Category: Uncategorized

WEEKLY ROUND[S] UP: February 23-March 1, 2026

Welcome back to the Weekly Round[s] Up. This past week, I attended President Trump’s State of the Union address. The president gave a great message to the American people. I look forward to working with him and my Senate colleagues to continue providing Americans with real results. Our nation is safer, our economy is stronger and our military is the most powerful in the world. We will continue to build on these successes for an even brighter future for America.

In addition, this past weekend, President Trump took decisive action in Iran following weeks of unproductive conversations surrounding their nuclear program, as well as their short and mid-range ballistic missiles. President Trump has taken the right course of action in beginning to eliminate the Iranian regime’s defensive and offensive capabilities. We should be thankful for our men and women in uniform and their ability to project power that keeps our borders safe. We will do everything we can to make sure they are the best led, the best trained and the best equipped fighting force on earth. Please keep them all in your thoughts and prayers, especially the families of the brave soldiers who have lost their lives in this operation.  More on this and the rest of my week in the Weekly Round[s] Up:

South Dakota groups I visited with: Leaders from Heartland Energy; South Dakotans from Northern Plains Joint Venture Partnership; Marty Pennock, Adjutant DAV Department of South Dakota / Disabled American Veterans; South Dakota State Medical Association; South Dakota State University’s National Institutes for Water Resources and Council for Agricultural Research, Extension and Teaching; Michael and Wanda Irwin with M&W Towing; South Dakotans with the Wounded Warrior Project; South Dakota members of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America; the South Dakota Wing of the Civil Air Patrol; and South Dakota Grasslands Initiative.

Met with South Dakotans from: Madison, Pierre, Rapid City, Sioux Falls, Wentworth, and Winner.

Other meetings: Sahrawi Negotiating Team; Mike Gitlin, CEO of Capital Group; Blake Lawit, Chief Global Affairs and Legal Officer at LinkedIn; Michelle Bowman, Vice Chair of Supervision of the Federal Reserve;  Doug Worman, CEO of CAN Financial Corporation; Robin Vince, CEO of BNY; and Bruce Van Saun, CEO of Citizens Bank.

Hearings: On Thursday I went to a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing, you can watch that here. I also attended a Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs hearing which you can watch here.

Briefings: I attended two classified briefings: one with the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and the other with the Strategic Forces subcommittee.

Votes taken: 5 – This week I voted yea on five items including Ryan McCormack, of Virginia, to be Under Secretary of Transportation for Policy and John DeLeeuw, of Texas, to be a Member of the National Transportation Safety Board for the remainder of the term. As well as the Department of Homeland Security appropriations bill which failed. 

My Staff in South Dakota visited: Onida and Platte.

Steps taken: 60,785 steps or 28.38 miles.

Video of the Week: On Sunday afternoon I went on Fox News to discuss the strikes in Iran over the weekend. Click here to watch.

Johnson’s Tribal Homeownership Bill Passes U.S. House

 Washington, D.C. – Today, the Tribal Trust Land Homeownership Act, led by U.S. Representative Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) and U.S. Senator John Thune (R-S.D.) passed the House with a 384-40 vote. Johnson’s bill advocates for homeownership and streamlines the approval process for mortgages on tribal trust land.

The Senate passed the Tribal Trust Land Homeownership Act in December 2025 and the bill passed the House Natural Resources Committee in January 2026. The bill now heads to President Trump’s desk for his signature.

“Government bureaucracy shouldn’t prevent an individual from achieving the American Dream of homeownership,” said Johnson. “Now that our bill has passed the House and Senate, I’m hopeful President Trump will sign it into law soon to make homeownership more accessible on tribal trust land.”

“This legislation will positively impact our Native families pursuing homeownership,” said Sharon Vogel, Chair of the South Dakota Native Homeownership Coalition and Executive Director of the Cheyenne River Housing Authority. “H.R. 2130 will help to eliminate barriers that have historically hindered our homeownership efforts. It also allows us to leverage private sector partnerships that require government processes to keep pace with mortgage industry timelines. We are grateful to Representative Johnson and Senator Thune for their leadership and commitment on this issue and for working with the Coalition to improve housing conditions for our families in South Dakota.”

Click here or the image above for Johnson’s floor remarks

Currently, in order to be finalized, mortgages involving property on tribal trust land must be reviewed and approved by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). The BIA Mortgage Handbook establishes timelines for BIA offices to process and approve these mortgages. However, these timelines are not always adhered to.

The Tribal Trust Land Homeownership Act would:

• Seek to cut through BIA red tape and provide timely processing of mortgages.
• Create statutory timelines in which the BIA would be required to process and approve mortgages involving property located on tribal trust land.
• Require the BIA to notify lenders upon receipt of such documentation and perform a preliminary review of such documents no later than 10 days after receipt and approve or disapprove of such documents within 20 or 30 days, depending on the type of application.
• Require the BIA to notify the lender once the proposed residential leasehold mortgage, business leasehold mortgage, or right-of-way document has been received.
• Enhance the ability of certain federal agencies to operate their tribal housing programs and improve communication between the BIA and tribes, tribal members, and lenders through the establishment of a realty ombudsman within the BIA who can communicate with relevant parties.

Click here for bill text.

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Gov. Rhoden Signs SNAP Waiver, Urges Congress to Fix Federal Program

PIERRE, S.D. – Today, Governor Larry Rhoden signed HB 1056 and called on Congress to fix the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) at the federal level to provide certainty to states. The Governor outlined his decision in a letter, which can be found here.

“I agree with the Legislature’s and the Trump Administration’s goal of encouraging healthier food choices,” wrote Governor Larry Rhoden. “However, I disagree that a state waiver is the right approach. Lasting SNAP reform requires federal action, not a patchwork of state waivers.”

Governor Rhoden pointed out that 90% of the Legislature recognizes that SNAP reform must occur at the federal level, citing the passage of Senate Concurrent Resolution 603. Governor Rhoden went on to argue the following reasons for the necessity of a consistent federal solution:

• SNAP’s federal structure means state-level waivers are subject to reversal by future federal administrations; and
• State waivers create additional costs for South Dakota taxpayers due to the new state responsibilities.

“I will continue to monitor federal developments and evaluate any future opportunities through the lens of fiscal responsibility, administrative practicality, and real impact for South Dakota families,” continued Governor Larry Rhoden. “If the federal government finally does its job and fixes this problem, this law should be repealed to avoid more costs to South Dakota taxpayers.”

Governor Rhoden has signed 74 bills into law and vetoed one this legislative session.

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Before the dust has settled on the rollout of their third commercial, Team Dusty has rolled out a fourth commercial promoting the Gubernatorial candidates’ support and plans for education for South Dakota:

Not a lot of moss growing on the campaign’s advertising effort, as they continue to roll out a full spread of communications.

From Facebook, Dusty Johnson has a new commercial being aired in the race for Governor:

Column: Week 7 Update

It was a historic week in the State Senate, but for all the wrong reasons. When Kristi Noem first appointed me to the Senate and then when the people of District 8 elected me to the office, you expected me to show up and vote on every bill.

Last week, members of the Senate dodged votes to avoid tough decisions and play political games. That is unacceptable and would not have been allowed in the previous 99 sessions and definitely not when I helped lead the Senate Republicans.

South Dakotans elected us to show up to work and do our job. If anyone can’t meet that basic expectation, they should be voted out or resign. It’s a disgrace to the people of South Dakota and a disrespect to the Legislature. John Carley and the senators who supported his absence should be ashamed and they will have to answer why they were unable to deliver millions of dollars of tax relief opportunities to South Dakota.

Three of my colleagues lost close family members in recent days, and they still showed up to represent their district. When I heard Carley’s various excuses, the BS meter didn’t just spike—it broke. District 29 deserves better, and the Senate’s institutional integrity deserves better.

Carley dodged three key pieces of legislation on purpose. One would have sent property tax rebates to homeowners. Another supported President Trump’s quest for American energy dominance by cutting red tape related to projects generating onsite power for themselves. The last would have reenergized South Dakota’s economic development tools to create new, good-paying jobs and create new property tax revenues that would help lower costs for hard working South Dakotans. Thanks to Carley and those that supported him, those bills didn’t move to the House where they would have passed.

Usually, you hear about political dysfunction in Congress, but South Dakota has typically risen above petty politics and dishonesty to focus on making the state a better place. Sadly, some Senators and House members subscribe to a different class of politics, and all of South Dakota is worse off as a result.

This is why I suspended my campaign for Congress. It is clear to me that my leadership skills are needed in South Dakota right now to move us back to a place of Reagan Republicans and America First Trump Republicans.

When I kicked off my Congressional campaign, “America First, South Dakota Always” became my platform and mission. I still hold true to this mantra as I move forward making South Dakota a better place, and we need to elect Legislators with that same vision—do what is best for South Dakota based on conservative principles to improve the lives of our people, especially the next generation.

I was reminded on Thursday what I’m fighting for in South Dakota. It’s the next generation. The fourth-grade students at Madison Elementary visited the Capitol as part of their Little Legislators program. Every year, they write bills, debate them, vote on them, and they follow the work we do in the legislature. We need to set a good example and deliver results for them.

Our kids truly are our future, but only if we can keep them in South Dakota. I’ve worked my professional and political career to make sure our kids have opportunities to stay in South Dakota. While others think “economic development” is a dirty phrase, I wholeheartedly disagree. Economic development means more jobs, better pay and a higher quality of living. It means rural towns are vibrant, not dying. And it means you can visit your kids and grandkids in South Dakota instead of somewhere else in the world.

As I move into the final two weeks of session, I’ll keep fighting for the next generation, and I’ll continue to lean on America First, South Dakota Always. It’s not a catchphrase; it’s a mission to do what’s best for the people of our great state.

Gov. Rhoden Signs Four Bills into Law

PIERRE, S.D. – Today, Governor Larry Rhoden signed the following four bills into law:

• SB 73 revises provisions relating to state financial practices;
• SB 116 makes an appropriation for the design and construction of an indoor athletics facility at Dakota State University and declares an emergency;
• HB 1018 amends the reversion date for moneys appropriated to the Department of Education to improve and renovate the Cultural Heritage Center; and
• HB 1035 modifies provisions related to the licensure of public accountants.

Governor Rhoden has signed 66 bills into law and vetoed one this legislative session.

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State House State Affairs Committee Approves Attorney General Jackley’s Election Integrity Bill

PIERRE, S.D. – South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley’s Election Integrity bill was unanimously approved Monday morning by the State House Affairs Committee.

“Foreign interests must never be allowed to influence South Dakota’s elections,” said Attorney General Jackley. “This legislation follows President Trump’s executive order on the issue and ensures that our campaign process remains transparent and accountable to the people of South Dakota—not foreign entities.”

Senate Bill 17 prohibits a candidate or political committee from accepting contributions or loans made by a foreign national, to provide a penalty therefor and to declare an emergency.

The bill now goes to the full House for consideration. It already has received unanimous approval by the State Senate.

If approved by the House and signed into law by the Governor, it would be in effect for this year’s elections.

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Toby Doeden must be feeling bolder as he tries to gain ground in his first Republican primary election for Governor.

As you might expect a newbie to do, he’s rolled out an attack ad going after the front runners as somehow being inconsequential in the race at a time when he himself is yet to get on the ballot, can’t explain how he’s going to accomplish his wild-ass promises, and nobody knows his name.

The ad is more about trying to tell everyone he’s the Trumpiest candidate as opposed to showing any vision or substance.  So it will really come as a blow when Trump eventually endorses one of the other two guys.

Ad buys have him buying one ad each news show for the next couple weeks. Not a terribly big buy, so I’m guessing he hasn’t sold his jet yet.

Stay tuned. We’ll see if he ever moves out of the amateur zone.  Because he’s not doing it with this message.

More Money in Your Pocket
By Sen. John Thune

On February 24, President Trump delivered his State of the Union address before a joint session of Congress. The president laid out a bright vision for the future, made possible in no small part by what he and Republicans in Congress accomplished this past year. In just one year, we’ve made progress toward a safer, stronger, and more prosperous America. And as the American people heard from the president, we’re just getting started.

Our work began with putting more money in Americans’ pockets, which we did with the Working Families Tax Cuts. Thanks to Republicans’ landmark bill, hardworking South Dakotans can benefit from permanently lower tax rates, a bigger standard deduction, and a bigger child tax credit – all of which are permanent. Then there’s no tax on tips, no tax on overtime, and a bonus deduction for senior citizens living on a fixed income. All told, this tax relief means bigger refunds this tax season and lower tax bills in the years ahead.

Republicans didn’t stop with tax relief though. This landmark legislation also repealed the Biden-era natural gas tax and took steps to unleash American energy production and ensure that Americans have a reliable energy supply. And we included measures to modernize the farm safety net for farmers and ranchers in South Dakota and around the country.

In another piece of legislation, we prioritized measures that make prescriptions less expensive by increasing the transparency of pharmacy benefit managers and ensuring they pass savings on to patients at the pharmacy counter. And in the coming days, the Senate will act on another bill to make the dream of homeownership more affordable and accessible for everyday Americans.

In addition to addressing affordability, Republicans have also made significant strides toward strengthening American security. That started with securing the southern border, and the Working Families Tax Cuts included funding to ensure those gains can be maintained for the long term. It also made a major investment in rebuilding our military, ensuring America’s men and women in uniform have what they need to counter today’s threats and tomorrow’s.

Americans went through a lot under President Biden: from a historic inflation crisis to the worst border crisis on record. On top of that, hardworking people were facing the prospect of a massive tax hike in 2026 – a tax hike that never came because Republicans acted to prevent it.

When it comes to tackling affordability and making America safer and stronger, Republicans don’t just talk, we act. We’re putting more money in Americans’ pockets and working hard to make life affordable for American families.

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