Category: Uncategorized

Hot off the press, and courtesy of a reader, the 2025 Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce legislative scorecard is out noting how legislators representing the Sioux Empire have (or have not) represented business growth and jobs in their community during the last session.  And while a number of them are good and want to keep their community growing.. a number of them are just awful.

As noted in the accompanying article in the Sioux Falls Chamber Newsletter:

A core value of Chamber membership is knowing your business has a strong, informed voice in Pierre. The Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce works year-round to advocate for policies that support business success and community growth. Throughout the legislative session, we engage directly with lawmakers, provide guidance on keyissues and communicate with members about how legislation could affect their businesses.

Each year, the Chamber compiles a Legislative Scorecard to help members understand how Sioux Falls-area legislators voted on key bills during the session. These are the bills where the Chamber took a formal position, based on the legislative platform set by the Issues Management Council (IMC) and approved by the Board of Directors.

and..

The Scorecard is not an evaluation of any individual lawmaker.  It serves as a factual record of how legislators voted on issues important to the Chamber, its members and the Sioux Falls business community.

The scorecard will be available at siouxfallschamber.com. BUT, since we have the hard copy – here’s how the scores went down:

In the State Senate, Senator Tom Pischke was the worst supporter of business in the community, receiving a 22% score, which was the lowest among the Senate members representing the Sioux Falls area. But if you think he’s bad, hang on..

In the House of Representatives, State Representatives Bethany Soye and Aaron Aylward voted against business an incredible 89% of the time.  In fact, the lowest scoring Democrat legislators reviewed on the scorecard – Erin Healy, Erik Muckey & Kadyn Wittman all tied, and scored 78% HIGHER than Soye or Aylward, and were noted for their support of economic growth.

Equally surprising, this scorecard also noted that Gubernatorial Candidate Jon Hansen and his running mate Karla Lems voted against growth, development and innovation 78% of the time, tying Tom Pischke on the scorecard for voting to support business only 22% of the time.

Getting by the people who failed to make the mark, big props for supporting business go to Senator Steve Kolbeck, as well as Representatives Amber Arlint, Keri Weems and David Kull for having 100% perfect scores and actually walking the walk when people talk about the state being Open for Business. Good job guys.

In their review of the session, the Sioux Falls Chamber noted some of the mountains it faced dealing with the 2025 legislature:

Unfortunately, a number of important pro-growth initiatives fell short of reaching the Governor’s desk. This outcome points to a broader challenge. We must continue building support and educating our elected officials that addressing growth and promoting development and innovation are essential to making South Dakota great.

and..

South Dakota has long prided itself on being “Open for Business.” To maintain that standing, we must continue to support policies that foster innovation, development and opportunity.

Amen. Either South Dakota is Open for Business – and we welcome the jobs, economic stability and a growing tax base to alleviate the burden on property owners. Or we don’t.

Again, you can find the Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce at SiouxFallsChamber.com

Former 32-year Democrat and South Dakota Republican Party Chairman Jim Eschenbaum blasted out a message to the SDGOP Central Committee yesterday to try to whip up the troops to weirdly try to pressure Senator Thune on the appointment of a controversial US Attorney for the District of Columbia who seems dead on arrival, one who even President Trump is scooting away from.

This e-mail blast to drag the SDGOP into fully embracing the fringe went out at about 4pm, so I had it within the hour. :

From: Jim Eschenbaum <chair@sdgop.com>
Sent: Wednesday, May 7, 2025 5:50 PM
To: State Central Committee <statecentral.com@sdgop.com>
Subject: Nominee for U.S. Attorney

Good afternoon State Central Committee members,

This comes to my attention from Aurora County State Committeeman, Ryan Olson, about the urgency of getting President Trump’s appointee Ed Martin confirmed to the position of U.S. Attorney for DC. And how the voice of the SD GOP can help push Senator Thune to make this happen. Ryan has shared the top reasons that we need to support Ed’s nomination, and also a draft letter to Senator Thune.

Hey Jim, We have 14 days to get this done!

The top reasons why we should Support Ed Martin’s Nomination. 

1. He was Nominated by Donald J. Trump.
2. He represented the Jan. 6 political prisoners at a great risk to his own career proving he has integrity.
3. As Interam Attorney fired crooked career prosecutors involved in Jan. 6 cases.
4. He has Sent letters announcing Inquiries into Democratic senators for obvious cases of inciting violence including;  Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.).”
5. He has questioned whether president Biden issued lawful pardons in his final days in office.
6. He sent Georgetown Law School a letter over the illegality of its DEI program.
7. On his podcast has spent an abundant amount of time planning to get to the bottom of the bombs placed on Jan. 6.
8. He is being blocked by Thom Thilis who said “He can’t support anyone who Helped J6’ers since they are all criminals fighting cops” which we know to be an explicitly untrue statement.
9. The US Attorney for DC can investigate, and hinder Trump and all of Trump’s cabinet offices not limited to Cash Patel in the FBI. Pam Bondi has AG, and all other cabinet offices based in DC.
10. This office was a major source of leaks during the Russia Collusion Hoax.
11. If not confirmed, Anti Trump Judge Boasberg will get to pick the Attorney for DC. He has proven to be against the America First movement and will most likely pick an anti Trump attorney with TDS.
12. South Dakota Republican Party
    Date: [Insert Date]

The Honorable John Thune
Senate Majority Leader
U.S. Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510

Dear Majority Leader Thune,

On behalf of the South Dakota Republican Party, we write to express our strong support for the nomination of Ed Martin as U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia.

We are deeply concerned by the unjust and politically motivated obstruction of his nomination by Senator Thom Tillis, who, in coordination with Senator Adam Schiff, appears to be working deliberately to delay or derail this process. This kind of interference is not only unwarranted, and it is unacceptable coming from the president’s own party.

As the Majority Leader and a representative of South Dakota, we respectfully urge you to reflect the values of our state’s Republican Party—a grassroots-driven organization committed to principled leadership—by issuing a public statement of support for Mr. Martin’s nomination. Additionally, we ask that you use any authority and procedural tools at your disposal as Majority Leader to ensure this nomination proceeds without further obstruction.

We are confident that with your leadership, the Senate can move swiftly to confirm Mr. Martin and place a capable, principled professional in this critical position.

Sincerely,
SD GOP
[First Last,  Office or Position Held]

 If there are no complaints against sending this letter by Sunday night, I will polish it up and send it to Senator Thune.
                    Jim Eschenbaum
                    SD GOP Chaiman

If by polish it up, he means run spell check, that’s the first place to start. (Interam?) THey may also want to replace “Jan. 6 Political Prisoners“, with “insurrectionists who attacked the Capitol Building and sent the Senate into lockdown.” That might be a start.

It seems that this whole “pressure Senator Thune” effort is not without controversy among the Central Committee. Apparently there has been chatter among the Central Committee members with regards to the propriety of this whole push by the chairman wanting to put pressure on Majority Leader Thune:

Clay County GOP Chair Matthew Fairholm actually seems to have a good handle on the role of the party noting “The SDGOP Should be concerned with fundraising and electing Republicans in state and local elections. Not with lobbying efforts on policy positions… When we lose focus on our core mission, we gradually disintegrate as a party.”  (Give that man a gold star!).

But of course, there are those who insist on dragging the party back towards stupidity.

From Stu Cvrk, one of the architects at the center of the SDGOP’s current wave of toxicity disagrees, claiming that these efforts bolster “support for the state party by engaging in political action that most Republicans in the state support.”  Which make me wonder if the bubble he’s living in is filled with airplane model glue fumes or something like that. Since just about every one of the 321,318 Republicans in the state could absolutely care less. In fact, he might be stretching it if 318 people in group cared.

As one Republican quipped to me  – “This whole thing is stupid. Senator Thune can’t force Senator Tillis to do anything. If these idiots want to write a letter, then the should send it to Tillis. It makes as much sense as complaining to Thune that it’s raining outside and we need our US Senator to make it stop.”

This whole effort reminds me of a movie quote:  “I think this situation requires a really futile and stupid gesture be done on somebody’s part. And we’re just the guys to do it. – Animal House”

And that’s about what it appears the SDGOP hopes to accomplish.

As related on KELOLand.com, there is an odd chain of events where Senate President Pro Tem Chris Karr has apparently stripped Senator Helene Duhamel of a seat on the Capitol Restoration Commission that she had previously bees serving on, and replaced her with himself.

And then, of course, he didn’t bother to figure out when the meeting was and then actually go to the meeting. Because it was someone else’s job to tell him when the meeting was?:

Republican Sen. Helene Duhamel has received an official letter telling her that she no longer has a seat on the Capitol Complex Restoration and Beautification Commission.

Taking her place is Republican Sen. Chris Karr.  The same man who, as the Senate’s president pro tem, happens to hold the authority under state law to decide who among the Senate’s 35 members should be on the commission.

and..

The letter surprised Duhamel. She said Karr never called her. As to why he chose himself, she can only guess.

and..

“I wasn’t at the meeting because I hadn’t been notified that, because normally when you appoint, you get this e-mail letter saying, Hey, you’re on this thing and here’s what it is and here’s what it’s going to be, and I never received that,” Karr said.

Read the entire story here.

You know, I have every confidence Helene would have been there, had Karr not usurped the appointment for himself.  And would have looked up when the meeting was being held, as opposed to needing a letter.

If you’re not familiar, the meeting time, date and locations are listed in the South Dakota Register, the Boards and Commissions website, etc.

Just to add to the tongue wagging over what might happen in 2026, someone recently purchased “JackleyForCongress.com”

Johnson, Moore Legislation Aims to Prevent Foreign Takeovers and Closures of U.S. Businesses 

The American Ownership and Resilience Act would prevent the offshoring of American businesses, strengthen domestic supply chains, and invest in American workers

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representatives Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.), Blake Moore (R-UT), Lori Trahan (D-MA), and Bill Foster (D-IL) introduced the American Ownership and Resilience Act. The bill would expand employee ownership through Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs) and provide the financing needed to keep companies in American hands—protecting jobs, preserving communities, and countering growing efforts by foreign competitors like China to acquire strategic U.S. businesses.

“American businesses are the backbone of our economy, but many are at risk of dissolving or being sold to foreign competitors like China,” said Johnson. “The American Ownership and Resilience Act will keep these companies local, strong, and American-owned. Employee ownership is a pro-worker, pro-America solution.”

“We will soon witness the greatest transfer of assets in American history as over two million U.S. business owners near retirement in the next decade. During a period of increased global competition, ESOPs serve as a valuable option to keep businesses open and American-owned,” said Moore. “The American Ownership and Resilience Act will empower and support business owners and workers who want to transition to employee ownership, building substantial livelihoods for new employee owners and protecting our domestic supply chain from hostile foreign competitors.”

“With two decades of experience in creating employee-owned businesses, we have been blessed to enjoy a front row seat to the potential of ESOPs,” said Ted Margarit, Managing Partner of Paralign Capital Partners. “We seek to establish ESOP-investing as a credible asset class for investors seeking attractive risk adjusted returns, which in turn will enable more owners to pursue employee ownership. The American Ownership and Resilience Act will be instrumental in making this a reality, benefiting employees, their families, and communities across the country. It will bolster our economy and strategic production capacity across all industries by unlocking the enhanced efficiency and productivity enabled through the alignment of stakeholders in a company’s long-term success.”

Reflecting on the transition of his family-owned business to ESOP ownership in 2024, Scott Sletten, Chief Executive Officer of JDS Industries, said, “After over 50 years in business, it was time to chart the next chapter for JDS, its 300+ employees, and the communities in which we operate. While we had numerous options from private equity and other acquirors, JDS is at its core a family business and it only seemed fitting to empower my team to pursue the future prosperity of JDS for their benefit and the betterment of all of the communities in which we operate. However, like most business owners evaluating alternatives, our ESOP and its employee-participants lacked the necessary capital to responsibly pursue an ESOP by themselves. Fortunately, we were introduced to Paralign, who provided both advisory services and a significant, aligned investment, which was only the second of its kind, that made our ESOP possible. I expect that the American Ownership and Resilience Act will support additional investment in creating more employee-owned companies, which is a boon not only for those employees, but also our country and economy as a whole as I have already seen the enhanced productivity and alignment employee ownership fosters in our business.”

“The approaching wave of generational business succession across America poses acute risks to the vitality of our industrial base. By enabling the private sector to accelerate the growth of employee ownership, the American Ownership and Resilience Act offers a bipartisan opportunity to bolster U.S. economic security and supply chain resilience while creating an additional source of retirement wealth for American workers and families,” said Jack Moriarty, Executive Director of Lafayette Square Institute.

The American Ownership and Resilience Act would:

• Enable the private sector to finance U.S. business sales to American workers through Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs), without relying on taxpayer funds.
• Equip the Department of Commerce with a zero-subsidy investment facility to facilitate these transactions.
• Support Ownership Investment Companies (OICs)—licensed private investment funds—that will help overcome the capital access barrier currently impeding ESOP sales.

The American Ownership and Resilience Act is also cosponsored by U.S. Representatives Blake Moore (R-UT), Lori Trahan (D-MA), and Bill Foster (D-IL). U.S. Senators Todd Young (R-IN), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Jerry Moran (R-KS), and Tammy Baldwin (R-WI) introduced companion legislation in the Senate.

Click here for bill text.

Background:

The U.S. faces an economic shift as nearly half of all privately held businesses with employees are owned by individuals nearing retirement. These firms employ over 32 million Americans, and with more than half of owners expected to retire within the next decade, the nation risks a wave of business closures or sales—many to foreign buyers. This “silver tsunami” threatens job loss, community decline, and erosion of the U.S. industrial base.

China and other strategic competitors are actively acquiring American companies, particularly in manufacturing and technology. These transactions risk moving intellectual property, production capacity, and jobs overseas, which undermines national security and weakens domestic supply chains.

Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs) offer a powerful alternative. ESOP companies are more productive, resilient in downturns, and closely aligned with local communities, especially in rural and manufacturing regions. Employees in ESOP companies accumulate significantly greater retirement savings, often more than double that of workers in traditional firms, while also gaining a meaningful voice in the business. ESOPs preserve family business legacies, promote economic equity, and keep ownership and innovation in American hands.

Despite their clear benefits, ESOP transitions face structural financing challenges. Traditional buyers offer sellers immediate liquidity, but employee ownership often requires the seller to wait 5–10 years for full payment—discouraging many from pursuing this path, even with existing tax incentives.

The American Ownership and Resilience Act aims to bridge this financing gap by activating private investment to support employee ownership. This approach offers a strategic alternative to foreign acquisition and strengthens the foundation of the American economy by investing directly in its workforce.

###

Thanks to State Representative Taylor Rehfeldt and all nurses for what you do for all of us!  Very proud of all the nurses in my family, including my aunts, my sister, and my mom whom a number of people in Pierre remember as one of the School Nurses at Jefferson, Buchanan, the Jr. High, etc. while growing up. When she wasn’t auctioneering, stripping furniture, running an antique shop, etc:

(Of course, being a nurse meant that we only went to the doctor when we were dying, or the bone was sticking out.. which might be an old joke, but well grounded in reality.)

Again, thank you to all the nurses out there on the front lines of health care.

From Facebook, congratulations to Senator Tim Reed:

Thune: Republicans Fighting to Prevent Democrats’ Small Business Tax Hike

“[I]f we don’t extend and make permanent the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, at the end of this year, our small businesses are going to be facing a $600 billion tax hike. And that is what the Democrats here are going to be voting for if they choose not to work with us …”

 Click here or on the picture to watch the video.

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) today spoke at a press conference with Senate Republican leadership.

Came across this in a shop a couple of weeks back, and thought I’d share how we used to advertise our State Capitol Building and grounds as a tourism destination. Back in the early 50’s during the Sig Anderson era of state government..

Well, there’s a first. Mike Zitterich actually managed to turn in a petition to run for office, unlike his previous attempts:

In a statement sent to the Argus Leader, Zitterich said that he wants to “infuse into my platform the America-First concept, by establishing a Sioux Falls First Agenda, of promoting strong ethical, and christian principles back in government,” adding that he’s interested in creating a “Government Financial Transparency” office to examine city spending.

And…

His press release points to a website with several articles authored by Zitterich, including one in which he claimed that “Great Britain has remained in full control of the United States” despite the outcome of the American Revolution.

Read that in the Argus Leader.

God save the king? Oookay..

At least that’s not as bad as the last time Mike Zitterich was on our radar, as he explained why it’s ok for 16 year old girls to be married off to 45 year old men:

“By the time your children reach their teenage years, ages 13-19 becoming young adults, they begin to earn our respect, earning the the right to become employed (age 13), to drive on public roads (age 14), and beginning to form their own adult like relationships. Mind you, all by pertaining by the rules and guidelines as laid down by the rules of the home, their parents, so by age 16, they may get married to any adult older than 16”

…. the b.s media clam that anyone having sex with a teenager is a pedo, when in fact, it simply violates the consent laws, where the parents must be involved in those types of relationships.”

Read that here (with a copy of his original Facebook post)

And folks, that is why candidate quality matters. Because this is what you get when it doesn’t.

Unless you like people in office who think Great Britain is still in control, and old men should be able to marry little girls. (With the parent’s involvement, as per Zitterich.)