A Shared Land
By: Gov. Larry Rhoden
October 10, 2025

I recently visited Washington, DC, to see our South Dakota National Guard soldiers who are part of President Trump’s effort to make DC safe and beautiful again. I was amazed by what they told me about their mission. But I was even more impressed by what I heard from a South Dakota native who lives in DC: “Having the National Guard here has changed everything. I’ve been here for 5 years, and I’ve never felt so safe as right now.”

Washington, DC, is our nation’s shared capital city. It’s a place that all of us should admire and respect, because it’s the seat of a government founded in admirable and respectable principles.

I heard our founding principles reflected time and time again throughout my trip to DC. Both the Trump Administration and Congress are focused on returning our government to one that is of, by, and for the people – and that is limited by the constitutional provisions that our Founding Fathers so wisely put into place. We talked about restoring opportunity for agriculture, security for our people, and economic possibilities that will make South Dakota, and our entire nation, grow and thrive.

I strengthened my rapport with crucial leaders like Senate Majority Leader John Thune (we are proud to have a South Dakotan in such a key position!), U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, and Deputy Director of ICE Madison Sheahan (herself a former South Dakotan). And I strengthened our connection to the U.S. Department of the Interior, which is such a crucial entity for a rural state like ours.

I’m also working on strengthening relationships with our Native American tribes. I know that maintaining trust between the State and the Oceti Sakowin can be challenging, but I am committed to achieving it. I’ve visited several tribal nations on my Open for Opportunity tour, and I hope to visit all nine of our tribal nations soon.

South Dakota became a state in 1889, but long before that, this great land was already home to the Oceti Sakowin. We have nine tribal nations: Cheyenne River, Crow Creek, Flandreau, Lower Brule, Oglala Lakota, Rosebud, Standing Rock, Sisseton Wahpeton, and Yankton.

Just a few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to visit Crazy Horse Memorial and stand atop his arm. This monument has always impressed me – his face rises over 87 feet tall! Crazy Horse was recognized by the tribes as their greatest leader, which is why that memorial is such a crucial part of our Black Hills today.

Since 1990, South Dakota has recognized tribal nations on Native American Day. As we celebrate Native American Day, I encourage all South Dakotans to learn more about each of the tribes that call this land home. The South Dakota Office of Indian Education provides valuable resources for teachers, students, and the general public to learn more about the history, language, and cultural values of the Oceti Sakowin.

I invite tribal leaders to reach out with ideas on how we can better support your communities – just as I did with our federal leaders in Washington, DC. If we communicate and work together, the sky is the limit for what we can achieve.

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Democrats’ Shutdown Drags On
By Sen. John Thune

The government shutdown has entered its second week. In that time, Democrats have had numerous opportunities to end the shutdown by supporting the clean funding extension that has already passed the House and that President Trump is ready to sign. But, at the behest of their far-left base, they remain determined to prolong the government shutdown and the pain it is causing around the country.

Not even the prospect of American troops, law enforcement, and other federal workers going without a paycheck has been enough to get Democrats to support a clean bill to reopen the government. The Democrat leader’s only interest seems to be in what the shutdown does for his party. “Every day gets better for us,” he says. I don’t know whether every day is getting better for Democrats, but it’s certainly not getting better for the American people, who continue to suffer the consequences of Democrats’ shutdown.

The reason we’re in this mess – the reason why paychecks for service members and law enforcement officers are in jeopardy – is because Democrats’ far-left base has demanded that Democrats fight President Trump at all costs. And so even though Republicans haven’t asked Democrats to support a single new Republican policy, Senate Democrats continue to reject passing a clean, nonpartisan funding bill. They continue to bow to their far-left base, which is telling them to hold out, and insist on a staggering $1.5 trillion in new partisan spending.

Democrats may be earning points with the far left, but I doubt they are getting much praise from any other corner. A recent poll found that 65 percent of voters think Democrats should reopen the government instead of holding out for their partisan demands. And I expect that number will only grow as Democrats’ blocking government funding only causes more pain.

There’s no reason it has to be this way. The clean, nonpartisan funding extension the House advanced is just one Senate roll call vote away from going to the president. President Trump stands ready to sign it. The shutdown can end as soon as a handful of Democrats decide they have had enough and join Republicans to support the clean extension. If Democrats would only agree, we could reopen the government in a matter of hours and stop this madness.

When this ends is entirely up to Democrats. The only viable option is to pass the clean funding extension, and we need just a handful more Democrat senators to pass this bill. We need just a handful of Democrats to realize that their partisan demands aren’t worth widespread pain. Time will tell if they will.

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Thune Applauds Senate Passage of NDAA, Urges Democrats to Stop Holding Troops’ Paychecks Hostage

 WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today issued the following statement after the Senate passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2026, which authorizes significant investments for Ellsworth Air Force Base and the future B-21 bomber mission.

“This year’s NDAA builds on the historic security investments we secured in the One Big Beautiful Bill and will strengthen the important role that South Dakota plays in keeping our nation safe by providing critical resources to Ellsworth Air Force Base and the B-21 mission,” said Thune. “The NDAA is one of the most important bills that Congress considers every year, and I’m pleased that the Senate made it a priority this year to ensure our military has everything it needs to project American strength and promote peace.

“While I’m pleased we were able to get this legislation across the finish line, it is imperative that Senate Democrats stop holding the federal government – and military pay – hostage and reopen the government,” Thune continued. “Democrats need to do the right thing and vote to reopen the government so our troops can get paid and continue to provide for their families.”

The NDAA includes significant investments that will benefit South Dakota:

• Fully authorizes the B-21 Raider program, including over $3.4 billion for procurement;

• Authorizes $378 million in military construction projects to support the future B-21 Raider mission at Ellsworth Air Force Base;
• Authorizes $28 million for the Watertown Army National Guard Vehicle Maintenance Shop;
• Requires a “bomber roadmap” detailing bomber force structure, modernization, and transition plan for fielding the B-21;
• Modifies the Defense Community Infrastructure Program to better support the quality of life of the airmen stationed at Ellsworth;
• Supports munitions production, leveraging South Dakota industries; and
• Authorizes robust munitions production for the B-1 and future B-21.

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It’s shocking to see that there’s a former newscaster in trouble with the law who is not the overly verbose Shad Olson.

Former KEVN newsreader & Deadwood City Commissioner Blake Joseph has apparently found himself at the receiving end of a recall petition effort after being charged with a number of things, some still pending, including alternate charges of 49-31-31(1); Contacting someone by phone to terrorize, threaten, harass or annoy. According to the Black Hills Pioneer:

The warrant, issued for the arrest of Blake Joseph, 39, came the same day he pleaded no contest and was fined for careless driving and a subsequent failure to appear charge, stemming from a July 2024 incident during the annual Days of ’76 parade.

Joseph was charged on Friday with a single count of making threatening or harassing phone calls in which he, “did contact another person with intent to terrorize, intimidate, threaten, harass, or annoy by using obscene or lewd language or by suggesting a lewd or lascivious act,” according to the warrant.

and..

According to Schumacher’s report, Joseph during questioning denied owning or using a device or app that would spoof his number; however, he allegedly acknowledged the content and tone of the messages, as the conversation appeared familiar and consistent with a past heated exchange between the two. Joseph repeatedly said he did not recall sending the texts and was confused about the origins of the number. Schumacher reported that Joseph also alternated between denying knowledge of the phone and stating, “I don’t know,” or “I don’t remember.”

Read the entire story here, where the editor notes that portions of the story might be NSFW.

Apparently, enough people were fired up about it to start a recall petition effort.

A petition turned in late last week to recall a Deadwood City Commissioner has met the necessary number of signature requirements.

The petition accused Commissioner Blake Joseph of several offenses in connection with a 2025 incident. They include misconduct, gross partiality, abuse of office and crimes while in office.

In July 2024, Joseph was charged with careless driving and traveling through a roadblock, after he allegedly struck a Deadwood firefighter manning a roadblock with his vehicle during the Days of ‘76 Parade. The traveling through the roadblock charge was dismissed in May 2025; however, on July 2, Joseph faced another misdemeanor after he failed to appear for his trial for careless driving. Since then, Joseph was also cited in August of this year for having an open container of alcohol in a motor vehicle.

Read the first story here.

and following up, Joseph is not going quietly into the night according to more coverage from the Rapid City Post:

Joseph has filed for a temporary restraining order the election from happening until he has a chance to challenge those petitions. His court filings claim, in part, that he was denied access to the petitions and that allegations against him are unsubstantiated and unproven.

Read that here.

KOTA also has a story on the whole thing, where Joseph claims the facts that are flying around “are in defamation,” and provides some gibberish complaining that there were things “he was not allowed to add a voice to” in reference to past actions and when asked about current cases, notes “we don’t speak about those things until they are finished.”

(Seriously, watch the video, and admire that ‘stache)

So basically, this City Commissioner doesn’t like people talking about things he’s been arrested for, complains that he couldn’t talk about past actions, and can’t speak about current things.  And in looking at many of those cases, including the new lawsuit to stop the action, he appears to be handling many of these things on a pro-se basis.  (and according to an on-line resume of his, he can do all of this with either a Chinese or Yiddish accent. And puppets.)

