Author: @SoDakCampaigns

A South Dakota Republican Women’s group is apparently hosting a zoom conference with US Representative Lauren Boebert later this month on May 27th.

Boebert has been somewhat of a controversial figure in politics, including her latest act as she unfurled a space blanket at the State of the State Address in protest of the caged children at the border.

The event is scheduled for May 27th, and interested parties can register to participate in the zoom call by clicking here.

In a subscribers only article today on the Argus Leader website, the South Dakota University system whistleblower Woki-Leaks takes center stage as the article discusses the after-effects of when university faculty engage in name-calling:

“The professors yapping about us being racists wasn’t the place to go,” said May, who lives on the Pine Ridge Reservation and whose husband and children are enrolled members of the tribe.

and..

Maher, a Republican who lives in Isabel on the Cheyenne River Reservation, said he employs Native Americans. He criticized academics who hurl insults from the ivory tower of academia who don’t have an understanding of what life is like on the reservation.

“If you’re going to talk smack, at least get your ass out here and see what life is like,” he said.

and..

For his part, Brian Maher said he doesn’t think the differences between the campus and Capitol ideologies are irreconcilable, but he said the name-calling makes his job harder.

Read it all here.

And there’s much more. Go check it out.

I had a note this AM that Governor Kristi Noem is on the front page of the New York Times this morning in a speculative article about the possibility of her running for President in 2024.

Predictably, there was manufactured silliness (I.e., claims that Kristi “has an increasingly awkward relationship with John Thune”). The article does give a glimpse on those in South Dakota Politics who are fans, and those who seem to actively oppose her in the SDGOP:

Russell Olson, a former South Dakota lawmaker who was elected to the Legislature alongside Ms. Noem in 2006, said Ms. Noem is “a conservative woman and can talk without regurgitating talking points, so she rises to easy consideration in my book.”

and..

“Love her or hate her, she’s the best resource South Dakota has going for it right now,” said Lee Schoenbeck, the leader of the State Senate. “She’s got such a platform.”

and..

“She says whatever she thinks she needs to say,” said Taffy Howard, a state lawmaker who has pressed Ms. Noem to disclose the details of state money she has been using for security on her frequent trips. “This was all about keeping her donors happy.”

Read the article here.

The article does come from The NY Times (as written by a CNN Analyst) so take those biases into account.

However, it leaves little doubt that Kristi is a favorite for many, and could quite possibly be a candidate for President in the future.

(For now – let’s make sure we re-elect Governor Noem in 2022!)

South Dakota’s far left political blog Dakota Free Press has apparently been off the air since yesterday.

But even more curious is that author Cory Heidelberger’s original website Madville Times is also off the air with an identical “Error establishing a database connection.”

I imagine there are some notions that are so nutty that even our computer overlords have to say “Oh Hell No.”

*Update*

Looks like Cory resolved his technical issues. However, I’m sure the errors in his hard-left writing will continue to plague him.

It’s not new information, but I stumbled across this article today, and learned something that I didn’t know – that Michael Swango who was dismissed from the USD School of Medicine in 1992 and later convicted of being a serial killer..

Swango was in the Colorado prison after admitting he failed to disclose to Stony Brook officials that he had spent 30 months in jail and lost his medical license in 1985 for poisoning six co-workers in Quincy, Ill. No one died in that case.

Swango was dismissed in 1992 from the University of South Dakota School of Medicine’s residency program after officials said he had withheld information about the 1985 Illinois conviction.

..is imprisoned in the ADX Supermax prison in Florence, Colorado alongside some of the most notorious killers of modern times including drug kingpin “El Chapo,” the Unabomber, and the Boston Bomber:

Ted John Kaczynski
Domestic terrorist, aka the “Unabomber,” serving eight life sentences

Now 78-year-old Ted Kaczynski grew up in a Chicago suburb and was by all means a brilliant and prophetic student when he was admitted to Harvard University and took part in a three-year ethically questionable psychological study that some speculate may have attributed to his later extremist beliefs and behavior. He went on to earn a doctorate in mathematics and, soon after, in 1971, he began his hermetic life in a secluded cabin in Montana. It is here he would pen his famous manifesto, “Industrial Society and Its Future,” and begin a 17-year effort to sabotage what he called the industrial-technological system. In all, he mailed 16 homemade bombs that ultimately killed three people before he was found in 1996. Kaczynski was charged with three counts of homicide, 10 federal violations related to bombs, and was sentenced to eight lifetimes in prison.

