Category: Uncategorized

South Dakota State University’s most recent political poll was released today, and it’s not looking so good for Steve Haugaard, Bruce Whalen, or Taffy Howard. They might be able to take a little consolation in that as bad as it looks for them, it might be worse for the Attorney General.

The SDSU poll has Governor Noem utterly crushing Steve Haugaard, on a preference of 61 – 17%. Literally, he could take every undecided, and she’d still beat him on nearly a 2-1 basis.

Read that here.

This race is over.  Just like it is in the Thune contest.

If the Republican primary for United States Senate was held today, 46% of likely primary voters indicated that they would vote for John Thune. Challengers Bruce Whalen and Mark Mowry received support of 9% and 4%, respectively.

Read that here.

Done. Stick a fork in the Whalen and Mowry potatoes.  They shouldn’t spend their gas money at this point.

And again in Congressional contest..

Finally, we asked likely Republican primary voters about their preferences in the U.S. House primary was held today. Of these voters, 53% indicated they would vote for Dusty Johnson, just under 17% said they would vote for Taffy Howard, and 30% were not sure.

Read that here.

Is that worse than Liz May did? When the numbers are said and done, I have a suspicion it could be. Taffy’s vote total is suspiciously close to the percentage of floor votes she didn’t show up for in Pierre.

And then there’s the voter preference on impeachment..

This is so definitive that it shows like there might be some huge liabilities for candidates who came out against it in the House. 70-9%? Whoof.

Seriously, go read the entire article here, because it’s an eye opener, and gives a good indication of how things are going to go 3 weeks from now. 

Thune, Johnson and Kristi are on a glide path to re-election, and their challengers are entirely clueless.  It’s over.

Apparently Liz May is sending out postcards this week explaining to Republican voters in selected Districts who is and is not a fake Republican.

This would be the same Liz May who was outed two years ago as having been a Hillary Clinton for President donor in 2008:

In case that’s tough to read, here’s a close-up:

If Hillary Clinton supporter Liz May is setting standards for who is and who is not a “true Republican,” then we’re all in trouble.

** Update **

Just had a reader send this over to me.

South Dakota Citizens for Liberty, a Rapid City conservative advocacy group, named the lawmakers Monday as part of a legislative scorecard report. An official said the party switches raise questions about lawmakers’ commitment to conservative ideology.

and..

Sen. Al Novstrup, R-Aberdeen, went to the county courthouse Monday to re-assess his voting record but wasn’t able to get answers as it was closed for Native American Day.

“I’m wondering if it’s accurate,” Novstrup said. “There’s a possibility I switched over if there was a primary that wanted to vote it, but it would’ve only been for about a month. And so what?”

Read that here.

So, Liz May’s PAC is attacking Rachel Dix for not being a Republican her whole life, when Tonchi Weaver’s group was attacking Al Novstrup for the same thing a few years ago?

These guys need to figure out their purity tests.

 

Being a police officer isn’t just a job. It’s a calling. These are the people we call when there is a car accident, when someone is in trouble or in need, or when someone’s safety is at risk. These are the people who run toward danger and violence when the natural reaction for others is to run away from it. They have dedicated their lives to protecting our communities and keeping our friends, families, and neighbors safe.

We owe our men and women in law enforcement a great debt – a debt few can fully comprehend. They go out and risk their lives every day of the week, every minute of the day – through holidays and other family celebrations. And they bear a heavy physical and emotional burden. It’s tough to have to see such highs and lows on a daily basis – to spend years rescuing children who are in trouble or supporting victims of violence or bringing bad guys to justice. They confront these kinds of things so we don’t have to – and they pay a price. We owe them and their families our profound gratitude.

We can and we should be doing more to support law enforcement, from local South Dakota communities to the overwhelmed agents at the southern border and everywhere in between. Earlier this month, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, while testifying before Congress, said that morale in the Border Patrol is low, which shouldn’t come as any surprise. Shockingly, Secretary Mayorkas also said that there were more than 389,000 individuals the Border Patrol saw but was unable to apprehend at our southern border during fiscal year 2021. Our Border Patrol officers do heroic work, but they are stretched incredibly thin and have been for more than a year now. Criminals, including human traffickers, drug smugglers, and gang members, regularly attempt to cross our southern border, and when they do, it impacts local law enforcement in communities throughout the country. In essence, the border crisis turns every town in America into a border town.

One of the most important ways we can support law enforcement is with our words and with our actions. Unfortunately, Democrats have spent the last two years championing the “defund the police” movement and soft-on-crime policies, which have resulted in skyrocketing crime and murder rates, low morale among officers, and a record number of police being killed in the line of duty. I know most South Dakotans agree, but let me be perfectly clear: Defunding the police is a terrible idea. We need to fully fund law enforcement, support our police and other law enforcement officers, and back the blue.

I am so thankful to those in South Dakota law enforcement who have made our state such a safe place to live, work, and raise a family. Please know that you’re appreciated for all you do.

Every week, but especially during National Police Week, I want to recognize and express my sincere gratitude to the men and women who serve our communities and remember those who paid the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty. Thank you for working every day to protect us, our children, and the cities and towns we call home.

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Our moms and babies are facing a huge—and dangerous—problem. The nationwide baby formula supply out-of-stock level is 43%—but in South Dakota, our out-of-stock levels areover 50%. Store shelves are empty. Mothers are worried about being able to feed their babies.

Abbott Nutrition produces 43% of the market’s baby formula. Last September, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) became aware of contamination at Abbott Nutrition and subsequently received more consumer complaints through the end of 2021. But the FDA did not begin a follow-up inspection until January 31, 2022—a 44-day delay from the last complaint received.

It wasn’t until February 2022 that Abbott Nutrition voluntarily recalled their powdered baby formula. The negligence and slow responses by Abbott Nutrition and the FDA caused at least four cases of sickness, and unfortunately two of those cases are believed to have resulted in death. The FDA has been slow to kickstart supply again—requiring Abbott Nutrition’s baby formula to be evaluated and released on a case-by-case basis for two months. This is severely restricting formula supply to return to normal levels.

I sent a letter to the FDA demanding answers for their delay and lack of foresight in this situation. Federal agencies must increase transparency and accountability in their decisions. The FDA needs to answer to the American people why they let this problem get out of hand.

This is a pro-life issue, and my pro-life values continue beyond the womb. While I recently cosponsored two bills, the Heartbeat Protection Act and the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act to protect life in the womb, protecting life after birth is just as essential. Ensuring life means ensuring access to basic needs like formula. A supply shortage of this magnitude is dangerous.

Americans have faced supply chain crisis after supply chain crisis—enough is enough. We need answers & solutions from the FDA, and we need to provide for our nation’s babies.

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Brookings seems to be recovering from the Derecho, but man, that was the worst storm since we moved to town in 2005.

One thing that’s amazing about the storm that hit the area was the level of property damage. My wife and I had to venture to Volga to get supplies, and to swing South to check at my sisters out at the lake. In the limited traveling we did, we managed to snap a few photos along the way but the best advice was to not travel at all.  At one point just after the storm, we had to wait while they cleared a roof off of the road.

This business had recently built this building between Brookings and Volga, and it took an extremely hard hit.

As did the camper next door.

Tim Reisch’s sign survived in Volga, a little worse for the wear..

And crazy long lines at the Volga Casey’s for gas trip #2, since there was no power to get gas in Brookings (when I got out at 7:45, it wasn’t too bad, but there was definitely a line, but by 10am it was insane).  We went to the farmer’s coop downtown in Volga to gas up the station wagon, and snuck in, where it was only 2-3 cars deep.

Scenes of damage like this are commonplace around town.

Just up the street from me, a huge tree had landed on this garage, which was cleared by the afternoon. But the roof beam is in pieces.  Hopefully they can salvage the structure.

This was commonplace too. A lot of these white pvc fences were pulled apart.

And lots of shingles stripped off everywhere.

Deciduous trees seemed to not have as much damage as coniferous ones, because they’re just starting to leaf.  But the pine tree population sure took a hit here in Brookings.

Out at the lake, there was some pretty considerable damage. One sister came from Denver to visit my other sister, and they were both going to run the Brookings Marathon. That was canceled.  Trees knocked about, and pontoon boats flipped upside down in the middle of the lake while still in their lift was pretty standard out there.

The force of straight-line wind just crushed these garage doors like a beer can..

And I think that used to be a shed, which was tossed about.

Just a smattering of what Mother Nature can unleash on us when we least expect it.

Hey all – back on the air.. on a computer as opposed to a phone charged from battery packs and my truck.

I was out of power for about 30 hours, and there are friends and relatives who are still waiting. It has been crazy to say the least, from Derecho slammed Brookings.  Thankfully, I’ve got a gas stove, and I ran over to Ace hardware in Volga to grab a small charcoal grill, after I had gotten rid of mine when I got an electric pellet smoker.  The home of South Dakota’s largest University is nearly back up and running thanks to the diligent utility, emergency, and other crews who have been working hard.

While all the weather lunacy has been going on, the mail was delivering just fine, and postcards have been hitting across the state. I’ve got a sampling of them for you for your reading entertainment.

Several legislators took some lumps, and at least one this weekend took a huge bump from the state’s chief executive:

First off, Kaleb Weis took a hit for his opposition to Governor Noem’s freedom scholarship, pointing out that his home district would have benefitted from some of the enrollment opportunities.

Maybe not the smartest vote he’s ever taken. I’ll just stop there.

Speaking of Universities, Doug Post took a lump today regarding his testimony to the redistricting committee last year about how he wanted to see his area drawn.

I sense a trend about candidates and how their views affect universities.

