Category: Uncategorized

Sounds like the Hansen/Lemmings campaign are taking fundraising suggestions from the SDGOP:

What will that net them? A couple hundred?

And let’s not forget this state law:

12-27-11. Required information about contributors–Contributions from unknown source to be donated to charitable entity–Violation as misdemeanor.

No person, entity, candidate, or political committee may give or accept a contribution unless the name, mailing address, city and state of the contributor is made known to the person, entity, candidate, or political committee receiving the contribution. In addition to any other information to be made known under this section, the name of the custodial parent or parents of an unemancipated minor who makes a contribution shall be made known. Any contribution, money, or other thing of value received by a candidate or political committee from an unknown source shall be donated to a nonprofit charitable entity. A violation of this section is a Class 2 misdemeanor. A subsequent offense within a calendar year is a Class 1 misdemeanor.

How exactly will that work with “tips?” Last I knew, most people don’t fill out a campaign contribution card for tips at Pizza Ranch.

What a difference a week makes for Rep. Logan Manhart…

June 13:

June 21:

Thune Statement on U.S. Airstrikes on Iran Nuclear Sites

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) today issued the following statement:

“The regime in Iran, which has committed itself to bringing ‘death to America’ and wiping Israel off the map, has rejected all diplomatic pathways to peace. The mullahs’ misguided pursuit of nuclear weapons must be stopped,” said Thune.“As we take action tonight to ensure a nuclear weapon remains out of reach for Iran, I stand with President Trump and pray for the American troops and personnel in harm’s way.”

###

An eagle-eyed Minnehaha County Central Committee member sent me a text this morning, and asked if I read the bylaw change being proposed by rebellious Minnehaha Central Committee members in a non-sanctioned fake meeting they called?

Because they are going to try to boot out elected officials from being precinct people – Despite no authority in South Dakota Republican Party bylaws giving them the power to do it:

8. VACANCIES:
a) Events Causing Vacancy: The following events shall cause an officer of the MCRCC or a precinct committeeman and committeewoman to forfeit his or her office and the office declared open in occurrence of any of the following: death, resignation, failure of an officer to reside in the county, failure of a precinct committeeman and committeewoman to reside in the precinct, failure to be a registered Republican voter, after taking office of an elected partisan position, or the conviction of a felony.

as Arch Beal would say… Whoa, Whoa, Whoa! What’s this proposed vacancy “after taking office of an elected partisan position?’ It literally proposes stripping elected officials from the leadership of the Minnehaha Republican Central committee, as well as from being precinct committeeman or woman.

Did I mention that this this action bars them from being members of the delegation who select state elected officials at the next state convention? Hmmmm….

So, Rep’s John Hughes & Taylor Rehfeldt as Precinct Committee people? Gone. But, also Sen. Tom Pischke as County Committeeman? Gone as an officer of the MCRCC. Losing that position would also boot him off of the SDGOP executive board, but I don’t know if the people proposing the amendment were smart enough to understand that.

Their bigger problem is contradicting the over-ruling SDGOP bylaws of the parent organization:

Notice how being elected isn’t a trigger for vacancy as a precinct person? It’s the same type of situation that the Yankton County GOP faced when they tried to put a literal price tag on being “a republican in good standing.”

While these rebel Minnehaha GOP try to put in their own qualifications in county bylaws at a fake meeting beyond that which the state party has, they are not compliant with state party bylaws. And they don’t get to do that because the parent body’s bylaws (state GOP) supersedes those of the county. Whether this group of rebellious county committee members like it or not.

The SDDP had a good month fundraising, according to the Federal Election Commission report they filed this afternoon.

Compared to SDGOP Treasurer Tina Mulally’s last minute $700 pity-donation, bringing the SDGOP to $704.25 reported they raised during the month of May, South Dakota Democrats had a bit better luck. About 68.4x better luck.

SDDP June 2025 FEC Report by Pat Powers on Scribd

For their Federal Account, South Dakota Democrats are reporting $48,139 raised, against $37,413.89 spent, leaving them a respectable $74,177.06 cash on hand.

Remember when SDGOP’s Chairman, Jim Eschenbaum was talking about weeding out the fake Republicans as he called them, and said this:

“We don’t need any more money thrown to the state GOP than what we need to operate.”

(read that here)

I’m kind of thinking he might be regretting that statement and all his weeding about now.  That’s a disparity that the SDGOP’s Central Committee should be noticing.

If they have a problem with it, they only have the people in the mirror to blame. This is what they wanted and this is what they got.

Well.. it was nice being in the majority while it lasted.

Delivering for South Dakota
By Sen. John Thune

Republicans are moving closer to finishing work on a bill that fulfills our promise to make America stronger and more prosperous. My biggest priority in that bill is making sure South Dakota families, farmers and ranchers, and small businesses are all stronger and more prosperous. And I’m proud to report that this bill has a lot of good news for South Dakotans.

Most notably, our bill makes permanent the lower taxes for working families Republicans secured in 2017. Without action, those 2017 tax cuts would expire at the end of this year and South Dakotans would see an average tax hike of $2,500 next year. I’m determined not to let that happen. Our bill not only makes those lower tax rates permanent, it improves upon the 2017 reforms. It provides a larger child tax credit and standard deduction and makes them permanent too. It reduces seniors’ tax burdens with a further boost in the standard deduction. It suspends taxes on tips and on overtime pay for hourly workers.

The 2017 tax reform was also great news for South Dakota small businesses. They benefited from lower tax rates, investment incentives, and the small business deduction. Small business owners will now have the certainty they need to invest in new workers and in growing their businesses with those tax policies being made permanent. By one estimate, the small business deduction will help create 40,000 new jobs in our state in the next 10 years, and that’s just one of the pro-growth policies in this bill.

This bill is also good news for farmers and ranchers. By making the tax cuts permanent, we’re protecting farms from an average $5,000 tax hike next year. I’m proud that this bill will also raise the death tax exemption to $15 million, as well as peg the exemption to inflation and make it permanent. These reforms will protect countless family farms and ranches from this fundamentally flawed tax and the headaches of planning that come with it.

After a challenging few years for farmers and ranchers, this bill also makes critical improvements to the programs they depend on. It increases reference prices for all covered commodities, improves crop insurance coverage and affordability, and it supports risk management, disaster assistance, and conservation programs. We can’t have a stronger and more prosperous America without strong farms and ranches, and I’m proud these reforms are part of our bill.

Making America stronger is also about making it more secure. This bill does that with critical investments in building up our military, including investing in the B-21 bomber that will soon be stationed at our own Ellsworth Air Force Base. It funds the Trump administration’s border security and deportation efforts for the long term, including finishing the border wall. And it will help law enforcement combat illegal drug trafficking at the border and in our communities.

Our bill makes America stronger by supporting the people who make America great. It ensures working families can keep more of their hard-earned money, helps small businesses create jobs, strengthens our agriculture sector, and provides critical resources to the men and women on the front lines whether they serve in the military, at the border, or in our communities. I’m proud of the work we’ve done on this bill so far, and I can’t wait to get it passed and get these policies working for the American people.

###

Opportunities for Ag
By: Gov. Larry Rhoden
June 20, 2025

Ag is king in South Dakota, plain and simple. This past week, we hosted the annual Governor’s Ag Summit in historic Deadwood. In my first year as Governor, it was pretty special to have the summit in my back yard!

Even if attendees at the Summit come from different parts of the state, they were all attending for the same reason: to advance South Dakota agriculture. We spent time building relationships and sharing ideas. And we walked away reinvigorated to chase down opportunities in agriculture.

Agriculture means everything to me and my family. We’ve ranched the land near Union Center for five generations, and I’ve spent my entire life ranching cattle. A big part of the Ag Summit was focused on helping family farms succeed so they can pass their land and legacy down to their kids and grandkids.

Earlier this year, the Noem-Rhoden Administration announced the restructuring of the Keep Farmers Farming program. We worked with the South Dakota Ag Foundation and First Dakota National Bank to be able to offer this program to help more family farms. Keep Farmers Farming advises farmers on estate planning so that they can pass their experience, work ethic, morals, and history down to those who come after them. By supporting family farms, we help keep South Dakota ag strong for generations to come.

The Summit also focused on new opportunities for ag that are possible because of the Trump Administration’s actions. I’ve gotten to know our US Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins very well over the last few months. She’s been a game changer for us here in South Dakota!

Secretary Rollins helped us get our timber industry on more solid footing, which will really benefit both our safety and prosperity in the Black Hills. She’s worked with EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin to unleash our ethanol industry, which helps our farmers. And she’s addressing the bird flu issue in a way that doesn’t cause the price of eggs to go through the roof for South Dakota families. And she worked with me to drop the charges on the Maude family and get a resolution to their case. Like us here in South Dakota, she is focused on opportunities.

We emphasized opportunities for South Dakota ag, rather than challenges, at the Ag Summit. I believe that the difference between challenges and opportunities is largely one of perspective, so we are keeping an optimistic perspective for the future of agriculture.

Over the past couple months, I’ve seen many ag operations and businesses on my Open for Opportunity tour across South Dakota. I’ve been blown away by everything that’s possible in South Dakota, including developments in precision ag, grain processing, and advancements in the dairy industry.

South Dakota is a pretty special place. We’re the freest state in a nation built on the principle of freedom. 100 to 150 years ago, homesteaders came west and settled the wild untamed prairie, and my family was among them. Many homesteaders failed, but the toughest succeeded. They built a life for their families; they built a state for their kids and grandkids. And they created a culture of hard work, determination, personal responsibility, and respect for freedom.

That culture continues to keep our state strong today, and that same South Dakota spirit will keep agriculture strong for many years to come!

###

State Representatives Phil Jensen and Dylan Jordan were in fine form last night as they spoke on a special on-line Legislative Panel on Education Reform with the group, South Dakota Women for Education Reform. 

In case you’d forgotten, South Dakota Women for Education Reform is the creation of Free-dumb Caucus State Director Hannah Determan. That would be the same Hannah Determan who formed a facebook group advocating to shoot down planes with jet vapor trails, so that lets you know the flavor of today’s sherbert.

What great insights were two of the worst legislators who go to Pierre spouting off about?  Here’s the high points, giving us a glimpse of what they’re planning to bring to the 2026 legislative session:

• Their BIG plan and priority is to get rid of the education lobby and completely ban lobbyists from the floors at all times. They were claiming that’s their office and lobbyists should not be able to bother them.
• Jensen gave a shout out to Toby Doeden and took swipes at his leadership team for removing him as Vice-Chair.
• Jensen is now claiming his bill to defund the Huron school district was to bring people to the table and he can’t help it if it “hurt” people’s feelings.
• Phil bragged about having 8-7 control over the House Education committee-“whether I was vice-chair or not”.
• Phil and Dyl just want vouchers and don’t really care what kind.
• Dylan didn’t really like HB 1020 because he doesn’t trust government. Says “Government offends me.” Rambled on about the DOE calling the fire marshal to close a private school down and controlling their curriculum.

It sounds like the big effort will the be to try to silence the voice of school districts and the people who teach our kids.

Because.. well it sounds like they believe in the portion of the South Dakota Republican Party platform that says “We support access to locally controlled education,” until the locals try to actually have some control.

Stay tuned.

It’s like the Minnehaha County GOP is the gift that keeps on giving, as the group – once again- is involved in a bout of infighting where the back seat of the clown car is trying to drive in one direction, and the person with the wheel is sending out e-mails declaring “we’re not going in that direction.”

Good morning Minnehaha County Central Committee Members,

I hope this message finds you well.

I am writing to address and clarify recent rumors concerning a special meeting allegedly scheduled for Tuesday, June 24th. Please be advised that this meeting has not been coordinated with the County Chair, as explicitly required by our bylaws. The bylaws state:

“Prior to the regular meetings of the State Central Committee, they shall cooperate with the county chairman in arranging a county meeting to review the problems, programs, and prospects of the county, or they shall take other procedures to determine the situation so that they may report thereon at the following meeting of the State Central Committee.”

As of the time of this message, I—along with several committee members—have still not received official notice of this meeting. This also directly violates another bylaw requirement, which clearly outlines:

“Notice: Five-days notice must be given for any meeting, excluding weekends and holidays. Notices may be sent by mail or email.”

Given the lack of proper coordination and notice, the meeting in question is considered out of order and improperly called.  Therefore, Minnehaha County will not recognize any actions taken during this unauthorized meeting.

For full transparency: On Friday, June 13th at 7:02 AM, I emailed the Executive Board proposing an informal Zoom meeting with the Central Committee at 6:00 PM on Thursday, June 26th, and requested their availability. However, I was later made aware that a notice for the inappropriate June 24th meeting was sent at approximately 1:30 PM the same day—by individuals who were included in my initial message. To date, I have received no responses to my original email.

Please watch for the Zoom invitation later today for our informal meeting on Thursday, June 26th at 6:00 PM. Your participation is essential as we work together in alignment with our bylaws and shared responsibilities.

Thank you for your attention and cooperation.

Best regards,
Korry Petterson
Chairman
Minnehaha County Republicans

I’d ask if they’re going to get involved in the upcoming Mayoral race down there.. but maybe the Republicans in the race don’t want them to…

*Update*

And we have more bickering through the e-mails over who is wrong and who is right:

From: Marsha Symens <marshasymens@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, Jun 20, 2025 at 2:57 PM
Subject: June 24th Special Meeting

June 20, 2025
Dear Central Committee Members,

Thank you, Chairman Petterson, for your recent communication regarding the June 24th special meeting. I would like to respectfully clarify a key point you did not include concerning the procedural legitimacy of this meeting. While the Chair is correct in emphasizing the importance of by-law compliance, the by-laws also provide clear provisions for calling a special meeting that do not require coordination with the County Chair. Following the by-laws is crucial to all organizations, which is why this meeting is being called. In light of your concerns and to do our due diligence, we contacted the Regional Director, Senator Tom Pischke, who put in a call to Chairman Jim Eschenbaum. The state Chairman confirmed our position that this is a legally called “Special” meeting and the county Chairman has no right to cancel it.

Specifically, the by-laws state that two members of the Executive Board may call a special meeting, provided that proper notice is given. In this instance, two board members did indeed initiate the meeting, and notice was sent in accordance with the five-day requirement (excluding weekends and holidays), via email on Friday, June 13th, 2025. See the following bylaws from the state SDGOP.COM ‘s website. https://www.sdgop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/SDGOP-Bylaws.pdf

Section III. County Central Committee. 7. Meetings, A. Regular and Special Meetings: The County Central Committee shall meet at least twice each year on call of the county chairman. The county chairman may call a special meeting at any time. One-fifth of the members of the County Central Committee or two officers may call a meeting in writing.

While the Chair, Korry Petterson, mentioned rumors of a meeting, he too, has received the notice of the meeting via email as did 187 other members. One of which was Tanna Brummett, who contacted me with the error of my sending it to her. Also, Korry’s wife, Kim, received the email notification of the special meeting. The email addresses used, including the one to his business email, are the official emails listed on the Secretary of State Website.

Therefore, under the authority granted by the bylaws, the June 24th special meeting has been properly called and noticed, and its legitimacy should not be dismissed solely based on the absence of coordination with the Chair. While collaboration is always encouraged, it is not a strict prerequisite in the case of a special meeting called by two board members.

We all share a common interest in upholding the integrity of our organization and ensuring transparency and accountability within the Central Committee. I look forward to a productive and respectful meeting on June 24, as well as continued cooperation with all members of the Executive Board and Central Committee. Doors open at 6 for credentials. The meeting will start at 6:30.

Respectfully,
Marsha Symens Vice Chairwoman

I especially enjoy the part where they went complaining to the state chair, and are asserting that he says we can do this.

The back & forth is just the kind of thing that says “come be a part of your Republican Party,” doesn’t it?

*Update to the update*

The children are continuing to bicker, and it shows no sign of letting up:

From: Tanna Brummett
Sent: Friday, June 20, 2025 4:46 PM
To: Marsha Symens
Subject: Re: June 24th Special Meeting

Good afternoon, Madam Vice Chair–

As you have noted in your second unsolicited email to me– I have previously requested that you remove my email from your list. In both your response back to me, and here in your communications to your body, you have acknowledged that you know you are sending communications to someone who is CLEARLY NOT a member of your committee. One can only assume for what reason–all of which, in my humble opinion, are not upright.

However, since you have neglected to honor my simple request to be excluded from ongoing communications of your body, I do feel it important to further assist you in correctly communicating with them. The “minutes” you have presented to the body for “amendment” in your initial email are not the tabled minutes from your last meeting. As such, here is a link to a copy of the minutes that I understand are currently tabled for review.

https://1drv.ms/w/c/65b5cb05590abf52/EcyKQzJ5_PhFkf-wI2HS6owB-ZaSJG7sA5WrLlCHJ2U0Vg?e=L7YMCs

And to be extra helpful for the body (prior to whatever meeting you all finally can agree to meet on) here is a portion of the audio file from the January 9th meeting for further, in depth review to check for accuracy as I am told was stated as the reason for tabling. One would think that finding unethical banking access to the county party bank accounts by individuals not authorized as signatories would be something that the body would find important to have included in its historical records.
New Recording 89 copy 2.m4a

I have not included all of the audio for the meeting–but rather the business portion up to and including the Chair nomination speeches. If a member of the body would like to review the rest of the audio, they may issue that request to me VIA THE CHAIR, if he deems it necessary to pass along to me.

Have a good rest of your evening and I look forward to this being the LAST communication from your board to me regarding MGOP body business.

Sincerely,
Tanna Brummett

PS DO NOT contact me again via this email. I will report any further communications from your or your board regarding the Minnehaha Central Committee.

Tanna Brummett

The main thought that comes to mind, is: are these the people you want to be picking your Attorney General?

I’m told South Dakota Right to Life Director and Lobbyists Dale Bartscher announced his candidacy for House (D35) at the Pennington County Republican Women event yesterday afternoon.

There are currently 2 House seats that will be open in the next election in that District, those of Rep’s Tina Mulally and Tony Randolph who (thankfully) are barred from seeking another term in the House due to term limits, creating the opening for Bartscher.

While Dale was at one time considered for appointment to the Senate in that District by Governor Noem, his candidacy does not come without some controversy.

Dale has been the voice of opposition as Right to Life’s lobbyist against any changes to South Dakota’s anti-abortion laws  attempting to define what the “health of the mother” constitutes. And was at the helm of the organization during the scandal in the last primary election where Right to Life funds were spent to defeat a number of sitting legislators who were ranked at 100% pro-life.