Johnson, Budzinski Legislation Provides Overdue Base Acre Update

 Washington, D.C. – U.S. Representatives Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) and Nikki Budzinski (D-IL) introduced the Balanced Agricultural Support and Efficiency (BASE) Act to require the United States Department of Agriculture to update base acres for all farms as soon as is practicable. The last mandatory update was completed in 1985; the last voluntary update was completed in 2014.

“It’s been four decades since the last mandatory update and production agriculture has changed drastically since then,” said Johnson. “Changing global markets, high inflation, and black swan events over the past five years have changed farmers’ inputs and outputs. Updating base acres will help support our farmers.”

“The current base acre allocations do not accurately reflect what’s really being planted across the United States. For the folks I represent in Illinois, it’s simply not fair,” said Budzinski. “This legislation will finally bring fairness back to base acreage for the first time in 40 years, see that farmers are accurately supported for what they grow today, and ensure that we serve as better stewards of taxpayer dollars.”

“We need a modernized safety net that benefits active farmers. Farmers in South Dakota face high input costs, low prices and widening basis,” said Taylor Sumption, President, South Dakota Corn Growers Association. “The South Dakota Corn Growers Association greatly appreciates Representative Johnson working to level the playing field on behalf of our corn producers.”

The Balanced Agricultural Support and Efficiency (BASE) Act:

• Requires the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to update base acres for all farms as soon as practicable after enactment.

• • Updates are based on a five-year average of acres planted (or prevented from planting due to disasters), using 2020-2024 planting history. No crop year from 2020-2024 may be excluded, even if nothing was planted.
  • If acreage was devoted to more than one covered commodity (other than double-cropping), producers may elect which crop to count – but not both.
  • The update accounts for disasters like prevented planting acres caused by drought, flood, or other uncontrollable events are included.

• Removes “generic base acres.” Outdated provisions are eliminated, with conforming changes to yield, payment, and coverage calculations.

Click here for bill text.

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In a show of his campaign’s strength, this morning the Dusty Johnson for Governor campaign launched a massive endorsement listing of 113 current and former lawmakers supporting the Congressman’s candidacy to become South Dakota’s next Governor.  The list includes 36 currently sitting lawmakers, and 77 former legislators boasting nearly 650 years of collective legislative service. Which is sure to be an intimidating psychological move against his opponents.

Declaring “Together, with 646 years of legislative service, we helped build the South Dakota we are proud of. We know the value of safe communities, strong schools, low taxes, limited government, and real leadership. That’s why we support Dusty Johnson for Governor,” the list is a tour de force in the campaign’s success in bringing South Dakota community leaders and opinion makers together to elect a man who many expect will be South Dakota’s next Governor.

How are his opponents faring in comparison in the endorsement arena?

Toby Doeden and Jon Hansen have collectively announced around a dozen legislative supporters when counted together.

While Governor Larry Rhoden has not entered the contest for Governor, Senator Arch Beal and Representative Mike Derby are openly supporting the Rhoden campaign effort through the formation of a PAC to raise money on his behalf.

State Rep. Jon Hansen is apparently speaking at SDSU this evening in his campaign tour for Governor:

Not just a little ironically, his appearance at SDSU comes just a short time after Hansen demanded the firing of a USD professor over what he posted on Facebook.  Which was temporarily restrained by a federal judge in court yesterday.  According to the article about the court’s action:

He was suspended because he angered powerful people in South Dakota with commentary on a “matter of public concern,” Leach said. 

“Yet here, we have the government, at the highest level, punishing Professor Hook for his political speech,” he added, arguing that Speaker Hansen’s communications with USD President Sheila Gestring appeared to be all it took to set the wheels of termination in motion.

and..

Instead, he argued, the termination notice was an unconstitutional violation of Hook’s First Amendment rights and grounds for an immediate court order that would reinstate him and block the University of South Dakota from proceeding with its disciplinary action and barring retaliatory action. 

Read that here.

Having been on the receiving end myself of several Hansen attempts at cancellation, one has to wonder if his talk will consist of how we as a country can best prevent the exercise of free speech?

Opinion: Winners and Losers in South Dakota’s $650 Million Prison Plan

Gov. Larry Rhoden secured legislative approval for a new state penitentiary, reshaping the debate over transparency, rehabilitation, and political positioning in Pierre
by Northern Plains News, LLC

By Todd Epp, Northern Plains News

Whether you agree or disagree with the South Dakota Legislature’s approval of Gov. Larry Rhoden’s $650 million men’s prison plan, Tuesday’s legislative session had some winners and losers.

