Category: Uncategorized

Gov. Rhoden Appoints Jim Dover and Jamie Stucky to the Board of Technical Education

PIERRE, S.D. –  Today, the Senate approved Governor Larry Rhoden’s appointment of James “Jim” Dover and Jamie Stucky to the South Dakota Board of Technical Education.

“Jim Dover and Jamie Stucky will bring strategic vision and strong leadership skills to the Board of Technical Education,” said Governor Larry Rhoden. “I am confident that they will help fulfill my mission to keep South Dakota Open for Opportunity, especially when it comes to opportunities for South Dakotans to get into the career of their dreams.”

Dover holds a bachelor’s degree in bacteriology from the University of Idaho and a master’s of hospital administration from the University of Minnesota. He currently serves as the President and CEO of Avera Health and is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives.

“I am honored and grateful to Governor Rhoden for this appointment to the South Dakota Board of Technical Education. It is a privilege to serve and support the vital role that our technical colleges play in developing a strong workforce,” said Jim Dover. “In health care, workforce readiness is critical, and I am continually impressed by the quality of graduates who choose to pursue their education and careers right here in South Dakota. I look forward to contributing to the growth and success of our students, our institutions, and our communities.”

Dover’s strong depth of health care leadership encompasses 40 years’ experience. Prior to his current position, he served in leadership roles for Sparrow Health in Lansing, MI; Hospital Sisters Health System in Springfield, IL; Daughters of Charity Health System in Los Altos Hills, CA; St. Anthony North Hospital in Westminster, CO; and several additional health systems on the West Coast.

Jim Dover and his wife, Maria, have four adult children. He enjoys spending time with his family, participating in outdoor activities, and playing tennis. You can find a photo of Jim Dover here.

Jamie Stucky lives in Lennox and works as the Senior Director of Clinical Learning Strategies at Sanford Health in Sioux Falls. She has been a registered nurse at Sanford Health for nearly 20 years, working in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, ambulatory care, health care accreditation, nursing professional development, and academic-practice partnerships. Stucky earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Mount Marty College in 2005 and a Master of Science in Health Care Administration from the University of South Dakota in 2017.

“I’d like to express my gratitude to Governor Rhoden for appointing me to the South Dakota Board of Technical Education. I’m excited for the opportunity to serve the state of South Dakota alongside the esteemed members of this board and to help guide the future of our state’s technical education programs,” said Jamie Stucky. “I will approach this position by utilizing my background in healthcare, but also by using a spirit of collaboration and a growth mindset to help maximize the impact of working on a team with diverse background and experiences.”

Over the past decade, Stucky has collaborated with academic partners across South Dakota to support clinical placements and has participated in Build Dakota student interviews and signing day events. She also serves on the Nursing Advisory Board at Southeast Technical College. You can find a photo of Jamie Stucky here.

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Gov. Rhoden Appoints Miles Beacom and Griffin Petersen to the Board of Regents 

PIERRE, S.D. –  Today, the Senate confirmed Governor Rhoden’s appointment of Miles Beacom and Griffin Petersen to the South Dakota Board of Regents.

“Miles and Griffin have both shown exceptional leadership in all walks of life,” said Governor Larry Rhoden. “They are dedicated problem solvers, and I am confident that their service will lead our universities towards a brighter future.”

Miles K. Beacom is a graduate of Dakota State University, and he has served as Chief Executive Officer of PREMIER Bankcard since 1993. Under his leadership, PREMIER Bankcard has gone from serving 30,000 cardholders to more than 2 million customers nationwide. In 2006, the University of South Dakota in Vermillion named its School of Business in honor of Beacom.

Beacom currently serves on the Board of Directors for PREMIER Bankcard, LLC, First PREMIER Bank, United National Corporation, and is serving as the 2025 President of the Board of the Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce. He also serves on the South Dakota Freedom Scholarship Board, the Sioux Empire United Way, the Sanford Health International, the Dakota State University Foundation, the Catholic Diocese for Eastern South Dakota, and the USD Beacom School of Business Advisory Board.

