Category: Uncategorized

Lora Hubbel has popped up on the radar after a long absence, because there comes a point when you’re so off your rocker your tenor is less amusing than sad. But, that being said, she’s running for office this year. So, Jack Kolbeck and Hubbel, his opponent for the District 13 State Senate, were interviewed in the Dakota Scout.

And, it’s never a good sign when the reporter has to disclaim “Responses are not fact-checked.”

(Editor’s note: Responses are not fact-checked.)

Name a law on the books right now you wish would go away and why?

I could be here all night. It would be Senate Bill 38 from 2011. That is when the Daugaard administration ushered in South Dakota ObamaCare while telling everyone he was against it. This bill destroyed families by increasing their healthcare costs and reducing their access. It destroyed doctors because they lost all their autonomy to the partnership between big business and big government.

and…

In an Argus op-ed several years ago, after reading the 73-page bill that no one else did, I wrote how I had night terrors from what I read. I said someday you would see. And then came 2020 and now we see that doctors must coerce people to take the experimental Covid vaccine even though it is against the Nuremberg Code and several laws.

Read Lora’s sad bag of goofiness here.

Just had the tidbit that David Reiss, who is currently ED of the Central SD Enhancement District, has been named Executive Director of the South Dakota Municipal League.

Reiss will be succeeding Yvonne Taylor who will be retiring, but who I’m told will be continuing Lobbying for the Muni League this next session.

Yvonne is retiring already? It must be good to be in the Municipal League..  Congratulations to Yvonne for what probably isn’t going to actually be retirement, as much as moving on to new challenges.

I’m told Reiss is going to have a salary of about 150k when he assumes his new position.

Stay tuned..

Patriot Ripple Effect co-founder Adam Broin is in the news again today. But not for his proto-conservative group protesting vaccination across from a children’s hospital or excommunicating his group’s heretics, or any of their usual activities.  Today it is his own business who has managed to offend the entire local Hindu religious community, as he put their diety on a pair of cufflinks that he charges nearly $1000 for, according to Dakota News Now:

In the store, Adam Broin has a heartfelt letter talking about how cufflinks and tie bars were a huge part of his grandfather’s legacy and how he continues it forward for future generations.

When it comes to the topic of the Hindu cufflinks, there is no comment.

As of October 4, the cufflinks were no longer posted on the store’s website. However, the local Hindu community continues to ask for an apology.

Read the entire story here.

Go read the entire story for all the context. I wonder how much of the $1000 he gets for each pair that he’s planning on offering to donate to their community center?

$1000 for a pair of cufflinks? Good lord. Obviously I don’t shop there.

According to the story, they exploit other religions in the form of cufflinks as well. Someone will have to tell me if there are there little tiny diamond encrusted stigmata on the Christian ones.

Had an interesting tidbit passed along.

Apparently, representatives of the South Dakota ‘Freedom Caucus’ are reaching out to other state’s House GOP caucuses because they want to introduce more rules and bylaws into South Dakota’s House GOP Caucus.  (This would be the group headed in part by Tina Mulally, which reaching for the easy joke might make it more appropriately, the ‘Free-dumb Caucus’ group.). And it leaves me asking, why are they looking for new and different rules. Aren’t they supposed to be for less government?

If I recall, the last time someone went trying to introduce more rules into the House caucus, women were told they had to wear nylons, skirts below the knees, and barred from sleeveless tops.

So GOP House (and prospective House) members, consider the source when you all get together after the elections.

Ugh. Political correctness run amok.

The U.S. Air Force is instructing cadets to stop using terms like “mom & dad” because they are not gender-inclusive. Academies should focus on education and military readiness—not social activism. https://t.co/QEOEBiQYAT

— Rep. Dusty Johnson (@RepDustyJohnson) October 4, 2022

South Dakota Senator Michael H. Rohl Among  20 Leaders Nationwide Receiving Leadership Honor

Senator Michael Rohl is among just 20 young leaders recognized by The Council of State Governments for bipartisan state leadership in 2022. The CSG 20 Under 40 Leadership Award recognizes the outstanding work of 20 up-and-coming elected or appointed officials from across the country who not only exemplify strong leadership skills but have also demonstrated a true commitment to serving the citizens they represent.

“The state officials recognized this year come from diverse backgrounds, different political parties, different branches of state government and from every region of our country, but they share a singular commitment to make a difference for those they serve,” said David Adkins, CSG executive director/CEO. “They are hard-working leaders who have demonstrated the ability to productively collaborate to achieve consensus and produce results, and their public service honors the oldest and best values of our democracy.”

Recipients of the 20 Under 40 Leadership Award are selected from a competitive pool of applicants from across the country and all three branches of state government.

“It’s an honor to win a nationwide, bipartisan leadership award, but great leadership is a team sport, and I couldn’t have done it alone. I was blessed to serve with some amazing Senators that are willing to put in the long hours to better our state. I’m appreciative of their dedication and loyalty. This wouldn’t be possible without the faith and support my district showed me as a 30-year-old political outsider in 2020. There is no doubt my district sets a high standard for me, but I’ll continue working every day to exceed their expectations because that’s who my parents raised me to be.”  – Senator Rohl

The committee considered each nominee’s ability to: engage officials across party lines in meaningful ways to advance the common good, provide exceptional leadership to a state chamber, and ability to serve as a champion of change seeking to enhance the lives of all constituents within a specific policy area. Senator Rohl was selected for this award for his work defending the initiated measure process, leading on criminal justice reform legislation, advocacy for education investments, and his work reducing regulations on small business. During his first term, Senator Rohl passed 8 bills through the legislature and onto the Governor’s Desk. All 8 bills had bipartisan support.

Award recipients will be honored by state government leaders at the 2022 CSG National Conference in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Kristi for Governor Launches New Ad: “Cutting Taxes. Saving Families.”

PIERRE, SOUTH DAKOTA – This past weekend, the Kristi for Governor campaign launched a multi-week six figure ad buy called “Cutting. Saving Families.” The ad features Governor Noem’s promise to deliver the largest tax cut in South Dakota history by eliminating the sales tax on groceries.

“Under Joe Biden, prices on essentials goods and groceries are skyrocketing,” the ad says, highlighting that milk prices have increased 20%, beef prices have increased 25%, and egg prices have increased 113% since President Biden took office. These data points are according to the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.

“It’s my job as Governor to protect [families],” Governor Kristi Noem says in the ad. “I am promising that we will repeal the grocery food tax and deliver the largest tax cut in the history of the state of South Dakota.” Governor Noem’s remarks were taken from her announcement of the tax cut at Dakota Butcher in Rapid City last Wednesday.

Eliminating the grocery sales tax reduces the tax burden on South Dakotans by $100 million.

You can learn more about Governor Noem’s promise to eliminate the sales tax on groceries here.

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For me and Kimberley, raising two daughters has been the joy of our lives. Nothing compares to family dinners, cheering on your kids’ teams, and watching them build families of their own. Anybody who’s raised a family knows it’s not easy. Along the way, there are sleepless nights, personal sacrifices, and hurdles with on-the-job training.

But for some families, the challenges are far greater. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, there are 407,000 children in foster care – 117,000 of these children are waiting to be adopted. These kids are in the foster care system through no fault of their own and are in need of a secure and loving home. Foster and adoptive parents give the gift of family to thousands of children each year, providing the stability and support that many of us take for granted.

As a proud member of the Congressional Coalition on Adoption, I have had the privilege to meet many of these families throughout my time in Congress. Each year, I have the opportunity to honor a South Dakota family who has chosen to adopt or foster children in need and who inspire and support other families to do so as well. Meeting these South Dakota families is always humbling and inspiring.

This year, I nominated Emily, Dan, and Brady Richardt from Aberdeen for the Angels in Adoption Award. For nearly a decade, since they first started the adoption process themselves, Emily and Dan have wanted to be involved in the foster care community. They put these plans on hold, though, when they welcomed their biological son, Brady, but their desire to be a foster family didn’t go away. Once their son was old enough to understand the importance of fostering children, the Richardts opened their home and over the last five years have welcomed eight children into their family for as little as 10 days and for as long as a year. The Richardts are currently fostering a four-month-old baby boy, who I was lucky enough to meet at the Brown County Fair this year.

During times of uncertainty in foster children’s lives, families like the Richardts provide stability, support, and love. There are few acts more worthy of our admiration than welcoming a child in need and providing them with a secure and loving home. I was proud to present Emily, Dan, and Brady with the 2022 Angels in Adoption Award when they visited Washington, D.C., recently. For all they’ve done, this recognition seems like the least we could do.

There are countless families just like the Richardts whose homes are a little fuller for having chosen to adopt or foster a child in need. I am so grateful for these families who welcome the challenges alongside the rewards of being adoptive or foster parents. I know these families will continue to inspire others to choose adoption and to open their homes to foster children.

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Congress had a pretty busy week in Washington, D.C. – here’s a recap.

Today, the House voted on the Continuing Resolution to fund the government for the next several weeks. While permitting restrictions and funding for monkeypox and COVID were stripped out – there was too much pork in this bill – I voted no.

My bill, the Gilt Edge Mine Conveyance Act passed the House 296-127. This bill would give South Dakota the opportunity to purchase the land at the Gilt Edge Mine so cleanup can continue. The current ownership consists of a patchwork of local, state, and federal governments, making it difficult to complete a cleanup. You can watch my floor remarks here.

This week, I introduced a bill to improve safety and increase law enforcement resources on reservations across America. The Tribal Capital for Operations Promoting Safety (COPS) Act would increase capabilities of tribal law enforcement agencies through recruitment and retention incentives, additional trainings, and equipment procurement.

A shocking 77% of teen overdose deaths in 2021 were caused by fentanyl. On Wednesday, I cosponsored the Protecting Kids from Fentanyl Act, led by Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-CO), to allow schools flexibility to use remaining COVID relief dollars to purchase overdose prevention drugs and resources for life-saving trainings for faculty, staff, and students.

Additionally, I joined 50 of my colleagues in asking the Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen, and Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to review how China’s purchase of land near the Grand Forks Air Force Base in North Dakota could be a national security threat. I am leading legislation to prohibit China’s purchase of America’s agricultural land and ag businesses. Food security is national security.

In between all of this, I met with organizations, tribes, and constituents, led a capitol tour for guests, and voted on close to 50 bills in just three days. It is common for people to think we don’t do much in Washington, D.C., but it is usually busier than it seems, especially since House members are heading back to their districts until November.

I was disappointed – but not surprised – when House leadership punted a vote on a congressional stock trading ban once again. Members have no business trading stocks and our constituents agree. If Democrat leadership can’t get this done, I’m dedicated to working with Republican leadership and members on both sides to pass the Trust in Congress Act in January.

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South Dakotans don’t ask much from their government. They just want the Freedom to live their lives and for the government to guarantee a level playing field with common sense rules for everyone to play by. As I travel our beautiful state, I hear from South Dakotans who are grateful for that Freedom. But many of them are struggling under the weight of inflation caused by President Biden’s extremist policies. They ask me what can be done to give them relief.

This week, I announced my pledge to eliminate the sales tax on food in my next budget. This will be the largest tax cut in South Dakota’s history, putting $100 million back in the pockets of South Dakota taxpayers.

Everyone is feeling the pressures of Biden’s inflation. And they’re feeling it the most when they buy groceries. I was at a grocery store recently, and the store owner told me that his overall food costs have increased by 14% over the last year. Unfortunately, he’s had to pass a lot of that to his customers. Since President Biden took office, the price of a gallon of milk is up by 20%. The price of a pound of ground beef is up by 25%. The price of a dozen eggs is up by 113% – that’s shocking. But it’s the reality that South Dakotans are facing.

South Dakota has an incredible tax system – we have no state income tax or corporate tax. We don’t levy a statewide property tax. I have always been in favor of finding ways to let taxpayers keep more of their hard-earned income. By eliminating this tax, we can help South Dakotans better afford their grocery bill, which will relieve some of the pressure on their family’s budget.

The truth is South Dakota’s finances are in incredible shape. We continue to break records for tax revenues thanks to our strongest economy in the nation. Our state’s surplus is the largest in our history – 20.5% of our overall budget. And Fitch Ratings just reaffirmed our AAA credit rating.

But those tax dollars don’t belong to the government. They belong to the taxpayers – the people of South Dakota. This is the right tax cut at the right time, and I look forward to getting it done.

Our people deserve a level playing field. They deserve Freedom. And they deserve to not have to worry about how they’ll afford food. This tax cut will put hundreds of dollars back into the pockets of every South Dakota family. It will give them the relief that they so desperately need. The people of South Dakota deserve no less.

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