Category: Uncategorized

And thanks to Representative (and SDWC contributor) Mike Clark for verification my daughter is working hard in Pierre (she never calls home to talk with her dad.).

With his return to the State Legislature, apparently, so too have Stace Nelson attacks against Republicans re-emerged:

I’m not sure what to wait for next; Robocalls, postcards, or an announcement he’s running for something.

In case you weren’t able to participate, Congresswoman Noem did a live video Q&A this AM and here’s the video:

For roughly 40 years and half-a-dozen Governors, the Republican Governor has hand-selected the chairman for the South Dakota Republican Party, either through explicit endorsement or by direct recruitment.

For the first time in that same 40 years, a significant challenge has arisen to challenge that status quo. In a contest that has arose as a surprise itself to many seasoned observers, arguably the biggest surprise just dropped in the race today.

In an e-mailed letter released by Dan Lederman today, Republican National Committeewoman Sandye Kading of Rapid City, and Republican National Committeeman (and former State Senator) Ried Holien of Watertown have announced their support of Lederman for the position of Chair of the State Party over the current chairwoman Pam Roberts:

As noted in the letter, the pair state “While we support Dan based on his qualifications, we made the commitment to publicly endorse Dan after the current Chair told each of us the week of President Trump’s inauguration that she was not going to run again for the SDGOP Chairmanship. Dan enthusiastically wants the job, and he has the experience and passion to lead our party into a successful future.”

Governor Daugaard, and Senators Thune, Rounds and Congresswoman Noem signed a letter endorsing Pam Roberts for the office on January 24th.

Among the party faithful, the National Committeeman and National Committeewoman arguably represent the highest state party offices aside from only the party chairman, as they represent the South Dakota State Republican Party at the national level for party functions and duties.

The positions are elected every four years at the State Republican party convention and at the moment, represent the highest elected offices conventions delegates have chosen from their ranks.

With the elections to be held at the Pierre Chamber of Commerce offices on Saturday the 11th, could the selection of the office of party chairman be returned to a decision of the same grassroots?  We shall see.

Rounds: Jeff Sessions Will Make Certain That Justice is Done for all Americans

“I support Senator Sessions as Attorney General of the United States not only because his experience makes him qualified to serve, but more importantly because his character makes him qualified to serve.” 

WASHINGTON—U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) today spoke on the Senate floor in support of Senator Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) to be Attorney General.

“I rise today regarding the upcoming confirmation vote on Senator Jeff Sessions of Alabama to be Attorney General of the United States….

Rounds Reintroduces RESPECT Act in 115th Congress

Bill would repeal antiquated,
hostile laws directed toward Native Americans 

WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) today reintroduced the Repealing Existing Substandard Provisions Encouraging Conciliation with Tribes (RESPECT) Act. The RESPECT Act would repeal several outdated, offensive federal laws against Native Americans, including laws that allow for the forced removal of Native American children from their homes to be sent to boarding schools and laws subjecting Native Americans to forced labor.

“The laws that would be repealed under the RESPECT Act are a sad reminder of the hostile aggression and overt racism displayed by the early federal government toward Native Americans,” said Rounds. “The idea that these laws were ever considered is disturbing, but the fact that they remain part of our legal code today is, at best, an oversight. Though we can’t rewrite the past, we can work towards mending relations and furthering respect for future generations. The RESPECT Act is one way to show healing, understanding and progress. I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to pass RESPECT during this session of Congress.”

Rounds introduced the RESPECT Act during the 114th Congress, where it passed out of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee unanimously. Due to time constraints on the Senate Calendar, it was not able to be voted on by the full Senate in 2016. The RESPECT Act is supported by the Great Plains Tribal Chairman’s Association and is cosponsored by Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.).  

###

From my Mailbox:

Platte Man Pleads to Grand Theft by Law Enforcement

PIERRE, S.D. – Attorney General Marty Jackley and Brule County States Attorney David Natvig confirm that Brian William Biehl, 48, Platte, has pled guilty to one count of grand theft by law enforcement of seized property, class 4 felony, punishable by up to 10 years in the state penitentiary and/or $20,000 fine.

Charges stem from money taken while employed as a law enforcement officer with the South Dakota Highway Patrol.

Sentencing is scheduled for March 24, 2017 at 10:00 a.m. (CST) in Chamberlain.

Aside from being very unfortunate, one thing not mentioned in Attorney General Marty Jackley’s release is that the gentleman who has pled guilty is also the president of the Platte-Geddes School District.  As noted on KELOland:

Biehl is also school board president of the Platte Geddes School District.

Sources tell KELOLAND News that he continues to hold that position today.

Platte-Geddes Superintendent Joel Bailey says he cannot comment on Biehl’s status on the school board, calling it a personnel matter.

Biehl will be sentenced in March in Chamberlain.

