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Stu Whitney’s big Huether interview is up at the Argus, and apparently Mike Huether thinks a lot about Mike Huether.

Ever since he was easily re-elected in 2014 and saw term limits looming next year, speculation has raged about Huether’s next move. When the longtime Democrat announced at a December press conference that he was registering as independent, it seemed a calculated move to trumpet his moderate credentials in a heavily conservative state.

The 54-year-old Yankton native admitted in a wide-ranging interview this week that South Dakota governor, not Sioux Falls mayor, is his ultimate dream job, and the one he first considered before running for City Hall.

And…

The problem, of course, is that the last non-Republican elected South Dakota governor was Dick Kneip nearly half a century ago. Huether is well aware of that historical hurdle and may lean toward a 2018 bid for U.S. House, a race in which voters have been more willing to stray from partisan norms, especially without heavyweight GOP contenders in the hunt.

“When you look at races where you can ultimately succeed and make a difference, the strategists and odds makers will tell you that the U.S. House race is the one that holds the most potential for me,” says Huether, stopping short of referring to Republican candidates Dusty Johnson and Shantel Krebs by name.

And…

“There are people who have known Mike Huether for a long time who still don’t know what drives him,” says Hildebrand, who has been mentioned as a possible Sioux Falls mayoral candidate. “Some might argue that he’s been a strong leader, but saying ‘my way or the highway’ is not being a strong leader. That’s being a strong dictator.”

And..

“Running for statewide office as an independent is a very bad idea,” says longtime Democratic political figure Drey Samuelson, who served as Johnson’s chief of staff for nearly 30 years. “What a Huether statewide race would do would be to divide Democrats and independents, and almost certainly elect the Republican nominee.”

Another option, with many of the same hurdles, would be to challenge a possibly vulnerable Rounds for his Senate seat in 2020. Huether could also choose to make another run at Sioux Falls mayor in 2022.

Read it all here.

Huether thinks he can run and win with no organization… And Huether, a former Obama delegate, thinks he has a path to victory by being third man against what will certainly be two major party candidates in any race after abandoning his former party? 

Two words…. Larry Pressler. 

Here’s a little chart from Wikipedia how that race turned out:

Pressler HAD some loose infrastructure, some loyal former aides, and some loyalties from former voters who remembered him. And he was a former Republican.

Huether? Aside from his massive ego and serving as mayor in his own dictatorial fiefdom in Sioux Falls, Huether is saddled with his former association with the Democrat party and Barack Obama in the state that was among those that detested the former President the most.

Not only is that dog not going to hunt now or anytime soon, but Republicans would salivate at stripping the bark off of him in a statewide race; Governor, Congress, or whatever.

Bring it on.

Are South Dakota Democrats saying it is time to dump Tornburg? (Or maybe we call it the “Ban Ann” movement.) 

Either way, it appears that the SDDP is going to be voting on bylaw changes to be offered at a meeting next week to trigger a new election for democrat state party chair. And if it passes, the vote will be the very same day.

The SDDP will hold a state Central Committee meeting in conjunction with the dinner. Constitutional amendments, which could lead to an election of state party officers at this same meeting, have been introduced. To quote from a letter from Rachelle Norberg summarizing the proposed amendments, “One of the most important changes in the proposed amendment is the moving of State Officer elections to a spring window on odd-numbered years, typically held at the same time as the McGovern Day fundraiser. If passed, this change causes an election of new officers to be held April 29th, 2017. Please ensure all potential officer candidates are given adequate notice to the best of your ability”

There could be fireworks at the Central Committee meeting, folks!!! Rumor has it that Paula Hawks wants Ann Tornberg’s job.

I am not a big fan of the current SDDP Chair, but a snap election, initiated in this manner, with almost no notice, seems deeply arrogant on the part of the conspirators and very wrong-headed. This appears to be a palace coup by Powers behind the throne. Changing one Queen for another is not progress even if the new Queen would be substantially taller. Change requires changing the Powers that be.

Read it here at the Sioux Falls Drinking Liberally group.

Sioux Falls Drinking Liberally is noting that it seems that the people who put Tornburg in power simply want to switch the bobble head on the mantle from Tornburg (who did an awful job on the state elections) to Hawks (who ran an awful Congressional campaign) without changing the awful campaign philosophies that have kept the SDDP in the doldrums for close to a decade now.

With their ED abandoning ship, it’s probably a convenient time to “Ban Ann” as well, but if the SDDP continues in not registering voters and blowing money on petition campaigns instead of candidates, nothing is going to change – especially at a time when the Democrat party is viewed as drifting farther and farther to the left, and away from mainstream South Dakota. (Having Keith Ellison as their big dinner speaker underlines that point.)

And all of this democrat drama will be taking place in the shadow of the South Dakota Republican Party Freedom Rally in the hall next-door.

When your kids are cleaning up a ditch, painting their faces and listening to speakers proclaiming earth day, you might want to consider the hippie liberal co-founder of the annual event…..who murdered his girlfriend and stuffed her in a trunk:

Ira Einhorn was on stage hosting the first Earth Day event at the Fairmount Park in Philadelphia on April 22, 1970. Seven years later, police raided his closet and found the “composted” body of his ex-girlfriend inside a trunk.

And…

It wasn’t until 18 months later that investigators searched Einhorn’s apartment after one of his neighbors complained that a reddish-brown, foul-smelling liquid was leaking from the ceiling directly below Einhorn’s bedroom closet. Inside the closet, police found Maddux’s beaten and partially mummified body stuffed into a trunk that had also been packed with Styrofoam, air fresheners and newspapers.

After his arrest, Einhorn jumped bail and spent decades evading authorities by hiding out in Ireland, Sweden, the United Kingdom and France. After 23 years, he was finally extradited to the United States from France and put on trial. Taking the stand in his own defense, Einhorn claimed that his ex-girlfriend had been killed by CIA agents who framed him for the crime because he knew too much about the agency’s paranormal military research. He was convicted of murdering Maddux and is currently serving a life sentence.

Although Einhorn was only the master of ceremonies at the first Earth Day event, he maintains that Earth Day was his idea and that he’s responsible for launching it.

Read it all here.

“Happy compost your loved one” day!

Sioux Falls Man Charged with Terrorism Threat

PIERRE, S.D.– Attorney General Marty Jackley and Lincoln County State’s Attorney Tom Wollman confirm today that Ehab Abdulmutta Jaber, 45, Sioux Falls, has been arrested by the Sioux Falls Police Department and charged with one count of terrorist threat, class 5 felony, punishable by up to 5 years in the state penitentiary and/or$10,000. During a search of Jaber’s residence law enforcement seized firearms as well as methamphetamine.

Charges stem from an alleged incident on April 9, 2017, involving Jaber at a hotel in Sioux Falls. He was observed to have been videotaping an ongoing event with his cell phone and carrying a handgun. He was escorted out of the event, but later was found to be live streaming terrorist threats to the public and brandishing a number of firearms and ammunition.

Jaber is presumed innocent until such time as proven guilty.

This case is being investigated by the Sioux Falls Police Department and being prosecuted by the Attorney General’s Office and the Lincoln County State’s Attorney. The possession of methamphetamine case is being prosecuted by the Minnehaha County State’s Attorney.

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If you recall when I was out in our nation’s Capital a week or so ago now, I had attempted to visit with Congresswoman Kristi Noem as my first stop, but the weather interfered.  I was three hours late flying in, and Kristi was 12 hours late flying out (Luckily, none of us met the same fate as others flying United), and I was unable to catch up with her.  However, her Deputy Chief of Staff/ Communications Director offered to try to put us together in-state before she headed back.

This morning, I was fortunate enough to catch Congresswoman Noem for coffee in-between stops on what seemed like a frenetic run up and down I-29 today, where she was flanked by her chief of staff and long-time confidante Beth Hollatz. (I brought my #4 Daughter Sydney, because I think it’s a good thing for her to see that she could be in Congress or higher someday herself).

