Category: Uncategorized

Wow. I heard a big one today.

Word on the street is that Troy Heinert is taking a job, possibly out of state, and will NOT be taking on Kristi Noem for Governor.

Leaving state Democrats really nobody. And they have no one to blame for the lack of candidates besides themselves.

For the past couple of decades, Democrats have labored under the mistaken belief that ballot measures could drive energy and interest towards their party apparatus and diverted significant energy towards those ends.  Unfortunately, they lost that bet, and their party has withered on the vine (while former candidate Rick Weiland has cashed in on it.)

Their miscalculation in betting on ballot measures is that energy actually comes from the top of the ticket to turn out voters. It’s why we have higher turnouts in presidential years.

The problem is that Democrats are finding that a lack of attention to the business of being a political party has seen their down-ticket success eroded to the current historic low point.

And it’s self-perpetuating. Fewer elected officials at the local or legislative level means fewer possibilities for competent statewide candidates. And fewer people willing to put themselves up to run as a Democrat in the first place, because frankly, no one wants to carry the ball as part of the losing team.

In 2022, Democrats wondering why thinks look so bad need to take a look at the hot mess they’ve created for themselves.

After a major financial crash which shut their doors for a time, the State Democrat Party is as dependent on cash from their national party to fund their daily operation just to get through the day. AND the State Democrat Party remains on shaky financial ground after rebuilding, on top of which they find themselves owing a $40K fine to the Federal Elections Commission as a result of their mishandling of money.

Only holding 11 seats between the House and the Senate, with two incumbents ineligible to run again due to term limits, Democrats are challenged to not just hold their own, but also have to recruit candidates for over 90% of state legislative races.

And with 30 days to go until petitions begin circulating, they literally have no one jumping forward to run as candidates at the statewide level, and they’ve ran the clock down to the last few seconds.

No matter how futile it ends up being, it seems that there are always candidates who think they can escape conventional wisdom and run a competitive statewide challenger campaign by starting in February of election year.  Nevermind the fact that the incumbents have been active in pulling resources – both financial and organizational – for months.

Senator John Thune (at around $15M), Governor Kristi Noem (about $6.5M) and Congressman Dusty Johnson (about 1.5M) have built up funds and organization to go towards the ends of running a competent campaign in this cycle.

At the same time Democrats have literally no idea who they can talk into it.

With Heinert out, no one stepping forward to run in the general election against Congressman Dusty Johnson, and only a Democrat party outsider whose stated party affiliation is ‘a lifelong Independent’ until he wanted to run for office expressing interest in the US Senate contest, you cannot describe Democrat’s electoral chances as anything but ‘bleak’ in the 2022 election cycle.

And those are the races at the top of the ticket. Not to mention they lack anyone talking about the mid-ticket statewide constitutional offices. Which we can accurately predict will be the usual “whoever-we-can-talk-into-it-at-convention” candidates that Democrats tend to offer.

Already, it looks as if 2022 is not looking good for the blue team.

As the clock continues to run down, we’ll continue to watch to see if all is as bad as it seems.

South Dakota Ranked Top-5 in “Freedom in the 50 States”

PIERRE, S.D. – Today, the CATO Institute announced that South Dakota is now ranked in the top-five states in their “Freedom in the 50 States” index. The index ranks South Dakota as the most-improved state in the nation when comparing 2018 to 2019, Governor Noem’s first year in office. The most recent edition, published in 2018, ranked South Dakota eighth. Governor Noem issued the following statement celebrating South Dakota’s success:

“South Dakota has freedom in abundance. In the few short years since I took office as governor, we’ve already propelled South Dakota from a top-10 freest state status to a top-five status. I believe that we respect freedom more than any state in America, but this ranking indicates that we have more work to do. I look forward to working with the legislature to advance policies that protect freedom, cut red tape, and promote continual growth for our state.”

The rankings are based on state laws as of January 1, 2020 and state budgets through FY 2020. Of note, this ranking did not take COVID-19 response into account. In the early months of the pandemic, Governor Noem was the only governor in America to never order a single business or church to close.

You can read the full report here.

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Wow. Check out this report from the Hill where shortly after State Rep. Steve Haugaard announced his candidacy for Governor, Governor Kristi Noem is cited as having shattered the record for the largest political fundraiser in state history:

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R) pulled in $330,000 for her reelection campaign at a Sioux Falls fundraiser last week, smashing the record for the largest single fundraising event in state history, according to her campaign manager.

and..

The Sioux Falls fundraising total was first reported on Tuesday by Politico Playbook. According to the newsletter, the $330,000 haul is nearly double the amount raised at the state’s second largest fundraiser on record.

Read the entire story here.

That’s more than a lot of Democrats manage to raise throughout their entire campaign, much less at one event.  And coming on the heels of Haugaard’s announcement, that definitely sends a message.

Big Ballot Measures Coming
by State Rep. Will Mortenson (R – 24)
November 30, 2021

In the 2022 general election, South Dakotans will decide two questions with profound impact on our communities, our laws, and our budget: Recreational Marijuana and Medicaid Expansion. These blockbuster topics will cast a shadow over our Capitol when your legislature meets in January. I expect bills to be introduced that attempt to affect both measures – by limiting their scope, preempting their purpose, or altering their terms.

The legislature ought to let the people have their say. I do not think the legislature should cut in front of measures that thousands of petitioners have already signed. Both ballot measures should get a vote of the people, as the petition signers intended. If either ballot measure is passed, the legislature must ensure that such measure is implemented fully and faithfully.

Medicaid Expansion and Recreational Marijuana arrived on the ballot following different paths. Medicaid Expansion will be placed on the ballot after a petition drive sponsored by the big hospitals. Legal marijuana had a more tumultuous path.

Last week, the Supreme Court ruled that the sponsors of Constitutional Amendment A messed up. I read the Court’s 77-page ruling. The opinion said nothing about the people’s voice or about whether legalizing marijuana is a good idea. The ruling simply said that the sponsors (lawyers from Washington, DC and Sioux Falls) failed to follow the state constitution. Our constitution says that amendments can only address one subject, and these sponsors put a measure on the ballot that combined three subjects: hemp, medical marijuana, and recreational marijuana.

I think the Supreme Court made the right decision, but I was frustrated by the result, because many of my neighbors feel that their time, energy, or vote was wasted. I wish the sponsors had followed the correct process, but they did not. Fortunately, the sponsors have learned their lesson, and petition organizers are gathering signatures to put the single subject of recreational marijuana on the ballot in 2022.

So, next November, we’ll get to vote on these two important questions. In the meantime, the legislature should not try to pass a modified version of either the Medicaid Expansion or Recreational Marijuana measures. We should let these proposals get a vote of the people. If the voters pass them, the legislature should honor their intent and should only consider legislation that faithfully honors that intent. That’s also how I will view legislation next session that affects the medical marijuana measure (“IM26”) that voters passed in 2020.

I encourage all voters to start researching these measures now – the cost, the impact, and the experience of other states that have adopted them. As with every election, we’ll have big decisions to make in 2022. The legislature should let the people make them.

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As we start moving towards petitioning season in about a month, and session isn’t far behind that, I notice we have a few ad spots left.

Which means that it’s time for a periodic reminder that South Dakota War College has limited advertising opportunities available for reaching South Dakota’s opinion leaders as the 2022 election season starts warming up and things start to happen as candidates announce for office and start campaigning.

In addition to regular advertising spots, our #1 and #2 advertising positions are available to promote your business, organization, campaign or cause.

If someone is following the campaigns, making laws, keeping up on the issues or promoting legislation, they’re stopping here to check the temperature on South Dakota’s political climate. South Dakota War College provides candidates, companies, and organizations a unique opportunity to direct a targeted message at South Dakota’s elected officials, our state’s politically active, and our community opinion leaders.

Advertising on the Dakotwarcollege.com website is based on a first come, first serve basis for available positions.  Advertising slots on the right are 300 px wide up to 400 px tall, and may be either static image, animated .gif, or other, as long as the file size is within acceptable file parameters, does not impede the loading of the website, or interfere with existing code.  All ads run through-site, and are not rotated in their positions.

Information on ad prices, ad positions, and required ad commitments may be directed to the webmaster by clicking here.

And if you’re just an avid reader, as always, please don’t forget to visit our advertisers who make it possible to bring you the best in South Dakota politics such as the SDGOP, Marty Jackley for Attorney General,  South Dakotans Against Higher Taxes,  Kristi Noem for Governor, John Thune for US Senate, Dusty Johnson for Congress,and Dakota Campaign Store.

Drop me a note today to find out more!

Brian Bengs is not your traditional Democrat running for US Senate, and you could arguably say the same about the politics he advocates for.

I was looking for some info for another article I’m working on, and came across this article in the Aberdeen American News about Bengs, who plans to mount a campaign against John Thune.

And I’m not entirely sure how his politics are going to sell in tax-averse South Dakota:

His plan would exempt people from federal income tax if they make up to four times the median income. In South Dakota, that’s $124,000. That means, he said, with income verification, no taxes need to be filed, but also no tax refunds.

and..

The goal, he said, is to shift the tax burden to the states, which then create their own systems.

and..

Bengs said one program he would advocate cutting would be federally subsidized flood insurance..

Read it here.

So, Bengs’ plan is that he wants more state taxes?  Hmm. If memory serves, who was the last person who advocated for that?  That would be Senator Thune’s last opponent, Jay Williams!

“Instead of looking for spending cuts, we must look for ways to increase tax revenue. Look at yourself, if you have property, ask for property taxes to be raised. If you have income, lobby for a state income tax. If you buy lots of things, go for a sales tax.”

Read that here.

I think I have an inkling how this campaign is going to go.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Monday, November 29, 2021 

COURT HALTS BIDEN ADMINISTRATION’S HEALTHCARE WORKER VACCINE MANDATE FOLLOWING LAWSUIT FROM 10 STATE ATTORNEYS GENERAL COALITION 

PIERRE, S.D. – South Dakota Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg announced today that a Missouri federal court granted South Dakota’s request for an injunction on the Biden Administration’s vaccine mandate for healthcare workers. Earlier this month, South Dakota joined a coalition of ten states challenging the mandate. In addition to South Dakota, the coalition includes Missouri, Nebraska, Arkansas, Kansas, Iowa, Wyoming, Alaska, North Dakota, and New Hampshire. 

In the ruling U.S. District Judge Matthew Schelp writes that “the court cannot, in good faith, allow CMS to enact an unprecedented mandate that lacks a ‘rational connection between the facts found and the choice made.’” 

“This is a huge victory for healthcare workers in South Dakota, and especially for our rural hospitals and health care professionals who provide such crucial care to so many of our residents,” said Ravnsborg. “This ruling is a big win against this unprecedented federal overreach.” 

The full ruling can be read here. 

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Guest Column: Be Kind and Shop Locally
By: Tom Rounds
November 29, 2021 

This guest column is written by Tom Rounds. Tom, along with his wife Shelly, own four businesses in the Pierre community. He is also the brother of Senator Mike Rounds.

With Christmas just weeks away, it’s easy to get caught up in the rush of buying gifts. It’s easy to be excited about seeing family and friends.  And it’s easy to forget to be kind to those who are working in the retail, manufacturing or service industries.

As a small business owner, I know firsthand the challenges that come during the holiday season. And this year, our biggest challenge is finding employees. You’ve undoubtedly noticed the help wanted signs in hundreds of businesses across the state. It’s alarming, but what’s even more alarming is when the sign says, “Closed today due to staff shortage.”

Owning a small business is hard. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 20 percent of businesses fail within the first year. By year five, that number jumped to 50 percent. But every year, thousands of South Dakotans embark on the American dream of owning their own business. And every year, these business owners become the new mentors and new donors for our communities.

We all know shopping locally keeps more money in our economy, supports local jobs and is good for our towns. But let’s talk about what else these local businesses do for our communities.

They are the people who serve as the first work mentors for our children. They take a chance on inexperienced teenagers and teach them about responsibility and work ethic. And they give your kids a paycheck so they can begin to learn fiscal responsibility.

Local business owners are the first ones tapped to donate for school functions, sporting events and any other fundraiser you can think of. And most of the time, these businesses give, and they give and they give some more because they know they are supporting their community and their customers.

And then when they aren’t being asked to donate, some business owners take it upon themselves to continue to find ways to help. They might donate 10 percent of their profits to a local family or organization.  Or in the case of one Pierre eating establishment, they donated a portion of their profits to a competing business who had recently lost everything to a fire. If that’s not a sense of community, I don’t know what is.

The other day I saw a sign that said, “Be kind to our employees. We are short staffed and they are doing the best they can.” Let’s face it, the last two years have been tough for local businesses and we need your support now more than ever.

It’s easy to get caught up in the convenience of online shopping or traveling to a bigger town to get what you need. But before you hit send on that next order – especially with all of your holiday shopping coming up – think about your local businesses and the people they employ, the taxes they pay and the products they offer. And don’t forget to be kind.

Via the Secretary of State’s website, new candidates are popping up daily.  And today we have two new candidates who might prove to be the next generation of leaders for the South Dakota Republican Party.

First off (and appropriately first in District 1) Republican Logan Manhart has filed a statement of organization to run for the House of Representatives:

Manhart, a resident of Bath, SD, brings campaign experience from working as a Regional Field Director for the Wisconsin GOP as well as the Wisconsin Trump campaign.

His entrance into the race is particularly interesting, as with three quality candidates in D1 (Rohl, St. John & Manhart), for the first time possibly ever, the GOP could conceivably capture all three seats in what has been a Democrat stronghold for decades.

Also filing a statement of organization and equally experienced in politics comes a new District 2 Candidate who has campaigning ingrained in his DNA:

Republican Jacob or “Jake” Schoenbeck just filed paperwork for the District 2 House of Representatives.

If you’re in South Dakota politics, you know the name, as his father Senate President Pro Tempore Lee Schoenbeck is arguably the state’s most influential legislator in terms of his campaign knowledge and position.

Jake has been alongside his dad on the campaign trail for at least two of his dad’s three runs in Pierre, as well as having matriculated up through the teenage Republicans organization and so on. So if there’s anything he knows how to do, it’s how to campaign. Jacob is currently an Internal Auditor at Plains Commerce Bank.

From my mailbox, Governor Kristi Noem turns 50 next week, and you can sign the card and leave her a message by clicking on the image: