Category: Uncategorized

Yes, I read it too, so you don’t have to spam the other posts.  There’s a big to do in the media over an age discrimination lawsuit that was settled, with allegations from the media that the Governor was too-involved.

I probably look at it with different eyes. I worked in the same office as Sherry Bren long, long ago when I worked at the Division of Insurance at the Department of Commerce in the mid-90’s, and she was ‘the person’ in the Real Estate Appraiser office.  Very nice lady.

Having worked in Real Estate myself over the last decade plus (maybe going back at some point), I also have a few observations about real estate appraisers.  If you need a loan, your real estate appraisal can be one of the biggest time bottlenecks for closing. Sometimes you can get them in 2 weeks. Sometimes 30 days.  They probably need more people in the industry.

Becoming a real estate appraiser is a very long process, basically an apprenticeship, where you have to go work for someone for quite some time before you can hang your own shingle.

Related to what was allegedly expressed by the Sec. of Labor in the story, it well may be a profession that’s a little behind the times.  I don’t know enough about the number of people in line to be an appraiser or the process to say it is, or it isn’t.

If the Governor was made aware of what she saw as unnecessary bottlenecks and hoops, I can see her acting in a manner exactly as Bill Janklow would have and summoning the state employee to a meeting.

Frankly, I don’t know what was said in meetings, so from my perspective, I don’t have any opinion to express beyond that it’s tough to become an appraiser, and we always seemed to need more of them.

Months later, DOL and Sherry Bren parted ways, she thought it was unfair and age-based discrimination, they fought it out and settled.  And that brings us to today.

I doubt I’m going to change any minds, and you probably won’t change my experiences.  But that’s my 2 cents worth.

South Dakota’s decennial redistricting process seems to have been proceeding in an orderly and cordial manner to this point. Mostly.

“Shady politics?” Did I say it was cordial?

District 16 State Representative Kevin Jensen has been on facebook in recent weeks loudly protesting legislative redistricting, and going so far to attack others and refer to the process as shady politics. Why? Because of how it affects his legislative district, for one.

If you read into the comment section of Jensen’s public Facebook post, Jensen characterizes it as some evil plan to do away with conservative incumbents…

 

…and according to him, his district – District 16 – is ‘perfect’ the way it is. And all this shady political redistricting talk is being driven by some of those in Senate Leadership.

The problem with Jensen’s demands to preserve his existing District, is that there is more to South Dakota than his district. And his argument that it pits “4 conservative incumbent representatives and at least one new candidate who has announced, and 2 incumbent senators against each other in the primary” is beyond ridiculous.

I was floored when I read him saying we’re now supposed to worry about “at least one new candidate who has announced.” We supposedly have to base the state’s legislative map for the next decade in part on someone who has yet to collect 1 signature?

Never mind the fact that we also somehow can’t have candidates who might have to run against each other in the primary?

I’m sure many legislators would like to keep things exactly the way they are, as well as set them up for their friends who just announced for office, but that part is not in the state constitution which dictates “Legislative districts shall consist of compact, contiguous territory and shall have population as nearly equal as is practicable, based on the last preceding federal census.”

There will be candidates who plan on running who have to shift gears because things change, and there will be existing officeholders who have to run against each other. Try not to be shocked, but legislators who are currently in office will run against other legislators who are currently in office. It’s a called a primary election. And from what I hear, we have a few of those.

Some of this may come to a head tonight at the Sioux Falls legislative redistricting meeting tonight at 6 o’clock at the HUB Building at Southeast Technical College (HUB303, 2001 N. Career Avenue) in Sioux Falls, and you never know, it could end up being a little heated.  You can find the agenda here.

Stay tuned, because there is more definitely coming on this.

From KELOland news, the Attorney General’s office is announcing that the official AG opinion for Amendment C, which proposes to raise the vote threshold for initiated Constitutional Amendments will be coming in November:

Bormann said he’s been informed that the attorney general intends to put out the draft explanation for Amendment C on November 2, one day after the public-comment period law takes effect. The new law says the attorney general must issue a draft, accept any public comments, and then issue a final version.

and..

Absentee voting for the June 2022 primary begins Tuesday, April 22. That is four weeks before May 16, the date that Ravnsborg has interpreted as the legal deadline for the attorney general to deliver the official statement.

Schoenbeck, a lawyer, contends that Amendment C if passed would apply to two Medicaid-expansion measures that are circulating for signatures from registered voters. Their sponsors hope to qualify them for the November 2022 ballot. They face a 5 p.m. CT deadline on November 8, 2021, to be submitted to the secretary of state.

Read the entire story here.

KELOland was reporting that a group of legislators intend to introduce a resolution during the next legislative session regarding COVID mandates from the federal government:

The group plans to introduce a concurrent resolution urging that any attempt by the Biden Administration to implement mandates on businesses be overturned.

Read that here.

The group will have to wait until January, since the State Constitution bans them from bringing the resolution during either of the special sessions coming up in November.

The South Dakota Constitution is pretty specific on special sessions where it notes that “The petition of request shall state the purposes of the session, and only business encompassed by those purposes may be transacted.”