“I would like to thank Governor Rhoden for this tremendous opportunity to serve on the Board of Regents. The success of our public universities over the past couple of decades is truly remarkable,” said Miles Beacom. “Our universities must remain nimble to change in this fast-paced technology environment that we are in today, and it is our responsibility to provide the tools our graduates need to be successful in this ever-changing job market. I have a lot to learn from the current Regents and universities, and I look forward to the challenges and opportunities ahead.”

Beacom and his wife Lisa have three daughters, one son, and two grandchildren. You can find a picture of Miles Beacom here.

Griffin Petersen is a junior at the University of South Dakota studying political science and criminal justice, with a minor in history. He hails from the small town of Onida, SD, and he has served USD’s student body as a Student Government Association Senator since his freshman year. Petersen stays active on campus through his involvement as President of the USD College Republicans and as President of his fraternity, Lambda Chi Alpha.

“I want to thank Governor Rhoden for giving me the honor of serving as the student representative on the South Dakota Board of Regents. Our state universities have seen tremendous growth over the years as students from all over the world continue to choose South Dakota as the place to get a quality education for an affordable price,” said Griffin Petersen. “I have experienced firsthand how valuable our higher education system is because I see it in the students, faculty, and staff who step foot on our campuses every day. I look forward to helping the Board continue this level of growth and serve as a strong and passionate voice for the 36,000 students who attend our state colleges and universities.”

Petersen served as an intern for both of South Dakota’s U.S. Senators out in Washington, DC, last summer. He also served as an intern for the South Dakota State House of Representatives during the 98th Legislative Session. You can find a photo of Griffin Petersen here.

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Attorney General’s Office Releases Final Explanation for Draft Constitutional Amendment Proposed by Sioux Falls Man

PIERRE, S.D. – The final ballot explanation for a draft constitutional amendment, proposed by Rick Weiland of Sioux Falls, that would require legislative changes for voter-approved initiated measures for seven years after approval to be approved by three-fourths of the Legislature and also require approval of the voters, has been released by the South Dakota Attorney General’s Office.

Attorney General Marty Jackley takes no position on any such proposal for purposes of the ballot explanation. He has provided a fair and neutral explanation on the proposed constitutional amendment to help assist the voters.

This proposed constitutional amendment would restrict the Legislature’s ability to change or repeal voter-approved measures for seven years after the measure takes effect. During that seven-year period, the Legislature may still approve legislation that would either change or repeal laws approved by initiated measure, but such action must be passed by three-fourths of all members in each legislative chamber. The legislation would also have to be approved by voters at the next general election.

The proposed constitutional amendment would require 35,017 valid petition signatures to qualify for the 2026 general election ballot. The ballot explanation can be found here.

For more information regarding ballot measures, please visit the Secretary of State’s website.

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Gov. Rhoden Signs Attorney General Jackley’s Bills into Law

PIERRE, S.D. –  Today, Governor Larry Rhoden signed nine bills into law, including six bills that were introduced by Attorney General Marty Jackley. He signed those six bills in a signing ceremony with the Attorney General, and you can find a photo of that signing here.

“As stewards of taxpayer dollars, we have a responsibility to ensure integrity in how those dollars are spent,” said Governor Larry Rhoden. “My team worked closely with Attorney General Jackley throughout the legislative process to get these bills to a place that protects taxpayer dollars while making sure that the punishment fits the crime.”

The Rhoden Administration has successfully trained 100% of state employees on integrity, public trust, and a service mindset; continues to move forward on implementation of the Project BISON accounting system; has reviewed, updated, improved, and even added dozens of internal controls; and is allocating more resources to Board of Internal Controls through the budget process.

Governor Rhoden signed the following six bills that were introduced by Attorney General Jackley:

• SB 58 revises provisions related to human trafficking, prohibits the obstruction of human trafficking enforcement, and provides a penalty therefor;
• SB 59 revises provisions relating to the delivery, possession with intent to deliver, and possession of unauthorized articles in a state correctional facility, and provides a penalty therefor;
• SB 60 expands the access and investigatory authority of the state auditor;
• SB 61 modifies the authority of the Board of Internal Control;
• SB 62 establishes mandatory reporting requirements related to improper governmental conduct and crime, and provides a penalty therefor; and
• SB 63 establishes protections for state employees who report improper governmental conduct and crime.

“Today, our State is choosing to better protect taxpayer dollars and those State employees reporting crimes to the Attorney General,” said Attorney General Marty Jackley.

Governor Rhoden also signed the following three government accountability bills:

• SB 144 requires legislative approval for significant capital expenditures by the Department of Game, Fish and Parks;
• SB 145 requires legislative approval of real property leases that are necessary for the operation of state government and exceed specified durations or rental payments; and
• SB 146 revises provisions on interim transfers and appropriations.

Governor Rhoden has signed 106 bills into law this legislative session.

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So at 8pm March 11, KELOland files a story about the rhetoric around HB 1239, the Lock-up Librarians Bill:

Legislation at the South Dakota state Capitol in Pierre is providing an example of how quickly the tone of a political conversation can turn intense in 2025.

and..

“If a librarian rented this out to my son or daughter, you’d be lucky if you got hauled out of there in handcuffs,” Ismay said on Feb. 19.

and..

“If somebody had knowingly given that to my children when they were little, I’m, I’d want them strung up from the nearest tree,” Howard said Monday.

Read that here.

I wonder where they got the idea for that story.  I would guess it was my post on that very topic at 8:30 that morning:

First off, when this bill was first discussed on the House side in Committee debate, White History Month’s Rep. Travis Ismay:

Rep. Travis Ismay, R-Newell, suggested an arrest might be insufficient punishment.

“If a librarian rented this out to my son or daughter, you’d be lucky if you got hauled out of there in handcuffs,” Ismay said. 

Read that here.

Those aren’t the words of a stable person.

And yesterday, we had the utterly awful (and now Senator) Taffy Howard actually call for librarians to be killed by hanging:

If somebody had knowingly given that to my children when they were little, I’d want them strung up from the nearest tree.

– Taffy Howard

Read that here.

They are calling for violence against Librarians because they don’t like words?  (Literally.)   Who does that?

Read that here.

Especially considering they hadn’t touched the topic before when Ismay said it, and they hadn’t connected the dots about Taffy adding her own violent rhetoric until I posted on it.

Didn’t they just get called out by Jon Ellis at the Dakota Scout for a lack of professional courtesy?

Nice.

Sounds like the Senate’s Republican Caucus elections for the Legislature’s Executive Board are happening, in that several far right populists are being beat out for positions by others with a steady hand at the wheel.

What’s the inside track? Here’s the blow by blow I was given of how the vote went down:

Republican E-Board Candidates:

Deibert          Kolbeck
Perry              Peterson
Pischke          Otten
Reed               Taffy

Here’s what I’m being told are the results from caucus voting:

• First round of caucus voting has Ernie Otten as the only clear winner with majority support. In the first round, Sue Peterson was dropped as the lowest vote recipient.
• Round 2: Steve Kolbeck and Randy Deibert win in the second round.   Taffy Howard was knocked off in round 2 as lowest vote getter. (I’m told she was annoyed and sitting by herself.)
• Round 3: Tim Reed, Carl Perry, and Tom Pischke for 1 spot. Tim Reed top vote getter but not a majority, and Assistant Majority Leader Carl Perry was bumped off by his peers. That’s got to sting for the #2 Republican in the Senate.
• Round 4: Tom Pischke versus Tim Reed – Tie 16-16
• Round 5: Tom Pischke versus Tim Reed #2 – another 16-16 tie.

With an unbroken 16-16 tie between Reed and Pischke, Round 6 is postponed until tomorrow.

There’s definitely a division in the caucus, with Ernie Otten in the catbird seat in the middle between the far right populists and the traditional Republican camps. And most of the hardest right being bumped.

Stay tuned.  We’ll see if it goes to an experienced hand in Tim Reed, or “I hate Mitchell” Tom Pischke.

*Updated*

Apparently Pischke won the final ballot this AM. Can’t win them all.

Despite no one asking for it, apparently Toby Doeden is back in the field with another Internet poll trying to figure out if anybody knows who he is or cares that he badly wants to run for governor:

Unfortunately, they didn’t include a selection of dipstick.

There’s a number of other questions asked, including school vouchers, a strategic bitcoin reserve for the state, even though absolutely no one cares about a strategic bitcoin reserve for South Dakota. He even has a question about adding Donald Trump to Mount Rushmore.

The silly season for 2026 is nearly upon us.

The newly defanged House Bill 1239 had a razor thin majority of House members concur in NOT wanting to lock up librarians as Bethany Soye had wanted in the original bill. Instead, House members agreed with the slim majority in the Senate that there should be a civil path forward for those who don’t library decisions on what books to put on the shelved.

Sanity prevailed today in the South Dakota House. By a narrow margin.

So, just a question… since those people in red technically all voted against the bill… does that mean they are pro-porn in libraries?  Just asking, since we’ll see this fight played out in text messages and postcards next year.

Gov. Rhoden Signs Pro-Second Amendment Bill and 31 Other Bills into Law

PIERRE, S.D. –  Today, Governor Larry Rhoden signed HB 1080, a pro-Second Amendment bill, which voids covenants that prohibit or restrict the possession or use of firearms and ammunition.

“I am proud that South Dakota is not only the most Second Amendment-friendly state, but also the freest state in a nation that was founded on the principle of freedom,” said Governor Larry Rhoden. “As long as I am Governor, I will continue to do everything in my power to protect our Second Amendment rights and keep South Dakota strong, safe, and free.”

Governor Rhoden also signed the following 31 bills into law:

• HB 1001 updates a reference to the Internal Revenue Code for purposes of higher education savings plans;
• HB 1024 amends certain fees collected by the secretary of state;
• HB 1026 makes an appropriation for the replacement of the Richmond Lake dam and spillway, for the general maintenance and repair of other state-owned dams, and declares an emergency;
• HB 1051 updates provisions on the interim legislative oversight of administrative rulemaking;
• HB 1067 defines the term “must;”
• HB 1068 allows a student to wear certain military decorations at a school graduation ceremony and declares an emergency;
• HB 1079 increases the number of off-sale licenses from two to three in municipalities and counties of one thousand or less;
• HB 1092 makes an appropriation for a student teacher stipend grant program;
• HB 1093 modifies the permissible dates for a school district bond election;
• HB 1097 establishes and modifies provisions for the temporary training of nonresident physicians;
• HB 1100 clarifies which opinions must be included in the annual judicial opinions report prepared by the Legislative Research Council;
• HB 1129 provides for the transfer of motor vehicles and boats upon death;
• HB 1133 amends bond requirements;
• HB 1141 provides an exception for employers to acquire and distribute opioid antagonists that are available over the counter;
• HB 1157 amends the maximum fee limit due when applying for a county drainage permit;
• HB 1194 authorizes the cooperation of counties for purposes of operating an office of county director of equalization;
• HB 1265 establishes provisions related to the sharing of information with the national marrow donor program;
• SB 8 establishes certain criminal offenses for boat operators and provides penalties therefor;
• SB 34 updates the roles of the Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources and the Department of Public Safety regarding burning and burn permit issuing authority;
• SB 37 revises and repeals provisions related to the 911 emergency surcharge and the 911 Coordination Board;
• SB 44 modifies tax refunds for elderly persons and persons with a disability, makes an appropriation therefor, and declares an emergency;
• SB 46 specifies the funds into which certain boat fees are deposited;
• SB 52 authorizes the expansion of the South Dakota State Veterans Cemetery, makes an appropriation therefor, and declares an emergency;
• SB 79 permits the operation of a Class I electric bicycle on the Mickelson Trail;
• SB 99 makes an appropriation for purchasing, storing, and distributing sexual assault kits;
• SB 123 revises provisions related to forensic medical examinations;
• SB 140 revises a provision related to the reimbursement of expenses incurred by a county in detaining a parolee;
• SB 154 prohibits pharmaceutical manufacturers from interfering in contracts between 340B entities and pharmacies and provides a penalty therefor;
• SB 167 revises certain provisions pertaining to municipal government;
• SB 170 authorizes the South Dakota State Brand Board to enter a memorandum of understanding with any Indian tribe for the investigation of cattle theft; and
• SB 219 requires the acceptance of a cash payment for admission to a school-affiliated event.

