Author: @SoDakCampaigns

Attorney General Jackley Announces Former State Employee Arraigned On Five Counts of Falsifying Investigative Reports

@SoDakCampaigns

Attorney General Jackley Announces Former State Employee Arraigned On Five Counts of Falsifying Investigative Reports

PIERRE, S.D. – South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley announces that a Spearfish woman has been arraigned on four felony counts and one misdemeanor count of falsifying investigative reports while an employee of the South Dakota Department of Social Services’ Child Protective Services.

Nova Collins, 56, was arraigned Tuesday in Lawrence County Circuit Court. The crimes occurred in early 2025.

Collins is charged with one felony count of Forgery, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison; one felony count of Offer of Forged or Fraudulent Evidence, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison; one felony count of Falsification of Evidence, which carries a maximum sentence of two years in prison, one felony count of Offering False or Forged Instrument for Filing, Registering or Recording, which carries a maximum sentence of two years in prison, and one misdemeanor count of Falsification of Public Records by a Public Officer or Employee, which carries a maximum sentence of one year in the county jail.

The case is being prosecuted by the Attorney General’s Office’s Public Integrity Program, which is part of the Division of Criminal Investigation.

Collins’ next court appearance is scheduled for Feb. 17. She has been released on a $500 bond. The defendant is presumed innocent under the U.S. Constitution.

-30-

After story on warrant for his arrest Shad Olson takes on-line anger management course. And maybe handles things he should have handled long ago.

@SoDakCampaigns

I get the impression that Shad Olson got a scolding about cooperating with the justice system in South Dakota. And maybe didn’t want to revisit the greybar hotel in Meade County.

If you recall, last week I reported on how the court in Meade County had issued a warrant for Olson’s arrest right before Christmas, and he was a wanted man, as the warrant was active:

 

Less than 24 hours after my January 2 story on how there was a warrant out for Shad’s arrest, it appears that he parked his tail in front of a computer to take a 12 hour course on anger management from courseable.com on “Anger Management: Mastering Emotional Balance,”  as completed at 8:19 PM on January 3rd.

Also interesting, it appears that Olson has a new attorney. This attorney is in Aberdeen.  (Which I had surmised might be one of the locations that police should look to find him. IYKYK)

Shad Olson court filing January 5 by Pat Powers

The filing also includes documents that aren’t available to the public as alluded to in the court record, including a “Record of Defendant’s ongoing equine sensory therapy, a voluntary effort by Defendant since August 2024 as a limbic system resetting methodology to assist in training for anger management.”

Because an internet course and telling the court that he’s been touching horsies is going to correct the behavior of someone accused of choking a woman off the ground and shaking them as he hoisted her in the air by her throat? As per the probable cause statement that ended him up in this position in the first place:

As of yesterday, it looks as if the information that should have been reported to the court months and months ago has suddenly made an appearance through his new attorney in Aberdeen.

All well that ends well?  Not really.

There’s a crime victim. And a perpetrator who got off lightly. A perp who needed a story on his new arrest warrant to get him off his tail to follow the order of the courts who let him off very lightly in the first place.

Governor/Lt. Gov notes how legislature can ignore law on education funding

@SoDakCampaigns

This last weekend, Governor Larry Rhoden and Lt. Governor Tony Venhuizen were in the news explaining how the South Dakota Legislature can ignore the commitments they made to fund education by ignoring the laws they had passed earlier to help education funding keep pace with inflation:

(Governor Larry Rhoden said) “The same people that made the laws can suspend them, if you will,” he said. “And there’s times that it’s been necessary to do so.”

Lawmakers created the mandatory increase law in 1995, with an effective date in 1997. It required annual increases of 3% or inflation, whichever is less — an amount described as the “index factor.”

and..

Lt. Gov. Tony Venhuizen said the index factor now serves more as a “guideline or a goal.”

“One Legislature can’t bind a future Legislature by statute,” Venhuizen said.

and..

(Former Senator Lee Schoenbeck said)  “Now these people in the Legislature will have to decide if they have the courage to pay their bills.”

Read the entire story here.

What are your thoughts on the legislature failing to provide the inflationary increase they themselves had written into law? It’s not as if the cost of everything hasn’t increased during the same period of time they’ve failed to keep pace with the funding.

Press Release: Don Haggar launches campaign for South Dakota Public Utilities Commission. Departs from Americans for Prosperity.

@SoDakCampaigns

Don Haggar launches campaign for South Dakota Public Utilities Commission. Departs from Americans for Prosperity.

Sioux Falls, SD – January 5, 2026 “After eight incredible years at Americans for Prosperity, I’m stepping away to run for the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission,” said Don Haggar. “The policy victories we’ve achieved together—from tax relief and healthcare reforms to protecting free speech and running historic door-knocking campaigns that helped flip Senate seats to the Republican Party have made a real difference in people’s lives. I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished and grateful to have worked alongside so many passionate advocates. Now, I’m excited to bring that same commitment to fighting for affordable energy, reliable infrastructure, and consumer-focused regulation to the Public Utilities Commission.”

