Author: @SoDakCampaigns

Former Republican State Legislator Gene Abdallah has passed away, and is remembered tonight by his friends and colleagues in this article by the Argus Leader:

Abdallah, 83, was the longest-serving U.S. Marshal in South Dakota history and served as head of the South Dakota Highway Patrol for five years. He also served 12 years in the South Dakota Legislature, in both the House and Senate.

“Gene was a South Dakota institution,” Gov. Kristi Noem said in a statement. “He was a force to be reckoned with and a lifelong supporter of our state’s law enforcement. We served together in the State Legislature… he was a friend. He will be missed.”

Russ Janklow, a Sioux Falls attorney who knew Abdallah well, said his impact on South Dakota law enforcement is unmatched.

Read the entire article here.

My apologies in advance for the brain cells you’re going to lose processing this.

Pot Petition leader Melissa Mentele is claiming on social media on the KELOLand news facebook page today that after repeated and finally exhausted appeals, the execution of death row inmate Charles Rhines is being scheduled on Monday because the state is intentionally trying to overshadow her effort.

Mentele actually has the temerity to claim the execution was scheduled for Monday because “The execution was scheduled to ensure that this news over shadowed the news of the ballot question committee turn ins.”

Wow.  So, putting someone to death who committed one of the more brutal crimes in recent state history after sitting on death row over 25 years is all about her ballot measure?

No words.   Except, a good reminder that this is who is trying to legalize marijuana in the state.

South Dakota Democrats are talking to the Rapid City Journal tonight about Paula Hawks’ resignation. Or.. not talking, as it seems there’s an atmosphere of people not really wanting to start clutching the hot potato of the Democrat Party Chairmanship:

Seiler, of Fort Pierre, was the party’s nominee for attorney general last year but lost to Republican Jason Ravnsborg. Seiler previously served as U.S. attorney for South Dakota. When asked why he does not want to serve as permanent chairman of the state party, Seiler expressed a desire for new and younger leadership.

“I think there are people out there who can appropriately fill that position and bring a new perspective to the party, and bring youth into party leadership, and lead us forward into 2020 and beyond,” Seiler said.

and..

Seiler said he has already spoken to Sutton and to former U.S. Sen. Tim Johnson and Johnson’s wife, Barbara, and other party leaders to seek their input and advice about the state party’s leadership situation.

Sutton did not immediately return a message from the Journal, and Seiler declined to comment specifically about whether Sutton might run or be drafted to run for the party chairmanship.

Read the entire story here.

What no one really seems to be talking about is the fact that the FEC hasn’t administered any penalties yet in reference to the audit that took place.

There were some impermissible contributions (as noted in the RCJ article), as well as whatever fine they decide to impose which have not been counted against their outstanding debt and obligations yet.  THAT will further affect their bottom line, and the new chair will have to expect they’ll have to clean that mess up, in addition to what’s already there.

No wonder they’re looking for new leadership. No one there is interested in grabbing the hot potato which will invariably burn whatever chair ends up taking the job..

Noem Announces District 23 Legislative Appointment

PIERRE, S.D. – Governor Kristi Noem today announced that she has appointed James “JD” Wangsness to represent District 23 in the South Dakota House of Representatives. The vacancy was created after Rep. John Lake was appointed to the District 23 Senate seat. Wangsness will serve during the 2020 legislative session.

“JD is a qualified, proven public servant,” said Governor Kristi Noem. “His background and experience have prepared him well for this position, and I’m confident he will be a strong voice for the people of District 23.”

“Serving in this capacity is a true privilege and honor that I take very seriously,” said Wangsness. “I look forward to working with other legislators to prioritize fiscal responsibility and promote economic growth for people in District 23 and across the state. Thank you, Governor Noem, for this opportunity.”

Wangsness, along with his wife, Melanie, and son, Ben, own and operate Diamond W Land and Cattle Company near Miller, South Dakota. He has also served as a Hand County Commissioner since 2013. From 2010 to 2012, Wangsness was part of the South Dakota Ag & Rural Leadership Class 6, a highly regarded leadership program based in Brookings. Wangsness holds a degree in farm management and economics from South Dakota State University.

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Johnson, Cheney, Lucas Introduce the Livestock Risk Management and Education Act

Washington, D.C. – Today U.S. Representatives Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.), Liz Cheney (R-WY), and Frank Lucas (R-OK), introduced the Livestock Risk Management and Education Act, a bill that would provide grants to certain state land-grant universities to better equip livestock producers with risk management training. 

