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South Dakota Game Fish and Parks provided notice via the SD Register this morning that on December 8th they will be having a hearing to amend their rules to allow pets at their indoor facilities:

12-08-22 – Department of Game, Fish and Parks: Amend rules to allow people staying in a cabin, lodge, or suite within a state park to have their pet inside the facility during their stay; define what constitutes a pet; and establish a fee for pets that stay at cabins, lodges, or suites; 49 SDR 53, November 21, 2022.

According to existing Administrative rules, pets had previously been banned, with the exception of service animals..

41:03:01:13.  Pet prohibitions. A person may not allow or possess any pet in the state park system except as provided in this section:

(6)  The person may not allow or possess any pet inside enclosed public buildings managed by the department in any state park, recreation area, nature area, or lakeside use area except a person who requires the aid of a service animal or a person who has received prior approval of the park manager;

Read that here.

That’s a huge shift in policy which has been running under the radar.

Working in the insurance claim end of the hospitality industry as my day job, there’s good with it, (such as making it easier for employees to comply with federal housing and disability laws, by not having to figure out what constitutes a legitimate service animal, versus what constitutes an emotional support animal). And there are issues that may be challenges.

Pets biting people and each other generate more insurance claims than people think. And regardless of fault, the facility will get drug into it. Trust me on this.

If there is a simpler and more effective way of doing something, that’s how it should be done. Republicans put this principle into practice five years ago with our pro-growth tax reform that simplified the tax code, lowered rates, and reduced South Dakotans’ tax bills. The fact that most South Dakotans were able to keep more of their hard-earned paychecks while the federal government has collected record-high revenues helps prove that the Republican plan worked.

President Biden and congressional Democrats have pursued a different approach, one that is all but certain to add new complexity and burdens for taxpayers, especially their experience with the IRS. Democrats recently passed the so-called “Inflation Reduction Act,” which included an unprecedented and unnecessary $80 billion in additional funding for the IRS, an amount six times greater than the agency’s current budget. Democrats intend to use some of the funds to hire as many as 87,000 new IRS employees.

Although there are a number of ways to make the IRS more efficient and accountable, the agency’s recent influx of cash is unlikely to do so given that more than half of the funding is directed toward enforcement, including audits, and only four percent goes toward improving customer service. If you made one of the 250 million phone calls to the IRS that employees failed to answer last year, or if you dealt with a delayed refund from the agency, you probably agree a stronger emphasis on customer service is warranted.

The lack of accountability for recent mismanagement of taxpayer data at the IRS is also greatly concerning. In the last two years alone, the IRS has inadvertently posted confidential information from 120,000 taxpayers on its website, destroyed 30 million unprocessed tax documents, and had troves of private tax information end up in the hands of the left-leaning news site ProPublica. These incidents are only a part of the mismanagement that has helped define the IRS in recent years, punctuated by little to no accountability from Democrats in Congress or the White House.

I’m skeptical that a supersized IRS won’t exacerbate many of these problems while also increasing audits of middle-income Americans and small business owners. For these reasons, I recently introduced legislation with my Republican colleagues on the Senate Finance Committee to give Congress a direct say in how these funds are used. My bill freezes access to the funds – other than those dedicated to taxpayer services – until the IRS submits a coherent plan to Congress, which would be empowered to reject it. If the agency fails to meet deadlines, funding will be automatically rescinded. If there’s one way to make a federal agency shape up, it’s by tightening its purse strings.

Common-sense principles like efficiency, accountability, and responsiveness should guide improvements for taxpayers. To this end, Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and I crafted a bill that would require the IRS to meet certain customer service standards before the agency can hire new enforcement agents with these funds. And I worked with Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) on a bill to protect taxpayers earning less than $400,000 per year from increased audits. Without the protection of law, ramped-up audits are sure to hit small businesses and middle-income taxpayers.

My Republican colleagues and I share a firm but simple view that the IRS needs to do better, not grow bigger. I will continue working to make measurable improvements to the IRS, hold the agency accountable for its actions, and ensure South Dakotans are able to keep more of their hard-earned paychecks without undue interference from bureaucratic red tape.   

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November is a month associated with many things—the last of our beautiful fall foliage, winter weather sets in, honoring our veterans, and celebrating Thanksgiving. At Thanksgiving, we gather around the table and celebrate things we’re grateful for like our home, safety, freedoms, and our loved ones.

