I feel a little dirty sharing this because of the source, but the off-the-wall SD Canvassing group took to equally off-the-wall Frank TV of all places this last weekend to complain that Senate President Pro Tempore Lee Schoenbeck is picking on them.
And, try not to fall out of your seats, nobody is taking their complaints seriously.
They remind me of the never ending hanging-chad issue from the 2000 Bush-Gore election that seemingly took years to go away.
They swear to god that the machines are flawed and results are being manipulated, and then play the victim when people point out their silliness.
In the off-chance you aren’t a listener of Dakota Town Hall, you should be. And they had my favorite quote from last week.
“The ungovernable Pat Powers is my favorite Pat Powers.”
– Mudoc Jurgenson, Dakota Town Hall, 3/1/24
That gave me a good laugh. (As if I was governable before.)
Check it out here, and become a regular listener with new episodes every Friday with Murdoc & Jake Schoenbeck on the most entertaining political podcast in South Dakota!
From The Hill, South Dakota Sen. Mike Rounds is behind John Thune to succeed outgoing Republican leader, Mitch McConnell, as a fresh breath, and willing to stand his ground when it comes to Donald Trump:
Asked by ABC’s “This Week,” co-anchor Jonathan Karl how important it is for McConnell’s successor to be “willing to stand up to Trump,” Rounds said, ” Well, that’s what I’m looking for in a leader. I want someone who will work with a president, but who also will stand his own ground.”
“That’s one of the reasons why I very publicly and openly supported John Thune, and I supported Mitch McConnell. I think John Thune will bring some – you know, a fresh breath. That always happens when you have a change in leadership,” Rounds continued.
As I’ve had inquiries about what happened at the Butte County Lincoln Day Dinner after they felt the need to feature unsuccessful gubernatorial candidate Steve Haugaard, here’s the report I was given by a couple of attendees.
Long and boring speech about the Republican Party platform, and how legislators are not following it.
That was pretty much the long and short of it. Although, don’t think anything remotely short occurred. Long and boring.
One person thinks that Haugaard might be gearing up to run for Governor again, but considering how badly he was beaten – 76% to 24% – more than 3 to 1 – it’s hard to conceive that Haugaard would try to jump on that horse again, since it fell asleep the first time he tried to ride it.
Biden’s Actions Jeopardize U.S. Energy Security BySen. John Thune
Since his very first day in office, President Biden has pursued an agenda that has put American energy security in jeopardy. His actions have discouraged conventional domestic energy production, threatened the stability of our energy supply, and led to higher prices for consumers.
Rather than pursue policies that ensure a reliable and affordable supply of energy, the Biden administration’s energy actions seem to be driven by a misguided Green New Deal vision. The latest example of this is President Biden’s decision to pause approvals of liquefied natural gas (LNG) export permits. The move, which apparently was made in part to assuage climate activists on TikTok, is a terrible decision with serious implications for American energy.
The export pause is ostensibly for climate-related reasons, but it will do nothing to reduce global emissions. In fact, it runs the risk of increasing emissions by pushing other countries to import natural gas from less environmentally friendly nations or to rely on other forms of energy, like coal. On balance, the move will not benefit the climate or reduce emissions, but it will negatively impact the United States’ energy industry and our export partners.
Russia and Iran are all too ready to replace American LNG with their own. Europe struggled to wean itself off Russian energy, and American exports ultimately played a significant role in helping them replace Russian gas after the war in Ukraine began. President Biden’s LNG pause is making Europe’s energy industry understandably nervous about its implications. While Russia and Iran are working on new export facilities for LNG, the president’s action is putting construction of these facilities in the United States in jeopardy.
At a time when we need to be building up the American energy sector, this action risks undermining its strength. Of course, this is just the latest move in President’s Biden’s long history of hostility toward conventional energy sources like oil and natural gas.
Another example of this Green New Deal agenda is the president’s goal of transitioning to electric vehicles on a broad scale in the next decade. The reality is, our supply chains and electric grid are nowhere near where they need to be in order to support such a widespread transition and the resulting surge in electricity demand. In fact, we are already rapidly approaching a situation in which we won’t be able to keep up with current electricity demand.
We don’t need to look far for examples of the consequences that these policies will bring. I’ve already mentioned the energy situation in Europe. Closer to home, California has implemented the types of policies that the president envisions for the whole country, and, in the last decade, Californians’ utility bills have gone up as much as 127 percent as a result of inadequate energy resources. This is not the energy future we should be striving for.
