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Former 32-year Democrat Jim Eschenbaum’s Republican Party today sent out an appeal to try to get county organizations to raise money to help fund their activities at state convention, including the hosting of a VIP that 99.99% of South Dakota Republicans have never heard of.

And when you do go look up “Cliff Maloney,” in case you thought of sponsoring tickets for this VIP event, you should note that having your name attached to a sponsorship might not be the best idea in the world.

In fact, if you have daughters, you might want to demand they find a different VIP.

From FOX News:

The president of Young Americans for Liberty (YAL) has been placed on leave as the conservative group investigates sexual assault allegations against him and other leaders in the nonprofit.

YAL’s board released a statement saying it was investigating the matter and calling on anyone who had evidence regarding the claims to come forward to report it. 

The organization, which works to elect conservative and libertarian leaders across the country, said that President Cliff Maloney and vice president of grassroots, Justin Greiss, had been placed on leave until the investigation was complete. 

Read that here.

And that apparently was not all. Among other accusations..

Cambria Co., PA (WJAC) — After nearly ten hours of deliberations, which began Wednesday afternoon, spanned into the night and continued Thursday morning, a jury has reached a verdict in the trial of political commentator Cliff Maloney Jr., who is accused of drugging and raping a woman at the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown in 2013.

The jury found Maloney not guilty on four of the six charges he faced, which included rape of an impaired person, rape of an unconscious victim, aggravated indecent assault of an impaired person and aggravated indecent assault of an unconscious person.

However, the jury could not reach a verdict on the two other charges of aggravated indecent assault without consent and sexual assault.

Read that here.

Since his removal from YAL leadership over accusations of sexual assault and being hauled into court over rape accusations, Maloney has rebranded himself as a conservative activist and gone on the political speaking circuit.

Which according to the SDGOP, will include a stop at the Republican Party’s State Convention.

When I attended my first Republican state party convention way back in 1988, the feature VIP speaker was Arizona Senator John McCain, former POW and war hero, who a number of years later was our presidential nominee.

Clearly for 2026, there has been a lack of quality control in determining what we should consider as a VIP.

Between the Minnehaha County GOP’s Lincoln Day Dinner featuring Madison Cawthorne, and now Eschenbaum’s version of the SDGOP featuring an ex-leader of a Libertarian group who found himself accused of rape as our next state convention’s big VIP, I think the GOP’s donor class  should keep their sponsorships to candidates only, and not party groups who have taken leave of their senses.

(In a message on Facebook today, State Representative Will Mortenson expressed his thanks to his constituents and his colleagues and announced that he will not run for another term of office. )

It has been a wild ride.

I am not running for re-election to the House this year. I do not believe the legislature is meant to be a forever job, and the time is right to step aside.

I have given this job my all, and it has truly been a wild ride: COVID, Impeachment, Surpluses, Leadership, Tax Cuts, Pipelines, Prisons, and a Governor Transition. Through it all, I tried to uphold the values and ethics I campaigned on: respect, common sense, diligence, and policy goals that were consistently restrained and truly conservative. I said I’d prioritize agriculture & education, and I did. I told you I’d support families and protect the unborn, and I have. I pledged I would fight against onerous mandates and silly regulations, and I have absolutely worn myself out doing so.

I’m thankful for Shuree, who has been my north star. She always listened (even if she didn’t care) and she provided a respite from the stress and nuttiness. Shureee is simply the best. As the pictures show, our kids have grown up with me in this world. I’m so grateful to have a family that has sacrificed and supported me while I pursued this life.

I’m thankful to the people in central South Dakota and across South Dakota. It was a true honor to represent my friends and neighbors. I never took it lightly. I learned so much about the law and the community around me. I learned about what makes people tick (and what ticks them off). More than any of that, I learned a lot about myself, and gained confidence, toughness, and perspective through the trials and tribulations.

I’m thankful for my colleagues. I made some of the best friends and best memories. Even those that were considered “enemies” for a day, a week, or a session were fighting for their view of the public good. I know when we see each other in the years to come, we will only remember the bonds forged in the strange fox hole that is our citizen legislature.

I will look back on my time in the House fondly. I’ll have more to say later, but for now, it is a very fond farewell to an incredible period of my life.

Mellissa Heermann Announces Re-Election Campaign for South Dakota House of Representatives District 7

BROOKINGS, SD — Mellissa Heermann has announced her candidacy for re-election to represent District 7 in the South Dakota House of Representatives, pledging to continue her work advocating for families, children, education, and strong local communities.

“Serving District 7 has been one of the greatest honors of my life,” Heermann said. “For me, this role has always been about helping people. I have been intentional about listening first, doing the homework, and making thoughtful decisions that strengthen our communities today while protecting opportunities for tomorrow.”

During her time in Pierre, Heermann has built a reputation for steady, practical leadership and collaborative problem solving. She has focused on issues impacting working families, rural healthcare, education, and protections for seniors and vulnerable adults. Drawing on her professional experience as Revenue Cycle Director at Brookings Health System and years of local leadership — including service on the Brookings School Board, Lake Preston City Council, and as Mayor of Lake Preston — Heermann brings both policy knowledge and real-world perspective to the South Dakota House of Representatives.

“Representing District 7 is a role that I have taken very seriously over the last 4 years in the legislature. There has not been one day that I have taken for granted, or one moment that I forgot who I was working for.

Heermann and her husband, Cody, have called Brookings home for nearly two decades, where they are raising their three children and remain active in local schools, churches, and community organizations.

“I’m grateful for the trust District 7 has placed in me,” Heermann added. “I’m ready to keep working hard, showing up, and serving the people of our district with integrity and care.”

For more information or to follow the campaign, visit heermannfordist7.com or find updates on Facebook at Heermann for House.

Hot off the press, the Minnehaha County Republican Party has announced their Lincoln Day Dinner is March 29th.

And the Keynote speaker is…. drumroll…  former Congressman Madison Cawthorne?

I’m not sure where to start on the reasons why this is a bad choice..  Just go to wikipedia and start reading for the readers digest version:

In April 2022, Senator Thom Tillis called for an investigation into Cawthorn for possible violations of the STOCK Act, stating that Cawthorn’s purchase of an anti-Biden “Let’s Go Brandon” cryptocurrency without disclosure may have violated insider trading rules for members of Congress. By December 2022, it was reported that Cawthorn had violated the STOCK Act a total of three times that year for failing to disclose hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of sales in Let’s Go Brandon coin, Bitcoin, and Ethereum.

and..

In August 2020, during Cawthorn’s campaign for Congress, several women accused him of sexually aggressive behavior, sexual misconduct, and sexual assault.

and..

On October 17, 2020, a group of Patrick Henry College alumni released a public letter accusing Cawthorn of “sexually predatory behavior” while he was a student there for a little more than one semester, as well as of vandalism and lying. The letter originally had ten signatories but the number increased to over 150 alumni in less than a week. Cawthorn claimed that most of the signers did not know him personally and his campaign posted a response letter of support for him signed by six alumni, two of whom work for Cawthorn’s campaign. Cawthorn’s response letter implied support by former Patrick Henry College President Michael Farris; Farris disavowed the support letter and asked that he not be associated with it.

and..

On May 4, 2022, a video began circulating online that showed Cawthorn naked in bed, thrusting his genitals toward another man’s face while moaning. Cawthorn said of the video, “Years ago, in this video, I was being crass with a friend, trying to be funny. We were acting foolish, and joking. That’s it.” He called the video “blackmail” on Twitter after he had released an eight-minute video addressing it and other controversies.

And there’s more. Too much more.

Not sure what Minnehaha County was thinking. I’m not sure why they settled on Hawthorne. Was Mark “I’m a black nazi” Robinson that Toby Doeden was trying to bring to South Dakota unavailable?

Whoof. I think the challenge for the evening will be how many people aren’t going to want to sponsor the event. Much less how many candidates will be there getting a picture with the keynote?

A Reality Check on the So-Called “App Store Accountability Act”
by Graham Dufault, General Counsel, ACT | The App Association

The threats to kids’ safety online are real, and parents are understandably looking for ways to protect their children from online harms.

Last year, South Dakota legislators were asked to fast track legislation that purported to do just that, the App Store Accountability Act (ASAA), as part of a raft of measures targeted at child safety online. But ASAA was not like the others, and fortunately, it failed. Its deeply flawed approach ignores the fact that not all websites or mobile applications pose the same risk because its purpose is not about protecting kids, but companies.

Its failure is not surprising when you know the company behind the idea. Meta—the company that owns Facebook and Instagram—which has been the focus of repeated investigative reports and congressional hearings for harm caused to kids, is the primary drafter. To put it simply, if you don’t trust Instagram or Facebook with your kids’ sensitive personal information—and from public reporting you shouldn’t—you probably shouldn’t trust them to draft the laws governing your kids’ data either.

That said, ASAA’s problems are much deeper than just the interest groups behind it. The bill would require any person who makes an app (a student, a pizza chain, or a local retailer) to create a mechanism to receive age information about the people they serve. Then, they would be liable for complying with federal kids’ privacy laws that otherwise have no reason to apply to the fish identification app FishSD or SpartanNash’s app. These apps have no reason to build systems to receive this information and then be liable for having it. It’s a completely unnecessary risk.

At ASAA’s heart is a mandate to verify the ages of every single potential user of an app store—and then put every single app on the store on notice as to that age determination. To put this in perspective, age verification is the most stringent form of “age assurance.” Because verification requires collecting official documentation with date of birth, it is both the most accurate in assessing a user’s age as well as the highest-risk form of it because of the sensitive private documents a user must provide (i.e., birth certificate, driver’s license, passport). Therefore, verification is used only sparingly in the real world—such as to determine someone’s over-18 status when purchasing tobacco.

The corollary to this is that age verification is not generally used to keep people out of the grocery store, which sells goods and services that are generally not age restricted. So, when ASAA came along and sought to impose it on every single potential user of a store, the red flags went up right away. In fact, this is partially why a  federal court blocked enforcement of the Texas ASAA. While the state’s justification for the law was to protect kids from truly harmful or unsafe content online, the law is simply orders of magnitude broader than that, impeding access to and severely burdening providers of every single type of app.

South Dakota addressed the issue of age verification online when it enacted HB 1053, requiring verification before accessing “material harmful to minors.” The legislature has done its job on this issue, and it should steer clear of ideas like ASAA. The measure may be helpful to a subset of the largest social media platforms—but for kids, parents, and developers in South Dakota, ASAA is all risk and no reward.

—

The App Association is a global trade association for small and medium-sized technology companies. We work with and for our small business members to promote a policy environment that rewards and inspires innovation while providing resources that help them raise capital, create jobs, and continue to build incredible technology.

Did the Hansen & Doeden campaigns peak 6 months too early?

Did the Doeden jet stall and run out of gas after his Superbowl party?  Doeden social media seems to have dropped off completely since February 9th after posting a few pictures of his free-food fest, and taking a tired jab at Governor Rhoden.   Nothing upcoming. It seemed kind of tired until the 9th when they stopped posting completely.

Hansen for Governor isn’t really much better. In fact, they’re worse.  Instead of posting any updates on the campaign on Facebook and Twitter, Hansen’s social media reads more like he’s engaging the voters for a campaign for the state legislature. “Hey, we have these crackerbarrels” and “I voted on this bill, and the Governor stinks”. …aaand nothing that actually talks about him having campaign events or running for Governor.   Did Pizza Ranch stop taking his calls to book the big room?

We’re in the doldrums of session, and it’s like both of them saw their shadows and crawled back into the burrow to wait out 6 weeks of winter.  Is there an active campaign for Governor? You’d wonder looking at those two.

Compared to Governor Rhoden’s campaign, where Governor Rhoden is actually doing events, even though we don’t see much in terms of visible fundraising. And he gets the bully pulpit of being Governor.

And Dusty Johnson’s campaign for Governor effort is starting to apply gas as they kicked off TV on Superbowl Sunday, and now has a second TV Commercial is in rotation. And they’re not coming down.  n addition to the mailer that I just posted repeating the message from the first commercial.

At the time the race for Governor is gearing up, it seems as if half the campaigns have slipped a gear, and are waiting on the side of the road for someone to tow them into town.

What are your thoughts?

Gov. Rhoden Appoints Kory Bierle and Ross Cuny to Brand Board

Outlines Board Expectations

PIERRE, S.D. – Today, Governor Larry Rhoden appointed Kory Bierle and Ross Cuny to the South Dakota Brand Board. The Governor also outlined his expectations for continued improvement in the Brand Board’s operations. He sent those directives in a memo to the Brand Board members, which can be found here.

“Our livestock industry is built on hard work, stewardship, and trust, and the Brand Board helps safeguard those values,” said Governor Larry Rhoden. “Kory and Ross bring generations of ranching experience, and I am confident their leadership will help preserve the integrity of our livestock industry and protect producers.”

Kory Bierle is a fifth-generation rancher who operates Madsen Ranch Land & Cattle, a commercial cow/calf operation near Midland, South Dakota, that focuses on sustainability and conservation. He also serves as the Southern Regional Director of the South Dakota Cattlemen’s Association. You can find a photo of Kory Bierle here.

“I would like to thank Governor Rhoden for the opportunity to serve on the Brand Board of South Dakota,” said Kory Bierle. “I consider it an honor to help administer the registration and ownership inspection programs of the Board to help ensure that this historic program can continue to help preserve the privileges of personal property ownership for all of South Dakota.”

Ross Cuny is a fifth-generation rancher from Buffalo Gap, South Dakota. He studied range management at the University of Wyoming and has been ranching full-time since returning to the ranch in 2005. You can find a photo of Ross Cuny here.

“I am deeply honored by Governor Rhoden’s appointment of me to the South Dakota Brand Board,” said Ross Cuny. “I am excited to help advance the board’s mission and make meaningful impact for our state.”

You can learn more about the Brand Board here.

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A full-size 8 1/2 by 11 Dusty Johnson for Governor mailer hit mailboxes today, mirroring the message in Dusty’s Superbowl commercial. Check it out:

More Opportunities to Get Ahead
By Sen. John Thune

Education can open a lot of doors. The right knowledge and skills can create opportunities and open up paths to success. It’s why parents work so hard to ensure their children get a good education that sets them up for a better life. When Republicans wrote our landmark bill, the Working Families Tax Cuts, we wanted to support parents and empower them to help open doors for their children, and I’m proud this landmark law will help set the next generation up to attain their American Dream.

For decades, the 529 savings plan has been a powerful tool for parents to save for their kids’ education. At first, 529s could only be used for college, but in 2017, Republicans expanded eligible uses of 529 funds to include K-12 expenses as well. In the Working Families Tax Cuts, Republicans expanded 529s again to provide even greater freedom for parents to support their children’s education. Thanks to this new law, parents can put that money toward tutoring, vocational and continuing education, and homeschool materials. And we also doubled the amount folks can spend from a 529 plan to $20,000 per year.

The Working Families Tax Cuts supports Americans pursuing an education whatever their ultimate goal may be. For those interested in the trades, this bill created the new Workforce Pell program, which will help students pursuing shorter-term job training programs that prepare them for in-demand, skilled jobs. For those who are looking at a college degree, this bill implements accountability measures designed to put downward pressure on tuition, and it streamlines the student loan repayment process to make it simpler for Americans repaying their loans. Additionally, it ensures that graduates won’t have to pay taxes on tuition assistance from their employer – a measure that I introduced and that this bill makes permanent.

In addition to supporting Americans in their educational pursuits, the Working Families Tax Cuts also provides families with another option to save for their children’s future: Trump accounts. These new investment accounts allow families to contribute and invest money for children as they grow up. When a child turns 18, that money – thousands or even tens of thousands of dollars – is tax-advantaged, and it can be put toward education, starting a business, or buying a home – to get a head start on the American Dream. For children born between 2025 and 2028, the government is offering an initial $1,000 investment in Trump accounts. I hope parents will consider opening an account for their children, which you can do when you file your taxes or at any time online.

I often say that the Working Families Tax Cuts includes a decades-worth of accomplishments in a single bill, but perhaps its greatest impact is the opportunities it unlocks for an entire generation of Americans. Thanks to this bill, the next generation will have greater educational freedom and be able to seize even more opportunities. I’m proud that Republicans’ landmark bill will help the next generation as they pursue the American Dream.

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The State Board of Elections met today, and as I was listening in, there was a member whose name I didn’t recognize. At all. And this new member spent much of their time voting no. I found myself wondering.. who was that?

It appears that upon the end of the term for former legislator Mike Buckingham, 2 weeks ago House Majority Leader Scott Odenbach booted Mike Buckingham off the board and offered a different person to appoint to the panel.

His choice? A Kristin Matsuda of Spearfish. Who is someone I’d never heard of.   A quick trip to google led me to a couple of things. First a press release to the appointment that went out last week.

And to Odenbach’s 2024 campaign finance report:

..where the Matsuda’s were the 4th largest donor on the report at $600 for his campaign.  There are a few assorted websites such as the PUC and others, where she’s complaining about the pipeline, through an e-mail link provided by the free-dumb caucus, and other things.

But I’m not finding much.  In fact, a quick check of the voter file says that her original voter registration date was 6/8/22.  The hard copy of the voter registration might need to be pulled, but on it’s face, the new appointee to the board of elections has only been registered in South Dakota since June of 2022?  Digging a bit further, without going into detail on my search.. it appears that the new appointee may not have been registered here before then because she was registered elsewhere. At least one website says she was in California.

And within 3-4 years, Representative Odenbach appointed her to the Board of Elections.

Well, it is Scott’s pick for the Board of Elections as House Majority Leader. He can certainly do what he wants. Even though there are several hundred thousand more South Dakotans with more time spent in elections in South Dakota than that.  (And in South Dakota, period.).  Coming on to the board after Mike Buckingham, who has been involved in multiple elections, and served in the legislature for 6 years.

So, I’m left wondering exactly what his replacement’s qualifications are that caused Rep. Odenbach to appoint her, besides being a recent transplant to the state?

Hm.

Oh, found another reference.

Stay tuned.