From the Argus Leader, US Senator Mike Rounds would rather do things that have a real outcome, than impeach a President who has left office:
Rounds called a vote to convict Trump “hypothetical,” saying he would rather see the Senate focus on confirming members of Biden’s cabinet.
“I think if the question is moot, I don’t see a reason to convict,” he said.
While some people don’t want to let it he Presidential race go, Senator Mike Rounds assures them on Dakota News Now tonight that it’s done:
“My message is I know it’s hard. I know you truly wanted to win it, but please. 60 different court cases, the attorney general himself Bill Barr, members of the United States House, and members of the United States Senate have looked at, and we truly believe that the election, while there were abnormalities, would not have changed the outcome of the election. Joe Biden is the legitimate president-elect of the United States.”Read it all here.
Civic Education for the Next Generation
By: Governor Kristi Noem
January 15, 2020
Across America these last several months, we have witnessed a very troubling situation where violent actors are trying to do an end-run around public discourse. This is done to intimidate and silence voices. These folks want to short-cut public debate through fear. They want to make people scared. This is un-American. And it certainly has no place in South Dakota.
Whether on the left or the right, political violence is not the answer. Our political process, though contentious at times, works because we resolve issues through discussion and rigorous debate. Sometimes, political debate will include peaceful protests. Assembly is a tool, enshrined in the Constitution, to help drive a point home. Every American has a right to protest peacefully. That right ends where violence begins.
We saw a similar situation play out on Capitol Hill a few days ago. We were all appalled by it. Frankly, it was horrible to watch. Today, we have an opportunity to address the root cause of this problem: we must reform young Americans’ civic education.
Students should be taught our nation’s history and all that makes America unique. They should see first-hand the importance of civic engagement. And they should have robust discussions in the classroom so they can develop critical thinking skills.
Our young people need more experience engaging with elected officials and practicing the art of debate. It is also our responsibility to show them how government works.
I have tasked my administration with creating instructional materials and classroom resources on America’s founding, our nation’s history, and the state’s history. We must also do a better job giving teachers preparational materials on these three subjects.
Through all of this, our common mission and key objective needs to be explaining why the United States of America is the most unique nation in the history of the world. With this knowledge as a foundational building block, every South Dakotan can then chart their own path in the future and pursue their own American Dream.
We all know that good education starts in the home. It starts with strong families. We have decades of research to show that families are the most critical influence on a child’s success in the classroom. COVID-19 underscored just how involved parents need to be in their children’s day-to-day education. It’s our duty to find innovative solutions that empower parents to set their children up for success.
Coupled with the tremendous work that South Dakota teachers are doing, I believe we can make immediate and long-lasting change in the lives of young South Dakotans. Together, my administration will work to support them and ensure that they are getting the very best materials to achieve that goal.
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I had good intentions of finishing this list out within a few days of posting the bottom 1/2 of the 10 for 2020.. and we had a bit of a mess between a crazy rally in Sioux Falls followed by what many are calling an insurrection. Not to mention that I do have an 8-5, and we’re at the first of the year… so this has gotten pushed back a bit.
I didn’t want to leave it unresolved, so getting back to it…
Top Ten South Dakota Political Stories of 2020 continued (Counting down 5-1)
5. President Trump Visits Mt. Rushmore
The 4th of July Presidential visit by President Trump was a huge item in terms of South Dakota politics. First off, Presidential visits to the Rushmore State are pretty few and far between, but this visit was so much more.
The visit marked the return of fireworks to the national monument, and given the backdrop it was a spectacle of national interest and proportions. According to conservative estimates from experts, there were indications that “the event had an advertising value of at least $22 million, due to global media coverage.” But not just that. The event was an international signal – as Governor Noem has been advocating – that unlike other areas shuttered because of COVID, South Dakota was open for business. And they’ve come far and wide. It also seemed to be the launch of Governor Noem on a higher stage as a popular surrogate for President Trump.
4. Jason Ravnsborg Accident
The absolutely tragic accident in September where Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg struck and killed a pedestrian walking on the highway outside of Highmore after attending a Republican dinner has dominated the political discussion since it occurred.. and it is still yet to be resolved, as reports are that the attorneys reviewing the case have moved from testing to re-testing evidence from the accident in an attempt to determine whether grounds exist to prosecute Ravnsborg for a crime for the accident.
Literally, everyone in the state is an armchair quarterback and has their own opinion on the case, proclaiming guilt and innocence whether they know anything about the evidence or not. And the rumors abound about every aspect of it. Ultimately, the investigation will be completed… but the court of public opinion is an entirely different matter, not to mention there will likely be a civil lawsuit.
