Started hearing last weekend that Julie Frye Mueller is talking about proposing a new tax in South Dakota. (Instantly my correspondent hoped it wasn’t a lactation tax).
And apparently there is a now a flyer out there about JFM wanting to talk about how she wants to create new and un-thought out taxes.
“Property Taxes are Property Theft.” Well, that sounds stable. It seems like a flyer you might see at a militia meeting rather than coming from a State Senator. Not that we see a disclaimer either.
It had been mentioned to me that at a recent forum she was talking about a half-baked idea for a receipt tax, which I don’t know that anyone has ever heard of before, but involves paying money every time you buy something, regardless of cost.
Want a $.30 pack of gum? Pay a dollar. Want a $1200 smoker? Pay a dollar. Who came up with this looney idea that it could cost you a dollar anytime you do something?
Considering every level of government in South Dakota below the state – County, city, school, etc. – is based on the taxation of property, this goofball concept has more in common with the Democrat’s dreaded personal property tax where we would get taxed on lawnmowers and stereos, and eventually took Republicans getting elected to do away with it. And even though we had that for a while, we still had property taxes.
Just reminds me that the political spectrum is a lot like a circle. And some people are so far-right they’re on the left-handed side of things.
Attorney General Jackley Announces No Evidence Of Criminal Wrongdoing In Abortion Rights Ballot Measure Telephone Calls
PIERRE, S.D. – South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley announces that the State Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) has found no evidence of criminal wrongdoing including by volunteers calling signatories of the Abortion Rights ballot petitions.
The volunteers were connected to the group, South Dakota Petition Integrity which is properly registered at the Secretary of State’s Office.
DCI was asked Monday to look into the calls by the Secretary of State’s Office which had received complaints from some of the measure’s signers. DCI’s investigation found that the calls do not violate existing South Dakota law.
“The DCI investigation acted promptly in reviewing the complaints as well as the scripts used by the volunteers,” said Attorney General Jackley. “Based on the evidence collected, there is no indication of criminal activity.”
South Dakota Joins Lawsuit Challenging Biden’s Radical Gender Ideology
PIERRE, S.D. – Today, Governor Kristi Noem and Attorney General Marty Jackley announced that South Dakota has joined 17 other states in challenging yet another example of overreach by the Biden Administration to advance radical gender ideology.
“South Dakota has led the nation in ensuring fairness and equality for women in all aspects of life, and we will always strive to protect the rights of our employees,” said Governor Noem. “With this Guidance, the Biden Administration is failing to protect the privacy, safety, and religious rights of all employees. It is an egregious attempt to overly dictate the workplace and unconstitutionally compel speech. South Dakota will continue to fight back against these far-left gender identity mandates.”
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) recently released 2024 Guidance, effective immediately, directing that it is harassing conduct to repeatedly misgender or deny access to a bathroom consistent with an employee’s gender identity. The Guidance also directs that it is harassing conduct to inquire of one’s gender identity, making it virtually impossible to even follow the Guidance.
“The EEOC is unlawfully attempting to burden employers, confuse gender, and limit someone’s ability to refuse sharing a restroom with someone of the opposite sex,” said Attorney General Jackley.
Policymaking of this controversial nature must be left to the elected officials who are accountable to the people, not bureaucrats sitting on the EEOC Commission.
South Dakota joins Tennessee, Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, South Carolina, Utah, Virginia, and West Virginia in filing this lawsuit in the Eastern District of Tennessee.
Welcome back to the Weekly Round[s] Up. Our main focus this past week was Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization. We had a deadline of last Friday to pass this legislation before the previous one expired. We met that deadline and passed the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 on Thursday evening. This bill includes several important wins for both South Dakotans and air travelers all across the country. More on that later on. We were also busy attending meetings and introducing legislation. I traveled to Yankton and Sioux Falls for events this past Friday. All this and more in my Weekly Round[s] Up:
South Dakotans I met with: Members of South Dakota Realtors and South Dakota members of the American Land Title Association.
I also visited Yankton and Sioux Falls on Friday. In Yankton, I spoke with students at their high school and spoke at a lunch with service clubs from the area. In Sioux Falls, I attended a groundbreaking for Dakota State University’s Applied Research Lab. This facility is an important part of DSU’s expansion as they continue to be a leader in the cyber security industry. Having a hub like this in Sioux Falls also makes it easier for the talented graduates that come out of DSU to work right here in South Dakota.
