, and so the program still hangs in limbo.
Leader Thune is in a unique position to restore South Dakota’s healthcare industry. Through his hard work, Leader Thune has been elected by his colleagues to lead the U.S. Senate. As the Majority Leader, he is empowered to ensure that certain bills are up for a vote and can sway his colleagues to prioritize reforms. I encourage South Dakotans to let Leader Thune know that South Dakota is counting on him. He can do it!
—
Eldon Nygaard is a former State Senator, Veteran and retired professor.