Author: Pat Powers

As South Dakota Democrats toss their chair on the figurative burn pile, one important item that should be noted is that it coincides with a big occasion – the number of people identifying as Democrat has slipped below the number of people who prefer no party label, choosing to identify as no party affiliation or independent.

With democrats at 150,886, the combined Independents/No Party Affiliation registrants are now 151,109, outpacing Democrat registration in the state for the first time ever!

Republican registration still outpaces the two combined, maintaining dominance.

The lesson? It should be a huge wake-up call to to everyone that when you quit doing the things that a political party is supposed to do, the end result is irrelevance.

South Dakota Democrats unanimously voted to dump chair Jennifer Slaight-Hansen after a reading of accusations and grievances, which apparently included treating an intern as personal staff, requiring them to drive Miss Daisy.

Other than a couple of party members who voted to abstain, over 50 delegates both online and in person voted unanimously to remove the Aberdeen native.

and…

Both party leadership and state lawmakers have appeared to be particularly bristled by the way that Slaight-Hansen allegedly treated both interns and others active in the party. Speakers at the Drifter’s convention center accused Slaight-Hansen of having used one of the party’s interns as a personal driver of hers, without consent or permission from the party’s executive board.

Read the entire story here (subscription required).

The accusations against Slaight-Hansen include using an intern as a personal chauffeur? Was her regular limo driver indisposed?

Apparently the Democrat chair job comes with a lot more perks then outsiders knew.

Summit Carbon Solutions Submits Revised Pipeline Permit Application 

Responds to North Dakota PSC’s concerns, reroutes north of Bismarck 

AMES, IA (August 19, 2023) — Summit Carbon Solutions (SCS) is pleased to announce the submission of a Petition for Reconsideration for their pipeline permit application to the North Dakota Public Service Commission (ND PSC), showcasing its continued commitment to the community and addressing previously raised concerns.  

In the Petition, SCS addressed previously raised concerns: 

• Rerouting around Bismarck: Summit has implemented specific re-routes that includes moving the pipeline almost 10 miles north of Bismarck’s city limits, addressing concerns about city growth and future development.

•  Avoidance Areas: Summit has rerouted or planned drills to avoid areas of concern, including game management areas and areas that may present a geo-hazard risk such as a landslide.

• Cultural Resource Surveys: Summit is working with the State Historic Preservation Office to document the results of cultural surveys and is confident no historic or archeological sites will be affected by the Project. To date, Summit has completed cultural surveys on approximately 90% of the pipeline route.

Project Advancements: 

• Landowner Support: Nearly 80 percent of the right-of-way (ROW) for the pipeline route has been secured through voluntary easements from local landowners, including parts of the new pipeline route.

• Sequestration Site Advancement: SCS has successfully secured almost 90 percent of the space needed for its carbon sequestration sites in North Dakota. 

“We’re truly grateful for the trust and support shown by the landowners of North Dakota, allowing us to make substantial progress in our pipeline route and sequestration site plans,” said Summit Carbon Solutions CEO Lee Blank. “Addressing the concerns of the ND PSC is a top priority for us, and we’ve worked diligently to revise our application accordingly. Our aim is to work collaboratively, listen to everyone’s input, and align our project with the long-term vision that North Dakota has for its energy and agricultural sectors. We are confident that our efforts will contribute positively to North Dakota’s future, and we’re excited to be part of this journey.”

### 

Summit Carbon Solutions is driving the future of agriculture by expanding economic opportunities for ethanol producers, strengthening the marketplace for Midwest-based farmers, and creating jobs. In developing the largest carbon capture and storage project in the world, the company seeks to connect industrial facilities via strategic infrastructure to store carbon dioxide safely and permanently in the Midwest United States. More information, visit: www.SummitCarbonSolutions.com.  

I’m at the Brookings County GOP picnic tonight where State Representative Fred Deutsch announced he will be a candidate for State Senate in District 4, running against State Representative Stephanie Sauder for the seat being vacated by State Senator (and State GOP chair) John Wiik.

Another marquee primary coming for June 2024. Stay tuned.

Given its location in the largest county in the state, in the heart of South Dakota’s largest metropolitan area, the biggest county fair in the entire state of South Dakota is the Sioux Empire Fair, with annual attendance over the week-long exposition running between 250,000 – 300,000 people who show up for exhibitions, concerts, carnival entertainment, and to walk through the buildings.

So, why am I hearing that when more than one elected Republican went through the commercial building looking for it, they were left wondering why there wasn’t a Minnehaha County GOP booth?

Did the Minnehaha County GOP actually skip the Sioux Empire Fair? It sure looks that way.

If that’s the case, that’s a shocker, even for the new leadership model of the Minnehaha County Republican Party, where yard sales are important, but the Sioux Empire Fair with 300,000 warm bodies passing through isn’t?

I know that it would be the first time in my 35 years of involvement that they didn’t have a fair booth. And I would bet it goes back much farther than that.

I thought Minnehaha GOP Chair R. Shawn Tornow’s argument to overthrow and take over the party was that the former group didn’t do things such as holding a Lincoln Day Dinner.

Well, staying home in your easy chair when potentially a quarter-million people might walk by your booth and want to talk or learn more in reference to what the GOP is about is not really anyone’s definition of doing a thing that I’m aware of.

I did catch this item from Minnehaha County Republican’s Facebook page on August 4, the day the fair began:

They posted a picture of a fair on Facebook. In lieu of actually interfacing with people at the fair.

I guess that’s what they consider a thing.

Not that it will get anyone to vote.

After the North Dakota utilities regulator hit the pause button on their approval of the Summit Carbon sequestration pipeline project, the CEO of Summit Carbon Solutions sent a letter to North Dakota newspapers noting that the project will continue to move forward as they address the concerns raised in the North Dakota application process.

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A Letter from the CEO of Summit Carbon Solutions

To the People of North Dakota,

I’m writing to you as the CEO of Summit Carbon Solutions to share some updates and our commitment to your great state. First off, a big thank you to the landowners who have shown trust in us. Because of you, we’ve secured 80% voluntary easements along the North Dakota pipeline route.

Now, we’ve heard the feedback from the North Dakota Public Service Commission, including concerns with respect to the pipeline location around Bismarck. We’re looking at our plans again and will address those issues in our application, including reroutes. We want to get this right for everyone involved and will reconsider those parts of our pipeline permit. Our goal is simple: to work together, understand everyone’s concerns, and make sure our project fits well with what North Dakota wants for its future, especially in areas like energy and agriculture.

Our ties in North Dakota are growing. We’ve partnered with the great North Dakota company, Minnkota Power, to have access to their sequestration site if necessary. With partnerships in 34 Midwest ethanol plants, we’re looking at a big investment here – to the tune of $900 million.

That means:

• Giving a boost to the ethanol industry and supporting everyone involved – from plant workers to the farmers selling corn.
• Helping secure a market for liquid fuels and the internal combustion engine.
• Opening up new market opportunities in the region.
• Making sure farmers and ranchers are treated right, from good compensation to taking care of their lands.

I’m also happy to say we’ve secured almost 90% of the space we need for our own sequestration sites in North Dakota. In simple terms, that’s a big step forward for our project.

I want you all to know that Summit Carbon Solutions is here for the long haul. We’re excited about what’s ahead and truly believe that together, we’ll make a positive difference for North Dakota.

Thanks for your trust, and we look forward to a bright future together!

Best,

Lee Blank
CEO, Summit Carbon Solutions

What tends to be downplayed by the opponents of those working for the future of ethanol is that a strong majority of those along the pipeline route have signed voluntary easements.

As noted in North Dakota, it’s about 80%, and in South Dakota, it was recently reported 70% of those along the pipeline route voluntarily signing easements.  (Update – 75%)

Stay tuned for more coming on this, as the project continues to move forward with the approval of a strong majority.

Former State Senator Jordan Youngberg seems to be increasing speculation on whether he’s going to be getting into the D25 State Senate race against incumbent Tom Pischke with his latest Facebook post:

Given Senator Pischke’s most notable activity of the last legislative session was either getting kicked out of the Republican caucus, or his unsuccessful, and somewhat crackpot demand for his fellow senators be arrested, Youngberg is likely going to have a lot of support if he decides to pull the trigger in this race.

Just caught this in my Twitter feed:

State Rep Brandi Schaefbauer is reposting some local loopy internet paranoia claiming states are going to fall like “dominions.”  How exactly does a dominion fall? As opposed to those little black things called dominoes that actually do fall.

Rep. Schaefbauer was retweeting some crazy cuckoo paranoia that all the states media are out to get the members of the hard right, including myself, repeating utterly debunkable nuttery that I think originated with Lora Hubbel as a source:

So this other author, no less kooky than Lora, claims I skewer the opponents of Republicans (deriding the GOP as the Uniparty) because I’m paid $40-60k per year by the GOP.

I always have to ask that If that’s the case where is the check?!? I’d love to not need my day job where I deal with insurance claims for things that blow up, burn down, become infested by bedbugs, and where tree branch after tree branch land on vehicles.

Unfortunately, after 18 years of writing the SDWC, no one is paying me from a mysterious pot of gold at the end of the rainbow to write funny things.

In those instances when I’m allegedly skewering the “uniparty opponents,” I have always found that some of the funniest things write themselves, such as this from ex-Noem staffer Caroline Woods.

..and no one paid me to come up with that one.

Stay tuned. (I have to go get dressed so I can deal with a tree branch claim.)

No. It’s not a re-run of the X-files.

South Dakota Senator Mike Rounds is part of a group in the US Senate demanding answers to rumors about the military collecting data on extraterrestrials and UFO’s:

The Senate has adopted an amendment to an annual defense bill that would require the federal government to collect and disclose all records related to UFOs and UAPs unless a special review board determines they must be kept classified.

The amendment was sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), a member of the Senate Armed Services and Intelligence committees.

and..

Rounds said he has seen “no evidence personally” that extraterrestrial craft are visiting the planet but said, “I know that there’s a lot of people that have questions about it.”

and..

“I don’t think anybody should say that they know for certain either way,” he said. “If we simply refuse to acknowledge there’s even a remote possibility, then we’re probably not being honest.”

“Some of the items we simply can’t explain,” he said of the Naval videos of UAPs.

Read it all here.

Stay tuned …

Assistant House Majority leader, Taylor Rehfeldt, has announced that she is a mommy again.

The Rehfeldt’s announced today that “Little miss Tallie Rae Rehfeldt met us at 8:47pm July 13th, 2023! She weighed 6lbs 8oz. 19″ long!
Baby is doing great and her brother and sister were very excited to meet her!”

According to the picture I stole off of Facebook, it looks like the entire family is overwhelmed with happiness at the event.

Congratulations to Representative Rehfeldt from the readers of SDWC!