All of it will have an effect on whether Ravnsborg, the chief law enforcement officer and legal advisor for the State of South Dakota, makes the decision whether or not to run for re-election in 2022. Formerly an election that was all but guaranteed will be cast in doubt, with Ravnsborg likely to face opponents within the GOP as well as from the Minority party.
3. Recreational & Medicinal Marijuana legalization passes and recreational challenged in court.
Are we sure this is still South Dakota that we live in? The legalization of Marijuana on both the medicinal and recreation fronts had been an issue that had little traction in the past, with attempts at legalization attempted over the past few decades from both those affiliated with the Libertarian party and a loose affiliation of poorly organized advocates. If they managed to achieve ballot status, which wasn’t always certain, they would be beaten at the ballot box to varying degrees, with 2006’s IM 4 previously setting the high bar at 47.7%.
Fast forward to 2019.. where nationally, legalization had some momentum, and South Dakota had just finished with a contentions battle over hemp. Efforts at medical legalization had again started with the same cast of clowns who had been trying to legalize it before.. but a parallel effort was started by national advocates, who had brought in former US Attorney Brendan Johnson, with the national group now supporting both efforts in terms of money and organization.
The national group provided organization and funding to unheretofor levels.. and opponents did not seem as well-funded or enthused. There was more resistance to the Amendment A, enshrining it in the state constitution than the initiated measure for medical.. which made fighting it more challenging to explain to voters. Both measures passed, with Amendment A (recreational) passing with a vote of 54.18%, and Initiated Measure 26 (medical) passing by just under 70%.
But.. not so fast. One thing that opponents to measures had found in recent years is that it’s far more economical to fight measures in court on their actual legality than to challenge the millions flowing in from out-of-state special interests. Why try to match millions and fight slick ad campaigns mid-stream, when you can argue the actual law. So the opponents played the long game.
And a legal challenge was been filed against the constitutional amendment, on the basis of the changes it is attempting to make to the constitution.
We’ll see what happens in 2021 as parts are fought while other parts are implemented.
2. Kristi Noem brushes off critics, as profile goes national
If you’ve paid attention over the years, Kristi Noem has a unique place among South Dakota politicians. No matter how much “junk” her critics and opponents try to bury her under, she seems to come back stronger every time. She’s poised, unflappable under pressure, and has resolve that she’s following her values and doing the right thing. (And boy, do her detractors throw a lot of flak her way.)
This year under the COVID epidemic, Noem has taken a lot of heat for not shuttering the state as some wanted, and many demanded she do. But it also gave her an opportunity to live her values of limited government and freedom. And if you look at how South Dakota has fared as COVID has hit the nation.. well, love her or hate her, you have to admit that it has worked. Economically, South Dakota is surviving the outbreak, and economically would appear to be outpacing many states that shut down businesses almost entirely.
South Dakotans seemed to think so, with Noem polling at 89% approval among Republicans in the state.
With those values and that outlook, Noem was noteworthy enough in her home state. But after Trump appeared with her and highlighted South Dakota in July at Mt. Rushmore, the attention towards Noem took off like a rocket with her serving as a popular campaign surrogate and with many saying that she could be a presidential contender in 2024.
While the campaign didn’t turn out so well for Trump, at least at this point, it doesn’t seem to have affected Kristi’s popularity.
1. COVID-19
Many of our society’s rules were re-written this year when the first widespread pandemic of most people’s lifetimes struck a population unused to dealing with anything more than a bad-flu bug. Because this was more than the flu, and could kill you.
We’re all glued to our computers and wondering what comes next as in 2020 we hoped for normalcy in weeks, then months, then in 2020, for it to be pushed back into maybe 2021. It brought all of our lives to a screeching halt, leaving us to find new ways to work and interact in commerce. It has brought some sectors of our economy down, and raised others to new heights.
It has created waves of discontent, as well as waves of people trying to help others.
Politically, it has forced people to come up with new ways to campaign, as well as for those same officials having to try to figure out how to keep economies on life support, so there’s something left when it’s all figured out.
I could go on, but that was the biggest political story of last year. And will possibly be the biggest political story of 2021.
That’s what I’ve got – Agree? Disagree? What were your top 10 South Dakota political stories of 2020?
Johnson: I Will Wait My Turn to Get the Vaccine
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Representative Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) announced he will wait to receive the COVID-19 vaccine following a statewide poll asking when he should receive his shot. Members of Congress were offered early access to the vaccine, and the poll was intended to increase discussion about the ongoing COVID-19 vaccine distribution in South Dakota.
Nearly 9,000 South Dakotans responded to the poll. More than 56% of respondents said Johnson should wait his turn to receive the vaccine, while nearly 44% said he should receive the vaccine now to instill public confidence.