November is also National Adoption Month. During Thanksgiving, the blessing of adoption hits home for some even moreso. As families sit down at a table full of food, they look around at a table full of the ones they love, and some are present due to the blessing of adoption.

This year, I had the privilege of honoring the Enos family who were named South Dakota’s Angels in Adoption honorees. The Enos family has six children, three of whom joined their family through adoption. Adoption is a blessing to both the children and the families – the Enos family story is no different. I am proud to support families like the Enos, and I’m truly thankful for what they have chosen to do.

For those who have an empty seat at the table, we remember the servicemen and women who are defending our freedoms. We are thankful for these individuals every day of the year as they serve, protecting us and our country.

I am thankful for my family, my wife and sons, friends, the great state of South Dakota, chocolate chip cookies, and the opportunity to serve in Congress for another term. Whether your table is surrounded by loved ones or they are there in spirit, I hope your home is filled with love and thankfulness. As Americans, we have much to be grateful for.

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Deadrick named Deputy Secretary of State

(Rapid City, SD) – South Dakota Secretary of State-elect Monae Johnson announced today that Thomas J. Deadrick will be joining her office as Deputy Secretary of State. “As an attorney, former legislator, and former deputy, Tom brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the position that will be invaluable to me. Tom has a long history of service to our state and the people of South Dakota, and I am thrilled to have him as part of my team,” Johnson said. Deadrick previously served as Deputy of Business Services from 2015-2018 under former Secretary of State Shantel Krebs.

A graduate of Platte High School, Deadrick earned a Bachelor of Science degree from South Dakota State University and holds a Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from Loyola University School of Dentistry, Chicago and a Juris Doctorate from the University of South Dakota School of Law. He practiced dentistry in Philip, SD for five years before transitioning to law. He practiced law in Philip and Parker, SD and served as state’s attorney in Turner and Charles Mix counties. From 1995-2014, he operated Deadrick Law Office and Platte Title Company in Platte. A Republican, Deadrick served in the South Dakota House of Representatives from 2003-2010 and was Speaker of the House from 2007-2008. Since 2019, he has worked as an Assistant Attorney General for South Dakota. Deadrick and his wife, Cindy, have two grown daughters and reside in Pierre.

Hugh Bartels, the upcoming Speaker of the South Dakota House of Representatives announced tonight the  committee assignments for the next term of the state House of Representatives.

One thing noted to me by members of leadership were that their goalwas to not be punitive, but to speak with a unified voice, fairly representing the members of the House of Representatives. An example of that would be the committee leadership positions that were provided to Jon Hansen, who lost the race for Speaker of the House.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

Roger Chase (Chair)

Marty Overweg (Vice Chair)

James D. Wangsness

Stephanie Sauder

Drew Peterson

Trish Ladner

Lynn Schneider

Tamara St. John

Karla J. Lems

Randy Gross

John Sjaarda

Julie K. Auch

Oren L. Lesmeister

 

Appropriations

Mike Derby (Chair)

Tony Venhuizen (Vice Chair)

Ernie Otten

Lance R. Koth

Dennis Krull

Chris Karr

John Mills

Chris Kassin

Linda K. Duba

 

Commerce and Energy

Mike Weisgram (Chair)

Carl E. Perry (Vice Chair)

Amber Arlint

Neal Pinnow

Joe Donnell

Jessica Bahmuller

Lynn Schneider

William Shorma

Steve Duffy

Byron I. Callies

Ben Krohmer

Tina L. Mulally

Kameron Nelson

 

Education

Mike Stevens (Chair)

Fred Deutsch (Vice Chair)

Roger DeGroot

Amber Arlint

Tim Reisch

Scott Moore

Mellissa Heermann

Tyler Tordsen

Stephanie Sauder

Byron I. Callies

Brian Mulder

Scott Odenbach

Bethany Soye

Phil Jensen

Eric E. Emery

 

Government Operations and Audit

Ernie Otten (Chair)

Hugh M. Bartels (Vice Chair)

Drew Peterson

Tim Reisch

Linda K. Duba

 

Health and Human Services

Kevin D. Jensen (Chair)

Taylor Rehfeldt (Vice Chair)

