Category: Uncategorized

Governor Dennis Daugaard’s Weekly Column: A Walk Through South Dakota History

Pat Powers

daugaardheader DaugaardA Walk Through South Dakota History
A column by Gov. Dennis Daugaard:

Every year, thousands of visitors come to Pierre to enjoy all that our Capital City has to offer. Every South Dakotan can be proud of the State Capitol Building, which has been beautifully restored and maintained. The Capitol grounds are also impressive, especially in the summer, with the Fighting Stallions Memorial and the veterans’ memorials along Capitol Lake. The Cultural Heritage Center provides an opportunity to learn about the history of our state.

South Dakotans may not be aware of a new attraction that is being added to our Capital City – the Trail of Governors. This project combines art and history, and is placing life-sized bronze statues of every former South Dakota governor in Pierre, on a trail connecting the downtown business district with the Capitol grounds.

The Trail of Governors was started about five years ago. It is operated by a non-profit board and funded entirely by private donations. Each year, beginning in 2012, three new statues, sculpted by South Dakota artists, have been unveiled and placed in the Capital City.

Three new statues were just unveiled: Warren E. Green, Nils Boe and Mike Rounds.

Warren E. Green was the state’s thirteenth governor. He was a farmer and former legislator from Hamlin County. Green had finished dead last in the Republican primary, but after the leading candidates deadlocked at the Republican Convention, Green was nominated as a compromise. He served for two years during the depths of the Great Depression. Green’s statue portrays him clutching his hat with his jacket blowing in the wind, conveying the difficult days of the “Dust Bowl” era. It will be placed to the north of the Capitol on Nicollet Avenue.

Nils Boe served from 1965-69 as the state’s twenty-third governor. An attorney from Sioux Falls, Boe had served two terms previously as speaker of the house, and was the only bachelor to serve as governor. While serving as speaker, his fellow legislators had presented him with a beagle puppy, known as “Beagle Boe.” The statue, which will be placed in downtown Pierre, portrays Boe with his beagle.

Mike Rounds was South Dakota’s thirty-first governor before being elected to the U.S. Senate. An avid pheasant hunter, Gov. Rounds prioritized the expansion of public hunting opportunities. His statue portrays Mike ready for the hunt, with his shotgun in hand and his hunting dog, Baby, at his side. The statue will be placed on the Governor’s Mansion grounds on Capitol Avenue, near the Pierre neighborhood where the Rounds family grew up.

These three new statues join 12 others that have already been placed in Pierre: Arthur Mellette, Charles Herreid, Robert Vessey, Peter Norbeck, Harlan Bushfield, George T. Mickelson, Frank Farrar, Dick Kneip, Harvey Wollman, Bill Janklow, George S. Mickelson and Walter Dale Miller. On your next visit to Pierre, I encourage you to enjoy the Trail of Governors and take a walk through South Dakota history.

-30-

Was there a convention in Aberdeen this weekend? Not according to much of the State’s media, but it was a good one anyway.

Pat Powers

I have to give kudos to the Aberdeen American News, as they at least had a reporter at the convention for a few short hours on Friday. Otherwise you’d be hard pressed to notice in the media that there was a GOP convention in Aberdeen. 

Any other political reporters? Meh. Not so much.

The Argus found themselves hard pressed to leave Sioux Falls, and spent time fawning at the Dem convention over the Democrat candidate for president who had his butt kicked by an avowed Socialist, Bernie Sanders.  Although, If any of their reporters had bothered to show up to cover a GOP convention, I’m sure the resulting story about Republicans would have been killed quicker than Stu Whitney’s Thune Story was. (That’s a story for another day.)

I remember the conventions where political reporters such as Dave Kranz regularly cruised the hospitality suites. If anyone had bothered, they would have seen 2 hopefuls for Governor in full throated campaign mode, with Gubernatorial hopeful Mark Mickelson hosting a room, and often mentioned AG Marty Jackley’s room handing out shirts without Attorney General emblazoned on them. If there was any doubt as to the race for Governor commencing, it evaporated Friday night.

In convention action, they might have seen yet another Lora Hubbel obamacare attack on the Governor deftly shut down by the Lt. Governor, who took up a competing resolution amendment first, rendering her attack redundant, and then gaveling her down when she tried to inappropriately press the attack during debate to suspend the rules. Out of her depth, she simply gave up.

It was also a convention which was the first big public event ran by a very lean State GOP staff (as in one full time ED, and one part time finance/political officer) closely tied to Governor Daugaard – and they ran a tight ship. Every portion of the convention I saw was well run, and they demonstrated their ability. 

Reporters (other than the Aberdeen paper) might have noticed that the GOP and its leaders are getting engaged on Amendment V, the hide-your-party, anti-transparency ballot measure. 

And as I’d remarked in an earlier post, except for Hubbel penning a poison resolution against the governor, they would have noticed everyone was cordial, friendly, and got along remarkably well. 

But as noted, stories about Republicans working together, demonstrating leadership, and looking towards the future don’t tend to get a lot of column inches. 

As opposed to them getting buried by the media.

South Dakota Republican Party Celebrates Rock Solid Leadership

Pat Powers

sdgop

South Dakota Republican Party Celebrates Rock Solid Leadership

Pierre – The South Dakota Republican Party held its 2016 South Dakota Republican State Convention in Aberdeen Friday and Saturday. The Convention theme, “Rock Solid Leadership”, paid tribute to the elected officials, party officers, community leaders, and Republican volunteers that work hard to make South Dakota great.

During the two-day convention, South Dakota Republicans unanimously nominated Chris Nelson to continue to represent the GOP in the race for Public Utilities Commissioner this fall. Republican delegates elected Ried Holien of Watertown and re-elected Sandye Kading of Rapid City to serve as State Committeeman and Committeewoman. The Friday evening banquet featured remarks from Governor Dennis Daugaard, Representative Kristi Noem, Senator Mike Rounds, and Senator John Thune.

Pam Roberts, Chair of the South Dakota Republican Party said, “I am proud of the rock solid leadership exemplified by our Republican elected officials”. “We are confident that Senator Thune, Congresswoman Noem, and Commissioner Nelson will be re-elected in November”, she said.

In addition to the elections and the Friday evening banquet, the South Dakota Republican Party adopted a resolution to oppose three ballot measures dealing with campaigns and elections this fall. The Resolution specifically opposed Amendment V, Amendment T, and Initiated Measure 22.

Ryan Budmayr, Executive Director of the Party said, “There is absolutely no good reason for giving voters less information at ballot box and providing less transparency”. “Don’t let anyone fool you, Amendment V is bad policy led by Democrats to change the way we do things in South Dakota and make our process more like California”, he said.

###

A little debate… Opting in, versus opting out on sex ed.

Pat Powers

After the proposed change on emergency clause failed to be calendared, the platform plank addition of 4,3 on “opting in” for sex education is receiving a bit of debate.

Some are saying there should be a mandatory opt-in if they’re to receive sex  ed, but others argue most parents won’t read an opt in request, as opposed to those objecting to it opting out.

Teachers, school board members, and a school administrator all are testifying why requiring an opt-in is unworkable.

Debate was ended forcefully by calling the question.

….and the platform addition was carried by a majority.

Dems nominate sacricifial lamb for PUC, GOP Nominates proven Nelson.

Pat Powers

Word out of the Dem Convention (at Perkins or wherever they were holding it) is that they’ve nominated a sacrificial lamb to run against Public Utilities Commissiober Chris Nelson.

Apparently, the man they talked into it, Henry Red Cloud, owns a Solar Company on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. 

Last election, they selected electrician David Allen to run for Public Utilities Commission, who was thoroughly slaughtered at the ballot box when he failed to break 30% of the vote. There’s no indication of what the Democrats intend to do to change their fortunes this time at bat.


On the flip side, Republicans nominated Chris Nelson to serve in the office again, who promised in his speech to make decisions “based on facts and law, and not a political agenda.”  And underlined that complacency is as much our enemy as the Democrats.