From Facebook, today Jason Green turned in his petitions to challenge Taffy Howard for D34 Senate Seat:
You can follow the campaign here, and donate here to help take back the seat for a pro-South Dakota candidate who wants to grow our state!
Attorney General Jackley Testifies in Opposition To Bill Repealing State’s Death Penalty
PIERRE, S.D. – South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley Wednesday testified in opposition to House Bill 1268 which would have repealed capital punishment in South Dakota.
“The death penalty is, and should be, used sparingly in South Dakota and in only the most extreme cases,” said Attorney General Jackley, who has consistently opposed repeal of the death penalty. “The death penalty protects the innocent including citizens, law enforcement officers, correctional officers, and other officers from the most dangerous individuals in our society.“
House Bill 1268 was tabled in the House Judiciary Committee by a vote of 10-1 with two excused.
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Sioux Falls City Council Candidate Oppenheimer submits signatures for June 2nd Ballot
Sioux Falls, SD – February 18, 2026 – Today, James Oppenheimer, candidate for Sioux Falls City Council At-Large, announced that his campaign has successfully collected more than 290 signatures, comfortably surpassing the requirement to appear on the June 2, 2026 ballot.
“We are thrilled to have reached this important milestone,” said Oppenheimer. “Collecting signatures from so many neighbors reflects the enthusiasm and support behind a vision for a more inclusive, collaborative, and forward-looking Sioux Falls. This campaign is powered by everyday people who believe in positive, people-focused leadership.”
“I am truly humbled that so many people have taken the time to sign their names in support. I am ready to bring Positive, Efficient, Transparent, Servant Leadership to City Hall. Let me take care of things like the budget, snow removal, potholes, and city zoning so you do not have to worry about it and you can enjoy living in this great city,” Oppenheimer continued.
Oppenheimer brings a track record of community leadership and nonprofit experience to his campaign. As CEO of the Sioux Falls YMCA and former the Executive Director of the Sioux Falls Area Humane Society and Director of Business Operations at Dakota Alliance Soccer Club, Oppenheimer has led teams of more than 200 people, managed multi-million dollar budgets, and delivered programs serving thousands of children and families each year.
Oppenheimer’s campaign is focused on building a city where families can thrive, with three key priorities:
For more information, visit www.JamesForSiouxFalls.com.
Gov. Rhoden Thanks Supreme Court for Prompt and Thoughtful Opinion
PIERRE, S.D. – Today, Governor Larry Rhoden thanked the Supreme Court of South Dakota for its prompt and thoughtful advisory opinion on whether the South Dakota Constitution grants the Lieutenant Governor the authority to cast a vote in the event of a tie.
“We answer the question submitted by the Governor in the affirmative – the South Dakota Constitution empowers the Lieutenant Governor, while serving as President of the Senate, to cast a tie-breaking vote in the Senate on any matter,” wrote the unanimous Supreme Court of South Dakota. The full opinion can be found here.
“As elected officials, we have a solemn duty to respect and uphold the Constitution,” said Governor Larry Rhoden. “Thank you to the Supreme Court for providing a quick and diligent constitutional interpretation on this important matter. This opinion brings clarity to the process going forward.”
Governor Rhoden previously requested this advisory opinion, following a Senate ruling that raised questions on the constitutionality of a tie-breaking vote.
“As President of the Senate, my priority is to apply the rules fairly,” said Lt. Governor Tony Venhuizen. “I thank Senator Karr for raising this issue, and I thank the Court for quickly answering to bring clarity to this question.”
The Supreme Court unanimously concluded that the two Constitutional provisions at issue can be harmonized and reasoned:
“Implicit in the text of Article III, § 18 is the general principle that only members of the Senate may ordinarily vote on the passage of a law. Although the Lieutenant Governor is not an elected member of the Senate, Article IV, § 5 directs that the Lieutenant Governor shall be the President of the Senate and explicitly authorizes the Lieutenant Governor to vote when necessary to break a tie. Article IV, § 5 and Article III, § 18 do not stand in conflict. Instead, the two provisions complement one another.
“Article III, § 18 describes what is required before a law may be passed—‘assent of a majority of all members elected to each house of the Legislature.’ Article IV, § 5 is more specific and expressly addresses a discrete situation in which a majority vote in the Senate is not obtained due to a tie. Article IV, § 5 resolves this impasse by allowing the Lieutenant Governor to cast a vote, thereby providing a method by which a majority can be obtained. Construing the text of the two relevant constitutional provisions together, we conclude that the Lieutenant Governor may cast a tie-breaking vote on the final passage of a bill. This interpretation gives both provisions effect and meaning.”
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Hot off the press. The South Dakota Supreme Court sends the South Dakota State Senate back for a civics lesson, as they unanimously rule that the Lt. Governor is allowed to break ties in the Senate.
February 9-15, 2026
Welcome back to the Weekly Round[s] Up. It was another great week in DC because our office was full of South Dakotans again. I always appreciate it when folks make the trip to D.C. to share their perspectives on the issues that matter most to our state. In addition to these meetings, I attended several briefings, participated in a hearing and voted on President Trump’s nominees, a resolution to overturn a DC tax provision and a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding bill.
While we’d hoped to pass funding for DHS through the end of the fiscal year, Senate Democrats rejected it, opting to instead shut down the entire department. This means that Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the Coast Guard and other critical national security operations will go without funding until a DHS funding bill is signed into law. More on this and the rest of my week in the Weekly Round[s] Up:
South Dakota groups I visited with: Kevin Robling, Secretary of the South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks; Ryman LeBeau, Chairman of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe; President Frank Star Comes Out of the Oglala Sioux Tribe and Kathleen Wooden Knife, Chairwoman of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe; South Dakotans with Alliance for Headache Disorders Advocacy; South Dakota Principals with National School Leadership; South Dakota representatives and athletes with the Special Olympics; Community HealthCare Association of the Dakotas; South Dakota Education Association; South Dakotans with the American Institute of Architects; and representatives from the Indian Gaming Association.
Met with South Dakotans from: Beresford, Brandon, Harrisburg, Martin, Pierre, Sioux Falls and Spearfish.
Other meetings: Alzheimer’s Association; enCore Energy; and a Banking Member Meeting with Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic.
Additionally, this week I received a 100% Action Award from the Family Research Council in recognition for defending South Dakota family values and supporting commonsense legislation to protect life at all stages.
Hearings: On Thursday I attended a Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee hearing on “Oversight of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.” You can watch me question Paul Atkins, Chairman of U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, here.
Briefings: I attended two classified briefings with the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence as well as two classified briefings with the Senate Armed Services Committee.
Senate Bible Study: On Tuesday this week, I attended Senate Bible Study hosted by Senator Tedd Budd from North Carolina. Our Bible study was on the topic of evangelism and the important call to share the gospel with those around us.
Votes taken: 6 – This week I voted on multiple different items. To begin, I voted Yea for Daniel E. Burrows, of Colorado, to be an Assistant Attorney General. Then I voted Nay on IRS Notice on Corporate AMT CRA and Yea for the D.C. Tax Disapproval Resolution. Additionally, funding for the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2026 was on the table. I voted Yea on the legislation to fund critical agencies like FEMA, TSA, the Coast Guard and cyber defenses. Without support from Senate Democrats, this legislation did not pass and has now put us in a partial government shutdown. While Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) falls under DHS, they were provided with funding through the reconciliation bill that passed this summer to continue enforcing our immigration laws. Due to the nature of DHS operations, approximately 92 percent of the workforce is classified as essential. As a result, under this DHS appropriations lapse forced by Congressional Democrats, frontline personnel will once again be required to report to duty without pay for the second time this fiscal year.
My Staff in South Dakota visited: Hot Springs.
Steps taken: 60,453 steps or 28.6 miles.
Video of the Week: On Thursday morning, I went on KELO radio and spoke with Greg Belfrage about the SAVE America Act. Click the link to listen!
Looks like the 32-year former Democrat Jim Eschenbaum version of the SDGOP is continuing a record-breaking streak of not raising money, according to the FEC Report they filed today in advance of the Central Committee meeting this weekend:
SDGOP FEC Report Feb 2026 by Pat Powers
The South Dakota Republican Party in recording how much they raised from 1/1/26 through 1/31/2026 noted that it had NO donations rolling through their federal account. $277 in refunds & $355.30 in transfers in from the state account against $6409.92 in disbursements.
Leaving them $30,180.59. About $6,000 closer to being at zero than they were last month in the federal account. Not a great trend.
Between this slow-rolling, ongoing disaster and the controversial VIP they’re talking about bringing in for convention who was accused of drugging and raping a woman, how long is the Central Committee going to let this go on?
From FOX News, US Senate Majority Leader John Thune is promising that a voter ID bill will hit the Senate floor, in spite of the minority’s best attempts to block it:
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., is ready to put Senate Democrats to the test on voter ID legislation.
The Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act has earned the backing of 50 Senate Republicans, including Thune, which is enough to break through a key procedural hurdle.
Whether it can pass from the Senate to President Donald Trump’s desk is, for now, an unlikely scenario if lawmakers take the traditional path in the upper chamber. Still, Thune wants to put Democrats on the spot as midterm elections creep closer.
and..
Thune didn’t shut down the idea of turning to the talking filibuster, especially if it ended in lawmakers being able to actually pass the SAVE America Act. But in the Senate, outcomes are rarely guaranteed on politically divisive legislation.
Gov. Rhoden Signs 10 Bills into Law
PIERRE, S.D. – Today, Governor Larry Rhoden signed the following 10 bills into law:
Governor Rhoden has signed 45 bills into law and vetoed one this legislative session.
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Is one of the commenters on Rep. Schaefbauer’s facebook going to claim that he was hacked (again)?
IYKYK.