My hope is that when the legislature meets next year to ban any mandates on businesses from the federal government, that they make special note to also include a ban on COVID mandates on businesses from the state legislature.

(Because it’s come up recently, you know).

SECRETARY BARNETT TO VISIT SPEARFISH AND RAPID CITY 

PIERRE – Secretary of State Steve Barnett will be in Spearfish and Rapid City, on Tuesday, September 28, 2021, to raise awareness for National Voter Registration Day. Secretary Barnett will be at Black Hills State University in the Student Union from 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. where he will be joined by staff from the Lawrence County Auditor’s office.

Secretary Barnett will also be on the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology Campus at the Surbeck Center from 3:30-5:30 p.m. where he will be joined by staff from the Pennington County Auditor’s office.

“Voter participation is the foundation of our democracy and our office strives to provide our citizens with the tools and information necessary to register and engage in our civic processes,” stated Secretary Barnett. “Our state has a great history of civic engagement that continues today with 635,672 South Dakota residents currently registered to vote. I would encourage every eligible South Dakota resident who is not yet registered to complete the process and ensure your voice can be heard.”

Since first being observed in 2012, National Voter Registration Day has sought to educate the public on the process and importance of registering to vote. Organizations and volunteers will be joining in non- partisan outreach programs to provide voter registration information across the country. In 2020, over 1.5 million voters across all 50 states used National Voter Registration Day to register to vote.

Voter registration in South Dakota is conducted by each county auditor and municipal finance officer. In addition, you may also register to vote at one of the following locations:

• Driver license exam stations
• Public assistance agencies providing food stamps, Medicaid, TANF or WIC
• Department of Human Services offices that provide assistance to the disabled
• Military recruitment offices
• Secretary of State’s office

Voter registration information can be found on the Secretary of State’s website at www.sdsos.gov. A voter registration form can be downloaded from the website and returned to your county auditor. The deadline for voter registration in South Dakota is 15 days prior to any election you wish to vote in.

Secretary Barnett is an Aberdeen native serving his first term as Secretary of State. Prior to being elected secretary, Barnett served as State Auditor from 2011 to 2019.

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State Senator Helene Duhamel is on Facebook today with a notation on how legislators are looking at drawing Rapid City’s legislative districts, including a prospective map, as they try to recalculate districts based on new population requirements, political and natural boundaries, etcetera.

Check it out below!

Jonathan Ellis has an article in the Argus Leader today pointing out Congressman Dusty Johnson’s work with the youth vote as a result of many, many years cultivating an interest in politics from teenagers on up:

One of the rare exceptions of a politician who has managed to successfully court a youth contingent is South Dakota Rep. Dusty Johnson. That’s not to say young voters flock to vote for Johnson, but Johnson over the years has cultivated a loyal following among young activist Republican voters. That’s largely come though his years of work with the South Dakota Teenage Republicans.

and..

But his work with young Republicans has helped him create a brand that is unique. During his campaigns more than a decade ago for the Public Utilities Commission, it wasn’t uncommon to go to a parade and see throngs of young people marching for Johnson. For a PUC race. Those races typically only garner the attention of policy geeks.

and..

But whether through accident or by design, Johnson’s long work at engaging younger voters has given him a baked in advantage in politics. The now aging youths of the Reagan Revolution still reflect warmly on the man that inspired them into politics, and they would no doubt enthusiastically vote for him today if he were somehow miraculously risen from the grave.

Read it all here.

And Dusty Johnson still is a positive influence on getting young people involved in politics, as evidenced by the group walking for the Congressman in today’s DSU parade:

Interested in getting involved? Sign up for more information via facebook, or send in your information at https://www.dustyjohnson.com/volunteer

Buffalo Roundup is a one-of-a-kind experience
By Governor Kristi Noem
Sept. 24, 2021

The Buffalo Roundup is one of my favorite events to host as the governor. Once a year, tens of thousands of spectators gather on a hillside at Custer State Park to watch 60 cowboys and cowgirls (along with a dozen 4WD vehicles) round up almost 1,500 American Bison. It’s an amazing scene that brings our history and culture to life, and all for a good cause.

The annual event — this year is the 56th annual Buffalo Roundup — also includes a three-day Arts Festival. The roundup offers an opportunity to showcase three keystones of life in South Dakota: our beautiful landscapes, the iconic buffalo, and a long history of cowboy culture.

I’ve ridden in the Buffalo Roundup many times, and I still get excited when I feel the rumble of the herd running through the hills. Custer State Park is my favorite place to be in South Dakota. Adding the Roundup to it brings nostalgia for the great cowboys who have made their mark on our state.

James “Scotty” Philip, who is credited as “the man who saved the buffalo,” is a key figure in why the Buffalo Roundup is possible today. Philip served in the South Dakota State Senate. He was also a prolific rancher who was passionate about preserving the iconic symbol of the West, the American Buffalo. He purchased a herd and built the first-ever enclosed “Buffalo Park.”

Scotty was committed to returning herd numbers to what they once were. While we haven’t gotten there yet, the herd at Custer State Park is an example of how responsible management can ensure the buffalo remains an enduring symbol of the American West. The genetics of the buffalo in this herd can be traced back more than 100 years. That is worthy of our conservation efforts.

There also are cowboys like Bob Lantis who at 86 years old has ridden in the Roundup for almost 50 years. Bob has seen this event grow from a few cowboys to now dozens who participate annually and come from around the country. That includes his son and grandsons who rode with us in this year’s roundup. And Bob has no intention of quitting anytime soon.

Buffalo Roundup is a dramatic start to fall tourism following an already busy peak season for the western region of our state.

Mount Rushmore and the Badlands National Park both saw an uptick in visitors with a 17% and 25% increase, respectively. Badlands Park Superintendent Mike Pflaum recently reported that July was the busiest month ever at the park.

State parks, like Custer, are also seeing record increases, with an overall boost of 34% in visitors. Custer State Park, with its many camping grounds, trailheads, and wildlife loop road, saw a 23% increase in visitors.

About 20,000 people attend the Roundup each year. This event allows us to educate visitors about this historic herd – one of the oldest buffalo herds in the country.

Great care is taken to ensure the herd is both sustainable and healthy. To maintain our efforts, the Roundup is followed by an annual auction where bidders can purchase buffalo from this historic herd. I bought five buffalo last year that now live at my ranch near Watertown.

This year’s auction will feature about 370 buffalo for sale. The number of buffalo auctioned is chosen specifically to meet the goals of health and sustainability.

In the last five years, 1,689 buffalo have been sold at the auction, raising $3.02 million for the park fund. That money supports trail management, road maintenance, and other key features to keep the park in top working condition.

There are so many reasons to love the Buffalo Roundup. The most important part, though, is promoting Custer State Park as the best example of balancing habitat and access for visitors. South Dakota will always protect our parks and preserve our heritage. We must provide opportunities for future generations to experience and enjoy all that our great state has to offer.

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Through member organization Americans for Prosperity group, South Dakotans Against Higher Taxes has sent a postcard statewide in favor of Amendment C, to put tax increasing measures on the same playing level at the ballot box as the hurdles that tax increases face in the South Dakota State legislature.

As noted by the Secretary of State, in a rare move, the statewide measure will be on the ballot next June:

 

Absentee voting for the measure begins April 22, 2022.

Uh oh.

You remember that issue over transgendered individuals participating in sports and using bathrooms opposite of their birth gender? It’s back. And it’s going to be badder than ever.

This past legislative session, there was more than a bit of a stink over it, but we managed to move past the issue, because there really wasn’t any need to get hot and bothered over the issue, because except for arguing, it wasn’t prescient. It was more hullabaloo at the state level than it was the local level.

Until this week. Because the issue has been simmering in one of our university communities, and it started to boil over last night. And the Vermillion School Board has put the issue front and center in policymakers crosshairs, and pitted parents who vehemently disagree with boys being in girls bathrooms and vice versa against those who don’t think it’s a problem.

And I’d guarantee that also means we’re going to see it in Pierre once again, except this time with a little more urgency, because there’s a real world example to point to:

The Vermillion School Board spent nearly two hours Wednesday evening receiving public comment on a passionate topic – the restroom gender policy for the district.

The issue became the focus of attention when Vermillion School Superintendent Damon Alvey told board members last month that from time to time, requests are received for students to be able to use bathrooms opposite of their birth gender.

Read (and listen to) the entire story here.

And in case you wanted to see what Vermillion parents are going to be fighting with each other over….

Vermillion School Transgendered Bathroom Sample Policies by Pat Powers on Scribd

Students will be allowed to use the restroom and locker room that corresponds to the gender identity they consistently assert at school. No student will be required to use facilities that conflict with his or her gender identity consistently asserted at school. A transgender student or any other student who has a need or desire for increased privacy may be given the option of using a separate or private restroom or changing area, such as a single stall restroom, if such is available. No student shall, on account of their transgender status, be required to use such separate facilities.

The determination of consistently asserted gender may be determined in collaboration of any the following –parent/guardian, counselor, and/or building administrator. This policy does not require a student to provide any documentation about a gender dysphoria diagnosis but does require that the identity be consistently asserted.

As I said. “Uh oh.”

I get the distinct feeling that there’s going to be a battle involving parents, school boards, politicians at all levels, the SDSHAA, and given that we have a Democrat President, very possibly the federal government thrown in for good measure. This issue promises to be hard fought on either side, and I’d guarantee that we’ll see more than one bill coming in January.

I was communicating with one parent tonight who expressed that a number of parents “are trying to figure out if we can homeschool our kids successfully with our busy schedules,” and they’re “trying to get the word out to state legislators to let them know” about what’s taking place.  Yeah, I can guarantee that legislators are going to know.

And the battle in Vermillion over kids being in the bathrooms opposite of their birth gender is going to be an issue that will be one of the major flashpoints for conflict this next legislative session.