During his tenure at AFP, first as South Dakota State Director and later as Regional Vice President, Don Haggar led transformative policy victories and historic grassroots campaigns that advanced economic freedom, lowered costs for families, and expanded opportunity across the state and region.

Key accomplishments in South Dakota included working on support of streamlining elections by moving all municipal, county, and school board elections to either the primary or general election dates, enhancing voter participation. In healthcare, Don Haggar championed association health insurance plans that saved small family farms tens of thousands of dollars in health insurance costs, scope of practice expansions for certified registered nurse (CRNs), physician assistants (PAs), and dental professionals, and direct primary care legislation that promoted affordable, patient-centered options.

Education reforms under Don Haggar’s leadership expanded the insurance premium tax credit scholarship program twice, opened high school activities to home-schooled children, and implemented campus free speech protections. Economic wins included cutting the state sales tax from 4.5% to 4.2%, passing innovative regulatory sandbox legislation to foster entrepreneurship, and successfully defeating a ballot measure that would have restricted free speech.

As Regional Vice President, Don Haggar directed massive grassroots electoral efforts, including leading teams in Ohio and Montana that each knocked over one million doors to mobilize voters and help elect Republicans to U.S. Senate seats formerly held by Democrats..

Secretary of State Monae Johnson announces candidates may begin circulating petitions for the 2026 primary election

@SoDakCampaigns

SECRETARY OF STATE MONAE L. JOHNSON ANNOUNCES CANDIDATES MAY BEGIN CIRCULATING PETITIONS FOR THE 2026 PRIMARY ELECTION

PIERRE, S.D. – The South Dakota Secretary of State’s Office reminds individuals interested in running for public office in the 2026 primary election that candidate petitions may begin circulating on January 1, 2026.

Candidates seeking placement on the 2026 primary ballot must file their completed nominating petitions with the Secretary of State’s Office no later than March 31, 2026, by 5:00 p.m. CT.

Petition forms and filing requirements are available on the Secretary of State’s website at sdsos.gov. Candidates are encouraged to review the requirements carefully to ensure compliance with South Dakota election laws.

Press Release: Greg Jamison Announcement

@SoDakCampaigns

Greg Jamison Announcement

Sioux Falls, S.D. Greg Jamison to announce his future on serving Sioux Falls. The announcement will take place at the Falls Overlook Cafe on Wednesday January 7th at 6:30 pm.

What: Greg Jamison Announcement
When: Wednesday, January 7th at 6:30 pm
Where: Falls Overlook Cafe 825 N. Weber Ave, Sioux Falls, SD 57103

—-

Update..  It looks like at least behind the scenes that the cat is out of the bag.

Candidate for Sioux Falls City Council counsels people to not pay taxes because he believes it will collapse the federal reserve bank and end the IRS

@SoDakCampaigns

I usually save the looney stuff for a slow Friday afternoon, but I came across this in my junk folder.

So, apparently Mike Zitterich, who has declared that he is a candidate for Sioux Falls City Council, seems to be leaning hard into sovereign citizen and conspiracy territory in a missive he sent out on December 27.

Where in part he declares that birth certificates are permission slips to put kids in foster care, and that he hasn’t paid income tax in 15 years, and if you join him, he believes you can collapse the federal reserve bank and end the IRS. In part..:

— PART TWO —
 
All Tax Subsidies, Credits, Allowances, Benefits given by the Federal Govt are BRIBES convincing parents to inform the State Govt of their child’s birth. By doing so, you allow the Govt into the relationship, allowing the government to control how you govern over your children. By doing this, you are now allowed to claim them as expense deductions on the 1040 (tax assessment). IF parents knew their rights, they would not sell their children to the Feds. But also, the State Govt is also pushing for you, the parent to surrender your children to the FEDS, cause for every Birth Certificate it produces, the state government can submit that document into “Foreign Commerce”, which allows the “State” to grab federal dollars from Social Security, Medicaid, Other Social Welfare Programs under your child’s name. IT also allows the State to act as a “Trafficker of Children” hence, you now have a corrupt, money laundering scheme in your state. And this is what you see today with C.P.S. By obtaining a Birth Certificate, you grant the state authority to take the kids from the family home, and place them in the Statewide Foster Care System. This then allows the “State” to take more federal funding, up to $1,000,000 per child, thus they violate Article 1, Section 10 of the Constitution, thus paying Police Departments at the local level to knock on your door, take kids from your homes. This means Police receiving Emoluments (salaries) to remove kids from the home. NOW, think why would our S.D BAR a secret club of Judges, Attorneys – want immunity for their good faith decisions. THey are playing right along in this “Child Trafficking” scheme. It is all about money Laundering. There needs to be a statewide audit of how much money South Dakota generates under this so-called money laundering scheme. IF, parents would stop informing the state of their children’s birth, thus simply place it on public record AFFIDAVITS, this crap would stop. And in turn, you also learn you do not lawfully owe a Federal INcome Tax. I have not filed a 1040, nor paid income tax in more than 15 years. I refuse to play the game. None of your income tax goes for one public service. The income tax is 100% feeding the Debt based system, where the Federal Reserve purchases treasury bonds, then sells them on the global market for profit, to foreign investors, to whom further loans the money back to the Government. This is how the whole Trafficking System (drugs, children, sex, money) works. IT must end. REFUSE to pay Income tax, change your W-4 to EXEMPT and stop contributing to it, and the system will collapse on its own. And that is our plan for the future. To collapse the Federal Reserve Bank, and end the I.R.S

Sincerely,

Mike Zitterich
Mike Zitterich For Honest Government

Oh my..