Kristi had been in Sioux Falls, had meetings in Brookings, another in Watertown after our discussion, hoped to catch a bit of her son Booker’s sports activities, and was then back to Brookings for tonight’s Lincoln Day Dinner  (Whew!)

Since her time was limited, I jumped right in asking about what was currently going on for work with the Ways and Means Committee, the panel which Congresswoman Noem was appointed to by Speaker Paul Ryan with her most recent term of office.

Kristi noted that much of the current workload of the Ways and Means committee was working on the tax credit portion of the health care bill, with various parties and areas of interest all weighing in, such as the Speaker Ryan, the White House, the Freedom Caucus as well as “the Tuesday Group” of Congress.

Kristi stated that “the White House is concerned with Tax Reform first, but Congress wants Obamacare first.” Much like Senator Thune had noted when I spoke with him, Kristi reiterated that it’s important that the work with Obamacare be completed prior to broad tax reform, as it affects two trillion in budget dollars.  If it can be resolved, then there’s a hope that tax reform can be close to being revenue neutral.

It’s not a leap of faith to say that taxes are a big topic of discussion in Washington and the Congresswoman remarked that we need to become more competitive on a worldwide basis, as One of the challenges we face is that America has one of the highest corporate tax rates in the world.

She also highlighted the balancing act the committee must do, as “the Ways and Means committee are looking at lowering rates down to 20% for corporations and 25% for small business… but the White House is talking about pushing it down even further,” which opens up questions about pushing rates down past what’s necessary to pay for the Government we currently have. Congresswoman Noem pointed out that we “can’t afford only to pick around the edges on tax reform, but we still have to keep government funded.”

Kristi noted that this White House is aggressive when it comes to tax reductions, putting everything on the table, and even mentioning an across the board flat tax as one possible proposal.

Congresswoman Noem reflected that while it may seem like there’s a charged atmosphere in Washington these days, she find that these are “exciting times.. and better now than back when she started, with Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid in charge.”

With time running short, I did make a point to ask her about her campaign for the Republican nomination for Governor where she’s set to face Attorney General Marty Jackley, as well as potential others, and she seems to be enjoying the campaign trail. She remarked that “with primaries, you’re running against a person who you agree with 80-90% of the time, and you’re trying to draw a difference based on those few items of disagreement, as well as the difference in backgrounds.”

It’s clear Congresswoman Noem is passionate about her work, and it’s demonstrated by her commitment to South Dakota, and her ability to deliver for the state on such important things such as the Farm Bill, as well as a myriad of other successes.

The challenge now is translating that into a successful campaign for Governor in 2018.

Attorney General Explanation Released for Initiated
Measure Regarding Same-Sex School Facilities

PIERRE, S.D. – South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley announced today an Attorney General Explanation for a proposed initiated measure has been filed with the Secretary of State. This statement will appear on a petition that will be circulated by the sponsor of the measure. If the sponsor obtains a sufficient number of signatures (13,871) by November 6, 2017, as certified by the Secretary of State, the measure will be placed on the ballot for the November 2018 general election.

The measure is entitled “An initiated measure requiring people to use certain rooms designated for the same biological sex.”

Under South Dakota law, the Attorney General is responsible for preparing explanations for proposed initiated measures, referred laws, and South Dakota Constitutional Amendments. Specifically, the explanation includes a title, an objective, clear and simple summary of the purpose and effect of the proposed measure and a description of the legal consequences. The Attorney General Explanation is not a statement either for or against the proposed measure.

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Attorney Generals Statement for Initiated Measure.same-sex School Facilities by Pat Powers on Scribd

South Dakota Juvenile Sentencing in Jensen Case Upheld as Constitutional

 PIERRE S.D. – Attorney General Marty Jackley announces that the South Dakota Supreme Court has reiterated that South Dakota’s amended Juvenile Statutory Sentencing Scheme complies with U.S. Supreme Court Case Law and affirms Paul Dean Jensen’s sentence for the murder and kidnapping of Michael Hare.