WINNER: Gov. Larry Rhoden: Rhoden took former Gov. Kristi Noem’s dead-in-the-water prison plan, which apparently was widely opposed, and got it across the finish line with a better location and a lower price. He likely enhanced his standing should he finally decide to toss his cowboy hat in the Republican nomination for governor.

WINNER: Transparency in Government: While Noem conducted most of her prison plan behind closed doors, not notifying legislators, county commissioners, or the public, Rhoden took a refreshing approach. He appointed a task force that met in public, took public testimony (including testimony from an incarcerated individual), solicited community input to express interest in the new facility, and reached a unanimous agreement on the measure that eventually passed.

LOSERS: Speaker Jon Hansen and Speaker Pro Tem Karla Lems: Both were members of the prison task force. Both voted for the proposal that the legislature considered as task force members, but voted against it on the House floor. Hansen’s “September Surprise” on Monday, the day before the special session, about the state funding prisoner transgender transitions, was a direct attempt to derail the measure. The state must provide such care until the federal courts determine otherwise. If it was an attempt by the Hansen/Lems GOP gubernatorial team to embarrass Rhoden, it failed. It only served to make Rhoden look more statesman-like.

WINNER: Better Rehabilitation Programs for Inmates: Typically, state legislators want to be “tough on crime” and pass bills that felonize more crimes. Which, of course, helps fill up the prison system. But almost to a person, legislators for and against the prison talked about the need for much greater efforts to rehabilitate inmates, give them job skills and addiction treatment, and reduce the state’s high recidivism rate. Rhoden appointed another task force on rehabilitation on the heels of the passage of the prison bill. We’ll see if the desire for more rehabilitation versus punishment is sustainable—and funded– in the halls of Pierre.

LOSERS: Current Inmates and Staff at “The Hill”: The Rhoden administration has announced that it will take four years to build, with projected completion in 2029, of the new 1,500-bed prison in northeast South Dakota. That means inmates and correctional staff will continue to be in a nearly 150-year-old prison not designed for safety or rehabilitation. Some legislators said staff want tactical training and equipment to keep them safe. The bill that passed did not address any current correctional needs.

WINNERS? LOSERS?: South Dakota Taxpayers: On the plus side: the new prison will save millions of dollars because the state will not have to pay interest on bonds. Also, the new facility should be more secure to protect the public from particularly dangerous criminals. On the downside: The measure will still require some state funding from the “rainy day” fund. Also, it’s estimated it will cost $30 million a year to operate the new facility. Maybe this is a TBD.

ON THE SIDELINES: GOP Gubernatorial Candidates Toby Doeden and Rep. Dusty Johnson: The businessman and the U.S. Congressman largely stayed out of the prison fracas. So, they didn’t say anything regrettable. However, they also failed to gain traction on the prison issue.

If we’ve learned anything about politics and legislating, there are almost always unforeseen consequences of such a major decision. What will that be? Watch this space.

From Facebook, State Representative Mike Weisgram has a fundraiser today at the St. Charles in Pierre.

If you’re in the area, check it out!

From Facebook:

I’ve never wavered in listening to law enforcement and pushing to make South Dakota safer.

I talked to everyone I could think of in the criminal justice world over the last few years: cops, prosecutors, defense attorneys, prison staff, Sheriffs, and everyone in between. The message was clear: we need a new prison, for the protection of our communities, the safety of the guards, and the rehabilitation of the inmates.

Yesterday was a good day for the future of South Dakota.

A good message about what legislators managed to do this week.

While Toby Doeden might have the support of Senator California Carley and his favorite tenant Rep. Brandei Schaefbauer, and Jon Hansen might welcome the support of sticky Tom Pischke, (and Carl Perry apparently can’t make up his mind between the 2% candidate and the 4% candidate),  Dusty Johnson last night at his Brookings fundraiser gave attendees a preview that his campaign would be soon releasing a list of over 100 current and former lawmakers who are endorsing his campaign for Governor.

This morning, Dakota News Now has a hint of a few of the names on the list:

Some of the names on the list include former Sioux Falls Police Chief and state lawmaker Doug Barthel, former House Speaker and the son and grandson of two South Dakota Governors, Mark Mickelson, and former longtime Yankton-area lawmaker, Jean Hunhoff.

In addition, current lawmakers Steve Kolbeck, Taylor Rehfeldt, and Will Mortenson are also lining up behind the Dusty Johnson campaign.

Read it all here!

Stay tuned, because it’s going to ratchet things up pretty significantly!

The other day SDGOP Chairman (and former 32-year Democrat) Jim Eschenbaum was the featured speaker at the Hughes County Republican Party luncheon.

And I found out what a feature this speaking event was, as one of the attendees was nice enough to send me the audio, where the chairman rambled on for a half an hour. Including this audio clip, (which I animated against the graphic I use for him, so it’s less boring).

As was noted to me “He spewed off about toning down the political rhetoric (which I agree) but then 2 minutes later was talking about starting a civil war if the govt comes after gun rights.”

It’s going to be a long election season.

Attorney General Jackley Announces Five Smoke Shop Owners Indicted for Possession, Distribution of Illegal Substances 

PIERRE, S.D. – South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley announces five smoke shop owners statewide have been indicted after a law enforcement sting uncovered the sale of illegal products in their businesses.

The operation, conducted by the Attorney General’s Office and the Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI), in partnership with local law enforcement agencies, targeted shops suspected of selling products that violated state and federal law.

“This operation should serve as a warning to stop selling dangerous drugs in our communities,” said Attorney General Jackley. “We will continue working with our local law enforcement partners to protect our communities and keep our streets safe from dangerous and illegal products.”

Those indicted are:

• Brown County: Emad Zuhair Wazwaz, 31, Blaine, MN, doing business as All the Smoke, Aberdeen. Two misdemeanor counts of Possession, Sale, and Distribution of Substance for Purpose of Intoxication, a maximum sentence of one year in the county jail and a $2,000 fine; and one misdemeanor count of Sale or Distribution of Chemical Modified or Converted Industrial Hemp, a maximum sentence of 30 days in the county jail and a $500 fine, for each count.
• Hughes County: Bristol Nielsen, 29, Pierre/Ft. Pierre, doing business as Masterpiece Smoke Shop, Pierre. One felony count of Possession with Intent to Distribute Marijuana of more than One Pound, a maximum sentence of 15 years in the state penitentiary (with a 30-day mandatory minimum and $30,000 fine; one felony count of Possession with Intent to Distribute or Dispense a Controlled Substance (psilocin), a maximum sentence of 10 years in the state penitentiary (with a mandatory minimum of one year) and $20,000 fine; one felony count of Violation of a Drug Free Zone, a maximum sentence of 10 years in the state penitentiary (with a mandatory minimum of five years) and a $20,000 fine; one felony count of Keeping a Place for the Use or Sale of a Controlled Substance, a maximum sentence of five years in the state penitentiary and a $10,000 fine; and one misdemeanor count of Possession, Sale or Distribution of Substance for Purpose of Intoxication, one year in the county jail and a $2,000 fine.
• Lincoln County: Saleh Jabr-Saleh Al Names, 26, Sioux Falls, doing business as Puff City, Sioux Falls. Three misdemeanor counts of Possession, Sale or Distribution of a Substance for Purpose of Intoxication, a maximum sentence of one year in the county jail and a $2,000 fine for each count and one misdemeanor count of Sale, Distribution of Chemical Modified or Converted Industrial Hemp, 30 days in the county jail and a $500 fine.
• Minnehaha County: Gamal Yahya Abdull Suhail, 35, Sioux Falls, doing business as Blazin Aces Smokes & Vape, Sioux Falls. Four misdemeanor counts of Possession, Sale or Distribution of a Substance for Purpose of Intoxication, a maximum sentence of one year in the county jail and a $2,000 fine for each count.
• Pennington County: Benjamin Rodriguez, 32, Spearfish, doing business as ZyGlam Smoke Shop, Rapid City. One misdemeanor count of  Industrial Hemp for Smoking Prohibited, a maximum sentence of one year in the county jail and a $2,000 fine; and one count of Sale or Distribution of a Substance for Purpose of Intoxication, a maximum sentence of one year in the county jail and a $2,000 fine.

Undercover officers conducted controlled buys of products within the five stores between June 11 and June 13, 2025. The cases will be prosecuted by the South Dakota Attorney General’s Office.

The suspects are presumed innocent under the U.S. Constitution.

 -30-

The dust is settling as the ink dries on Senate Bill 2, the measure brought by the legislature to put in place the recommendations of the Prison Reset committee, finally bringing to a close a debate that’s been years in the making, arguing, remaking, resetting and now passing.

It has been an ugly process with a lot of people pushed off the bus on the way to it’s destination. But as we recap “what happened” in the last few weeks, it is clear that there were some winners and losers in the process, as brinksmanship had some political candidates taking a chance to come out of top.. except they floundered it badly in the execution.  And if anything, set their chances back significantly.

So, where’s our view from 10,000 feet on who won and who lost in this process?

 

The Winner: Governor Larry Rhoden.

If they looked at the process, some might call this an ugly win, having to reset a location and completely revise a package handed to him by his predecessor Governor Kristi Noem, and sometimes having to knuckle under to a legislature who would not get on board. But after pivots and bumps along the way, including removing his Secretary of Corrections to get his deal to come together, they finally came across with a plan and a message that reasonable legislators could not vote against.

The risk was that if it didn’t happen, this might have been the end of Rhoden’s Gubernatorial campaign before it began. But the art of politics is one of compromise and getting the job done.  If it had been a loss, it would have been on him. But he didn’t lose, and Rhoden got the plan across the finish line.

It wasn’t always pretty, but a win is a win.

 

The Biggest Loser: Rep. Jon Hansen (and by association, Karla Lems).   Who’s missing from the photo above? These two. This special session marked a low point of desperation for the Hansen/Lems for Governor effort. As both were serving as a participants for the prison reset committee, Hansen and his shield-maiden Karla Lems both were counted among the unanimous vote for the prison reset project.   Yet, when the time came to honor their prior vote, Hansen/Lems reneged and flip-flopped on their support, as Hansen sprung an October surprise attack in an attempt to scuttle the whole project.

The problem was that support for the prison was stronger than he gambled, and it immediately came out that the issue he was hanging his hat on – a consultant that had to be hired while an issue ran through the courts – had been known for weeks, yet he concealed that until his surprise.  But the surprise was on him. People didn’t care.

Even more importantly – because you can fake it until you make it – the coalition that Hansen used to put himself into House speakership was flat out not willing to have his back on this. And his coalition completely fell apart.  Even his close Lieutenant, House Majority Leader Scott Odenbach (who is in the picture above), who had also been part of the prison reset committee turned his back on Hansen, fragmenting Hansen’s coalition.

If Hansen spends his time contemplating this massive loss, his next action may be to try to keep the troops in line to maintain his speakership. Because if this vote was any indication of how this next session may go for the 2% Gubernatorial wannabe, that might be the next vote he’s in danger of losing.

 

Didn’t win, didn’t lose, but his people were present: Toby Doeden.  The self-aggrandizing candidate from Aberdeen who wants to spend his way to being Governor might not understand that the state has to take care of the people and buildings it is in charge of, as well as that bad people need to be locked away in a manner that keeps guards from being injured or worse, as well as from getting your pants sued off.

Why do I bring Toby Doeden up at all in this conversation? Because the small coalition of no’s on this project seemed to be less a group of the Hansen/Lemmings followers, and more a group of Doeden hangers on.

It wasn’t a big group.. but Phil Jensen, Logan Manhart, Dylan Jordan, Toby’s favorite tenant Brandei Schaefbauer, California Carley, Taffy Howard, Amber Hulse and others are not in Gubernatorial candidate Hansen’s orbit, but in Doeden’s, and they were happy to do his bidding. Even to be on the losing side.

 

This was just weird:  Former Speaker, and likely AG candidate, Steve Haugaard.  After his loss to Kristi Noem for Governor, Steve Haugaard is still continuing to try to grasp for relevancy. And in the great prison project saga, Haugaard has been inserting himself into it, and did so again in the legislative hearing, and the earlier weird video with the mattress guy.

If he wasn’t advocating for the use of robotic guards, he was doing his darnedest to go after the project, appearing in the legislative committee to detail how while he’s not been a prosecutor, his daughter has been, and he has 2 boys who are cops.  So, he as a career defense attorney knows best? He also handed out highlighted sheets with figures to try to cast aspersions on the figures used by the prison reset committee.

No one paid attention then, and it’s not going to help him run for Attorney General, a campaign he was talking about with at least one county chairman the other day in Springfield. At the end of the day, he really ended up just looking weak on crime and public safety. Not a good look for someone who wants to be considered for that role. So he can stop now.

 

Did someone say a task force? Time to call the Task Enforcer Lt. Governor Tony Venhuizen! – Can we call it winning when Lt. Governor Tony Venhuizen who just chaired the Prison Project Reset task force, and was just in Pierre presiding over the Senate, will now chair the Governor’s Correctional Rehabilitation Task Force?  It’s prestigious and shows the Governor’s trust in Tony.. but does getting tasked with another task force sound like a win?

 

The Man of the Hour: Prison Project staffer Ryan Brunner – Lots of hands involved in making the plan come together.  While the Lt. Governor, Tony Venhuizen, is the front man, Ryan Brunner, the former School & Lands Commissioner who did the day to day on this for the Governor’s office, has done a lot of the thankless grunt work in shepherding the project along behind the scenes.  While it’s the Governor’s win, Ryan deserves part of the credit for making it possible. 

 

Winner: KELOland on-line – KELOland had good gavel to gavel coverage of the whole special session, which had me linked up through them for the committee hearings and the floor action instead of Public Broadcasting.  How were you watching the events of the day?

 

That’s what I caught during the events of yesterday – any thoughts of your own to add?