Governor Rhoden has signed 97 bills into law this legislative session.

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Johnson Introduces Legislation to Crack Down on Chinese-Made Fentanyl 

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representative Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) and the Select Committee on China’s Fentanyl Policy Working Group introduced bipartisan, bicameral legislation to combat the deadly fentanyl crisis and hold China accountable for its role in fueling the epidemic.

“China has been flooding our nation with fentanyl for years, profiting on the destruction and poisoning of American lives,” said Johnson. “Getting tough on China includes cracking down on their money-making fentanyl scheme, which is devastating American families. I’m proud to support this legislation to help make America safe and healthy again.”

“The Chinese Communist Party has deliberately funded the production of fentanyl chemicals, which are sold to cartels and trafficked into the U.S., killing Americans,” said Select Committee on China Chairman John Moolenaar. “This legislation builds on the bipartisan Select Committee’s report from last year and will unite government agencies to disrupt trafficking networks and impose sanctions on those poisoning our country. This is a critical step to hold China accountable and protect American lives from this deadly crisis.”

“The CCP is the leading force behind the fentanyl crisis, and the United States is failing to respond while they profit from the loss of American lives,” said Newhouse. “This Joint Task Force will pool resources across the federal government and respond to this crisis with everything from sanctions to joint drug raids to keep this deadly substance out of our communities. This task force will help President Trump and his administration accomplish his goal of stopping the flow of fentanyl from China across our northern and southern borders.”

“Fentanyl killed nearly 4,000 Pennsylvanians last year and over 200 Americans each day,” Senator McCormick said. “This legislation would empower our federal government to coordinate all the tools at its disposal to combat the trafficking of lethal fentanyl that is ruining American families. I’ve heard from too many families who have lost their loved ones to fentanyl overdoses, I refuse to allow it to continue.”

In 2023, fentanyl was responsible for nearly 70% of drug overdose deaths in America – a staggering and preventable loss of life.

Johnson was appointed to the Fentanyl Policy Working Group in June 2024.

Legislation:

Joint Task Force to Counter Illicit Synthetic Narcotics Act of 2025

This bill establishes a Joint Task Force to counter synthetic narcotics, primarily focusing on opioids like fentanyl. The task force will bring together representatives from relevant federal agencies to conduct joint operations, disrupt trafficking networks, and enforce sanctions. It will focus on international and domestic coordination, including addressing the role of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in the opioid crisis. The task force aims to streamline interagency collaboration, enhance legal enforcement, and report regularly to Congress.

In the Senate, the legislation is cosponsored by Senators Dave McCormick (R-PA), Chris Coons (D-DE), Katie Britt (R-AL), and John Fetterman (D-PA). In the House, the legislation is cosponsored by Representatives Dan Newhouse (R-WA), Jake Auchincloss (D-MA), John Moolenaar (R-MI), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), Neal Dunn (R-FL), Ro Khanna (D-CA), Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.), and Ritchie Torres (D-NY).

Read text here.

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