Category: Uncategorized

Secretary of State Shantel Krebs Certifies First Ballot Measure

Pierre, SD – Today, Secretary of State Shantel Krebs announced that an Initiated Amendment to the South Dakota Constitution to Expand Rights for Crime Victims was validated and certified to be on the November 2016 general election ballot as a ballot measure that the citizens will vote on. The sponsor turned in 53,687 signatures to the Secretary of state’s office. An Initiated Amendment to the Constitution required a minimum of 27,741 signatures from South Dakota registered voters. Once the signatures were delivered to the Secretary of State’s office, a 5% random sampling was conducted. It was determined that 64% of signatures were in good standing.

Secretary Krebs stated that “South Dakota has a long and rich history of citizens taking issues directly to the voters. After serving 10 years in the legislature it is an enjoyable role for me to act as an impartial official in the initiated measure process and ensure that the citizens of South Dakota have a chance to voice their concern in regards to the ballot measures that meet the signature threshold.”

This is the first initiated measure to be approved by Secretary of State. A total of 8 measures were submitted for review. This office will continue the signature validation process of the remaining 7 measures in the order they were submitted to the Secretary of State. A total of 275,000 signatures were submitted among all petitions.

Those looking to challenge the Secretary of State’s certification of a ballot measure have 30 days from the date they are certified.

Challenges to all statewide initiatives and referendums must be brought within 30 days after the petition has been validated and filed by the Secretary of State (SDCL 12-1-13)

1. When does the 30 days start to run?

The 30 days starts to run once the petition is officially filed with the Secretary of State’s Office; the petition is only filed after the Office goes through the petition validation process and determines that the petition contains a sufficient number of signatures to be filed.

2. How will potential challengers know when their 30 days begins to run?

Once the Office makes a determination that there are a sufficient number of signatures such to file the petition, the Secretary of State’s Office will make that information publically available through social media, including twitter updates that are available on the Secretary of State’s website.

3. How is each petition labeled or marked?  How should challengers make arrangements to review the petitions?

The Secretary of State’s Office runs each self-contained petition through a scanner, which places the date, time and a sequential number on each petition. Challengers seeking to “research” the signatures pursuant to SDCL 12-1-13 should contact Kea Warne at the Secretary of State’s Office (605) 773-5003 to make the necessary arrangements.

4. How much does it cost for copies of the petition sheet?

The Secretary of State is required by state law to charge $1.00 per page for copies.  Copies of petitions are two pages due to the petition being printed front and back side which would calculate to a copy fee of $2.00 per petition.  This fee applies to both paper and electronic copies.

5. What order do you process the petitions in?

The Secretary of State’s office will process each petition one at a time, and in the order in which they are received.

6. The petitions are not public documents until after the Secretary of State’s Office has completed the validation process and either filed or rejected the petition.  No copies can be purchased until this process is completed for the particular petition of which copies are being requested.

SOS Website: https://sdsos.gov/elections-voting/upcoming-elections/general-information/2016-ballot-questions.aspx

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While Dems tried to put a happy face on their upcoming election fortunes in the Argus this weekend, one website went into detail about SDDP’s losing record, and how the wind is blowing against them this election:

Democrats are losing elections across the Mount Rushmore State at a pace not seen since the Eisenhower administration

And…

A six-decade low for Democrats? Indeed, electoral outcomes in recent cycles suggest this is so.
And…

Overall, Republicans have won 446 of 534 statewide elections in South Dakota since statehood (83.5 percent) and Democrats have generally been perennial underdogs over the last 125+ years, with the exception of two stints in the 20th Century in which the party benefited from a strong national partisan wind at its back.

And..

Secondly, the 2014 cycle also saw South Dakota Democrats get blown out in historic fashion with Governor Daugaard’s 45-point victory the largest across the 54 gubernatorial contests conducted since statehood.

The win was an exclamation mark for the GOP, which has made Democrats suffer through 10 consecutive gubernatorial losses – the longest current streak for either party in the nation.

The margin of loss was particularly disappointing for the Democrats who fielded just the fourth all-female gubernatorial ticket in U.S. history out of the more than 40 elections in which a female gubernatorial nominee had a running mate.

Thirdly, in 2010 Democrats did not run a nominee against incumbent John Thune marking the first time in state history the party failed to field a candidate in a U.S. Senate race.

And now Democrats are at risk of doing the same against the popular GOP officeholder in 2016. If that happens, it would be just the second time in U.S. history – and the first time in more than 75 years – that a Republican nominee ran unchallenged by a Democratic opponent for two consecutive cycles. (The last to do so was California’s Hiram Johnson in 1934 and 1940).

Fourthly, the depth of the Democratic Party’s troubles in South Dakota can be seen by its thin bench in the state legislature.

Read the entire article here.

SDDP Chair Ann Tornberg is so far on track to be the first american state political party chair at the helm in 75 years to allow a second bye in a row for a US Senate seat… despite her boastful claims she will have a candidate in that and all 105 legislative races.

Realistically, dems are far past the point where even a serious and legitimate candidate could be successful. Not that they have any at this point.

Just the sheer demands and amount of fundraising they should have been doing over the past six months have left them in an impossible position. No legitimate candidates, if any. And no time left to raise money.

Petition circulation begins in 12 days. Stay tuned to see how many candidates Dems actually run.

This is pretty good, especially airing during SNL last night.

I thought this was pretty telling of some editorial biases at the state’s largest newspaper.

Here’s the online headline posted yesterday of the story talking about Democrats misfortunes in South Dakota:

Fairly mundane.

But then look at the front page splash that landed on doorsteps this morning:

Wait? What? Are those the same two stories?  Seriously, I threw up in my mouth a little when faced with the shameless and naked plug on the front page of the Argus.

I’d like to know who made that headline decision, because we should start to look and see if they had a nice Christmas bonus from the state Democrat Party.

No editorial bias at the Argus. Nope… None at all.

There’s a debate raging in Pennington County on the increase in the wheel tax by the County Commission, and one of the points being brought up in the debate is that a group of RV owners, who call the county home, could wield enough electoral clout to put the increase in wheel taxes down.

That’s raised the ire of State Senator Craig Tieszen, who put them on notice that he plans to introduce a measure to strip them of their South Dakota citizenship:

If Americas Mailbox customers vote in large numbers, they could be the deciding factor in the election that will not only determine whether the county can collect a wheel tax, but also whether Pennington County will qualify for part of a pool of state money for local road and bridge projects.

“Can they carry an election? They could if they wanted to,” said Pennington County Auditor Julie Pearson, who oversees the county’s elections.

That possibility has gained the attention of state Sen. Craig Tieszen, R-Rapid City. He hopes to pass legislation that would prevent similar situations in the future.

“Something needs to be done about it,” Tieszen said. “It’s reprehensible to think that people who do not live in this state could sway an election.”

Americas Mailbox co-owner Don Humes said his customers bring thousands of dollars in extra revenue to the county and state through vehicle licensing and registration fees, and they deserve a say in ballot issues that affect them financially.

“I’m surprised any politician would tell any citizen of the United States that they shouldn’t be allowed to vote,” Humes said.

and…

That changed following a 1972 U.S. Supreme Court opinion in the case of Dunn v. Blumstein. The court ruled that so-called durational residency requirements violated the constitutional right of Americans to travel freely between states without surrendering their ability to vote in federal elections.

and…

Theoretically, the South Dakota Legislature could pass a law imposing 30-day residency requirements — like those imposed in municipal, township and school elections — on special county elections that are not held in conjunction with federal elections.

South Dakota Secretary of State Shantel Krebs, who is the state’s top elections official, said she is open to discussing that kind of legislation with lawmakers. The 2016 legislative session begins five days after Pennington County’s wheel-tax election and continues into March.

Read the entire article here.

I think we can look at this by noting that the Supreme Court has spoken definitively on the topic, because the alternative is to create an even bigger mess.

If we passed legislation to strip those people of a portion of their voting rights, in a November election, would those RVers only be able to vote for President, US Senate, and Congress, leaving the rest of the ballot blank?  And who would be responsible for marking them as Democracy limited on the voter rolls?

Since they will only be able to vote on a portion of the ballot, maybe we could declare them as only 3/5 South Dakotans, while taxing them at 100%.  Just in case someone tries to slip by, maybe we could have them take a South Dakota Literacy test before they vote….

Yeah… that’s the kind of stuff we’re talking about when someone wants to try to limit ballot access, or qualify them as only a portion of a state citizen. It’s not just a little discriminatory.  It’s utterly discriminatory.

What was that thing we fought a little war over? Something about “No taxation without representation…?”  These people, who declare their residency here in a completely legal manner are taxed as South Dakotans, are licensed and register their vehicles as South Dakotans, and considered in census and legislative districting as South Dakotans.

Trying to strip them of a portion of their voting rights because they call South Dakota home, but like to drive an RV around the country is offensive, and should be a measure that’s dead upon arrival in the legislature.

Ending the Flawed Common Core Mandate  
By Sen. John Thune

Parents around the country will tell you that for their children’s success, it’s important to have an effective educational system with teachers and administrators who are accountable to the local community. It’s local control, not big government mandates, that hold the key to efficiently implementing educational plans that work best for kids, because what works for students in New York City might not work well for students in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and vice versa.

For too many years, though, that had been the case: a big-government, one-size-fits-all approach to education. This wasn’t good for teachers, and it wasn’t good for students. With the sweeping education reform bill that was recently signed into law, we will thankfully reverse that trend and return control to the people who know students the best, like their parents, teachers, and local school boards.

We’ve all heard the phrase “teaching to the test,” which was born from the nearly 15-year-old No Child Left Behind (NCLB) policy that was intended to boost teacher accountability. After hearing from school districts around the country, it became clear that while accountability has a role in our school systems, it’s also important for school boards to have the flexibility to set and administer standards that meet their own local needs. Ending the NCLB policy was long overdue – after all, more than 40 states were operating under NCLB waivers, which will no longer be necessary under the new law.

Perhaps most importantly, the Every Student Succeeds Act puts an end to the U.S. Department of Education’s bureaucratic Common Core mandate that has been a hotly debated topic for South Dakota teachers and families. Gone are the days of an over-reliance on standardized testing that consumed teachers’ time and frustrated parents and students alike. The long-standing education policy received a failing grade, and I’m glad that states will now be able to determine their own academic standards and assessments without the heavy hand of the national school board that is the U.S. Department of Education getting in the way.

The education reform bill and the changes it will make have been endorsed by teachers, superintendents, school boards, state legislatures, and governors, and according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, it “strikes a balance between accountability for the taxpayers’ investment on the one hand, and state and local control on the other.” This is a win for everyone involved and will put students in a better position to succeed.

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Counting our Blessings this Christmas
By Senator Mike Rounds

The Christmas season is a special time that allows us to reflect upon the blessings in our lives and spend quality time with our loved ones. Jean and I are blessed to call South Dakota home, and we are especially grateful for our continued health and the health of our family. This year, we welcomed two new grandchildren – eight in all! We look forward to spending additional time with them and the rest of our family in the coming weeks.

It is well-known that the Rounds extended family is quite large. This year, just like years past, we expect at least 80 family members at our house on Christmas Eve. After attending 5 o’clock church service, we all gather to enjoy a meal of homemade chicken noodle soup and open presents. Grandpa Don reads the young ones the story of Christmas, reminding us all of the birth of our Lord – the greatest gift of all.

Despite the many challenges facing our nation today, all of us have many gifts to be grateful for. We are all fortunate to call ourselves Americans and South Dakotans, living in the greatest country in the world where we are free to celebrate Christmas without fear of persecution. Our God-given freedoms as written in the Constitution must never be taken for granted.

We are also thankful for the men and women who wear the uniform of the United States of America and their families who make incredible sacrifices to protect and defend our freedoms. They are the reason we are able to celebrate this season safely here at home with our loved ones. During these uncertain times, they should be enormously proud of their contributions to our national defense and security.

This season, more than 160 South Dakotans are currently deployed. The South Dakota National Guard’s 155th Engineer Company is stationed in Kuwait, and several other South Dakota soldiers are also stationed away from home. We would like to express our gratitude to the men and women who are deployed and their loved ones who are unable to spend the holiday together. The holiday season can be particularly tough for them. May they continue to find the strength to persevere, knowing they will soon be reconnected.

I also want to take this time to express my gratitude for all South Dakotans who took time to write, call or meet with me as I traveled across the state this year. Your views and opinions are important to me as I work to make the best decisions for South Dakota. It is truly an honor to represent you in the United States Senate.

While there are tough challenges ahead, I believe we are strong enough to tackle them head on. I look forward to working with my colleagues in 2016 to address them. Jean and I hope you and your family have a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Thanks for all you do to make South Dakota great.

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Anticipation for Tomorrow
By Rep. Kristi Noem

In our family, Christmas morning begins with the ring of a bell. No one could leave their rooms and see what Santa had delivered until that bell was rung.  I remember our kids waiting in eager anticipation, hoping and trusting that they’d been good enough all year for Santa to leave them the toys they had asked for.

I’ve been thinking a lot about the excitement of those mornings recently – probably because it isn’t quite the same now that the kids have grown up a bit.  But it’s made me think: what would our world be like if we all carried the hope and anticipation of Christmas morning with us every day?

I admit it would be very hard to do.  The world so easily weighs us down. Whether we’re talking about a struggling economy, the threat of terrorism, or challenges at home, it is natural to become cynical, frustrated, and even angry.  I know I’ve felt that way a time or two.  In fact, it’s why I ran for Congress in the first place.  I was so frustrated with all the administration was doing and desperately wanted to change the direction of this country.  I still do and I still believe we can.

We live in the greatest country on earth.  We believe that family is the cornerstone of a society and that freedom is not a privilege, but a right.  We believe opportunity is all that is needed to build a healthy economy.  And we remain committed to the American Dream, doing everything we can so our children and grandchildren can have a better life.  Nowhere else in the world are those beliefs so ingrained into an entire country’s way of life.

When the bell rings at the Noem house this Christmas, I will be saying a prayer of thanks. While America’s anticipation for tomorrow may not be the same as a child’s on Christmas morning, we continue to believe there is hope for a better tomorrow in this country. Of course not everything is happening as we’d like it to in this country, but we fundamentally trust that we are empowered to change it.  I pray we never lose that hope.

From my entire family to yours, I hope you have a very blessed Christmas and I pray that in all the busyness of this day, you take the time to celebrate the root of all hope, Jesus Christ.

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Taking Time This Christmas
A column by Gov. Dennis Daugaard:

According to a national study, Americans project they will spend an average of $882 on Christmas gifts this year. That’s just gifts. The figure doesn’t include the decorations, the Christmas cards or Christmas dinner. And it’s only an estimate.

A few years ago, Katie Hunhoff wrote a piece in South Dakota Magazine about a Christmas in South Dakota during the Great Depression. Hunhoff told the story of Hilda McKnight and her husband who ran the Home for the Poor in Charles Mix County at the time.

Hilda did all she could to provide clothing for the residents in need. One girl who lived at the home expressed appreciation for the great effort Hilda expended to provide clothes for the children, but then the girl said, “It doesn’t really matter, I guess. I have this lovely skirt and they still call us ‘poor house kids’ at school.”

Hilda turned to a pile of clothes just delivered and said, “Let’s see what treasures we can find.” The two dug through the donations which seemed full of useless items, until the girl found a chiffon scarf which Hilda told her to keep.

That scarf became the girl’s most prized possession. She would sit on her bed and stroke the soft scarf and when she put the scarf away, it was always neatly folded.  It made her feel special and as if, when she wore it, she was somewhere else.

As you can imagine, those who resided at the Home for the Poor didn’t expect to receive much for Christmas. Neither did Hilda. But when Christmas came, the girl insisted that she had a present she wanted to give Hilda. So Hilda opened the box wrapped in paper and found the girl’s chiffon scarf. “It’s all I have, Mrs. Mac,” the girl said.

Today, in a time of greater abundance, when we spend so much on gifts, it might seem odd that something as simple as a scarf could mean so much. But it reminds us that giving is not measured by the size or value of the gift, but by the love with which it is given. Gifts made with a true and sincere heart, to those we love, are tokens of our deeper feelings. Christmas is a time to be thoughtful toward the people in our lives and show our loved ones how much they mean to us. It’s also a time to be charitable toward those in need.

The man who shovels his neighbor’s driveway, the little girl who gives her allowance to the bell ringer and the church that opens its doors to someone without shelter – they’re expressing the true spirit of Christmas.

This Christmas, take time to add sincere appreciation and love to the tangible gifts you give. Find the means, if only in a small way, to be a blessing to someone in need. Don’t underestimate the immense value of your life and the difference you can make in the lives of those you touch.

Merry Christmas.

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