Huge reason to vote Yes for RL 21 – Farm income declining, and attacking ethanol isn’t going to help

Interesting data being released in a report by the Governor’s Council of Economic Advisors. Especially when it comes to South Dakota’s farm economy:

Furthermore, the experts said a few indicators in the recent state report should be watched closely, as they carry potential warning signs for the future.

Chief among those concerning indicators:

    • A somewhat stark drop in overall farm income since 2022 that can cause negative ripple effects across the entire state economy.
    • Lower-than-expected state sales tax collections in June and July, which could portend a crisis if that trend continues – especially if voters decide in November to end the sales tax on consumable goods.

Read that story here.

With far right groups joining the far left in opposing pipelines to support ethanol production in South Dakota, if RL21 – The Landowner Bill of Rights – doesn’t pass in November, and the next legislative session continues to attack the ethanol industry in the state, it could contribute greatly to an already declining trend in farm income in South Dakota.

Imagine ethanol production shifting out of state because they can’t sell what they make in South Dakota. Imagine the billion dollar jet-fuel production plant not being built. And imagine all the corn they won’t be buying in the state.  It does not take a wild imagination to believe in the market forces of supply and demand and how it affects what they pay.

If the demand isn’t there, it’s South Dakota’s ag producers who will feel the pain.

49 thoughts on “Huge reason to vote Yes for RL 21 – Farm income declining, and attacking ethanol isn’t going to help”

  1. I think this is fear mongering but if not then ag producers will adapt and grow what sells. Ethanol is going to drop significantly anyway when passenger vehicles are mostly EVs.

    1. Oddly enough, not everything can run on batteries. Like say airplanes. 🤯 So ethanol doesn’t have to drop off significantly and farmers don’t have to figure out a different crop.

      1. Exactly. Consumers require it and they are willing to make it. We need to get behind sustainable aviation fuel because the airlines are going to pay for it and someone is going to make it.

  2. I have been saying this all along. The anti pipeline people are anti agriculture. We have to produce a product the market will buy. Aviation fuel is a market with a demand for a product we can produce! South Dakota needs to get in the game or it will hurt much more than the farmers, it will impact every part of South Dakota’s economy.

      1. Actually, it was the lies and fear mongers from the opposition that got me voted out of office. Boy howdy did they lie about me!
        Sadly, I thought SD was better than that. I was wrong.

        1. Actually it appears the fear mongering is coming from you and your people in every comment you make. I mean not even a PR trip to the border with Kristi could get you re elected or push your will on the people of South Dakota.

          1. The PR trip was to learn about the dangers coming across our southern border. Drugs, human trafficking, things that are impacting South Dakota that need to be addressed. I was doing my job. Not scaring everyone with falsehoods and propaganda, anonymous. Show some courage and put your name to your lies.

  3. All of our ethanol goes to British Columbia. They require a CI score of under 50. Who is going to buy our ethanol if the pipeline doesn’t go through? If they aren’t making ethanol, who is going to buy the corn?

  4. The short story—pipeline is okay but the use of eminent domain is not. It is taking of private property for personal gain.

    1. The people opposing RL21 are oppressed to the pipeline. Period. In turn, opposed to ethanol and agriculture. They are not trying to find a solution. RL21 is a compromise to benefit landowners and agricultural. ED is not addressed in the law. “Cutting off one’s nose to spite their face”

    2. ~ ipeline is okay but the use of eminent domain is not. It is taking of private property for personal gain. ~

      Wow jad, you have the misleading talking points down very well.

      Think beyond the propaganda you see from the anti-pipeliners. But watching what your buddies do, it will really cause you to step away from the distortions and falsehoods.

    3. Oil, gas, internet, cell phones….all used eminent domain for private gain and you benefit from it. Quit posting if you are against it because you are only supporting a private company who used eminent domain to provide you with that ability.

        1. Rl21 doesn’t grant the pipeline that status and it doesn’t allow or deny eminent domain. If they are granted carrier status, which will likely happen with or without rl21, you are going to wish you voted YES on rl21

  5. There is No compromise for life,Freedom or Liberty the taking of anyone’s property using Eminent Domain for private gain is EVIL 👿 at work. No one is against Ethanol so STOP pumping that propaganda. Tell the truth ethanol can’t make it without tax payers subsidies I come from a 7 generation family farm and the only corn our family ever grew was for feed for livestock. Our family made it through the 30s—-late 70sand 80s and has never gotten a tax payer subsidy. Some farmers will make it some won’t corn ethanol isn’t going to save the farmer to bad you have to depend on taxpayers subsidies. Don’t be hypocritics. 🤔🤔😊😊

    1. Never gotten a tax payer subsidy??
      You have never been participated in an FSA program or bought crop insurance?
      Congratulations if that is true but I think the hypocrite is in your mirror.

    1. Oooh look at the tough guy on the internet, belittling those that bought crop insurance. A pillar of intellect and reason right here folks!

      (Heavy sarcasm for you there, since you seem like the kind that wouldn’t know sarcasm if it slapped them upside the head)

        1. What? Are you serious? 2/3 of the crop insurance premiums are paid by tax payers dollars. How do you figure that’s not a subsidy? It’s, by definition, a subsidy.

  6. Jad: RL 21 has nothing to do with eminent domain. It is not even mentioned in the bill. What does RL 21 do? RL 21 holds companies responsible, provides additional protections for the landowner and gives communities more money to help them prosper. It does not force the landowner to do anything. It forces companies to do certain things.

    By way of clarification, all 50 states have some sort of eminent domain. How does one know this? Because without it, there would not be 3 MILLION miles of hazardous liquid pipelines in the US, 98% of those miles are owned by PRIVATE corporations, not the government.

    Most of the public, I bet you too, do not want the government in charge of anything, including getting natural gas to your home, or gas to the pump, or water to your faucet. The government should NOT own pipelines just like we do not want them to own the airlines or the trucking industry. The government is designed to regulate, not own. That is what RL 21 does, it regulates what pipeline companies must do.

    I bet there are thousands of miles of pipelines in SD, how did they get there? Via the state’s eminent domain statute. Eminent domain is in place to ensure that a small minority should not stop progress. If they did, our products would be more expensive or nonexistent. Every single one of the opponents to this pipeline benefits every day from current pipelines. If they do not want pipelines, they should no longer heat their home, get gas at the pump, or take showers.

    The greater good is served when people sacrifice, such as when the landowner allows the use of their land. When they do, jobs are saved, jobs are created, economic development happens in their town and additional tax dollars are brought in to their community to make it better.

    Last reminder: RL 21 has nothing to do with eminent domain.

    1. So you’re saying RL21 has nothing to do with eminent domain, but provides landowner protections and additional property tax relief? That’s great to know

      1. Yes, it has no bearing on when or if eminent domain can be used. It just says if it is used, the landowners now have these additional rights. Without it, the pipeline will likely get common carrier status and they will walk over landowners. I agree with the original poster, this law does not allow or deny eminent domain.

    2. I noticed recent;y that all those who voted to strip property rights by voting for SB 201 are now saying “this bill has nothing to do with eminent domain”. Yeah, that’s the problem! It should have specifically prohibi!ted the use of eminent domain if they truely wanted to protect the landowner. This pipeline produces nothing, provides nothing, and is just a big redistribution of wealth allowing big foreign-owned corporations to to take from landowners because they think they know better what to do with the land than the actual owner. The pipeline is the definition of boondoggle.

      1. Actually, the people that support SB201, never associated the bill with eminent domain or promoted it as such. This bill became necessary because the multiple attempts to restrict eminent domain failed miserably due to unconstitutionally.
        If you just recently noticed this then you were not paying attention from the beginning and simply believe the propaganda from the opposition.

      2. This reads as if Ismay has finally found the Dakota war college page (always looks like he’s typing on a flip phone). You simply can’t prohibit eminent domain. Typical ignorance on the subject. The bill didn’t strip property rights. Just added protections for landowners. You have a minor argument about the puc having a clearer means to override local zoning, but if you actually read the previous statutes, the puc always had that ability. Gaslighters and manipulators, the whole lot of ya.

  7. yo anonymous 7:46am, “Yeah, that’s the problem! It should have specifically prohibi!ted the use of eminent domain if they truely wanted to protect the landowner.”

    RL 21 doesn’t restrict zealots from saying untrue things on blogs, but that’s now how the voter should view any issue on the ballot. They should view what the bill ACTUALLY DOES, not what it doesn’t. The bill tells the pipeline companies what they HAVE to do. if you hate the company so much, why wouldn’t you want to put some guardrails up?

    And your ‘foreign owned’ comment, China is the biggest importer of US soybeans, does that mean you are ‘foreign owned’? I certainly don’t think so, I think you are getting the best price for the product you make, good for you!! However, if you use your definition, you are bought and paid for by the ‘foreign’ folks.

    https://fas.usda.gov/data/commodities/soybeans

  8. This is information the opponents of RL21 don’t want anyone to see. They are using scare tactics to get their no votes much like the lies they told people to get signatures on their petition! If RL 21 was going to help “the dangerous pipeline company ” then said company would be more vocally in favor of it. The only people that loose if it doesn’t pass are the landowners. Do farmers NOT remember what corn prices were before there was Ethanol? There is roughly double the corn production now…it’s a no brainer that we need this pipeline!! Landowners need to do their own research and stop listening to lies being told by people who are NOT telling them facts. One of the most vocal opponents is profiting from her fight…selling tshirts, getting speaking engagements & getting public attention wherever she can.
    RL 21 is also NOT taking local government control away…it’s simply making them accountable to their choices. Discussing set backs and being reasonable is NOT a bad thing. Some Counties need to be forced to back up their decisions.
    This project is needed to make South Dakota Ethanol more saleable…it’s what the customers want.

    1. Spot on!!! Follow the money. Radke and Loos are making money off of this vote no campaign and being the public face of the ‘fight’ they’ll be straight onto the next thing after this passes

    2. It is unbelievably ironic to me that Summit has said nothing about this. And that speaks volume. They are letting their opposition literally do their work for them. This bill is the best thing possible for landowners and the anti-pipeline group is too stupidly ignorant to see it. It’s a shame really.

  9. Everyone that pays taxes should be in favor. Tons of tax dollars will be paid on this project. More local dollars frees up millions in state aid to schools, that’s gonna be needed when IM28 passes. Those state aid dollars will benefit districts through redistribution where the pipeline isn’t paying into the schools.

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