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An interesting story coming out of the Republican National Convention is that the national party’s platform seems to be softening some language on divisive social issues that they would have taken a stronger stance on in the past, such as on abortion, and same-sex marriage:

Delegates at the Republican National Convention approved a new party platform Monday that embraces presumptive nominee Donald Trump’s political positions, including a leave-it-to-states approach to abortion law that abandons the party’s long-standing explicit support for national restrictions on the procedure.

and..

Trump advisers said they wanted to cut down the platform in part to limit opponents’ ability to use the language against them.

The new platform also abandons the old document’s opposition to same-sex marriage, saying only that “Republicans will promote a Culture that values the Sanctity of Marriage.”

and..

The platform states: “We proudly stand for families and Life. We believe that the 14th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States guarantees that no person can be denied Life or Liberty without Due Process, and that the States are, therefore, free to pass Laws protecting those Rights.”

Read that all here.

Thoughts?

In case you were looking for it, as I had only posted an excerpt earlier..

Looks like South Dakota’s Luke Lindberg is part of an impressive panel today in Milwaukee for the International Republican Institute during the Republican National Convention with Senators Joni Ernst, Norm Coleman, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, former SBA Administrator Linda McMahon, and other familiar names.

Nice to see South Dakota is at the table and it sounds like our state’s delegation has the opportunity to attend and listen in.

Find out more about the International Republican Institute here.

Leadership has consequences. It matters who’s in the White House. I’ve been a governor under both @realDonaldTrump and Biden. People ask me the biggest difference, I tell them President Trump honored the Constitution.

He LET ME DO MY JOB. pic.twitter.com/tqAoL4RKIq

— Kristi Noem (@KristiNoem) July 16, 2024

Rounds, Manchin Legislation to Provide Back Pay to Military Officers Impacted by Holds Passes With Committee Version of FY25 NDAA

WASHINGTON – The Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) recently passed legislation introduced by U.S. Senators Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and Joe Manchin (I-W.Va.) to provide back pay for military officers whose promotions were delayed in the Senate. The Military Personnel Confirmation and Restoration Act was included as part of the committee version of the Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25) National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that was reported out of the Senate Armed Services Committee. The NDAA was officially filed on Monday, July 8. This provision would also make an adjustment to the affected service members’ time in grade and other administrative fixes.

“I am pleased that the Military Personnel Confirmation and Restoration Act is included in our Armed Services committee version of the FY25 Senate NDAA,” said Rounds. “These nominations for our military members were initially held up due to policy differences. Though their promotions and nominations are no longer stalled, many military officers spent much of 2023 waiting on positions they had earned through exemplary service to our country, often in combat zones, over the last two decades. This legislation would make certain they and their families receive the benefits they missed out on for several months.”

“I’m proud our bipartisan Military Personnel Confirmation and Restoration Act has been included in the FY25 Senate NDAA,” said Manchin. “This important legislation will provide well-earned retroactive promotion dates and back pay for our nation’s senior military officers after many promotions were blocked for months. These men and women are true American heroes and we have a responsibility in Congress to make them whole. I will continue doing everything in my power to ensure the passage of our bill to compensate our troops and strengthen America’s national security.”

Rounds and Manchin initially introduced the Military Personnel Confirmation and Restoration Act as a standalone bill in December 2023. This legislation passed the Senate unanimously later that same month but still remains stalled in the House.

The FY25 NDAA was reported out of the Senate Armed Services Committee on June 13, 2024. This is the tenth NDAA that Rounds has helped author as a member of the committee. At the start of the 118th Congress, Vanderbilt University and the University of Virginia’s Center for Effective Lawmaking named Rounds as the second most effective Republican on Defense issues. The FY25 NDAA now heads to the full Senate for consideration.

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Did I blink, because while I wan’t looking Governor Kristi Noem just put away big bucks into her federal PAC in the second quarter of this year:

2024 2q KristiPAC by Pat Powers on Scribd

While none of us were looking, South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem just underlined why she’s a force to be reckoned with in politics, raising nearly 3/4 of a million when she doesn’t have a race. Well, yes, we all know she was one of the top possibilities to be VP during this period. Even though that didn’t happen yesterday, having nearly a million in this account, 2.1 million in her state account, and other minor amounts in joint fundraising committees, Governor Noem has a lot of cash at her disposal.

Why is this worth noticing? Because of term limits and speculated retirements, (not to mention what jungle primaries could possibly do) 2026 will see a major reset of South Dakota Politics across the board.  We haven’t had major battles between popular politicians since Jackley v. Noem.. but 2026 could give us even fiercer races more akin to Janklow v. Abdnor.

A million here and a couple million there provides a massive war chest to launch a major campaign of this type.  And there is speculation that the US Senate Seat currently held by Senator Rounds might hold an interest for Governor Noem once her term of office is up in 2026.

So when the Governor is able to tuck away an extra million since the first of the year – it’s worth noticing.

Kristi Golden was nice enough to send over an infographic she had put together on why home rule is an attractive option for our state’s most populated county, and what home rule would do for Minnehaha County:

You can download and distribute a pdf of this infographic here.

Sheryl Johnson had her first full fundraising quarter after announcing for office on March 6th of this year.

Would it be too harsh to suggest she might not have bothered?

2q FEC Sheryl Johnson for Congress by Pat Powers on Scribd

Sheryl Johnson posted $39,389 in contributions, against $31,427.43 in expenses, allowing her to bank $7961.57, giving her a total of cash on hand of $38,578.77. Well, that’s about 1/3 – 1/2 of a statewide candidate mailing. That’s a sad war chest to build if you’re running for Congress. 

Subtract expenses from contributions, and divide her net of $8k among the three months it took her to raise that – That’s about $2653.85 a month that she’s clearing for the fall campaign. 

What is she doing? Because she should have been clearing ten times that every week just to be taken seriously.  And no, that’s not a ridiculous amount. $26k times 10 weeks is only $260k. A pittance in a Congressional race.

Sheryl seems to be running at a Sioux Falls School Board level of effort when her opponent is having a very strong showing at a statewide level.

Senator Mike Rounds has never had the focus on off-year fundraising that his fellow members of the Washington delegation have found necessary for preparing for the blocking and tackling of the campaign cycle. However, Rounds has been able to raise what he’s needed to get the job done.

But fast-forward to this latest FEC report, and Senator Rounds has $1.6 million in the bank two years ahead of any potential primary contest campaign. That does not sound like anyone who plans to walk away from politics anytime soon. It sounds like someone who is quietly putting the capital together to wage an election.

Rounds for Senate 2024 2q FEC by Pat Powers on Scribd

Detail on the numbers?  $190,405.65 in total reciepts, against $134,758.64 in total disbursements.

Leaving the Senator with $1,619,386.09 to build on for an election two years away, whether it’s a race to return to the US Senate, or something closer to home.

From facebook, Dan Lederman posts this snapshot of the South Dakota Republican delegation at the National Republican Convention in Milwaukee this week: