Category: Uncategorized

Noem Statement on Passing of Former Governor Walter Miller

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Kristi Noem today issued the following statement on the passing of former South Dakota Governor Walter Miller:

“Governor Miller led our state through a great tragedy to a time of healing and growth.  His counsel and encouragement served our state and its leaders for years after his official duties concluded.  I personally appreciated his friendship and insight over the years.  He will be sincerely missed.”

###

Thune Statement on Passing of Former South Dakota Gov. Walter Dale Miller

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) issued the following statement on the passing of former South Dakota Gov. Walter Dale Miller:

“Kimberley’s and my thoughts and prayers are with former Gov. Miller’s family and friends. Gov. Miller served during a difficult time in our state’s history, but thanks to his service, South Dakota is a better place. I consider it an honor and a privilege to have called him my friend during his long tenure of service to our state.”

Miller was the 29^th governor of South Dakota. He served from 1993-1995.

###

Rounds Statement on Passing of Former Governor Walter Dale Miller

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) today issued the following statement on the passing of former Governor Walter Dale Miller:

“Jean and I send our deepest sympathies to Pat and the Miller family as they deal with this tragic loss,” said Rounds. “Walt was a longtime friend and mentor who led our state through a difficult time. His love of South Dakota and legacy of public service is one we can all admire. Our thoughts and prayers will continue to be with the Millers.”

###

From Marty Jackley:

More than Our Governor

PIERRE, S.D – On April 19, 1993, Walter Dale Miller became South Dakota’s 29th Governor. His service as Lieutenant Governor (1987-1993) along with his experience in the State House of Representatives (1967-1986), which included positions of Majority Leader and Speaker had prepared him to lead our State in our time of need. South Dakotans knew they had a strong and passionate leader beyond his elected positions. His years as a Meade County Rancher and loss of his first wife Mary Randall had taught him to overcome life’s challenges. He had raised four wonderful children, Randy Miller, Renee Johansen, Karey Albers, and Nancy Burma. His marriage to Pat Caldwell gained South Dakota a first Lady that made us all proud, and completed his family by including his two step children Cade Caldwell and Rebecca Bauer.

Governor Miller guided us through the tragic state airplane crash, the flood of 1993, and times of prosperity in which he improved our State’s education and the Rural Development Telecommunications Network. In South Dakota there is hardly a day that passes where we do not benefit from the laws he forged during his lengthy service in the legislature and as Governor. “I have lost more than my Governor and home town legislator, as have so many South Dakotans I have lost a true friend,” stated Attorney General Jackley.

-30-

Former Gov. Miller Passes Away; Gov. Daugaard Requests Flags At Half-Staff

PIERRE, S.D. – Walter Dale Miller, the 29th Governor of South Dakota, passed away last night. Miller, 89, served as governor from 1993 to 1995.

“Gov. Miller was a friend and I will miss him,” said Gov. Daugaard. “Walter Dale Miller assumed the governorship at a time of tragedy and sorrow. He provided a steady hand as our state mourned the loss of Gov. Mickelson. Through his long career in public office, Walt worked hard and put South Dakota first. Linda and I express our deepest sympathies to Pat and the entire Miller family.”

Miller was born Oct. 5, 1925, near Viewfield, South Dakota, and spent his life on his family’s ranch. He served for 20 years in the South Dakota House of Representatives, and is the only person in state history to serve as speaker of the house, speaker pro tempore, majority leader, assistant majority leader and majority whip.

Miller was elected lieutenant governor in 1986 and was South Dakota’s first full-time lieutenant governor. He succeeded to the governorship in 1993 after the tragic loss of Gov. George S. Mickelson and seven others in a plane crash. As governor, Miller ended a riot at the state penitentiary without loss of life, responded to historic flooding on the Missouri River and its tributaries, and imposed emergency budget cuts after a court ruling shut down video lottery in the state. He left office in 1995.

Gov. Daugaard requests that all flags in South Dakota fly at half-staff, effective immediately, and continuing until Gov. Miller’s interment.

-30-

There’s an ode to the Buffalo (or American Bison if you will) in today’s Rapid City Journal:

How do we officially recognize an insect (honey bee), a dessert (kuchen), a fossil (triceratops) and a soil (houdek) but not throw some legislative love to the bison? South Dakota is routinely rated as the No. 1 bison state in the nation with more than 30,000 head roaming our vast ranges. The animal’s popularity was evident again on Friday when more than 20,000 people from across the nation and state traveled to Custer State Park to witness the 50th annual buffalo roundup, one of our Wild West traditions.

Read it here.

It caught my attention, as during yesterday’s 100 Eyes  – the Argus Leader’s political vodcast – newer Argus political reporter Dana Ferguson brought up a humorous point after attending the Democrat’s declared “first annual Buffalo Round-up dinner.”   This dinner was held in Rapid City (not in any proximity to the Buffalo Round-Up in Custer State Park).

Ferguson note that the dinner didn’t actually serve Buffalo as any part of the meal. Nope.

So, not near the round-up. Not serving buffalo. But, to their credit, they did project a picture of one on the screen. Because pretending makes it “all buffalo-y.”

At the same dinner, they talked about running people in the next election against John Thune. They might have talked about it, but didn’t actually have anyone. Just like the buffalo round-up theme, they pretended they could.   So, in their minds pretending their dinner had something to do with buffalos was just like pretending that they can come up with a viable candidate against Thune.

It was just a matter of imagination. Of pretending.

And now we can watch them continue pretending that Democrats are still are a viable political organization in South Dakota.

From my mailbox, as shared by a reader, comes Paula Hawks’ newest plea for money:

  
 My thought on this…. $5?  She’s asking for $5? 

She does recognize that it’s a race for Congress, and not the state legislature?

Why do I think this first report of hers (which we’ll see about the 15th or so) is going to be brutal?

I’m not quite sure how it happened, but my daughter number two has found herself in the interesting position of being a nominee for the University of South Dakota homecoming queen in her senior year.

I’m told that she is representing the Strollers group in the competition, despite a history of the Strollers group putting out some dubious USD graduates at best. (I’m talking to you Justin Rollins, and Governor Daugaard!)

  
Anyway, if you happen to be enrolled at USD, whether it is for undergraduate or graduate level courses, you have the ability to cast a ballot. And I would just put in my plug tonight for the faithful readers of SDWC to cast at least one of your ballots for Meredith.

She’s already part of the court just by virtue of the organization having selected her, so she’s already a winner. But I would be a bad dad if I didn’t give it at least a mention and a word of encouragement prior to the coronation tomorrow night!

Wow. I mean, wow. From the Argus Leader:

Democratic Party chair Ann Tornberg repeatedly encouraged attendees to circulate a ballot measure petition aimed at creating an independent redistricting committee. She called the existing districts “entirely partisan and gerrymandered.” Rep. Peggy Gibson, D-Huron, told attendees about how she circulated the petition to other drivers who were stopped for hours near the site of a fatal car crash. “If I can do it there, you can do it anywhere,” Gibson said.

and…

The candidate challenging Thune in 2016 will be…

Just kidding. No news on that front. With just over 13 months before the 2016 election, the party has yet to select a candidate to run against U.S. Sen. John Thune. Party leadership didn’t acknowledge the hole on the ballot heading into next year, but they indicated individuals interested in exploring a run could go to next months’ training event.

Read it all here.

“Rep. Peggy Gibson, D-Huron, told attendees about how she circulated the petition to other drivers who were stopped for hours near the site of a fatal car crash.” And, she admitted it.

Wow.

If the rest of Dems follow Peggy’s crass opportunism, I think accident scenes and funeral homes are going to start putting a ban on petitioners.

Apparently I went to bed last night, and woke up in crazy town. Because, here’s one of the headlines this morning:

Part of the story reads, “People watching this new scandal/suicide/shotgun murder unfold are skeptical that we are getting the complete story, and perhaps not the ACURATE story.”

As we’re treated to a barely literate, incoherent and misspelled sentence explaining all of this, it’s illustrative of the defective and overwhelming leaps in logic that one has to take to believe any of the utter BS spouted by Howie, It’s little more than an exercise in throwing fecal matter against the wall to try to make anything stick against the opponent who delivered a 47 point loss to him in a 4-way race.

What did happen? A family tragedy occurred involving someone who worked for an educational co-op in Platte. This educational co-op, of which there are many across the state, administered a federal grant for an Indian education program, and subbed portions of that out here and there. The State of SD, who had the ability to direct funds, and ensure the program was working, at some point recently didn’t feel that they were getting enough bang for their buck, etcetera, so they yanked the funding.

A short time later, a man who worked at the educational co-op committed suicide, and took his family with him in a horrible tragedy.  What does that have to do with Howie’s claim that it’s all linked to his former political opponent, Senator Rounds? Absolutely and utterly nothing. It’s paranoid and slanderous.

Not to mention it has been over 5 years since Mike Rounds has been governor. 

If we’re to follow Howie’s logical progression, there’s more of a connection between Mike Rounds and executive branch state employees under him who received speeding tickets then there is between Rounds and an employee of the educational cooperative which received a federal grant directed by the Dept of Ed.

Mike Rounds didn’t hire him. Mike Rounds couldn’t fire him.  The only thing the Dept of Ed could do was to watch results progress over time. And at one point, they decided they didn’t like them.

Does the headline blare “Mike Rounds responsible for x% of speeding tickets during his tenure?” No. Because everyone instantly recognizes it as silly. But blare a headline like Howie does with an even more tenuous connection, and it takes on an air of salacious scandal. If the state reviews the results of a federal grant program, and finds it isn’t happy with the effectiveness of the program, and has questions about how it’s being run by the entity running it; I think one would argue that they’re actually doing their job by reviewing it. That’s what they’re supposed to do.

And if they yank the program because they’re not happy with how it’s being done – “Not doing the job I like, find someone else to do it.” – again, that’s what they’re supposed to do.

If an employee of the grant contractor has some sort of breakdown, that has nothing to do with state government. At all. And for Gordon Howie to use the murder of children as the basis for a political attack against an old political foe?

That’s about as slimy as you can get. And it’s little wonder why he can’t poll beyond 3%.