President Biden’s energy policies may please climate activists, but I’m concerned they will leave many more Americans suffering from more expensive and less reliable energy.
Almost every memory I have from my childhood is outdoors. I think my parents used to send us kids outside as an attempt to keep us out of trouble. And to this day I am still more comfortable in my jeans and ball cap. As Governor, though, my hours are often filled with other things. But even with all those other things that have to fill up my time, one thing I have always prioritized is hunting.
I come from a family of hunters. Our hunting trips and the lessons that my dad taught me turned me into the woman that I am today. When I had kids of my own, I knew that I was going to raise a family of strong-willed, independent, stubborn hunters, too. When I think about future generations, about my two grandkids (and the third on the way), I don’t want anything more than for them to be able to grow up experiencing the outdoors and seeing the world the way I did.
If we want our grandkids to experience the joy of hunting and the outdoors, we need to proactively protect habitat.
In 2019, I started the Second Century Initiative to increase resources to grow our habitat here in South Dakota. This Initiative included the Working Lands Program to provide an alternative to cash flow marginal acres and make ends meet by converting those acres into habitat. And I am very proud that we have enrolled about 10,000 marginal acres in our Working Lands Habitat Program!
With the Second Century Initiative, I also launched my Nest Predator Bounty Program to increase the trapping of predators that kill our precious pheasants. Every year, participants turn in 50,000 tails of predators that would otherwise devastate our pheasant and wildlife population. But what I think it really awesome is that last year 46% of our participants were under the age of 18. I love that more kids are getting involved in trapping, hunting, and fishing!
I was honored to kick off Pheasant Fest this year. I am so proud that we are hosting this great event in Sioux Falls. They used to only go to Minneapolis, but because of our passion for pheasant hunting and habitat conservation, as well as our economic development efforts, we now get to host Pheasant Fest right here in South Dakota!
I signed a bill that my Department of Game, Fish and Parks has been working very hard on. This legislation creates a habitat conservation specialty license plate and emblem. We will be unveiling the design later this year – but I can tell you that it will have some beautiful scenery featuring our grasslands and the habitats that are so critical to our wildlife. We will also have several emblems to choose from – a buck, a rooster pheasant, a meadow lark, and a pasque flower. There will be something for everyone! The dollars to purchase these special plates and emblems will then go to benefit habitat.
I grew up as a farmer and a rancher. My family put food on our own table by putting food on tables around the world. And my dad used to always tell me, “Kristi, you have to take care of the land, God isn’t making any more of it.” That has always motivated me to start these initiatives and prioritize conservation and habitat preservation.
I am very proud that we are ensuring that future generations will get to grow up and experience the outdoor heritage that is so central to our way of life here in South Dakota.
Well, that sounds like a barn burner. (sarcasm warning)
The anti-prison NIMBY’s in Lincoln county had an event last night to raise money for their sisyphean fight against the state who is building a new prison on land it already owns.
Who were the featured speakers? Steve Haugaard and NDGOP exec for a week Dave Roetman.
Ironically, given Haugaard’s prohibitionist attitudes on alcohol, the musical entertainment was a Jimmy Buffet tribute band called “too drunk to fish.”’
If they had any number of people there, I’m guessing they were there for the band.
Rounds Leads Legislation to Increase Timber Sales in the Black Hills National Forest
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) today introduced the Timber Harvesting Restoration Act, legislation that would require the United States Forest Service (USFS) to improve timber sales numbers in the Black Hills National Forest.
In recent years, timber sales in the Black Hills National Forest have steadily decreased. This has put a significant strain on manufacturers of timber products that rely on these sales. These businesses then have to bring in timber harvested further away, paying additional shipping costs. In addition, USFS has been unable to justify the harvesting shortfalls in the Black Hills National Forest.
“A well-managed forest is a healthy forest,” said Rounds. “The reduction in timber production in the Black Hills not only harms our businesses, but our forest as well. I’m pleased to be introducing this legislation that takes steps toward getting our timber production back up to normal levels.”
Specifically, the Timber Harvesting Restoration Act would:
Require superintendents of National Forest System (NFS) units (individual national forests) to submit harvesting improvement reports to the Secretary if they have historically fallen well below annual Allowable Sale Quantity (ASQ) numbers laid out in forest plans.
Require superintendent reports to identify any of the following actions: 1) forest areas that could be used to help meet harvesting targets 2) any actionable steps that may help meet harvesting targets, including expediting environmental review processes and increasing the use of Good Neighbor Authority when applicable.
Require superintendents to consult with private industry, advisory committees, local, tribal and state governments and relevant stakeholder groups when drafting improvement reports.
Require superintendents to submit improvement reports to the Secretary within 180 days of enactment of the Act.
Require superintendents to demonstrate actionable steps towards improving timber sale numbers within one year of enactment. If a forest supervisor does not increase timber sales from the preceding year, they will be required to submit another improvement report within 180 days after the actionable step deadline.
Direct the Secretary to allocate any available resources to an individual NFS if a superintendent does not demonstrate harvesting improvements one year after submitting a harvesting improvement report. This may include providing additional personnel, expanding the use of Good Neighbor Authority and finding any feasible actions to expedite environmental review processes.
China Creeps Closer By Rep. Dusty Johnson March 1, 2024
BIG Update
The surge of migrants coming across the southern border certainly isn’t news to many people. But, as the crisis rages on, more and more Chinese nationals are crossing our southern border illegally. In 2023, Customs and Border Patrol reported 37,000 Chinese nationals were encountered while crossing the border illegally. That’s 50 times more than in 2021. And many of them are doing so through the help of Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok. Viral videos share specific details and locations on where and how to cross the border, allowing thousands of unvetted people to enter our country with ease.
Other videos on TikTok solicit viewers in the U.S. to help smuggle drugs and migrants across the border. Sheriffs who work near the border encounter many situations like this and end up in dangerous, high-speed chases, some resulting in injury or death.
TikTok is a bad app, and many agree with me that it is malware from the Chinese Communist Party. It’s evident that TikTok and Douyin are only worsening the border security crisis and national security crisis.
BIG Idea
On Monday, I visited the PURIS pea processing facility in Harrold. PURIS handles 8,000 bushels of peas each day and has created 14 good jobs in the community. I got to go behind the scenes of their operation and learned about the anti-competitive behavior China has been using to manipulate the markets. We’re asking the International Trade Commission to intervene and hold China accountable.
Johnson meeting with PURIS
BIG News
Do you know the frustration of having debt sent to collections when it isn’t your bill to pay? For many Native Americans who receive purchased and referred care through the Indian Health Service, this is all too common. Many patients receive care through the IHS and are referred to a specialist or another care facility that isn’t an IHS provider. IHS is required to pay the bills for approved referrals, yet 82% of over 800,000 claims were not reviewed, approved, or paid in accordance with federal law. These unpaid bills may then be sent to the patients. If left unpaid, they can end up in the hands of debt collectors. These patients are forced to decide between paying bills they don’t owe or taking a hit to their credit.
This issue can lead to financial struggles that can be hard to recover from. Today, I introduced two bills to hold IHS accountable for not paying the health care bills they owe to providers and to protect Native Americans’ credit from these wrongfully charged bills IHS is liable for. My bills seek to rectify this unfair negligence by the IHS.
I was given permission to let the cat out of the bag this AM today that long-time politico Kristi Golden is going to run for office as a candidate for District 9 House. Since her days doing press for Larry Pressler, Kristi has been involved in Republican politics and public affairs for decades, and is an absolute gem of a person. Which is good news!
In bad news, unfortunately, apparently now both of the main people behind last year’s attempt at book banning in the Brookings School District are running for the legislature. And they’re gathering petition signatures at a Brookings coffee shop where people go to study and read books.
In an announcement posted to social media by one of the spouses, Rick Weible had announced earlier for District 8 house, but has apparently shifted gears and instead of being beaten by the two house candidates is setting himself up to be beaten by the incumbent Senator, Majority Leader Casey Crabtree. And also contained in that same post is a note that Jeff Struwe, who worked closely with Weible on their efforts to ban books in Brookings Schools (about 1:59:00 in on the linked video), is also going to be a candidate for the State Legislature, this time in District 7.
And both book burners will be gathering signatures tomorrow at the Cottonwood Coffee Shop in Brookings, a popular spot for local high school and college students to study and read while they drink coffee.
So, stop and pause a minute, and think about this. Two of the main people who wanted to ban books from being read by students in Brookings are going to be gathering petition signatures in a place where students go to read.
In bad news, unfortunately, apparently now both of the main people behind last year’s attempt at book banning in the Brookings School District are running for the legislature. And they’re gathering petition signatures at a Brookings coffee shop where people go to study and read books.