The Livestock Risk Management and Education Act would authorize the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) to provide resources to improve livestock producers’ knowledge of futures markets to better manage market volatility. An understanding of futures contracts and risk management strategies will allow producers both large and small to better anticipate cattle prices. This new authority would allow land-grant universities, such as South Dakota State University, to partner with grower associations to more directly reach producers.

“Producers already face an uphill battle of unpredictable weather, understanding cattle prices doesn’t need to be an added challenge,” said Rep. Johnson. “The Livestock Risk Management and Education Act will supply producers with the tools needed to anticipate highs and lows in the futures markets. I’m proud to partner with my colleagues from cattle country to help best prepare our Ag economy and producers for the future.”

“I am pleased to join Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) in his legislation to provide funds to improve available resources and educational materials for producers from land grant institutions,” said Rep. Liz Cheney.“With ever-changing markets, this measure will enable land grant universities like the University of Wyoming to assist our producers in giving them the background they need to properly plan for the future.”

“While we’ve seen tremendous signs of a strong economy- witnessing record declines in unemployment and rising wages across America- sadly, our nation’s farm industry continues to face challenging times, leaving our producers vulnerable to disruptions provoked by market instability and other factors.

Livestock producers across the country have faced years of uncertainty and, like others, need every tool within their belt to manage risk and sharpen their ability to weather the market’s uncertainty. I’m proud to join Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) and Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) as a cosponsor of the Livestock Risk Management and Education Act, ensuring that our livestock producers have the resources they need to better utilize risk management strategies as they overcome market volatility. Our producers rise to the challenge day in and day out and the Livestock Risk Management and Education Act would help provide stability for those that feed billions across the globe,” said Rep. Frank Lucas.

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Governor Noem, Bryon Noem Launch First Gentleman’s Initiative

PIERRE, S.D. – Governor Kristi Noem and First Gentleman Bryon Noem today launched South Dakota’s first-ever First Gentleman’s Initiative on social media.



“As First Gentleman, my mission is simple: I want to celebrate South Dakota and all the things that make it special. I want to remind people of the hidden gems of our small towns – the places off the beaten path,” said First Gentleman Bryon Noem. “Our hometowns are the heartbeat of our state, and I want to highlight them. I want to remind people that South Dakota’s rural communities are some of the best places to raise a family or to start a business. I’m excited for this opportunity to listen to the stories of our people and our rural communities. Our small towns are our culture. They’re who we are. This is South Dakota.”

Bryon Noem’s initiative, entitled “This is South Dakota,” will highlight the role smaller communities play in South Dakota’s landscape and the importance of preserving the state’s rural culture. As part of this effort, Noem will travel to towns and educate his social community about the value of small town living and the stories found in rural settings.

“In our world today, I think we’ve gotten away from just listening. I want to bring that back,” said Noem. “Whether it’s hearing the stories of a veteran over morning coffee in a café… shooting hoops with the mayor and hearing about the good and tough times a town has gone through… eating ice cream and learning about the heritage of a community… our hometowns have stories to tell and I want everyone in South Dakota to hear them. That’s my goal.”

“Bryon has always been a champion for small towns and the heritage that is preserved in our life,” said Governor Kristi Noem. “This initiative is an incredible opportunity for people across South Dakota to learn more about the things that make our state so wonderful and the value smaller communities bring to our state. I’m also excited for people to get to know Bryon in a better way. He’s fun, kind, and deeply cares about South Dakota. I can confidently say he’s the best First Gentleman South Dakota has ever had!”

Follow First Gentleman Bryon Noem’s initiative on Facebook or Instagram. To learn more about his initiative and for a conversation with Bryon Noem, visit his webpage.

Additional audio clips of the First Gentleman discussing his initiative are available to download here.

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Rounds 3q 2019 FEC by Pat Powers on Scribd

Filing shortly after his Republican competition for US Senate today, incumbent Senator Mike Rounds added a healthy amount to his total in the third fundraising quarter of this year.

Back in 2016 after Paula Hawks lost her race for Congress to now Governor Kristi Noem, who mopped the floor with her on a 64/36% basis, Hawks laid a lot of the blame on the South Dakota Democrat Party’s and at her predecessor’s (SDDP Party Chair Ann Tornberg’s) feet declaring:

The former state legislator and teacher from Hartford said the South Dakota Democratic Party needs to reorganize at the top if it wants to win campaigns moving forward.

“I think that what we’ve seen in the last year is that what we’re doing isn’t working,” she said Tuesday. “We do need a shake-up.”