Visited with South Dakotans from: Aberdeen, Belle Fourche, Brookings, Madison, Mitchell, Rapid City, Sioux Falls, Vermillion, Watertown and Yankton.
Other meetings: Ken Fisher, Chairman of Fisher Investments; Lt. Gen. Heath Collins, Director of the Missile Defense Agency; Ben Schwartz, Senior Vice President and Chief Counsel for Intuit’s Small Business and Self-Employed Group; Norm Willox, CEO of Bluewater International; members of the General Aviation Manufacturer’s Association; Shigeo Yamada, Japan’s Ambassador to the United States; the Secretary of the Army’s Cyber Strategic Seminar; Carl-Oskar Bohlin, Sweden’s Minister for Civil Defense; and Cameron Fowler, CEO of Early Warning Services. I had meetings with several of my colleagues this week on artificial intelligence (AI). I attended our Senate Prayer Breakfast, where Senator James Lankford of Oklahoma was our speaker.
I was on a panel at the AI Expo for National Competitiveness with my colleagues Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Todd Young (R-Ind.) to talk about the work we’re doing in AI in the Senate. While at this event, I was able to visit with DSU President José-Marie Griffiths and Andrea Thompson, CEO of DSU’s Applied Research Corporation.
Votes taken: 4 – most notably was our vote to reauthorize FAA for the next five years.
The FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 passed the Senate by a vote of 88 to 4. I supported this legislation which includes several provisions to benefit South Dakota airports and airline customers. The Airport Improvement Program (AIP) grant limits are increased, from $20 million to $30 million, for non-hub and small hub airports like Sioux Falls and Rapid City. This creates additional opportunities for South Dakota airports to expand and accommodate those traveling both to and from our great state. The reauthorization also includes provisions to increase air traffic controller hiring and improve pilot training, which are critical to aviation safety. In addition, it supports airline customers by requiring cash refunds for certain airline delays and cancellations. This legislation makes certain that travelers in South Dakota and across the country will have access to safe, reliable air service.
Shortly after voting on the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024, we voted on a one-week extension of the previous FAA authorization. The House was already out of session by the time we passed the full bill, but they had voted on this one week extension, which makes certain that FAA authority didn’t lapse over the weekend. The House is expected to vote on the full FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 this week.
Hearings: I attended one hearing this week with the Senate Armed Services Committee’s Strategic Forces Subcommittee. We heard from leaders from the Department of Defense about missile defense activities as we prepare to craft the FY2025 National Defense Authorization Act. You can watch a clip of that here.
Legislation introduced: This past week, I introduced legislation that would prohibit the Secretary of Agriculture from mandating the use of electronic identification tags in cattle and bison herds. South Dakota cattle producers don’t need DC bureaucrats telling them how to manage and track their livestock. You can read more about this legislation here.
My staff in South Dakota visited: Aberdeen, Britton, De Smet, Sioux Falls, Webster and Yankton.
Steps taken this past week: 60,638 steps or 29.62 miles
Photo of the week:
Meeting with South Dakota Realtors to discuss policies addressing affordable housing and paths to homeownership for South Dakotans.
Governor Noem Names Algin Young Tribal Law Enforcement Liaison
PIERRE, S.D. – Today, Governor Kristi Noem announced that Algin Young will serve as the new Tribal Law Enforcement Liaison for the Noem Administration.
“The federal government is turning their backs on our tribal reservations. The lack of tribal law enforcement officers combined with the warzone at our Southern Border has created multiple crises on our reservations,” said Governor Noem. “Algin Young is well respected within our tribal communities and at the federal level. His knowledge will help in our efforts to restore law and order in Indian country.”
Young formerly served as the Chief of Police for the Pine Ridge Reservation. After bravely testifying before the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs on the cartel presence on tribal lands, Young found himself without a job. Governor Noem is proud to welcome him to the administration.
Young will join the Department of Tribal Relations, and he will serve as a senior advisor to Tribal Relations, Public Safety, and the Governor’s Office on Tribal Law Enforcement issues and public safety in Indian country.
“I am passionate about improving law and order on our reservations and neighboring communities,” said Algin Young. “I look forward to serving as an ambassador for the State of South Dakota at the federal level and with the State’s nine tribal nations to facilitate solutions for tribal law enforcement and understand and navigate jurisdictional challenges.”