Fred Deutsch

Mellissa Heermann

Brian Mulder

Scott Moore

Joe Donnell

Gary L. Cammack

Mike Weisgram

Brandei Schaefbauer

David Kull

Kameron Nelson

Erin Healy

 

Judiciary

Jon Hansen (Chair)

Mike Stevens (Vice Chair)

Mary J. Fitzgerald

David Kull

Tamara St. John

Rebecca Reimer

Curt Massie

Kenneth Teunissen

Tim Reisch

Tyler Tordsen

Scott Odenbach

Bethany Soye

Kadyn Wittman

 

Legislative Procedure

Hugh M. Bartels (Chair)

Mike Stevens (Vice Chair)

Will Mortenson

Taylor Rehfeldt

Gary L. Cammack

Tony Venhuizen

Erin Healy

 

Local Government

Becky J. Drury (Chair)

Mary J. Fitzgerald (Vice Chair)

Jess Olson

Jessica Bahmuller

Greg Jamison

Aaron Aylward

Sue Peterson

John Sjaarda

Karla J. Lems

Julie K. Auch

Marty Overweg

Trish Ladner

Kadyn Wittman

 

Military and Veterans Affairs

Tim Reisch (Chair)

Kenneth Teunissen (Vice Chair)

Stephanie Sauder

Byron I. Callies

Becky J. Drury

Fred Deutsch

Randy Gross

Scott Moore

William Shorma

James D. Wangsness

Julie K. Auch

Aaron Aylward

Peri Pourier

 

Retirement Laws

Hugh M. Bartels (Chair)

Mike Weisgram (Vice Chair)

Carl E. Perry

Neal Pinnow

Linda K. Duba

 

Rules Review

Jon Hansen

Roger DeGroot

Erin Healy

 

State Affairs

Will Mortenson (Chair)

Taylor Rehfeldt (Vice Chair)

Hugh M. Bartels

Rocky Blare

Kirk Chaffee

Becky J. Drury

James D. Wangsness

Roger Chase

Rebecca Reimer

Jon Hansen

Gary L. Cammack

Oren L. Lesmeister

Erin Healy

 

Taxation

Kirk Chaffee (Chair)

Jess Olson (Vice Chair)

Aaron Aylward

Carl E. Perry

Sue Peterson

Roger DeGroot

Neal Pinnow

Curt Massie

Liz May

Greg Jamison

Tony Randolph

Phil Jensen

Peri Pourier

 

Transportation

Rocky Blare (Chair)

Randy Gross (Vice Chair)

William Shorma

Kevin D. Jensen

Drew Peterson

Tony Randolph

Ben Krohmer

Steve Duffy

Kenneth Teunissen

Brandei Schaefbauer

Liz May

Tina L. Mulally

Eric E. Emery

 

State-Tribal Relations

Tamara St. John (Co-Chair)

Joe Donnell

Will Mortenson

Tyler Tordsen

Peri Pourier

Flags at Half-Staff at State Capitol in Honor of Former Representative Debra Anderson

PIERRE, S.D. – Today, Governor Kristi Noem ordered that flags be flown at half-staff at the State Capitol from sunrise until sunset on Saturday, December 10, in honor of former state Representative Debra Anderson. She served in the South Dakota House of Representatives from 1977-1989 and was the first (and only) female to serve as Speaker of the South Dakota House of Representatives.

“I got to know Deb and her husband, John, well over the years. She broke a glass ceiling for women in our state,” said Governor Kristi Noem. “She had a true servant’s heart, and she also served in President George H.W. Bush’s administration. She will be missed, and our prayers are with her family.”

Funeral services for former Rep. Anderson will take place on Saturday, December 10, at the Farina United Methodist Church in Farina, IL.

Thank you to the members of the @sdgop State Central Committee for electing me to serve the past 6 years as your state chair. Although I will not be running for re-election, I’m honored to be a member of this family and look forward to continue helping Republicans win elections!

— Dan Lederman (@danlederman) November 21, 2022

After a few weeks in South Dakota, the Senate was back in Washington this week. We had hearings, votes and meetings with South Dakotans. My legislation passed on the floor this week – read to the end for a video of that! Here’s my Weekly Round[s] Up:

South Dakota groups I visited with: Tom Heller, CEO of Missouri River Energy Services; representatives from Dakota State University, including President José-Marie Griffiths; Members of the South Dakota National Guard Enlisted Association.

Other meetings this week: A group of senators and I met with ambassadors from the African Union and European Union. I also met with three nominees for executive positions. Additionally, we had our weekly Senate Bible Study (Our verse of the week was Proverbs 3:7-8).

I had the honor of speaking on a panel at Politico’s Defense Summit with Dr. Maggie Smith, a professor at the Army Cyber Institute, and David McKeown, deputy CIO at the Department of Defense, about our nation’s cybersecurity challenges.

At the end of the week and over the weekend, five other senators and I, along with three members of the House, attended the International Security Forum in Halifax, Nova Scotia in Canada. We spent three days talking with leaders from around the world, including Sweden, Taiwan and Germany, about world issues including the ongoing war in Ukraine. I was also part of a panel called Mind the Gap: Keeping our Tech Superiority.

Met with South Dakotans from: Belle Fourche, Brookings, Madison and Sioux Falls.

Topics discussed: Senate Republican leaders for the new Congress, South Dakota’s growing cybersecurity industry and transatlantic relationships supporting national security.

Votes taken: 5 – One of these was on the Respect for Marriage Act. I voted no. I did not believe this legislation was necessary, as Obergefell v. Hodges, the Supreme Court decision that guarantees the right to marriage to same-sex couples, has not been overturned. Additionally, in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, only one of the nine Supreme Court justices supported a position stating that the Court should reconsider Obergefell v. Hodges.

Legislation passed: This week, my legislation creating a Congressional Charter for the National American Indian Veterans (NAIV) unanimously passed the Senate. The NAIV is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to advocating for tribal veterans. They are headquartered in South Dakota on the Cheyenne River Reservation, and with this charter, they are officially recognized for the work they do on behalf of the more than 140,000 Native veterans across the United States.

Hearings: We had a hearing in the Senate Banking Committee on oversight of financial regulators where we had the opportunity to question representatives from the financial industry, including the Federal Reserve and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC).

Classified briefings: I attended one classified briefing this week related to our work at the International Security Forum in Halifax.

My staff in South Dakota visited: Aberdeen, Artesian, Brookings, Dell Rapids, Garretson, Madison, Mitchell, Spearfish, Watertown and Woonsocket.

Staff happenings: My DC staff hosted our annual Roundsgiving during their lunch hour on Thursday. We had all of the traditional Thanksgiving food, including a turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie.

Steps taken this week: 50,626 steps or 22.5 miles

South Dakota Republican Party Chairman Dan Lederman announced today that after three terms of office he would not be running for the chairmanship of South Dakota’s largest political party again in 2023, and he was making his announcement at this time to allow others interested to contemplate the job. In a release sent out today, Lederman pointed to increasing numbers of Republican donors, legislators, county GOP organizations and voters as examples of the current Republican Party leadership team accomplishments. In his statement issued this afternoon:

Dan Lederman has announced that he will not seek re-election to another term as Chairman of the South Dakota Republican Party. Lederman has successfully led the GOP State Committee for 6 years.

“I want to thank the members of the SDGOP State Central Committee for allowing me to serve three terms as their state chairman,” said Lederman.

“I’m proud of our accomplishments,” said Lederman. “South Dakota Republicans focused on electing strong leaders who brought visionary economic policies that have benefited the families of our great state.”

“Working to elect and re-elect our great Governor Kristi Noem will be one of my greatest legacies as State Party Chair,” said Lederman. “It is clear that under Governor Noem’s leadership, South Dakota is making the lives of our citizens better.”

Under Lederman’s watch, Senator John Thune, Senator Mike Rounds and Congressman Dusty Johnson have received robust grassroots support from South Dakotans that returned their common-sense conservative voices to Washington D.C.

Lederman was first elected as State Party Chair in February 2017. Since Lederman became State Party Chair, the GOP has made historic state legislative gains and has grown Republican voter registration grown by more nearly 50,000.

Lederman was swept into the party’s leadership role in 2017 when Pam Roberts, the State Party chair at the time gave mixed signals on continuing in the role. Lederman was able to convince a majority of county GOP organizations that the Chairmanship should be driven by the grassroots.

Lederman led the GOP during a time which saw the GOP’s opposition, the State Democrat Party, fall apart and crumble organizationally, culminating in their own chairman Paula Hawks abandoning the position within a matter of weeks after taking office. Under Lederman, the Republican Party enjoyed some of their strongest showings in over 50 years.

The party aggressively recruited candidates and put efforts into promoting the Republican ticket as a whole, which paid off in pushing records numbers of elected Republicans in the state to even greater heights, and he was able to hold the same numbers through successive elections.

I’m told Lederman’s post-chairmanship plans include continuing his work in public affairs for the LS2 Group out of Des Moines, as well as the family bail bond business.

While there are no immediately declared candidates, there are rumors out there indicating potential interest in the position from others, including current Republican State Senator John Wiik.

The election for GOP chairman will be held at an upcoming Central Committee meeting during the legislative session in Pierre.

After House Leadership elections this last weekend, the South Dakota Freedom (Free-dumb?) Caucus sent out a press release this morning claiming that because their choices were not selected for leadership, they’re claiming that there’s a major split in the party, and intimate that it’s still up in the air whether their secret group members may not participate in the GOP House caucus.

SD House GOP Caucus Becomes More Progressive

Pierre, S.D. (Nov. 21, 2022) – Saturday, the South Dakota House Republicans met to hold leadership elections for the 2023 legislative session, and the results have some claiming the Republican party is going blue, resulting in a major split in the party.

Hugh Bartels was nominated to be the next Speaker of the House, breaking with a tradition that Speaker Pro Tempore, Representative Jon Hansen, would take the position. Following Bartels for Speaker, Representative Mike Stevens was elected as Speaker Pro Tempore, Representative Will Mortensen as the Majority Leader, and Representative Taylor Rehfeldt as Assistant Majority Leader.

Some “conservative” Republicans in South Dakota have said that the party was swinging blue for some time, feeling increasingly excluded from the party, and according to the American Conservative Union, the recently elected Republican leadership are of some of the states lowest rated Republican Representatives , proving the point for conservatives that the party is going blue. The American Conservative Union best known for their annual C-PAC conference held in Washington D.C. the ACU 2021 scorecard rated Bartels at 58%, Mortensen at 70%, Rehfeldt at 78% and Stevens at 65%.

But what has some conservative Republicans worried about the newly elected leadership are their SD Right to Life ratings, with Bartels and Mortensen rated below 80%. That has Republicans like members of the South Dakota Freedom Caucus especially troubled, as Democrat groups like Dakotans for Health are circulating an Initiated Constitutional Amendment petition to make prenatal life termination a Constitutional right in South Dakota, overturning the trigger law that went into effect in South Dakota after the Dobbs decision earlier this year.

Unlike the newly elected House GOP leadership, former Speaker Pro Tempore Republican Rep. Jon Hansen is working to fight back against efforts to make feticide a right in South Dakota, forming the Life Defense Fund and has been actively raising money to combat the efforts of the Democrats.

The divide over these values has some Republican Representatives wondering if they will continue to caucus with the Republican GOP during the upcoming session.

The South Dakota Freedom Caucus said they understand the sentiment being shared by some, claiming that the Republican party is abandoning its principles and is why they formed their caucus in the first place. “Being a Republican isn’t just a name, it’s a set of values,” proclaimed Freedom Caucus Secretary/Treasurer  Representative Tina Mulally. And while some Republican Representatives have already reached out to the Freedom Caucus about attending, Freedom Caucus Vice-Chairman Representative Tony Randolph said they’re only taking those Republicans whose voting records align with the Republican platform.

“We expect people to say what they mean, and mean what they say,” said Freedom Caucus Chairman Representative Aaron Aylward, “we don’t want people who are lukewarm on their values, you’re either hot or cold.”

The Freedom Caucus hasn’t officially stated whether their members will be attending the House GOP Caucus. However, these elections have been a boost for membership for their caucus, whose membership is anonymous outside of their leadership.

The South Dakota 2023 legislative session starts January 10th.

Really? What a bunch of drama queens.

If Representative Aylwayd actually believes his expressed jingoism, and says what he means, and means what he says, he probably should not just throw out thinly veiled threats.  He, Tina Mulally, Tony Randolph, and their “anonymous caucus members” should have the courage expressed in their press release and walk. 

Because, really, if they’re not lukewarm on their values as they complain about House leadership, they should demonstrate it.