The comments underscore a disagreement within the party about how much blame to place on its current leadership, which has been at the helm for less than two years.

Read that here.

In fact, in 2017, Hawks was so convinced that she needed to be in charge of the Democrat Party, she attempted a coup of the Dem Party organization, and noted by gosh what she’d do if she were successful in ousting the chair at the time, Ann Tornburg and take over. In part…:

• I will vigorously pursue the formulation and dissemination of a strategic plan of action. Within 30 days of my election, I will have called together the Executive Board of the South Dakota Democratic Party to create this document, which will provide a roadmap for communicating a progressive message, engaging voters and citizens at the grassroots level. This cannot be one person’s idea of what needs to be emphasized and executed, but the coming together of the elected leadership of every part of the state. The needs and desires of the southeast part of the state are different from those of the western part of the state and the northeast and central parts of the state.  We must focus all of those priorities and bring about a centralized message that identifies the mission of the South Dakota Democratic Party.
• I will expand fundraising efforts and make them a much larger priority.  The money is out there – we just have to get people to take it out of their pockets by showing them we have a plan that can work!  There is no excuse for the chair of the party to be spending tens of thousands of dollars of personal money to fund the state party instead of fundraising from partners that grow our influence.  We must focus on finding new ways to engage people that sparks their passion for supporting their party.  We do this by hosting events more often than twice a year and in more locations than just Sioux Falls and Rapid City.  Engaged people will support the party with their money, and when people make that kind of investment, they tend to be more engaged!  This is a positive loop of support and involvement.

Read Paula’s 2017 big list of promises here.

Upon her selection as State Democrat Party Chairwoman back in late March, Paula Hawks opined in a statement in the Argus leader that..

“2020 has the potential to be a great year for Democrats, and I can promise that the staff and I will work hard every day to win back the U.S. Senate and House seats that are up for election, to break the GOP’s supermajority in Pierre, and turn South Dakota blue for the Democratic nominee for president,” Hawks said in a statement.

Read that here.

So.. With all of those declarations, what’s the 411 on the Dem Party since Paula was elected in March, and took over officially in late May? What has Paula and the State Democrat Party actually accomplished?

• The Dem Party claims they haven’t, but they appear to have fired staff. After firing/not firing Aaron Matson, their communications director, they’ve only issued 2 passing press releases in August, and one in September.
• Dems hired a new Executive Director, Stacey Burnette, reportedly spending half-again as much as they were paying the old one.
• Democrats finally ponied up that they had been misreporting funds to the FEC, and are actually facing debts and obligations of around $47k+. Including nearly $6000 owed to the Sioux Falls City Convention Center for a many months old bill, and additional hundreds owed to a local Sioux Falls Mailing company.
• It hasn’t been issued yet, but a fine is yet to come from the FEC in connection with all that misreporting, further putting state Democrats in debt.
• Democrats reported that they are currently spending more than they are taking in via donations, even after taking into account that the national Democrat Party has them on a monthly welfare stipend that they depend on for life support.
• Democrats have canceled at least one fundraising event, and possibly more.
• Democrats have shut down their offices in both Rapid City and Sioux Falls.

In the latest from what I’m hearing, Dem leadership seems to be shying away from joint appearances with Republicans.  While Ann Tornberg would go head to head with Republican officials in appearances, word is that Paula isn’t doing that, and you won’t see Stacey Burnette doing that either. Likely because they dread the whole Democrat party falling apart thing coming up.

AND (and and and…) despite prior promises of working with her executive board to come up with a strategic plan, there are now reports that Paula is eschewing making decisions with her executive board, and is making them based on consulting with those that she terms party “players.” 

Apparently before the SDDP party leadership is supposed to make a major decision, like closing offices and canceling yearly events they must discuss it with the Executive Board (E-Board). Party Chair Hawks and her new ED decided to do these things without consulting the E-Board. Some members of the E-Board asked how this happened without their consultation, Hawks supposedly responded that she consulted the ‘Players’ in the party, and they were ok with it.

Read that here.

If you really think about it, with their long laundry list of problems, what we’ve seen from state Democrats in the last six months just doesn’t seem to be working,

Maybe they need a shake-up?

From Performance Radio, the City Attorney for Huron is in trouble for problems with alcohol consumption:

Huron city attorney Jeff Banks is facing charges of DWI, reckless driving and hit and run.

The incident happened Thursday morning in Huron. He was released on bond.

Read it all here.