Author: @SoDakCampaigns

Johnson Announces “Strong Schools” Plan to Improve Education

Sioux Falls, S.D. – Today, gubernatorial candidate and Congressman Dusty Johnson announced “Strong Schools,” a set of policies designed to strengthen South Dakota’s schools, improve student achievement, and recognize skilled trades as a pathway to success.

“While others are tearing our schools down, I will work to lift students up,” said Johnson. “My focus is on our future, and education remains our number one tool for upward mobility and achieving the American Dream.” 

Johnson’s “Strong Schools” plan has three elements:

• Restore K-12 as South Dakota’s Top Budget Priority: Governor Rhoden recommended, for the first time in state history, that K-12 education would not be the largest item in the state budget. Through conservative, priority-based budgeting, Johnson will restore education as South Dakota’s top budget priority.
• Collaborative Effort to Improve Reading and Math Scores: Johnson will work with educators and families on plans for improving achievement in literacy and mathematics, particularly at the grade school and middle school levels. The effort will refocus achievement efforts on foundational skills and will be in collaboration with those closest to South Dakota’s students – parents and teachers.
• Create a Skilled Trade Pathway to Graduation: This plan will create a clear graduation pathway that permits students to take skilled trade courses as equivalents to upper-level math and science, acknowledging that many skilled courses require applied science and mathematics. Johnson recognizes the importance and merit of technical education and this skilled trade pathway will give students practical education on another pathway to success.

“Now is not the time to defund our schools—it is time to defend our students,” Johnson continued. “The future of South Dakota depends on a strong education system, and I’m committed to restoring our students as South Dakota’s top priority.”

To learn more about “Strong Schools,” please click here.

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Kassin Announces Re-Election Campaign for District 17 State House

Vermillion, SD – State Representative Chris Kassin announced today that he is running for re-election to the South Dakota House of Representatives to continue serving the people of District 17.

“I ran for office because I care deeply about the future of our state and the community my kids are growing up in, and that remains true today,” Kassin said. “Serving in the Legislature has reinforced for me how important experience and steady judgment are when making decisions that affect families, schools, and taxpayers.”

Kassin was first elected in 2022 and currently serves on the Joint Committee on Appropriations. During his service, he has worked on budget decisions affecting taxpayers, schools, and local communities and sponsored legislation focused on fiscal responsibility, education, public safety, and transparency in government.

Among the measures Kassin sponsored that became law are a student teacher stipend grant program to support future educators, legislation strengthening transparency around ballot questions and unclaimed property, and budget measures designed to protect taxpayer dollars. He also supported bills to improve school safety, protect newborns, provide property tax relief, and address infrastructure needs impacting communities across District 17.

Kassin lives in Vermillion with his wife, Katie, and their two children. He is a graduate of the University of South Dakota and brings a background in public service and community involvement to his work in the Legislature. He has emphasized limited government, responsible budgeting, and practical solutions rooted in local priorities.

“I am grateful for the trust District 17 voters placed in me, and I am asking for their support again,” Kassin said. “There is more work to do, and I am looking forward to the opportunity to continue turning good ideas into real results as we work to build a better future together.”

For more information about Chris Kassin and his campaign, visit www.chriskassin.com.

Both myself and one of my daughters received a fundraising letter from Governor Rhoden the other day. And I have no idea what list they would have scraped us off of.

Pretty straightforward generic ask.

The only weirdness in my mind is me asking internally, “why would they send to my campaign material business as a donor?” A pretty diverse group buys material from me, but the list of where I’ve sent checks is almost non-existent.  Similar with my daughter who received an identical letter.  She’s not a big donor, either.

One of life’s mysteries.

Another month, another Federal Elections Commission report for the SDGOP that leaves people scratching their heads asking “what has Jim Eschenbaum done to our party?”

SD GOP December 2025 FEC Report by Pat Powers

Jim Eschenbaum, the former 32-year democrat and now Republican party chairman who quipped at the onset of his rule that he wanted to weed the people out of the party he considered fake Republicans, and said “We don’t need any more money thrown to the state GOP than what we need to operate” appears to be finding out what happens when all his dreams come true.

Because the federal election campaign finance report for December shows yet another month of no donors stepping in to support the state’s majority political party.

Zero itemized. Zero unitemized.  But more importantly Zero donors.  Z.E.R.O. One cannot have a sustainable political party if no one is participating.

The report does point out that they raided the state account for $9121.96, which was transferred over to the federal account on November 12th.  This leaves the party with $34,877.20 in the federal account.

Maybe they’ll have some donations in that account? Because they could not do worse here. The end of year filing for the state account that will come in February will be interesting to read because it will complete the picture of the party’s finances.

