With Tina Mulally as Treasurer, It took the SDGOP less than a week to have to re-file their last FEC report, as it appears they under-reported their expenditures by over $20,000, greatly reducing what little cash on hand they had. Here’s the updated report that just came across to the Federal Elections Commission today:

Sdgop2025 Aprilfec Do Over by Pat Powers on Scribd

Where the old report had $28,084.25 claimed in receipts, $8,492.97 expenditures and $68,841.29 cash on hand, the corrected report says the SDGOP ACTUALLY has $28,084.25 in receipts, a 4-fold increase of $36,572.17 in expenditures, and they’re only left with $40,762.09 cash on hand!

If that burn rate remains in place, they’re going to start to be in trouble next month!

Attorney General, Departments of Health, Social Services and Emily’s Hope To Announce Partnership Friday in Sioux Falls

PIERRE, S.D. – A joint partnership between state government offices and a local organization to distribute naloxone kits throughout South Dakota will be announced at a news conference Friday, April 25, in Sioux Falls.

Those attending the news conference will be South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley, State Social Services Secretary Matt Althoff, State Health Secretary Melissa Magstadt, and Emily’s Hope founder Angela Kennecke.

Friday’s news conference starts at 11 a.m. in the media conference room of the Sioux Fall Law Enforcement Center at 320 W. Fourth St.

For more information, contact Tony Mangan of the South Dakota Attorney General’s Office at 605-773-6878.  

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Attorney General Jackley Praises U.S. Attorney General Bondi’s Creation of Second Amendment Enforcement Task Force

PIERRE, S.D. – South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley joins 25 other Attorneys General in praising U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi’s creation of a Second Amendment Enforcement Task Force.

“The right to keep and bear arms is a Constitutional right that has been threatened by Washington,” said Attorney General Jackley. “The Attorney General’s task force will ensure that the Second Amendment is protected now and in the future.”

In their letter to the U.S. Attorney General Bondi, the Attorneys General promised to support the Trump Administration in Second Amendment litigation and provide resources as needed.

Other Attorneys General joining the letter are from Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, West Virginia, and Wyoming.

More on the Task Force can be found here:

Yesterday, as quickly as GOP Gubernatorial Jon Hansen could tap it out, the SDGOP was re-posting his attack on the Summit Carbon Pipeline and carbon sequestration in general.

While it might play to a very narrow group of individuals, neither seem to care that their cheerleading is a direct attack on President Trump’s energy innovation agenda:

Under President Donald J. Trump, America is back — leveraging environmental policies rooted in reality to promote economic growth while maintaining the standards that have afforded Americans the cleanest air and water in the world for generations.

Unlike the previous administration, which wasted billions of taxpayer dollars on virtue signaling and ineffective grifts, the Trump Administration’s policies are rooted in the belief that Americans are the best stewards of our vast natural resources — no “Green New Scam” required.

Here are key actions President Trump is taking on the environment:

President Trump is promoting energy innovation for a healthier future.

By supporting cutting-edge technologies like carbon capture and storage, nuclear energy, and next-generation geothermal, the Trump Administration is ensuring America leads in both energy production and environmental innovation — producing the cleanest energy in the world. Moreover, by ending the Biden-era pause on liquefied natural gas export approvals, the U.S. is sharing cleaner energy with allies, reducing global emissions, and creating American jobs — building on President Trump’s first-term successes, where the U.S. led the world in greenhouse gas emission reductions.

SDGOP Chair Jim Eschenbaum – an Obama voter & 32 year Democrat – and Jon Hansen should read President Trump’s Energy Innovation Agenda here.

Big questions that Republicans should ask about party leadership and those who think they can sit in the big chair on the second floor – are they following President Trump’s agenda? Or are they anti-Trumpers who are going to be attacking the president and trying to stop his energy innovation agenda in South Dakota?

Another reminder that Republican faithful in the state really need to take a look at the people they’re putting in charge of the Republican Party.

KELOland has an extensive interview posted with United States Sen. Mike Rounds, who appears to be on course for another term in Washington.

