Championing Freedom for Ranchers, Consumers, and American Fuel
By Rep. Dusty Johnson
May 2, 2025
BIG News
Heather and Charles Maude, fifth generation West River ranchers, faced up to ten years in prison over a fence line dispute with the Biden Administration’s U.S. Forest Service. Thankfully, under the leadership of President Trump, cooler heads prevailed. This week, Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced the criminal charges against the Maude family were dropped.
Thanks to the advocacy of people like you, the Trump Administration, members of Congress, and more, we brought an end the to this political prosecution. I was honored to join Secretary Rollins, Secretary Noem, and the Maudes to celebrate this outcome.
Click here or the image above to watch the press conference
BIG Idea
Transportation issues were the talk of the town this week. The House of Representatives debated and passed legislation blocking California’s zero-emissions requirements for vehicles. These mandates would force all vehicles sold in California to be zero-emissions (electric vehicles) by 2035. Because it’s inefficient for manufacturers to make different cars for different states, California’s mandates would effectively apply to the whole country. All Americans should have the choice to purchase the car the best fits their needs. The government should not make that decision for them.
The Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, that I am a member of, considered its portion of the budget reconciliation bill. Our package reduces spending by more than $10 billion while making historic investments in the Coast Guard and air traffic control. Updates to our outdated air traffic control technology nationwide will be great for our towers at the Rapid City and Sioux Falls airports.
BIG Update
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved the sale of year-round E-15 sales, just days after my colleagues and I sent a letter to EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin asking for this waiver to be approved. This decision supports South Dakota producers, gives consumers a cheaper option at the pump, and bolsters our energy security.
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“The government should not make that decision for them.”
Lololol, ideological consistency is not chicken little’s strong point.
Unlike the Maude’s case, this pile of cowdung has not been resolved:
Despite the record of it being a matter that has drug out for 4 years administratively, BEFORE they moved it to a criminal matter, for these legislators to show up for a photo op and then try to claim that these representatives of state government are somehow able to do something in a federal land dispute being heard in federal court?
The federal indictment was a criminal indictment, not a “land dispute” In fact, federal courts do not hear actions to quiet title, state courts do, even when the federal land claims are in question. So yeah, it is perfectly reasonable to have state officials involved in land disputes that concern constituents because settling titles to land within a state are state matters.
Well, I don’t know about you, but it just seems that these legislators are trying to mine publicity out of misery.
“I don’t know” is 99% accurate.
Misery arising out of a federal fence line dispute above their pay grade that’s drug on for years.
The federal indictment ASSUMES that the US gov’t has clear title, but that have never been completely resolved. So, the fact that the feds skipped a step would lead many a reasonable person to conclude that “lawfare” is occurring.
But, when one is so obsessed with hating politicians that they do not like, reasonableness is a scarcity.
It’s refreshing to see someone looking at the entire story. The government bad guy perspective is easy to accept. But I’ve questioned again and again – what happened during the four years the government claimed it couldn’t come to an administrative solution? It would be great if somebody flesh this case out for us.
The feds sit on cases all the time to grind down opposition. As Mark Steyn has said many times, “The process is the punishment.”
So who owns the land in question- the Maude’s or the federal government? What federal crime was alleged? It’s nice to be for law and order until you’re not. This seems like a PR opportunity for our Congressional representatives.