Candidates, in your campaigns for office this year, I think the last thing I would be declaring to the world is that you haven’t filed a 1040 or paid income taxes in more than 15 years.

Somehow, I don’t think such declarations traditionally end well.

Study: SD Freedom Caucus members among most ineffective in passing legislation in Pierre

@SoDakCampaigns

A reader shared an interesting study they did this weekend, and thought it might be worthwhile to share with Dakotawarcollege.com readers. They took a good hard look at the freedom caucus’ legislative record. And if you take a good hard look, it’s not so good.

I was wondering how effective the eight Freedom Caucus members were in getting their prime-sponsored bills passed into law compared to all other Republicans. So I did an analysis. No ideology – just looking at data. The difference is stark:

Legislative Effectiveness — Republicans Only – 2025 South Dakota Legislative Session:

Purpose – To compare legislative effectiveness of Republican Freedom Caucus legislators to all other Republican legislators using a single, objective metric: how often a legislator’s own bills (prime-sponsored) became law. This memo evaluates outcomes only and does not assess ideology, rhetoric, or intent.

Method:
• Legislature: 105 members
• Republicans: 95
• Freedom Caucus Republicans analyzed: 8
• Non–Freedom-Caucus Republicans: 87

Metric:
• Prime sponsor only
• “Win” = bill signed into law
• Excludes resolutions, commemorations, and cosponsorships

Freedom Caucus Members — Prime Sponsor Results

Member Prime Bills Signed Win %
John Carley 12 2 16.7%
Phil Jensen 6 0 0.0%
Logan Manhart 4 2 50.0%
Tina Mulally 6 1 16.7%
Aaron Aylward 10 2 20.0%
Heather Baxter 9 1 11.1%
Dylan Jordan 6 0 0.0%
Tony Randolph 6 0 0.0%

Freedom Caucus totals:
• Prime bills: 59
• Signed into law: 8
• Win rate: 13.6%
• Bills passed per member: 1.0

Prime-Sponsor Performance — Republicans Only

Group Members Prime Bills Signed Win % Bills Passed per Member
Freedom Caucus Republicans 8 59 8 13.6% 1.0
Non-FC Republicans 87 371 180 48.5% 2.07

Key Takeaways
• Freedom Caucus Republicans passed about one out of every seven bills they sponsored.
• Non-Freedom Caucus Republicans passed nearly half of the bills they sponsored.

Bottom Line:
In the 2025 session, Freedom Caucus Republicans passed 13.6% of their prime-sponsored bills. Non-Freedom Caucus Republicans passed 48.5% of their bills.

Not exactly a bell-ringing endorsement for a group that likes to send out press releases making demands of the administration and of other Republicans on how to conduct the business of government.

Legislators propose bill to license hunting & fishing guides. Let’s see how that goes.

@SoDakCampaigns

From Facebook, there seems to be a groundswell of opposition building to a new measure being proposed by Sen. Curt Voight of Rapid City and Sen. Carl Perry of Aberdeen.

What are they proposing? To create a new form of professional licensure for the State of South Dakota; demanding that all hunting and fishing guides register with the State of South Dakota and pay a fee for that privilege.  And it’s not necessarily a cheap license to show people where they might throw a line in the river:

Section 5. That a NEW SECTION be added to chapter 41-6:

The Department of Game, Fish and Parks shall charge a fee of:

(1) Five hundred dollars for a resident fishing or hunting guide license; and

(2) One thousand dollars for a nonresident fishing or hunting guide license.

Read Curt & Carl’s bill here.

Naturally, the bureaucratic minded team of Curt Voight & Carl Perry are already getting pushback:

People are starting to gear up to oppose this new – and what appears to be very unpopular – measure for more government.

What is your opinion? Do we need licensure for hunting & fishing guides?

Thune Statement on Arrest of Nicolas Maduro

@SoDakCampaigns


Thune Statement on Arrest of Nicolas Maduro

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) today released the following statement after President Trump announced that federal drug fugitive Nicolas Maduro was captured for the purposes of being held accountable for his crimes.

“For years, Nicolas Maduro, the cartel he leads, and other cartels in Latin America have trafficked drugs into the United States, which have killed hundreds of thousands of Americans. President Trump’s decisive action to disrupt the unacceptable status quo and apprehend Maduro, through the execution of a valid Department of Justice warrant, is an important first step to bring him to justice for the drug crimes for which he has been indicted in the United States. I am grateful for the brave men and women of our armed forces who carried out this necessary action. I spoke to Secretary Rubio early this morning, and I look forward to receiving further briefings from the administration on this operation as part of its comprehensive counternarcotics strategy when the Senate returns to Washington next week.”

###