Michael Swango
Serial killer nicknamed “Dr. Death,” serving three consecutive life terms

Michael Swango (born Joseph Michael Swango) was a physician who spent most of the 1980s and ’90s using his medical license to poison patients (and, sometimes, colleagues). Despite thoroughly creeping out plenty of people by the time he earned his degree from Southern Illinois University School of Medicine (including being caught “faking” checkups during OB-GYN rotations), Swango secured an internship at what was then known as the Ohio State University Medical Center in 1983. This is where his prolific career as a serial killer would purportedly begin. It is believed that Swango murdered more than 60 people—often by poisoning them with arsenic or intentionally overdosing them with something they were prescribed—though he could only be charged with four homicides. Swango was sentenced to life in prison in 2000.

Dzhokhar A. Tsarnaev
Terrorist, aka the Boston bomber, life in prison

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev and Tamerlan Tsarnaev, two brothers of Chechen descent, were raised in Kyrgyzstan before immigrating to Cambridge in the 1990s. The brothers were radicalized by al-Qaida and built two pressure-cooker bombs that they planted at the 2013 Boston Marathon; the explosion killed three people and injured more than 250 others.

Read the entire story here.

Not that he shouldn’t be there – but I don’t know that I’ve heard of anyone else with a connection to South Dakota imprisoned at the country’s federal Super-max prison.

The President’s Words Ring Hollow
By Sen. John Thune

Sadly, a theme of President Biden’s presidency has been the disconnect between what he says and what he does. I wasn’t sure which president we would see when he gave his first joint address to Congress. Would he echo the tone of his inauguration – calling for unity and bipartisanship? Or would the president speak more honestly about his administration’s agenda – chock-full of left-wing policies? In the end, President Biden doubled down on his support for the radical liberal policies that have defined his presidency so far.

President Biden spoke extensively about his “American Jobs Plan,” an ironically named bill since it hikes taxes on many employers – putting the brakes on our economic recovery and slowing job growth. President Biden’s proposed tax hikes may help Democrats realize their socialist vision for our country, but won’t help working Americans when employers are forced to cut jobs. Beyond raising taxes, less than 6 percent of this so-called “infrastructure” bill would go to roads and bridges.

In his address, President Biden also quickly mentioned immigration but skirted around the real issue – the humanitarian crisis worsening every day on our southern border. The president called on Republicans to support his one-sided immigration bill, which would give citizenship to millions of people illegally living in America. What message does that send to people in Mexico and Central America who are thinking of making the dangerous trek to cross our border illegally? It says, if you can make it here, you can stay here. But, there is nothing compassionate about immigration policies that encourage people to attempt a dangerous border crossing, running the risk of injury, exploitation, and disease. The only people I saw on my recent trip to the border being helped by the administration rolling back effective border policies were the smugglers and human traffickers. The children I saw in overcrowded border facilities haven’t benefited from President Biden’s weak border policies, logistical failures, and welcoming rhetoric.

After hitting on a laundry list of left-wing policy goals – including free college and a huge expansion of the federal government – President Biden ended his long address with calls for unity. But, 100 days into a presidency notable for its lack of bipartisanship, these words ring hollow. Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina, who outlined the conservative vision in the Republican response to President Biden’s address, noted that Americans are “starving for more than empty platitudes.” He couldn’t be more right, and he succeeded in giving so much more than platitudes. He laid out a clear and detailed vision for the future of this country. I hope that every American – Republican and Democrat – heard his words and understands our vision: a vision of hard work, opportunity, and a brighter future ahead.

I’ll say this: If President Biden sincerely wants to work with Republicans to build a better future for every American, he won’t find a more willing partner. But Senate Republicans will not sign off on the radical liberal policies that the president outlined in his speech. I sincerely hope the president reverses course and decides to embrace bipartisanship. The challenges we face as a nation are too great to go it alone.

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The Power of Travel
By: Governor Kristi Noem
April 30, 2021

In South Dakota, we have so much to be proud of. Our beautiful landscapes, thriving business climate, and welcoming residents all combine to make this state truly the land of “Great Faces, Great Places.” But this week, we have a very special reason to celebrate something that combines all the state’s greatest qualities: our travel and tourism industry.

From May 2 through 8, join me in celebrating National Travel and Tourism Week (NTTW). This year’s NTTW theme – the “Power of Travel” – seems more important than ever in 2021. Last year, our friends and neighbors in the tourism industry found innovative ways to serve their customers.

By remaining open and free, South Dakota survived – and some even thrived – during a challenging year. It was tough, but determination, hard work, and perseverance – qualities that come naturally to South Dakotans – got us through the storm. And now, South Dakota is welcoming visitors that are more excited than ever to travel.

There are plenty of reasons to celebrate tourism, our state’s second-largest industry. Even in the midst of a global pandemic, South Dakota was one of the best-performing states in the country. We welcomed 12.6 million visitors to the Mount Rushmore State in 2020.

Those guests spent a total of $3.4 billion, generating $276 million in tax revenue. Together, these visitors support almost 50,000 South Dakota jobs in our tourism industry. In fact, because of visitor spending in our state, South Dakota taxpayers save $780 per household. On average, national visitor spending declined by 45%, but South Dakota saw only an 18% decline in spending.

Outdoor recreation is always something to enjoy in South Dakota, but it was especially popular at a time when fresh air and wide-open spaces were a priority nationwide. State park visitation was up 31% last year, and we issued record numbers of trail permits and youth hunting licenses. For the first time ever, we welcomed more than 2 million visitors to Custer State Park.

This is why we are celebrating the “Power of Travel” in South Dakota during this year’s NTTW – and there are so many ways to get involved. Write a letter or social post thanking travel workers – including your favorite SoDak businesses – for everything they do to attract and entertain visitors. Tag your messages with #NTTW21, #HifromSD and #PowerOfTravel to show your appreciation for hard-working tourism folks.

When the going got tough, tourism stepped up. And the folks in the tourism industry deserve our gratitude. Whether you’re from out of state or are a lifelong resident, I hope you’ll find ways to enjoy South Dakota’s many incredible opportunities, whether it’s catching a sunrise at Badlands National Park or cruising our scenic roads and byways, or just supporting your local diner.

2020 proved that a united state can weather any storm. That’s the “Power of Travel.” 2020 was an incredible year for South Dakota’s tourism industry, and I’m so excited for what 2021 has in store.

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Governor Noem Sues Biden Administration over Mount Rushmore Fireworks

PIERRE, SD – Today, Governor Kristi Noem filed a lawsuit against officials in the Biden administration over their cancellation of the Mount Rushmore Fireworks Celebration. The lawsuit was filed in the United States District Court for the District of South Dakota Central Division.

“Mount Rushmore is the very best place to celebrate America’s birthday and all that makes our country special,” said Governor Kristi Noem. “After telling us they’d ‘circle back,’ the Biden administration has not responded to our request to uphold the Memorandum of Agreement between the State of South Dakota and the National Parks Service (NPS) to host a safe and responsible national celebration and fireworks show.

“Unfortunately, the new administration departed from precedent and reneged on this agreement without any meaningful explanation,” continued Noem. “We are asking the court to enjoin the Department of Interior’s (DOI) denial of the fireworks permit and order it to issue a permit for the event expeditiously.”

Previously, Governor Noem asked President Biden to uphold the Memorandum of Agreement between NPS and the State of South Dakota regarding the Mount Rushmore Fireworks Celebration. Governor Noem responded to NPS’s reasons for cancelling the fireworks celebration. She also outlined the due diligence that the State of South Dakota and other entities undertook to ensure that last year’s celebration could be conducted safely and responsibly. You can read Governor Noem’s letter to President Biden here.

America’s Founding Fathers knew that Independence Day should be celebrated “with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one [e]nd of this Continent to the other,” as stated by John Adams on July 3, 1776. And President Calvin Coolidge declared that Mount Rushmore was designed to be “a national shrine to which future generations will repair to declare their continuing allegiance to independence [and] self-government.”

Last year’s Mount Rushmore Fireworks Celebration was held safely and responsibly and had a huge positive impact on the South Dakota economy. You can find materials such as photographs and video of the 2020 Mount Rushmore Fireworks Celebration here.

You can read the filed complaint here.

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Rapid City business organization ELEVATE Rapid City has issued their second annual pro-business scorecard, with 9 of 15 Rapid City area legislators doing quite well:

You can read all about it here.

Several of the legislators who had high pro-business scores last year also scored highly this year, with Castleberry, Diedrich, Duhamel, Olson, & Johnson repeating their “Pro-Business Champion” designations from last years’ scorecard.

Similarly, the group also noted several who repeated scoring below 50% pro-business for their votes in the legislature for a second year in a row, with Phil Jensen, Taffy Howard, Tony Randolph, and Tina Mulally.