I sense that this is not the last we’re going to hear about this elected official.

Thune on Israel-Gaza Peace Agreement

“It is vital that Israel and especially Hamas implement the terms of this agreement as quickly as possible, so that this can truly mark the beginning of an end to the bloodshed and – I hope – a lasting peace for this most war-torn of regions.”

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) today delivered the following remarks on the Senate floor:

Marshall Selberg to Announce Candidacy for Sioux Falls Mayor

Marshall Selberg, a proven community leader, former City Council member, and small business owner, will officially announce his campaign for Mayor of Sioux Falls on Wednesday, October 15 at 4:00pm at The South Dakota Military Heritage Alliance, 1600 Russell St., Sioux Falls, SD 57104.

He is emphasizing a platform focused on unity and expertise to drive the city forward.

“It is my great honor to run for Mayor of Sioux Falls because I believe our city’s best days are ahead—if we work together to make them happen,” Selberg stated.

The campaign’s core message centers on Selberg’s track record as a “bridge builder and problem solver” dedicated to bringing diverse people and personalities together to achieve common goals.

Selberg brings eight years of government experience as the City Council representative for the Southwest District, where he served in various leadership roles including three years in Council Leadership, including two of those as Council Chair. As a real estate business owner for 18 years who has served in various roles in community organizations, including 15 years as a Chamber of Commerce Diplomat Emeritus, Selberg possesses a deep understanding of the local economy, job creation, and managing sustainable growth.

“I’ve always believed that life begins when we begin to serve, and the strong desire to serve the people of Sioux Falls has stayed with me,” Selberg said.

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From Fox via Facebook, Senator Mike Rounds notes that President Trump should be considered for the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts in securing peace in the Middle East:

SEPTEMBER 29 – OCTOBER 5, 2025

Welcome back to another Weekly Round[s] Up. As you know, this past week, we entered a government shutdown, otherwise known as the Schumer Shutdown. Democrats chose to shut down the government by refusing to pass a clean, 7-week continuing resolution (CR). This legislation received bipartisan support in the House and would keep government open and funded through November 21. Instead, Senate Democrats are following their leader of Chuck Schumer and using the American people as leverage, attempting to unwind provisions from the reconciliation bill. One issue that will need to be addressed is whether to extend the enhanced ACA tax credits before they expire at the end of the year. Republicans will work with Democrats on this issue, but not until we get government reopened again.

While Republicans control the Senate, we still have a filibuster in place which requires about 10 Democrats to join us to end this Schumer Shutdown. Nobody wins in a government shutdown, especially essential personnel such as military members and law enforcement officers who are working without receiving pay. This is unacceptable and fully avoidable. We will continue to bring the clean, nonpartisan CR up for a vote in the hopes that cooler heads will prevail.

Despite the Schumer Shutdown, all five of my offices remain open and working for South Dakota. This past week, we continued our regular business of working to confirm President Trump’s team and meeting with South Dakotans who were in Washington, D.C. More on the rest of my week in my Weekly Round[s] Up:

South Dakota groups I visited with: South Dakotans with American Optometric Association, Basin Electric Cooperative and South Dakota Rural Electric Association and Truckload Carriers Association.

Met with South Dakotans from: Rapid City, Madison, Brandon, Pierre and Sioux Falls.

Other meetings this past week: Brandon Pugh, Principal Cyber Advisor for the Department of the Army; James Caggy, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Mission Capabilities nominee; and Mark Uyeda, Commissioner for the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Briefings: I attended four briefings including a CIA briefing, a Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Closed Briefing, a Senate Armed Servies Committee (SASC) briefing on the Golden Dome for America and one classified SASC briefing.

Votes taken: 13 – As mentioned above, I voted to fund the government three times, and Democrats continued to oppose, placing us in a government shutdown. We will remain in the shutdown until Democrats decide to end the Schumer Shutdown. We also voted to confirm 108 of President Trump’s nominees for positions within his administration.

Legislation introduced: This past week I introduced “Kamisha’s Law”, legislation to eliminate the statute of limitations (SOL) for certain murder charges on federal and tribal lands. The law will remove the SOL for non-capital homicide offenses including second-degree murder as well as murder of federal officers. Read more on it here.

My staff in South Dakota visited: Keystone, Aberdeen, Bristol, Brookings, Hartford and Dallas.

Steps taken: 51,103 steps or 22.28 miles.

Video of the Week: Last week I joined Newsmax to discuss the government shutdown, click below to watch.

After today, we remain in a Schumer shutdown. There is a path forward, and that begins with passing the clean CR and ending the shutdown. pic.twitter.com/KQoOS1fW55

— Senator Mike Rounds (@SenatorRounds) October 4, 2025

Emmett Reistroffer Announces Campaign for South Dakota House District 35

RAPID CITY, SD — Local business and public policy professional Emmett Reistroffer today announced his campaign for the South Dakota House of Representatives, District 35, running in the Republican Primary on June 2nd.

Reistroffer promises straightforward, no-bull leadership that puts the people of District 35 first, prioritizing real taxpayer relief, public safety and long-term reforms to ensure fiscal responsibility and bring accountability and transparency to Pierre.

“District 35 is full of brave men and women who’ve served our country and hardworking families just trying to make ends meet. I’m running for them,” said Reistroffer.

A Vision for South Dakota’s Future

Reistroffer’s platform is built on freedom, accountability, and innovation, including:

• Free People: Protect freedoms and family values
• Free Markets: Support sustainable, long-term economic growth without government handouts
• Safer Neighborhoods: Fix our broken justice system and back first responders
• Smaller Government: Cut red tape and wasteful spending, enact long-term reforms
• Transparency & Accountability: Demand transparency and accountability across every level of government, in every department, agency and office—if taxpayers fund it— taxpayers deserve to see it
• Educating Future Leaders: Equip the next generation with knowledge, work skills and ethics to be successful in an evolving world
• Support Military & Veterans: Honor our heroes and fight for them with urgency
• Ethical Government: Expose corruption and stop it before it starts
• Responsible Innovation: Embrace technology to serve, not replace, people

Putting Taxpayers First

Reistroffer is proposing a Taxpayer Bill of Rights (TABOR) to cap government growth, require voter approval for new taxes, and mandate automatic refunds when revenues exceed limits.

“No more slush funds or luxury perks for politicians,” said Reistroffer. “Politicians always talk about cutting waste and spending, but it’s just talk, no action. I want to impose caps by law, like speeding limits for spending, that will trigger automatic refunds to taxpayers before the politicians can spend our hard-earned money on whatever they want. If the state collects more money than it should, give it back, period.”

He’s preparing draft legislation and a visual model showing how much could have been returned in the past decade, and how much could be returned in future scenarios – under a TABOR framework.

Reistroffer also points to the costly new prison project as proof of failed leadership:

“We didn’t have a choice but to build it, but let’s be honest, it’s the price of ignoring a broken system for decades. I welcome Governor Rhoden’s new task force, but I won’t forget Governor Daugaard’s task force in 2014, because we know how well that worked out.”

 About Emmett Reistroffer

A (mostly) lifelong South Dakotan, Reistroffer built his career in public policy, entrepreneurship, leading organizations and community advocacy by always focusing on getting results.

He helped build Genesis Farms, South Dakota’s largest state-licensed medical cannabis company, employing nearly 150 people in Box Elder and across the state. A conservative and pragmatic leader, Reistroffer has supported responsible regulations for his industry by being a voice of reason during legislative and rule-making debates – and he isn’t just another “pro-pot” activist, he opposed previous legalization ballot measures because he believed they were poorly written. Emmett has gone on record multiple times in support of law enforcement to stop illegal marijuana sellers in various communities across the state.

He’s active in the community through the Box Elder Chamber of Commerce, Mt. Rushmore Masonic Lodge #220, and Young Republicans — and regularly joins police ride-alongs to stay informed of street-level issues.

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You can find out more at www.EmmettforSD.org

Gov. Rhoden Rescinds 151 Old Executive Orders

PIERRE, S.D. –  Today, Governor Larry Rhoden signed Executive Order 2025-08, which cleans up 151 old executive orders that are no longer necessary to remain on the books.

“Our nation was founded on the principle that power comes from the consent of the governed,” said Governor Larry Rhoden. “Executive orders should be used carefully and with purpose. By reviewing and updating existing orders and cutting red tape, we’re ensuring government remains efficient and true to the vision of our Founding Fathers. Our state is freest when the government gets out of the way, and I am keeping that commitment by rescinding old, obsolete executive orders.”

Many past executive orders, by virtue of their own terms, fail to expire on a certain date and remain in effect until modified, amended, rescinded, or superseded by the governor.

Governor Rhoden rescinded executive orders that were:

• No longer essential to the organization or operation of the executive branch;
• Permanently codified and no longer require the sanctions of an executive order; or
• Used to establish task forces, committees, councils, commissions, or other groups or entities that are no longer active.

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