Read that here.

I was curious and started looking into the need for recall, as according to Ballotpedia, the right of recall is fairly limited in South Dakota, and to my knowledge doesn’t include school board members:

In South Dakota, the right of recall extends to “the mayor, any commissioner, any alderman, or any member of the board of trustees” in municipal jurisdictions. It does not extend to members of the South Dakota State Legislature, representatives from South Dakota to the U.S. Congress or to statewide constitutional officers such as the Governor of South Dakota.

Read that here.

However, in this instance, it appears that there is an automatic disqualifier in South Dakota law which triggers a vacancy for “infamous crimes” or any offense involving a violation of the member’s official oath:

13-8-23.   Events creating vacancy on school board. A vacancy on the school board occurs if any of the following events happen before the expiration of the term of a school board member. If the member:

             (1)      Dies;

             (2)      Is removed from the board;

             (3)      Fails to qualify as a board member as provided by law;

             (4)      Ceases to be a resident of the school district or representation area where elected;

             (5)      Is convicted of any infamous crime or of any offense involving a violation of the member’s official oath;

             (6)      Has a judgment obtained against the member for breach of the member’s official bond;

             (7)      Is incapacitated and is unable to attend to the duties of the position;

             (8)      Assumes the duties of an office incompatible with the duties of a school board member;

             (9)      Resigns.

I suspect one becoming a felon, and ceasing to be a registered voter would affect this as well.

A year end campaign finance filing has been made in the last couple of days for the Yes on V committee, which is one of the groups being targeted for taking dark money in from out of state. You remember this campaign, whose campaign co-chair is the newest appointment to the Board of Elections, Rick Knobe:

YES on V Sdcfdisclosure by Pat Powers on Scribd

Please note that according to the most recent filing, Knobe’s group rang up another $248,000 in dark money being brought in from the out of State group “Open Primaries.”   And curiously, a companion filing was made alongside this one noting where Open Primaries got it’s money.

As per 12-27-19, which notes in part:

Before contributing more than ten thousand dollars in the aggregate to a ballot question committee pursuant to § 12-27-18, an organization shall provide to the ballot question committee a sworn written statement made by the president and treasurer of the organization declaring and affirming, under the penalty of perjury, the following:

             (1)      The name and street address of every person who owns ten percent or more of the organization, has provided ten percent or more of the organization’s gross receipts, including capital contributions, in the current or preceding year, or has provided ten percent or more of the funds being contributed to the ballot question committee

Read it here.

And, they did file, but the filing only raised more questions….

Open Primaries Inc by Pat Powers on Scribd

Open Primaries, which has put over 1.1 million into upending South Dakota’s system of elections, apparently is wholly owned by “The Action Now Initiative.”  And what do we know about them?

What do we know? Darn near nothing.

And as a 501 (c)(4), we won’t know where they received the money they dumped into the 2016 South Dakota Election for at least the next year to 18 months.  We won’t know how much they put into South Dakota’s Amendment V Ballot Measure until the next election cycle is well underway, and this last one is forgotten.

We do have their 2014 IRS Filing, however.

2014 Action Now Initiative 990 by Pat Powers on Scribd

According to their 2014 IRS form (under which they put $880,000 into Open Primaries in 2014)  they are required to file a schedule of their contributors…. which is not attached.

So, Yes on V took 1.1 Million in mostly dark money from Open Primaries, who is owned in turn by the Action Now Initiative.

Do we have any idea where their money is coming from?  Sort of, if Ballotpedia is correct.

What a political campaign finance reporting mess. And a dark and hidden one, at that.

So, what’s the responsible thing for the State Legislature to do in the face of trying to resolve the abuse of inadequate disclosure laws?

One approach comes in the form of House Bill 1200, as introduced by Mark Mickelson is an effort to provide fuller disclosures for dark money groups like this, requiring them to provide far deeper disclosures than current laws provide. It might not be perfect, or the only approach, but it’s one step that the legislature could take.  And there might be others.

But somehow, I didn’t imagine that appointing Rick Knobe, who had a direct hand in causing the need for these laws to be written, to the State Board of Elections would be one.  Isn’t his ballot campaign why they’re passing these laws in the first place?

Before they move forward, that’s probably a mistake they need to correct.

Thune Meets With Secretary of Agriculture Nominee Sonny Perdue

Former Gov. Sonny Perdue and Sen. John Thune (video below) 

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) this week met with former Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue, President Trump’s nominee for secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. 

“He is somebody who has a lot of experience, obviously, not only in government, but in agriculture,” said Thune. “He’s a veterinarian. He’s had a working farm. He raises corn, soybeans, wheat – all the things that are important in South Dakota … He seemed to be somebody that gets it, and I think grasps the importance of making sure that we have a balanced approach to agriculture and to the management of our resources.”

###