Governor Noem has previously called attention to the challenges that tribal law enforcement faces due to underfunding from the Biden Administration. Last month, Governor Noem and Attorney General Jackley announced that South Dakota will be offering a tribal law enforcement-specific certification course this summer right here in our state. In February, she urged the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs to enhance public safety on tribal reservations. And in March, she called for a comprehensive, public, and transparent audit of all federal funds to South Dakota’s nine Native American tribes to help understand the funding level that is necessary to keep these communities safe.
South Dakota Landowner & Outfitter Alliance (SDLOA) Calls for Ban on “Fake Meat”
Today, the SDLOA announced their intent to seek legislative approval to ban “fake meat” including its production and sale in South Dakota.
Several states have already pursued the ban, most recently Florida Governor Ron DiSantis signed legislation banning fake meat. The Florida Governor said his administration was committed to investing in local farmers and ranchers. “We will save our beef,” the governor continued.
“As the cattle industry continues to battle market volatility and burdensome government regulations, banning fake meat should be relatively easy to accomplish in an agricultural state like South Dakota,” stated Mark Trask, SDLOA chairman. “We’d ask every livestock and ag organization to support this effort in the next legislative session,” said Trask.
There are a number of start-up companies developing technologies to grow beef, chicken, and fish by using cells taken from live animals.
Cody Weyer, immediate past SDLOA chairman and board member stated, “We need to stop this movement before it gets started. Fake meat may be expensive and years away – but in our opinion – South Dakota should lead the way in pushing back before this anti-rancher effort shows up on our doorstep.”
About South Dakota Landowner & Outfitter Alliance:
SDLOA, established in 2019, advocates for landowner & property rights and commercial hunting operations. Membership is reflected both East and West River South Dakota and membership owns and operates nearly 2 million acres in South Dakota.
The South Dakota Republican Party has filed it’s May FEC Report, and I’m sure they’re happy the convention – which is supposed to make money for them – is coming up, because the cupboards are looking a little bare at the moment:
What kind of effect did it have on the SDGOP? Only $750 in itemized contributions. $2667 in small donations. Candidates such as Rick Weible and Robin Schiro do not inspire donors to invest in the Republican brand to become part of a rising tide that lifts all boats. They either donate to candidates directly, invest in political action committees with a very narrow band of focus, or they just hang on to it.
Unless the SDGOP has a financially successful convention, candidates might be looking at a very lean fall election when it comes to party activity on behalf of candidates. It’s not because they don’t want to help – Chairman Wiik and others are very concerned with getting Republicans elected – it’s just that the well might be rendered too poisoned or dry to do anything when this fall rolls around.
CANDIDATE QUALITY MATTERS. It always has, and always will. And when the Good Candidate/Goofball ratio has gone too far out of balance, this is the danger that Republicans face.
KELOLAND News is reporting tonight that there are allegedly people calling and identifying themselves as being with the Secretary of State’s office, when that isn’t the case. Now law enforcement has gotten involved, and it is investigating who might have tried to perpetuate this fraud:
KELOLAND News first became aware of the calls on Monday morning when a family member of a newsroom employee received a call from someone claiming to be a volunteer with the Secretary of State’s Office.
and..
Some of the callers are saying they are with the South Dakota Integrity Committee or with Petition Integrity Commission. They are questioning citizens regarding the Abortion Rights petition. A committee named South Dakota Petition Integrity did file a campaign finance statement of organization this morning. Whoever is behind these false actions have taken the farthest path from integrity possible.
and..
The South Dakota Petition Integrity committee named in Soulek’s statement is run by Republican State Rep. Jon Hansen.
The Secretary of State’s office is challenging the billboard sloganeering from SD Canvassing designed to erode faith in the Election Process in South Dakota, as “false” and having “no proof.”
The digital billboard on the corner of 14th Street and Cliff Avenue in Sioux Falls is urging people to vote in person on Election Day and to not “let an algorithm vote for you.”
Rachel Soulek, the director for the division of elections for the Secretary of State’s office, said there is no danger in absentee voting.
“It’s really disappointing to see so much doubt cast into elections with no proof,” Soulek said.
KELOLAND News reached out to SD Canvassing for clarification on what they meant by algorithms voting for people and their concerns with absentee voting. We did not hear back by the time this story was published.
PIERRE, S.D. – 
“The EEOC is unlawfully attempting to burden employers, confuse gender, and limit someone’s ability to refuse sharing a restroom with someone of the opposite sex,” said Attorney General Jackley.
