Category: Uncategorized

Rounds Introduces Legislation to Help Combat Avian Influenza Outbreak 

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) today introduced legislation to help combat the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) outbreak in the United States. The Avian Influenza Vaccination Strategy Act would require the U.S. Trade Representative and the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to negotiate with trade partners on a strategy for HPAI poultry vaccine.

“Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza continues to impact millions of birds across the United States, which hurts our producers and our supply chain,” said Rounds. “While our leaders continue to work toward a solution, we must make certain that this solution includes communicating with our trade partners about our vaccine strategy. If trade partners won’t accept birds that have been vaccinated against HPAI, this could have further implications for producers.”

This legislation is supported by Dakota Provisions and the National Turkey Federation.

“Highly Pathogenic Avian influenza (HPAI) continues to pose a significant threat to domestic poultry populations in our region and across the United States,” said Jordan Woodbury, CEO of Dakota Provisions. “We appreciate Senator Rounds’s proactive efforts to address the concerns of our critical trading partners.  Impacted turkey producers and allied industries in South Dakota are in need of additional mitigation tools, including the potential use of a HPAI vaccine.”

Since the most recent outbreak of HPAI in February 2022, 157.7 million birds have been lost to the virus in all 50 states. In 2024, HPAI impacted 18 commercial flocks in South Dakota. HPAI has also infected other animals, including dairy cattle. Many poultry producers believe an HPAI vaccine will provide significant relief; however, the deployment of a vaccine for poultry is contingent upon our negotiations with trade partners. If trade partners cannot agree on a vaccine campaign, they could move to block imports of American poultry.

USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins, who was confirmed on February 13, 2025, and National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett are preparing a strategy to respond to HPAI, including a focus on biosecurity and medication. USDA has conditionally approved a vaccine for poultry that is deployed by individually injecting each bird. Once the vaccine is fully approved, deployment will vary from species to species.

Rounds has been a leader in the push for an HPAI vaccine. In January 2024, Rounds sent a letter to then-USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack and then-U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai asking them to begin discussions with trade partners on HPAI vaccines.

Click HERE to read full bill text.

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Referring back to my earlier post on SDGOP Chair Jim Eschenbaum testifying in committee opposing a change in law to allow the Governor to pick his running mate, where he listed himself on the roster, and announced his testimony specifically as Chairman of the South Dakota Republican Party.  Well, it’s not the only time he did that.

Eschenbaum ALSO testified in Senate State Affairs Committee that day on House Bill 1052. And once again, listed himself on the roster as Chairman of the South Dakota Republican Party.

“… I apologize for my first appearance here as chairman of the South Dakota GOP. I thank you for your service to the State of South Dakota. There is one reason only that I am now chairman of the South Dakota GOP. One reason only, and it is this topic.  You all know I served the South Dakota Property Rights and Local Control Alliance as chairman. One reason only that I am chairman of the South Dakota GOP. It is this topic. Please give the people the protection that they have asked for…”

Is it just me, or do you also get the impression that he’s testifying as the chairman of the South Dakota GOP?

If that’s the case, where is his lobbyist badge when he’s testifying as such? Because according to the Secretary of State, he certainly isn’t registered as a lobbyist for the Republican Party. Despite the provisions of 2-12.

Rules must only apply to the rest of us.

Johnson, Sheriffs Commend Trump Victories After Joint Address

 Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representative Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.), Meade County Sheriff Pat West, and Clay County Sheriff Andy Howe released the following statements and videos following President Trump’s Joint Address to Congress.

“I thought it was incredible how [President Trump] wove together these stories about how securing the border actually impacted real people’s lives. I thought it was a powerful speech,” said Johnson.

Click here or the image above for Johnson’s remarks

“I was excited to hear about [President Trump’s] support on continuing to secure the border. I was glad to hear that he recognized law enforcement, military, and some of his accomplishments there,” said Sheriff West.

Click here or the image above for West’s remarks

“I was really happy to see the President talk about support for law enforcement, support for the military, protecting Social Security, keeping fentanyl from coming across the southern border, and taking action against the cartels from Mexico,” said Sheriff Howe.

Click here or the image above for Howe’s remarks

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Thune: President Trump Delivers a Strong, Hopeful Message to Americans

 “This much-needed change in direction from the Biden administration’s failed policies could not come soon enough for families in South Dakota and across the country who have been paying the price for Biden’s far-left agenda.” 

 Click here or on the picture to watch the video. 

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today issued the following statement following President Trump’s joint address to Congress:

“After a tough four years of rising costs, lawlessness at the southern border, and a weakening of America on the world stage, the time has finally come to turn the page and get our country back on track,” said Thune. “The American people gave President Trump and Republicans in Congress a decisive mandate in November to secure the border, unleash American energy, and rebuild our military, and Senate Republicans have wasted no time in getting to work to implement this agenda.

“In addition to moving at an aggressive pace to get the president’s full team in place as soon as possible, we have already passed legislation to help crack down on illegal immigration and start dismantling costly regulations imposed by the Biden administration,” continued Thune. “We also remain committed to extending critical tax relief for American families and cutting wasteful government spending. This much-needed change in direction from the Biden administration’s failed policies could not come soon enough for families in South Dakota and across the country who have been paying the price for Biden’s far-left agenda.”

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Learned something new this afternoon.

While listening to House Bill 1164 (to revise the process for nominating candidates for lieutenant governor) being debated on the Senate Floor this afternoon, one of the opponents, the awful Senator Tom Pischke, noted that the South Dakota Republican Party had testified against the bill to allow the Governor to pick the running mate of their preference.

I had to go look and yes, yes they did.

While there were no opponents testifying in the House, when it came to the State Senate it had the same proponents, but newly elected party officials of the SDGOP – Chair Jim Eschenbaum and Vice-Chair Janet Jensen in literally their first act as elected party officials – stood against the Republican Governor and testified against a bill that Governor Larry Rhoden sent a representative to testify in favor of:

We’ll have to see how it goes the first time Chairman Eschenbaum and VC Janet ask the Governor to sign a fundraising letter for the GOP.

Was it just about this time this last year that Mike Zitterich was unable to secure 50 signatures to get on the ballot to run for District 15 House?  I believe it was.  And a couple years ago he was running for Sioux Falls City Council, yet failed to launch there as well?

So why on earth would anyone take him seriously when he announced he was going to start a petition drive to stop the transfer of the Brockhouse animal collection where he had to collect 10,000 signatures?

Because predictably this afternoon, Zitterich sent out an e-mail where he cried uncle, and noted he wasn’t going to get the signatures collected on this effort either:

From: Mike Zitterich <zitterich76@gmail.com>
Sent: Tuesday, March 4, 2025 4:58:03 PM
To: Mike Zitterich <zitterich76@gmail.com>
Subject: Sioux Falls Precinct Committee

(Cutting out many, MANY paragraphs of useless blathering…)

Now, having gone through this process of attempting to refer to a recent ordinance or resolution passed by our city council, I have discovered just how hard it is to get 10,000 signatures in a matter of 20 days. Granted, this was the first ever attempt I have ever made to do such a petition drive of this magnitude, I now believe these petition drives  must be a dedicated, and motivated effort by a large, core-base group of elected precinct committeemen and women. It is the only way that ‘we’ the people can seriously stand up against our city government in a quick, fierce, rigorous attempt to hold our city government accountable for its actions.

and…

I did everything I could to block the Brockhouse Animals from leaving this city. I had organized at least 15 people to help me in the quest to overturn Resolution 13-25, but I am afraid I have come up short. My only goal now is to convince the city council to reconsider their decision, let alone, organize my fellow precinct committee members going forward to combat the city council and its decisions.

Well, if the guy was incapable of gathering 5o signatures, which any able-bodied person could gather in oh – 2 or 3 hours – I’m not sure how he anticipated he was going to collect 10,000 signatures?!?  Instead of spending his time on Facebook writing creepy posts trying to claim people who have carnal relations with teenagers are not pedos, maybe he should have gotten out from behind his computer and gone out and actually collected signatures?

Note to anyone living in Sioux Falls – the next time Mike Zitterich claims he’s doing anything political that requires the gathering of signatures – I would not take him seriously until they are actually gathered. History should tell you that much.

House Passes Attorney General Jackley’s Bills On Anti-Human Trafficking and Corrections 

PIERRE, S.D. – South Dakota’s House of Representatives Tuesday gave final approval to bills proposed by South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley regarding human trafficking and unauthorized items being brought into state correctional facilities.

“Thank you to the House for their support of these bills that protect victims, our communities, and our correctional officers and staff,” said Attorney General Jackley

House members passed:

• Senate Bill 58: Which revises provisions related to human trafficking, to prohibit the obstruction of human trafficking enforcement, and to provide a penalty.
• Senate Bill 59: Which revises provisions relating to the delivery, possession with intent to deliver, and possession of unauthorized articles in a state correctional facility, and to provide a penalty.

The two bills have already been approved by the State Senate. They now go to Gov. Larry Rhoden for his possible signature.

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The bill brought to shut the door on illegal Chinese vaping products and chemicals being funneled into South Dakota via UPS met a setback this afternoon when End-time army member and State Senator Mykala Voita brought an amendment on the behalf of Big Vape to gut House Bill 1069, by stripping out the language which said that vendors can’t sell vaping chemicals where they have not applied for FDA Approval.

While the Voita amendment proposed getting rid of the video games in the vape pen electronics, it kept the chemicals the FDA considers unapproved, unreviewed and adulterated.  It would be like telling people the state doesn’t care what they sell and as long as they keep the wrapper plain they can import all the beef they want from China that federal inspectors consider adulterated.  It’s kind of nuts.

The amendment to passed with a few votes to spare.. which had Senate sponsor Sydney Davis tabling the measure.  We’ll see if there are votes to fix the issue before session is over to ban the dangerous Chinese chemicals that has Big Vape interests and lobbyists on one side wanting to keep selling whatever they can illegally import, with the Department of Health, AG, Sheriffs, etcetera on the other trying to protect consumers.

Thune: Democrats Vote Against Basic Protection for Women and Girls’ Sports

“I think it’s a huge disservice and incredibly unfair to girls and women across this country who have an opportunity to compete on a level playing field and then get chances to get college scholarships and everything that comes with that.”

 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:

Gov. Rhoden Bans DeepSeek and RedNote for State Government

PIERRE, S.D. –  Today, Governor Larry Rhoden and the South Dakota Bureau of Information and Telecommunications (BIT) banned the Chinese applications DeepSeek and RedNote pursuant to Executive Order 2023-06. This action was taken for the security of South Dakotans’ personal information against the threat of the Chinese Communist Party, which the State of South Dakota has designated as an “Evil Foreign Government.”

“My Administration will continue to defend South Dakota citizens from Evil Foreign Governments, including the Chinese Communist Party. Banning RedNote and DeepSeek is a necessary step to protect our IT systems and keep South Dakota strong, safe, and free,” said Governor Larry Rhoden. “My administration will proactively identify, monitor, and respond to cybersecurity threats across the state.”

Former Governor Noem signed EO 2023-06 in May 2023, which gave the Commissioner of BIT the power to ban any other application, website, platform, service, or product whose use or access would be detrimental to state security. Similar to the bans on Bytedance and Tencent, this ban extends to both use on state devices and state employees’ use on their personal devices while on state time.

“Both RedNote and DeepSeek pose significant security risks to the State of South Dakota,” said Madhu Gottumukkala, Commissioner of BIT. “By prohibiting these applications, we are taking decisive action to protect the state’s sensitive data and critical infrastructure from potential exploitation by malicious entities. We remain committed to strengthening the state’s cybersecurity defenses through proactive monitoring and risk mitigation.”

DeepSeek is a Chinese artificial intelligence company. RedNote is a Chinese social media app and e-commerce platform that serves as an alternative to TikTok.

The Commissioner of the Bureau of Information and Telecommunications keeps a publicly accessible list of banned entities, which you can find here.

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