Lee Schoenbeck, who is celebrating a birthday today, had a nice positive postcard pop into mailboxes with some bullet points on his background, as well as noting his support of Lake Area Technical College:

 

In strong competition for the title of worst legislator in Pierre, Julie Frye Mueller is finding that her vote in opposition of the general bill has some consequences along the lines of what she voted NO on, in this case the State Veterans Home, which had funding contained in the Bill:

Oops. That might be a challenging vote to explain to the residents of the southern part of her district.

Tom Pischke found himself being held to account for a story that broke on KELOland earlier this year, where he complained on the House Floor that a proposed increase in child support was going to hurt him personally:

You might have probably guessed that he was going to hear that comment again.

And while several members of the hard right took hard hits, District 3 Senate challenger Rachel Dix had a nice bump from Governor Kristi Noem who lent her support for the District 3 Senate Candidate challenging Al Novstrup in the Republican Primary:

And the election inches closer and closer…

Stay tuned. And if you get a campaign postcard, send it on over. We’d love to see!

South Dakota Strong
By Governor Kristi Noem
May 13, 2022

Nature has a way of humbling us, of stepping into our lives with previously unthought power and reminding us what truly matters. That’s how I felt these past two days while surveying storm damage across much of South Dakota.

But the power of the storm was not the only thing that I found humbling. I found it in the families in Castlewood who had lost their homes, but were still grateful to be safe, alive, and together. I found it in the first responders in communities across our state who maintained a cheerful, can-do attitude despite the long road ahead. And I found it in our community leaders who demonstrated the necessary resolve to get our cities and towns back on the right track.

Salem had to evacuate their nursing home. But first, staff moved their residents into an internal room. They had latched the doors, but literally had to hold them shut due to the wind. On the other side of the door, the roof had been completely torn off. That’s courage – that’s going above and beyond.

In Castlewood, I spent time talking to a woman wearing a “small town proud” shirt. She just happened to be wearing it when the storm hit. But it fit. It demonstrated exactly how I felt in that moment, surrounded by folks I had grown up with, who were facing struggles ahead, but were proud to be from small town South Dakota.

In Madison, first responders reflected on the fact that it wasn’t that long ago, in 2019, when we had all been together during another crisis, the flooding that hit that town. They had smiles on their faces last night because they knew from that experience that we could get through this.

I’m proud of South Dakota. I’m proud of the small towns who are weathering this together, just like they weather everything. I’m proud of our cities who were ready and responded swiftly. I’m proud of our farmers, who had a tough go of it, too. They know that the Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away — that the weather can make their living or wreck it. And they keep on plowing, sowing, and reaping, nonetheless.

We will continue to get information out to our people in the coming days. We are getting emergency resources to communities, deploying the National Guard when necessary, and working with local and federal emergency response to help folks out. There is more work to do — together we will get it done.

In the meantime, help your neighbors. Check on them if it’s safe to do so. And pray for your fellow South Dakotans. Pray for the families in so many communities who will have to spend time away from their homes while we rebuild; for the towns where the lights are still out; for the workers helping to get the lights back on and for the emergency responders helping to keep everyone safe in the process.

We are South Dakota strong. And we will prove it, once again, by getting through this

Drop me a note, and I can get you hooked up.

AFP Action, a more political affiliate of Americans for Prosperity, is entering into a more active role in supporting candidates in South Dakota Primaries this election with a series of facebook ads encouraging people to support their preferred candidates.

According to their website, Americans for Prosperity Action® is committed to working with anyone to advance positive policies that: foster economic growth and allow Americans to keep more of their hard-earned paychecks, eliminate burdensome regulations that stifle innovation, drive down the cost of health care and improve the wellbeing of individuals, eliminate trade barriers to keep common goods affordable for more consumers, drive a permanent solution for Dreamers, build safer communities through reforms to the criminal justice system, expand opportunities for students to access the highest quality education, and get our veterans the care they deserve.

A review of Facebook notes a series of advertisements that have already been placed across the state in support of nearly a dozen candidates this election cycle:

Carl Perry (D3), Brent Hoffman (D9), Bethany Soye (D9), Chris Karr (D 11), Sue Peterson (D13), Ben Krohmer (D20), Jim Mehlhaff (D24), Mary Weinheimer (D24), Tom Brunner (D28B), Beka Zerbst (D29), and Janet Jensen (D33) are all being featured in advertising from the group as it encourages people to vote for the candidates with messages such as “Lower Taxes” and “Champion for Fiscal Responsibility.”

You can follow the group’s facebook page here.

Looks like Dave Roetman, one of the founders of the Patriot Ripple Group in Sioux Falls is backing Dave Natvig for AG.

No word yet on other public supporters.

It’s interesting, as Roetman was said to be behind current Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg’s continued efforts at re-election, despite the impeachment investigation which culminated in the matter being referred to the State Senate.

Roetman has also been rumored to be behind other campaigns, including talk that he’s behind Secretary of State candidate Monae Johnson’s effort, as well as being behind some of the other challenger campaigns in Sioux Falls.

Such as Bobbi Andera’s Sioux Falls City Council effort which garnered her nearly 11% of the vote.

Stay tuned.