“It’s been a tough year, but the approval of a vaccine has been the light at the end of a very dark tunnel,” said Johnson. “South Dakota is leading in vaccine distribution because of our collaborative efforts and lack of bureaucracy – I encourage all South Dakotans to get your dose as soon as it’s available. Our state is engaged in this discussion, and I’m grateful for the input of my constituents throughout this poll. I will respect the results, and I will wait my turn to get the vaccine.”
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Via Twitter:
In interview late this morning, @SenatorRounds told me President Trump could be criminally prosecuted after leaving office for his role in what Rounds called an ‘insurrection’ https://t.co/5uelVPiGqV
— ChristopherVondracek (@ChrisVondracek) January 13, 2021
In the article, Rounds notes:
“When the story of this last 90 days is told, they will clearly lay out that the president of the United States misled very, very good, honest, patriotic Americans by telling them time and again that the election was stolen,” Rounds said.
“I believe that history will hold him accountable.”
Wow!
From my e-mail Box:
Last Wednesday was a tragic event in our country‘s history. Those who turned to violence must be held accountable for their actions, although political leaders deserve some blame, as well. That was true as violence rocked our cities last summer, and it is just as true now.
But, a snap impeachment is the wrong approach. There is only one week remaining in the President’s term. It is an act sure to divide our country, and Democratic leaders are making a mistake pursuing it.
I’ll be voting against impeaching President Trump.
Sincerely,
Shout out to Rapid City Reporter Arielle Zions, who had a poignant observation today about those who keep throwing stones at Governor Noem for putting off College and then finishing her degree while she was in Congress.
I’ve seen people have been making fun of Gov. Noem for dropping out of college to work after her father died+then earning her degree when she was older. I’m not sure what’s funny about any of this. There is nothing funny or wrong w/ finishing college late or not going to college.
— Arielle Zionts (@Ajzionts) January 13, 2021
There was also this reply from one of her professors:
Governor Noem finished her degree while serving as a US Representative. She worked hard to earn her degree, I can attest, as an instructor in one of the classes she took literally while commuting back and forth.
— Michael Card (@MCard605) January 13, 2021
In one of my trips to DC visiting the Congressional offices, then Congresswoman Noem was giving my wife and I a look/see around her office, and pointed out her pull out sleeper chair, and indicated that she would work on classes in the evening, and sleep in the office. To me, finishing her degree that way shows a pretty strong work ethic, when I’m sure there are a lot less boring things to do in Washington DC at night for Congressional members.
Education is good. And as Arielle noted, there’s nothing wrong with going back to school.
If there are those on the other side of the aisle who want to trash talk Governor Noem, they can always find reasons to dislike her. But doing so for completing her degree?
That’s nothing but petty ignorance.
I was scanning the media this morning, when I came across a group of legislative columns in the Capitol Journal, two of them from District 24 legislators (representing Pierre). But for party balance, for some reason they added in a wild screed from new District 1 legislator Jennifer Keintz that they’d been sent.
Even though she represents District 1 in the far North east:
Last week, Gov. Kristi Noem referred to the Senators-elect from Georgia as communists. These incendiary comments are part of a long history of baseless hate-fueled rhetoric. Reverend Warnock is a Pastor at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta and preaches from the same pulpit as Dr. Martin Luther King did. Mr. Ossoff is a descendant of Jewish immigrants. Attacking these people with untrue and scary sounding words erodes who we are as a people in South Dakota. With her inflammatory rhetoric, the governor has chosen to associate herself with figures like Governor George Wallace, who famously said “segregation today, segregation tomorrow, and segregation forever.”
Read the over the top attack here.
My first thought was that – given the hyperpartisan attack from a new legislator – Keintz might be D1’s nutty Susan Wismer replacement, since her opponent kicked her out.
Nevermind the fact that Republican Kristi Noem has nothing to do with Democrat segregationist George Wallace, as well as a number of other things.
But when I started digging into it, my spies sent me a copy of an actual press release that was sent out on January 9th, with said release clearly going out across the state, obviously including the Pierre Capitol Journal. And that got my attention even more:
JK Noem Statement-0224382 by Pat Powers on Scribd
Take notice of page 2..
This came from a consultant?
Why do I get the feeling someone is trying to raise their profile because the Democrat bench is small and someone has ambitions.
Why else would a brand new legislator who hasn’t been sworn in yet (at the time of the release) have a self-styled political consultant on retainer sending out press releases for her?
Especially one claiming they know “political strategy?”
Hm. Maybe Rep. Keintz should actually accomplish something before she starts using a consultant, possibly in hopes of a bigger office.