Rounds is focused on resolving some of the issues with how DOGE is operating, it is very clear that he is not planning on returning to the governors chair in Pierre:

“I gotta tell you, a lot of the messages that’s come out of DOGE or out of the different agencies has been pretty raw and really not very nice in terms of saying ‘you’re done’ or ‘we don’t need you anymore,’” Rounds said during a one-on-one interview with KELOLAND News. “Very inappropriate, in terms of the way that they’ve shown some disrespect for a lot of our, either people that are operating through grants or people that are operating, have been good employees for years. So, we try to respond and go back and say, let’s make sure, number one, that there hasn’t been a mistake made.”

and..

Santella: Are you considering a run for the governor’s office?

“I am not,” Rounds said. “I looked at it. I seriously looked at that because honestly, look, it’s the greatest job in the world.”

Read (and watch) the entire interview here:

From the University of Nebraska, NSU President Neal Schnoor who arrived in 2021 is already looking for greener pastures:

The University of Nebraska System has named Dr. Neal H. Schnoor – president of Northern State University in Aberdeen, South Dakota – as the priority candidate for chancellor of the University of Nebraska at Kearney.

A Nebraska native – born in Norfolk and raised in Pierce – first-generation college student and former long-time UNK faculty member and administrator, Schnoor brings more than 30 years of experience in higher education leadership, instruction and strategic planning.

and..

Dr. Schnoor has served as President of Northern State University since 2021, where he led the development of a five-year strategic plan, implemented academic restructuring to drive innovation and growth, and secured major legislative funding for academic facilities and program expansion—including a new Business and Health Innovation Center and a collaborative nursing program. Under his leadership, NSU also increased private fundraising, launched new academic and co-curricular initiatives, and strengthened student support services and community partnerships.

Read the entire story here.

Flags at Half-Staff in Honor of His Holiness Pope Francis

PIERRE, S.D. – Today, Governor Larry Rhoden ordered that flags be flown at half-staff statewide effective immediately as a mark of respect for the memory of His Holiness Pope Francis, who passed away on April 21, 2025.

Flags will remain at half-staff until the day of Pope Francis’ interment, which will be announced at a later date.

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Dakota Scout is reporting that US Senator and Majority Leader John Thune’s chief of staff is leaving to join Sanford Health’s team:

The longtime chief of staff for Sen. John Thune is leaving the office to join Sanford Health, Sanford’s President and CEO Bill Gassen announced Tuesday.

Ryan Nelson will join the health system as senior executive advisor to the CEO. He joins Sanford after a 28-year career with Thune that started when Thune represented the state in the U.S. House of Representatives. Nelson was with Thune during his long march from the House to the Senate leadership. That culminated last November when the GOP caucus in the Senate voted to make Thune its party leader.

Read the entire story here.

Congratulations to Ryan in his new role with Sanford. He spent a lot of years with Senator Thune, and they’ve been good years with steady leadership at the wheel.

Retiring Lobbyist David Owen is profiled in South Dakota Searchlight, and in his twilight years of promoting the interests of industry and commerce in Pierre is noting that the Capitol is a much more hostile place than it used to be:

Owen said Pierre’s deeply divided political environment, particularly among Republicans, is one where policy debates turn personal. He describes it as “a cancer in the system.”

“We used to have battles, take the vote, then go on and see each other at dinner. Those days are gone,” Owen said.

and..

This year, I was talking to some of the freshmen legislators who had never served before….

…I heard more about concerns about “society” and how they thought they could help straighten out “the culture” by being in the Legislature. That’s a big task. That brings you to introducing things like school vouchers. That brings you to thinking the Ten Commandments in every classroom will help structure a moral code that will solve some of these social problems.

Read the entire story here.

District 32 State Senator Helene Duhamel is one of the nicest people in state politics. Unfortunately, 32 years after beating cancer a first time, she is facing a battle against cancer again.

Please keep Helene in your prayers as she and her family face this once again, as well hope for the best.