But when it comes to the federal account in the last months of the year, the finances don’t look so good. Not good at all.

From facebook, Congressman Dusty Johnson was recently honored with the Defender of Biblical Business Award by the Christian Employers Alliance:

This ad caught my eye on Facebook today, as Democrat State Senator Jamie Smith rattled off the things that he believes Sioux Falls needs to move forward.

As he dons a Republican-red Duluth Trading Co vest which looks like it still has the tags on it, Smith tells the residents of Sioux Falls that he will prioritize affordable living, public safety and infrastructure in his advertising. Unfortunately, in looking at his long legislative record, it doesn’t seem like any of these has been a big deal to him.

He’s been in a unique position as a state legislator where he can actually do things.  But, at least to date, Smith has not been big on doing things. Especially when it comes to the things he says Sioux Falls needs. Despite having all the power in the world to initiate action, most of them haven’t really haven’t been on his wish list. At all.  Take this last years’ session, for instance:

Repeal Capital Punishment… not exactly a public safety measure as much as a go softer on crime measure.  Kind of like his Rename the Department of Corrections measure. .. something about corrections and hugs…   I’m being sarcastic there, but what would a name change without any specific policy directives accomplish other than be a feel-good measure?  He did manage to pass a measure to allow interpreters for a portion of driving tests – doing nothing for affordable living, public safety and infrastructure. And he wanted to honor a former Democrat legislator, in a resolution that was killed.

In fact, looking at his top issue, affordable living, I went back through his entire legislative tenure, starting with his first session in 2017, where he was in the House, and on the Local Government Committee.  2017 – ZERO bills brought.  2018 – Nothing on affordable living. I don’t think “property assessed clean energy programs” is anything in that category. In fact it might be the opposite.

Here’s where it gets better. 2019 – ZERO bills brought.  2020 – No affordable living bills. He did sponsor the measure where government officials could seek to strip you of your rights if you had COVID.  But nothing for affordable living.   2021 –  Nothing on affordable living or much of anything. 2022 – Same thing. Definitely nothing on affordable living.

Why did I point out these years in particular? For 4 years he was the House Minority Leader. The leader of all Democrats in the South Dakota State House. In other words, over the years, despite affordable living being one of the state’s biggest issues, then and now, especially in terms of housing and despite being one of the top Democrats in all of South Dakota; Jamie Smith has sat on his hands, if he could be bothered to do anything at all.

At least until he decided he wants to run for yet another political office. Then things like “affordable living” suddenly become a top priority.

Sioux Falls Mayoral candidate Jamie Smith might put on his shiny new red vest, and make a lot of declarations. But a look at his history does not give one the impression that he’s ever been much for action.

Bold – and Sustainable
By: Gov. Larry Rhoden
December 12, 2025

An old pastor of mine used to give the advice, “Don’t wait for doors to open; check the doors, and see if they’re unlocked.” More often than not, South Dakota takes this advice. We don’t settle for the way things are – we always strive to do better and pursue opportunity.

Aberdeen is a community that is building on its momentum thanks to strong leadership and a vision for the future. Aberdeen’s job growth has climbed by 8% in recent years – that’s remarkable! They’ve attracted high-quality companies like Harris Machine Company and Smack Pet Food. But instead of saying “good enough,” they’ve looked for opportunities to build on that growth.

Success also brings responsibility, and Aberdeen is taking that responsibility seriously. Currently, Aberdeen has just one available investment property left, so the community got to work expanding its capacity. They aren’t waiting for doors to open; they’re checking the doors. They’re creating their own opportunity, and they have a plan to make it happen.

Aberdeen is developing two new business parks, and they’ve launched an ambitious capital campaign to get it done. They’ve already raised $7 million from local leaders and private investors – that’s remarkable! And I’m supporting that momentum with a $1 million grant from the Future Fund.

When vision turns to action, that’s how we keep our communities growing and thriving. That’s how we keep expanding local businesses. That’s how we keep recruiting new companies. That’s how we ensure strong career opportunities for our kids and our grandkids.

Ultimately, that’s what economic development is all about: opening more doors of opportunity for our kids and grandkids. We want them to be able to pursue the careers of their dreams without having to go somewhere else to do it. And we want our communities to prepare for the next wave of opportunity.

There are a number of tools in the economic development toolbox. I view the Future Fund as a tool that works best when it is supporting strategic, forward-looking investments. These investments support growth, strengthen communities, and ensure that South Dakota remains competitive.

As governor, I am going to prioritize investments that are bold, yet sustainable. They’re bold enough to seize opportunity – and they’re wise enough to prepare for the future in a responsible, sustainable way.

Our state has a lot to celebrate. Communities like Aberdeen are growing and thriving. South Dakota is moving forward! And for as long as I am your Governor, we will keep it that way.

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It was a big week in Congress
By Rep. Dusty Johnson
December 12, 2025

 BIG News

My bill to preserve the site of the Wounded Knee Massacre is heading to President Trump’s desk after receiving unanimous support in both the House and Senate.

The Wounded Knee Massacre Memorial and Sacred Site Act preserves a section of land where the 1890 massacre occurred. After almost 135 years, the time is finally here to properly memorialize the lost and preserve the land. I look forward to seeing the president sign this into law to ensure the land remains sacred for generations to come.

I’m grateful for the partnership of Oglala Sioux Tribe and Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe on drafting this important legislation.

Johnson at St. John Church, near the Wounded Knee site

BIG Idea

It has become harder and harder to get big projects done in America. I’ve been working on reforming the antiquated permitting system in our country, and I’m leading a bill to digitize permitting technology across the federal government and reduce processing time for National Environmental Policy Act reviews. This week, my bill passed unanimously out of the House.

The same road project that can get approved in Germany in six months takes six years in America. America is full of innovators, creators, and builders. It’s time we let them build again, fueling economic growth and unlocking domestic energy production.

Click here or the image above for Johnson’s remarks

BIG Update

 

My bill to protect women’s sports at military service academies was included in the annual defense bill which passed the House. Biological men should not be allowed to compete in women’s sports. Women deserve the opportunity to achieve academic and athletic greatness.

Our military service academies should set an example for integrity and fairness. Athletic programs at our prestigious service academies like West Point, the Air Force Academy, Naval Academy, and others should focus on military readiness, not implementing radical gender policies.

The annual defense bill with my provision now heads to the Senate. I’m hopeful it passes and gets signed into law soon.

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Delivering for South Dakota
By Sen. John Thune

 It’s been a busy year in the United States Senate. The new Republican majority is working hard to deliver on our promises to the American people, and while there’s more to be done, there’s a lot we’ve accomplished just this year. We’ve delivered permanent tax relief that puts more money in working families’ pockets. We’ve provided certainty to small businesses, farms, and ranches with permanent tax relief and strengthened the farm safety net. And we’ve made significant investments to make America safer and stronger.

I know the top concern for many South Dakotans is higher costs – it’s something I hear about when I travel across our state, whether it’s from a small business owner in Isabel, a farmer at Dakotafest, or working parents. Affordability begins with having more money in your pocket, and that’s exactly what Republicans have done with the Working Families Tax Cuts, which prevents a $2,500 tax hike on a typical South Dakota family next year. When the new tax law takes effect in the new year, South Dakotans will begin to see benefits from permanent tax relief. The larger child tax credit, bigger standard deduction, and a bonus deduction for seniors will be available this tax season, and that means larger refunds come Tax Day.

South Dakota’s farmers and ranchers are also at the top of my priority list. Agriculture producers will benefit from this permanent tax relief too, including from the 199A deduction and a higher death tax exemption threshold. Republicans also delivered updates to the farm safety net to support farmers and ranchers through the economic headwinds they continue to face. That includes increased reference prices for every covered commodity, making livestock programs more responsive to drought, and funding prevention of animal diseases that can devastate livestock.

Supporting rural communities is also an important priority of mine. Separate from the Working Families Tax Cuts, this year’s annual agriculture funding bill puts federal dollars toward rural broadband expansion, and I’ve been working with the Trump administration to deliver internet access to unserved areas. Then there’s health care, which can be challenging to access in rural areas, especially when a hospital or health center closes. So Republicans took action to support rural hospitals with the Rural Health Transformation Program, which South Dakota plans to use to bolster health care facilities and grow and retain our health care workforce in rural areas. And we repealed a Biden-era staffing mandate that threatened the viability of rural nursing homes in South Dakota.

There’s a lot more that we’ve accomplished for South Dakota this year. There are the investments in Ellsworth Air Force Base – including full funding for the B-21 mission and supporting infrastructure. There’s the support for local law enforcement in the One Big Beautiful Bill, and new border security resources to help stop illegal immigration and the flow of drugs across our southern border. We’ve repealed electric vehicle mandates that were simply not realistic for a state like ours, where long distances and cold weather are a fact of life. And we’re even doing our part to support the pheasant population in our state.

I come to work every day to get results for South Dakota. I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished this year, and there’s still more to come. So I’ll be keeping my foot on the gas to continue delivering for South Dakotans.

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From Facebook: