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Thank You, Senator Thune, for Standing Up for Credit Unions and the People They Serve
By Jeff Olson, President/CEO, Dakota Credit Union Association

At a time when many Americans are navigating financial stress and uncertainty, having access to safe, affordable financial services has never been more important. That’s why South Dakotans and credit union members across the country should take note and be grateful for Senator John Thune’s continued leadership and support for credit unions.

As Senate Majority Leader, Senator Thune plays a pivotal role in shaping policies that impact everyday Americans. His vocal support for credit unions and preserving their not-for-profit tax status sends a strong message: he’s standing with working families, small businesses, farmers, veterans, teachers, and the people who live and work in our rural and underserved communities.

Credit unions aren’t just financial institutions. They are member-owned cooperatives deeply embedded in their local communities. Nationwide, they serve over 142 million members – roughly 43% of the U.S. population. These are not Wall Street giants. They are Main Street champions. Unlike for-profit banks, credit unions reinvest earnings into their members through lower loan rates, higher savings returns, and fewer fees.

Here in South Dakota, credit unions generate more than $572 million in annual economic output and support nearly 3,000 jobs. In 2024 alone, South Dakota credit unions returned over

$96 million in direct benefits to members, while also generating $63 million in tax revenue, including $9 million in state taxes. That’s an important contribution to our state’s infrastructure, education, and public services.

Senator Thune understands that changing the tax treatment of credit unions would do more than increase costs – it would limit financial choice, drive people toward high-interest lenders and credit cards, and weaken the economic stability of our communities, especially our rural communities. If credit union rates on loans are no longer competitive, many families will be left with no other option than to borrow under far more burdensome terms.

In rural areas especially, credit unions are often the only locally governed financial institution. They’re the ones sponsoring youth sports, providing free financial education in schools, helping first-time homebuyers, and offering essential services to people who may not otherwise be served. They are not just part of the financial system; they are part of the community fabric.

Public support for credit unions is overwhelming. Nationwide, 87% of voters view them favorably, and over 90% of members trust their credit union. In an era where partisanship divides, credit unions unite Americans. Senator Thune recognizes this. His leadership mirrors the values of transparency, fairness, and community investment that credit unions embody every day.

As the House of Representatives has already done, the Senate should now follow Senator Thune’s lead on passing the Senate’s reconciliation package, the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill,’ which preserves and protects the tax exemption status of credit unions. Doing so ensures that families and small businesses can continue to rely on these trusted, community-based financial cooperatives.

Credit unions win when their members win and we’re grateful to have a leader like Senator Thune who understands that.

Jeff Olson
President/CEO
Dakota Credit Union Association

As I was writing about earlier, a social media post claiming threats were made during a Toby Doeden campaign event on Thursday, June 12 in downtown Aberdeen is wrong, according to the chief of the Aberdeen Police Department, via the Aberdeen Insider:

Chief Dave McNeil said there was a police officer at the Brown County Republicans monthly Reagan Lunch, but no threats were made against Doeden or the Engels Event Co., which hosted the event that ran from roughly 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

“I don’t believe that happened at all. I don’t believe anybody was making threats,” McNeil said.

and..

Shad Olson, a former Rapid City TV reporter who is known to make inflammatory political posts on social media, wrote on Facebook about the Thursday event in Aberdeen. His entry was also on the Rushmore Republican Facebook page. The Rushmore Republican is a right-wing political blog.

and..

But nobody drove by the event center making threats, McNeil said.

Read that all here.

A good reminder, paraphrasing Mark Twain, that there are lies, damned lies, and goofy things that Shad Olson says.

Israel is within its right to defend itself from Iran, the largest state-sponsor of terror. Iran breached its obligation and must end its nuclear weapons program. The United States will stand with Israel who continues to face threats across the Middle East.

— Rep. Dusty Johnson (@RepDustyJohnson) June 13, 2025

Rounds Asks Agriculture Secretary to Promote Mandatory Country of Origin Labeling

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) today sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins asking her to develop a framework for reinstating Mandatory Country of Origin Labeling (MCOOL) for beef.

“Our American producers work hard every day to produce the highest quality beef in the world,” Rounds wrote. “They battle the wind, the rain, the snow and the sun. Foreign governments and multinational meatpacking companies should not determine the fate of the American family ranching system.”

A majority of American consumers support requiring country of origin labeling for fresh meat. Retail-level MCOOL for fresh fruits, vegetables, beef, pork, lamb and seafood passed as part of the 2002 Farm Bill and was implemented fully in 2008. After a number of challenges from trade partners and the World Trade Organization, Congress repealed MCOOL requirements for beef and pork. Rounds is asking Secretary Rollins to develop a framework with U.S. trade officials to develop a framework that would not face similar challenges from trading partners.

Rounds has been a leader in the push to reinstate MCOOL for beef. Most recently, Rounds launched a nationwide effort in June 2024 to support American farmers and ranchers by getting MCOOL included in the Farm Bill. This effort was endorsed by 26 farm and ranch groups from across the country. The effort was also co-signed by Senators Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Angus King (I-Maine), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.) and Jon Tester (D-Mont.).

Read the full text of the letter HERE or below.

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Dear Secretary Rollins,

For decades, American cattlemen have produced the highest-quality beef in the world. This has created strong demand for American beef not only in domestic markets, but also across the globe.

Since the repeal of Mandatory Country of Origin Labeling (MCOOL) in 2015, Americans have consumed increasing amounts of foreign beef. Moreover, many Americans are unknowingly buying beef without transparent or reliable country-of-origin information. This practice has not only disadvantaged American producers, but also misled consumers.

Following the repeal, both producers and consumers called for the reinstatement of MCOOL. In response, a handful of transnational meatpacking companies lobbied policymakers to preserve the current labeling system. At the same time, these companies have increased beef imports into the United States. This is a system that is neither fair nor sustainable.

For almost a century, U.S. trade law has required the majority of imported products to bear a country of origin label. There is no reason why this same level of transparency should not exist within our beef labeling system.

While Congress is prepared to address MCOOL as part of the upcoming Farm Bill, federal agencies must also play a leadership role. We urge you to work with U.S. trade officials to develop a feasible framework for reinstating MCOOL for beef and to examine the deceptive practices currently distorting our beef markets.

Our American producers work hard every day to produce the highest quality beef in the world. They battle the wind, the rain, the snow and the sun. Foreign governments and multinational meatpacking companies should not determine the fate of the American family ranching system.

Thank you for your consideration. We look forward to collaborating with you on this issue.

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Fresh off of copping a “No Contest” plea for assaulting his former girlfriend, disgraced former news anchor Shad Olson certainly isn’t doing anything to enhance his reputation as a journalist to be taken seriously in his latest missive.

Last night, bad Shad took to facebook to claim that Toby Doeden’s appearance at the Brown County GOP Luncheon was “nearly disrupted by an unhinged leftist’s repeated drive-by threats to firebomb and burn down the venue.”

(of course, it goes on for another several paragraphs, but getting to the point has never been one of Shad’s virtues.)

The problem is… according to people who were actually there.. it didn’t happen. At all.

Nothing of this nature was reported by the media who were actually in attendance. Nothing from just rank and file attendees. As one person noted to me “The mayor was there. Had that happened, every cop in town would have been there instantly.”

In fact, a second person who was there related “There was no police officer in the building. Never saw a car or an officer outside. I was there the entire time. There are big glass windows and not that many people there. There was no scene of any sort. Maybe somebody drove by and yelled something. I mean that could have happened, I suppose. But nothing serious happened.”  The attendee who witnessed it – or more correctly witnessed none of this – and saw this post said “the media is going to “clear the air” tomorrow” on Shad’s goofball hysteria.

Given that this is coming off of Shad being in the news for his long simmering charges for beating a woman in February 2024, it seems to be a pathetic plea for attention moreso than anything resembling legitimate reporting.

Thune Statement on Israeli Airstrikes in Iran

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

“For too long, the mullahs in Iran have publicly aspired to wipe the only democracy in the Middle East off the face of the map via any means possible: funding and arming terror groups on Israel’s borders, choking off international sea lanes, and multiple barrages of missiles and drones. Just today, Iran was found once again to be in violation of its nuclear non-proliferation obligations, which is unacceptable. Iran must never gain access to a nuclear weapon,” said Thune.

“Today, Israel has determined that it must take decisive action to defend the Israeli people. The United States Senate stands ready to work with President Trump and with our allies in Israel to restore peace in the region and, first and foremost, to defend the American people from Iranian aggression, especially our troops and civilians serving overseas. Iran should heavily consider the consequences before considering any action against Americans in the region.”

###

South Dakota’s tourist attractions are receiving some exposure with fans of B-movie actress Cynthia Rothrock this week, as she tours the Black Hills.

The martial arts legend who starred in Hong Kong action films in the 80’s and 90’s such as China O’Brien and Lady Dragon has been posting her travels in the Rushmore state on Facebook, as she tours the Badlands, Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse.

Rothrock has starred in over 60 movies and is currently working on upcoming projects. Holding black belts in seven martial arts, in 2016 she was the first martial artist (male or female) to be inducted into the International Sports Hall of Fame.

Going off my post where noting there’s talk that Minnehaha County Auditor Leah Anderson might not be the hard right’s candidate to challenge incumbent Secretary of State Monae Johnson (who isn’t drinking their tainted kool-aid), I mentioned their other possible options to challenge the SOS might be election conspiracist Rick “my life is at risk” Weible or fellow election conspiracist Jessica Pollema of SD Canvassing.

Coincidentally, these two just happened to pop up on the Pillow Guy TV podcast this week, like harbingers of electoral doom for South Dakota.

Which really reinforces the fact that as a state, we might need to consider putting statewide candidates for political parties on the primary ballot, instead of being one of the last three states to choose them at convention.

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz is speaking at the 2025 McGovern Day Dinner on Saturday July 12 (In case you had forgotten, or not noticed):

In case you needed one, here’s a blast from the past from Governor Walz about those pesky things they call laws in his Minnesota:

• I strongly support immigrant communities. I support policies that keep law enforcement from enforcing federal laws that everyone knows are broken. I will not back down on that commitment, and I won’t back down to a bully.

— Tim Walz (@Tim_Walz) May 23, 2018

You know, supporting immigrant communities is all well and good. But the “keep law enforcement from enforcing federal laws..I will not back down on that commitment” isn’t exactly the thing you want from someone who is supposed to uphold the rule of law.

But, that’s the message that’s going to be preached to South Dakota Democrats.

After previously backing out of an earlier plea agreement and demanding a jury trial this last April, this last week former West River TV News Reader Shad Olson quietly went back to court and pled no contest to assault for laying hands on his live-in girlfriend:

A former television news anchor avoided trial by pleading no contest to a charge of simple assault-domestic violence late Wednesday.

and..

Prosecutors say Olson grabbed the woman by her shoulders and pushed her to the ground multiple times.

By pleading no contest to the assault charge, prosecutors will recommend a 180-day suspended jail sentence as well as anger management sessions for Olson. He will also be ordered to have no contact with the victim.

Read the entire story here.

If you recall the arrest report, Olson’s live-in girlfriend and supposed provider had to run out coatless and barefoot in the snow, after she claims he grabbed and lifted her by the neck:

180 days of a suspended jail sentence, and anger management doesn’t seem much like justice, does it?

Stay tuned for his sentencing on July 3rd, where the judge will – unfortunately – probably sign off on this wrist slapping.

In related news, unfortunately, it seems that Shad is still able to find women who believe his ridiculous horse-sh*t: