Category: Uncategorized

Celebrating Mothers
By: Governor Kristi Noem
May 10, 2024

Being a mom and a grandma has been the biggest blessing of my life. My kids and my grandkids are motivation to get up every single day and fight for a better future for all South Dakotans.

My number one goal as Governor has always been to be able to pass down a nation that the next generation can be proud of – that my grandchildren’s grandchildren will love. With every bill that comes to my desk, every Executive Order that I sign, and every decision that I make, I always think about how it will impact the next generation.

I know I’m not the only parent that feels this way. Every mother I know inspires me because they constantly think about how the decisions they make will impact their kids’ futures. Every parent wants their kids to have a better life than they did. And we all make decisions with that goal in mind.

The mothers in our lives make sacrifices for their children constantly. They don’t get to be selfish – their kids always come first.

I have felt that unconditional love from my own mother my entire life. She taught me how God sees me, that I am “the head and not the tail,” and that I “will only be above… not underneath.” (Deuteronomy 28:13) She taught me how to be strong, how to be a leader, and how to care for other people.

I am also blessed with an incredible mother-in-law who inspires me to be a better person each day. She brings joy to everyone who knows her.

I have watched my own daughter grow into an amazing, loving, nurturing mother over the last few years. She and her husband just welcomed a third little baby into the world. I am so proud of the woman and the mother she has become.

Our state has the highest birth rate in the nation – that means we have a lot of moms in South Dakota! It warms my heart to know we have so many moms our there working hard, dedicating themselves to their families, and making our state thrive.

Mothers are the strongest, toughest people I know. First Lady Elanor Roosevelt once said, “a mom is like a teabag. You can’t tell how strong she is until you put her in hot water.”

As we celebrate Mother’s Day, I encourage you to thank the moms in your life for their strength. I want to thank all the mothers out there for all that you do to help lift your families and our entire state up.

Happy Mother’s Day, and God bless you.

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Tractors and Tantrums
by Congressman Dusty Johnson

BIG Update

It was great to chat with Agriculture Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) about the upcoming Farm Bill. We’re getting closer to having the final text introduced, and I look forward to committee action on the bill to provide necessary updates to our ag industry. The last Farm Bill was written in 2018, before COVID-19, before inflation, and before global conflicts like Russia and Ukraine began.

My discussion with AEM was during the “Ag on the Mall” event on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Equipment manufacturers and ag retailers set up booths with views of the U.S. Capitol and Washington Monument to showcase all the new technology agriculture has to offer.

BIG Idea

The Midwest Honor Flight is an incredible organization that helps our past service members visit D.C. The veterans tour D.C. to see the war memorials that honor their service and sacrifice. For many, it’s the first and only time they will get to see these memorials. The Honor Flight does a great job connecting veterans and guardians and organizing a whole day trip.

This week, 84 South Dakotans and Iowans were on the Midwest Honor Flight. I had the pleasure of meeting these veterans and thanking them for their service as they saw the World War II Memorial.

BIG News

You may have seen Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene force a vote to remove Speaker Mike Johnson from the Speaker’s office this week. Her motion failed, which is for the greater good. Removing Speaker Mike Johnson from office would cause instability in the House and in America. When I’m in South Dakota, I often hear from people who want the Republican party to stick together to accomplish real wins for real Americans and want politicians to stop playing D.C. power games. I joined an overwhelming number of House Republicans to move past the Motion to Vacate so we can continue legislating. Check out this interview I did earlier this week about the vote.

Minnehaha Commission candidate Dan Kippley was advocating for local constituents in Washington DC recently, and is pictured here with a staffer for Congressman Dusty Johnson.

(She looks kind of familiar.)

This evening, after I did my post today on Brown County candidate and far-right winger Kyler Dinger, I had a call on my phone, which I ignored, followed by a text message which I also ignored until I went back down to my computer, with both of them from appearing to originate with former legislator and Brown County commissioner Drew Dennert, as he was forcing some after-dinner whine to go with the enchiladas my wife made:

With Dennert squarely in winger Dinger’s camp, he’s trying to minimize and brush off the action by Brown County a couple of years ago against his buddy’s illegal dumping violation as simply a mere “citation.”  Of course, he’s trying to over-simplify it, but Dennert’s trying to entirely poo-poo winger Dinger‘s illegal dumping would not appear to be entirely accurate.

While on the UJS system it uses citation as a shorthand catch-all term, under South Dakota Law it appears that the technical term used for a misdemeanor or petty offense is “Summons and Complaint,” noting SDCL 23-1A.

Like back in 2012, when Drew was cited/arrested for hunting during a closed season, he was issued a Summons and Complaint form where he pled guilty by POA (Power of Attorney) to a class 2 misdemeanor and was fined $220 as well as losing his hunting license for a year.

So, armed with that information, I will annotate the prior post noting winger Dinger was issued “a summons and complaint” for his offense.

Not quite what Drew was hoping for in his deflection, but I can certainly strive for accuracy.

It might be Aberdeen, but there will be an opportunity to forget dumpster fires and dumping candidates for at least one night.

In case you hadn’t heard, there’s going to be a REAL REPUBLICAN PARTY in Aberdeen on Thursday, May 16th at the Zoo Bar from 5 to 9 PM.

With no need for an AED, this event is skewing younger than some of them held lately with music by the Lizzy Hofer Band. The event with young professionals and families in mind and getting people registered to vote, will let voters get up close & personal with the top Republican Candidates running in Brown County this primary, with a rock and roll soundtrack in the background!

Featuring District 1 House Candidate Tamara St. John, District 3 Senate candidate Katie Washnok, District 23 Senate candidate Steve Roseland, D23 House candidate JD Wangsness, and Brown County Commission candidate Mike Carlsen, the candidates will be there to enjoy the evening along with the crowd, and to talk about what they hope to do in Pierre and at the county courthouse.

Put it on your calendars to be in Aberdeen on May 16th and head over to the Zoo Bar from 5-9 pm for snacks, candidates, and a REAL REPUBLICAN PARTY!

(And you can be a Zoo Rat too!)

Here’s an interesting one I came across today.

Brown County Commission candidate Kyler Dinger has a thing about rats.. and in the Brown County Republican Candidate Forum held this past Thursday at the Aberdeen Pizza Ranch, he had some choice words for Republicans he’s campaigning against.

From Hub City Radio:

“Yeah.. I think to say that there’s a line drawn in the sand, and on the right side of the line, you have one group, and on the left side, uh of the of the line, you have the other group, and um, I don’t think that in this election there’s going to be much crossing of that line to be honest.

If you’re the conservative Republican, you will vote for Carl Perry, you’ll vote for Logan Manhart and Chris Reder, and me….  

If you’re on the left side, and you’re going to go to the zoo, and going to support the Zoo Rats, you’re going to vote for Mike Carlsen, you’re gonna vote for Katie Washnok, and you’re gunna vote for Steve Roseland and JD Wangsness.. and I think it’s pretty clear, you know, where everybody stands… “

Hub City Radio story, final audio clip.

I’m not sure why Mr. Dinger has a thing about rats..  Could it be an illogical fear of them, where he tries to avoid them? Because if you do a little looking on this character, there’s an item that pops up right away, where he avoided the landfill, a place you might expect to find the oversized mice:

Back just a couple of years ago, Kyler Dinger was arrested issued a summons and complaint and fined for illegal dumping in Brown County. 

Illegal dumping? Who does that?  That’s one of those crimes where you have to scratch your head and wonder what the person was thinking, because it’s such a low-class, slob thing to do.  And now he wants to be a commissioner in the county that prosecuted him for such a slob crime.

I can’t imagine why someone couldn’t drive a short distance to the local landfill unless something was holding them back.. such as a possible fear of rats. Why else would he fixate on his opponents to call them zoo rats?

Maybe Brown County residents need to remind Kyle that he should keep America Beautiful, instead of running for the County Commission (1970’s advertising interlude..):

If you’re out in the hills on Monday, at 6pm at the Branding Iron Steakhouse and Saloon in Belle Fourche, you can meet two of the three Republican candidates running for the House of Representatives; Susan Peterson for Senate and Travis Martin for District 28B House.

[Belle Fourche, SD] — Susan For South Dakota and Brad Jurgensen warmly invite the community to “Pints and Politics,” a candidate meet and greet event with District 28 candidates Susan Peterson and Travis W. Martin. This engaging evening will take place on Monday, May 13th, at the Branding Iron Steakhouse & Social Club, starting at 6 PM. Attendees can enjoy hors d’oeuvres and drinks from a cash bar while discussing vital community issues with the candidates.

Susan and Travis are committed conservative voices eager to represent your interests in Pierre. Learn more about their platforms and visions for South Dakota by visiting their websites at susanforsouthdakota.com and traviswmartinforhouse.com.

Join us for a night of polite political discourse and find out how we can achieve great things together!

(The address is 19079 US-85, in Belle Fourche. Check it out! – pp)

In case you weren’t getting your daily allotment of lunacy, D30 Republican House candidate Matthew Monfore responded to the post about the post the court having to evict him from his rent-free situation.

And well, you judge if you want him to represent people in District 30:

4. This hole legal issue with Black Hills Advocate [BHA] (owned by a leftist, literal [redacted]) stems from a liberal judge named Judge Connolly who persecuted my Mother and myself when my Mother sued for Guardian and Conservator of my grandma (yes, you read that right) because of my Uncle’s immoral and criminal behavior into 2022. (The Uncle was also recently divorced by his wife because of his gambling and financial woes; and fled Arizona after living there for decades, to come live in a guest house owned by my Mother, which is on my Grandma’s property). The Uncle, Roger Flyte is a Leftist Democrat who wanted to grow Marijuana on my Grandma’s property and was asking for $ thousands of dollars.

5. Roger Flyte assaulted me, Matthew Monfore, on May 7th, 2022. This was because his immoral ways were not tolerated, and were also exposed.

Go read his manifesto trying to justify why he isn’t a squatter kicked out by the court here in the comment section.

You know what they say about giving people enough rope..  As one attorney friend noted to me “That is not going to help his case before the judge.”

Are you familiar with Black Hills Advocate, LLC? Black Hills Advocate is noted as the first company of its kind in the state to provide services to vulnerable adults in the areas of advocacy, guardianship, conservatorship, shared decision making and elder care planning.

Recently, they had to haul Republican District 30 State House Candidate Matthew Monfore to court to help protect a senior who owned the House Monfore was living in.  Was.

In May of  2023, BHA had applied for and in June been appointed as the guardian and conservator of the person –  a relative I believe – that Monfore had been residing with.  June of 2023.  And nine months later, Monfore found himself hauled into court to forcibly be dislodged.. because it took that long for him to figure out that someone else was in charge by court order?

According to the Findings of fact, in October, they gave Monfore a 30-day notice to hit the road. But like a lot of squatters nowadays, Monfore actually went to court to try to continue his “rent free” arrangement, and the legal guardians of the home’s owner had to go to court to force him to get out.

MonFore Evicted by Pat Powers on Scribd

It literally took them months to boot out Monfore, after a first order to tell him to move on down the road.

Here’s how it applies to our review of what’s going on – even after the court order on March 11……

—

…he filed with that residence on his candidacy paperwork to run for office on March 26.  And a month after his forcible eviction, he was still filing paperwork claiming the home he was evicted from as his address:

But even worse than Monfore saying he lives at someplace he doesn’t, and Black Hills Advocate having to go to court to evict said District 30 rent-free candidate Matthew Monfore are some implications over the care being provided for not just the at-risk adult BHA went to court to assume responsibility for, but the other person  in the residence. In the court papers, it’s noted that the other resident is Monfore’s father who the court findings describe as suffering from dementia and unable to care for himself.

With BHA having to step in on one person, it brings up a question whether someone needs to ask some questions about whether the other person is safe and being cared for with dignity. That didn’t escape the court’s attention either:

Right now in the case, the latest action is that there was an order to show cause that was filed yesterday (Case 23CIV24-000005). What was that for?  Monfore has actually filed an appeal after being evicted from his rent-free arrangement. The court doesn’t really seem to be going along with it, as it looks like they’ve put the onus on Monfore at this point to put up, or quit trying to weasel his way back into the house he was booted from:

23civ24-000005_order to Show Cause by Pat Powers on Scribd

While I didn’t think Monfore’s candidacy was going anywhere to begin with, I don’t think him spending time standing up for his own “squatter rights” are going to endear him to the voters of District 30.

South Dakota Joins Lawsuit Against U.S. Department of Education over Egregious Title IX Revisions

PIERRE, S.D. – Today, Governor Kristi Noem and Attorney General Marty Jackley announced that South Dakota has joined five other states in challenging President Biden’s attempt to dismantle Title IX, which would deny opportunities for women and girls.

“We will not accept the Biden Administration’s infringement on the rights of women,” said Governor Noem. “South Dakota has led the nation in defending Title IX and ensuring fairness for women – we certainly aren’t going to stop now.”

The U.S. Department of Education’s recently released Final Rule disregards biological sex in favor of gender identity in education programs or activities. It is an insult to the women Title IX was designed to protect.

Governor Noem has been a staunch defender of the original purpose of Title IX. In 2022, the Governor signed the strongest bill in America to protect girls’ and women’s sports. She followed that action by leading a letter with 15 Republican governors urging the Biden Administration not to take this action. And, more than five months ago, Governor Noem led eight of her fellow Republican governors in urging the NCAA to rewrite its Transgender Student Athlete Policy.

Last week, South Dakota Department of Education Secretary Dr. Joe Graves advised South Dakota school districts not to comply with the revised Title IX Rule or change their policy pending this legal challenge.

“This rule dismantles more than 50 years of protecting and promoting opportunities for women in education and sports,” said Attorney General Marty Jackley. “The rule being challenged by the States which are part of the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals requires schools and universities to allow men into women’s sports teams—robbing those women athletes of their own opportunities.”

South Dakota joins Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, and North Dakota in filing this lawsuit. At least 21 other states across the country have now filed lawsuits against the U.S. Department of Education.

The Complaint summarizes the radical impact this Final Rule would have on the education system as we know it:

“[This Rule] requires States, schools, and universities to ignore biological sex in favor of self-professed ‘gender identity.’ Indeed, if allowed to take effect, that rule will gut the very athletic opportunities that Title IX was designed to provide; destroy the privacy protections women and girls currently enjoy in restrooms, locker rooms, shower facilities, and overnight accommodations; preempt numerous State laws; silence and threaten with investigation any student, faculty member, or administrator who doesn’t share the Department’s view of sex; and deny federal funding to any school or university that doesn’t adhere to those views.”

The lawsuit argues this Final Rule is contrary to the plain text of Title IX by redefining sex discrimination beyond the ordinary meaning of “on the basis of sex.” The lawsuit also asserts that the Final Rule violates the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, the First Amendment, and the Spending Clause of the U.S. Constitution, among other arguments.

This Final Rule is unlawful, unconstitutional, and must be enjoined.

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