“The South Dakota Supreme Court has upheld our legislative changes to juvenile sentencing that strike a balance with fairness and accountability. A 200-year sentence for this horrific murder was necessary to serve justice for the victim and to protect the public,” said Jackley.

On January 14, 1996, then 14-year old Paul Dean Jensen and 16-year old Shawn Springer, called for a taxi cab in Pierre, South Dakota. Jensen and Springer directed the taxi driver, Michael Hare, to take them to a rural area near Fort Pierre. Once they reached a gravel road outside Fort Pierre, Jensen exited the taxi with a gun drawn and demanded that Hare get out. Hare complied, and Jensen then shot Hare in the chest. As Hare begged for his life, Jensen executed Hare by firing two bullets into his head.

Jensen grabbed the money, (which amounted to just over $36), jumped into the taxi, Springer then drove the taxi into a snow bank and police apprehended both juveniles.

On October 4, 1996,  a Stanley County Jury found Jensen guilty of first degree  murder, two counts of first-degree felony murder, first-degree robbery, aiding and abetting grand theft, possession of a stolen motor vehicle, kidnapping, and conspiracy to commit first-degree robbery.   Jensen was ultimately sentenced to a life in  prison.

Following Jensen’s sentence, the United States Supreme Court in a trio of cases including Miller v. Alabama, 132 S.Ct. 2455, (2012), held that the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution forbid sentencing schemes that mandate life in prison without parole for juvenile offenders.        Based upon the United States Supreme Court decisions, Jensen filed a motion to correct his sentence. The circuit court granted Jensen’s motion and held a resentencing hearing in June 2016. At the conclusion of the resentencing hearing, the court sentenced Jensen to 200 years in prison for both first-degree murder and kidnapping and ordered the sentences to run concurrently.

The South Dakota Supreme Court went on to recognize that in 2013 the South Dakota Legislature passed the Attorney General’s sponsored legislation in an effort to comply with recent U.S. Supreme Court case law. Specifically, the South Dakota legislature changed South Dakota law to authorize, but not mandate, a life sentence without   parole for a juvenile offender if he is convicted of a Class A or B felony. Under the new amendments a juvenile may present any information in mitigation of punishment at  their sentencing hearings. The South Dakota Supreme Court concluded that these statutory changes comply with U.S. Supreme Court case law precedence.

Jensen argued that his concurrent 200-year sentences constituted cruel and unusual punishments and that the sentencing court “made some statements that seem to stray from the Miller’s guidance,” rendering his sentence unconstitutional. The South Dakota Supreme ruled that the lower court did not stray from its duty to weigh and consider the Miller factors and that it specifically took into account Jensen’s youth at the time of the offenses.

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#SouthDakota state auditor Steve Barnett has announced his bid for Secretary of State: https://t.co/84wzGgw9zV pic.twitter.com/JLd8aLQQbW

— AberdeenNews (@AberdeenNews) April 21, 2017

The Argus is touting a 2-part Mike Huether ego interview with Stu Whitney on Sunday on their website… and already it’s looking to be more of an ego trip than something that might be considered news:

In an exclusive two-part interview with Argus Leader Media’s Stu Whitney coming Sunday, he lays out his various options (governor, U.S. House, U.S. Senate) and discusses at length the challenges that each path would present, including his status as an Independent and the strength of potential opponents.

“There’s a lot running through my head, and this gives me an opportunity to try to express that,” said Huether, sitting in his former campaign office on Minnesota Avenue. “It feels good to get it off my chest.”

Read it here.

You know it’s going to be a gagger when Huether is on the video stating: “Everybody thinks they know what Huether or Mayor Mike is thinking, when in reality there’s only a couple people who know…”  So, how many people are in there? Do we need to call an exorcist?  And why is Mike Huether speaking in the third person?