A Win for District 19 — and for South Dakota’s Future

The South Dakota Legislature convened on Tuesday for a Special Session to address one of the persistent challenges facing the state the past couple of years: overcrowding and unsafe conditions in the Sioux Falls penitentiary building. After months of studying, hearings, and debate, and a task force, lawmakers approved the construction of a new state prison that will replace the century-old State Penitentiary in Sioux Falls. For your District 19 Legislators, this decision is more than a policy vote; it is a victory for public safety, correctional officers, inmates, and South Dakota taxpayers. It is a generational investment in public safety.

Why a New Prison Is Needed

The State Penitentiary in Sioux Falls was built 144 years ago, during a time when the region was still known as Dakota Territory. Today, it holds nearly double the number of inmates it was designed for, pushing the system beyond its breaking point. Overcrowding has made it challenging to manage violent offenders safely, strained correctional staff, and sidelined the rehabilitation programs that give inmates a chance to turn their lives around. This affects District 19 because offenders who should not be placed in a facility like Mike Durfee get sent there due to overcrowding, putting the correction officers and other inmates at risk. Every day of delay risked further violence, understaffing, and deteriorating conditions.

What This Means for Springfield and District 19

While the new prison will be built to replace the State Penitentiary in Sioux Falls, its impact will be felt directly in Springfield. The Mike Durfee State Prison has faced its own overcrowding pressures as inmates have been shifted around the system. By building a larger, safer, more modern facility to house high-risk offenders, the state will relieve the burden on Springfield and ensure that Mike Durfee can operate more effectively. It will also allow for renovations to our facility that were not possible due to overcrowding.

For correctional officers in Springfield, this means safer conditions and less strain from overcrowding. For inmates, it means a better chance at rehabilitation programs, vocational training, and re-entry services. For the community, it ensures that Springfield continues to play a vital role in South Dakota corrections while also safeguarding the well-being of local families.

A Responsible, Balanced Investment

This project represents the most significant investment in public safety in South Dakota’s history — with a guaranteed maximum price of $650 million. And yes, it will cost money. But it is a wise investment for the safety of our people, communities, and state. The total cost is capped at $650 million, and unlike many large-scale projects, South Dakota will pay the entire amount in cash. For the past four years, the legislature has deliberately set aside funds for this moment, even creating the Incarceration Construction Fund to accrue interest and strengthen the state’s financial position, reducing the state’s overall cost. That foresight means there will be no borrowing, no debt, and no long-term burden on taxpayers.

Just as importantly, the project includes strong safeguards: the construction manager at risk assumes responsibility for any cost overruns, and every subcontract will be competitively rebid to ensure fair pricing. In short, this investment will not exceed $650 million, and it will deliver a safer, more effective correctional system that respects taxpayer dollars.

District 19 Leadership

As your District 19 legislators, we know that this vote is not just about bricks, mortar, and concrete. It’s about protecting families, respecting taxpayers, and ensuring that law enforcement, correctional officers, and inmates alike have the tools and environment needed for safety and rehabilitation.

For Springfield and District 19, the new prison means relief, safety, and stability. It is a generational investment into public safety and backing our local law enforcement agencies who said it’s time to move forward with a new prison system.

We BACK THE BLUE, and WE VOTED GREEN.

Respectfully Submitted,

Representative Jessica Bahmuller
Representative Drew Peterson
Senator Kyle Schoenfish

Had this sent to me the other day after it was received from the Assistant Majority Leader, Senator Carl Perry.

Someone should explain to Carl that most e-mail systems have this handy function called BCC; which stands for Blind Carbon Copy. If we’re going to go with the quick and dirty definition from Google AI:

BCC stands for Blind Carbon Copy, an email field that lets you send a copy of a message to recipients without their email addresses being visible to other recipients or the sender in the “To” or “CC” fields. It is used to maintain privacy and prevent the recipients from seeing who else received a copy of the email.

Such a handy tool. The Senate caucus might had asked him if he know what BCC was before they had him send this out to a large group.  (Not to mention that they should have proofed it, because it reads like it was written by a 8 year-old.)

Question, however; since Carl is inviting education leaders to the fundraiser, such as people from School Administrators and SDEA, does that mean that they’re going to quit picking on schools next session, where they were trying to post the ten commandments and make it part of curriculum in swim class? And that whole voucher thing ?

Gubernatorial candidate Toby Doeden was at the Right to Life convention this weekend, and when he posted the moment to Facebook, Toby seems to be having a Joe Biden moment on what his slogan exactly is:

“Thank you, South Dakota Right to Life, for allowing me to spread my message of faith, family, and freedom!”

I think that readers are more than familiar that the dime store slogan he just claimed as his own is used by someone not him.

Kind of young for a Biden-moment..

Spotted in Dell Rapids, Toby Doeden’s former PAC lackey & lobbyist Brian Lewis joins Senator Carl Perry in bailing from Toby Doeden, and trying to prop up the trailing 2% Jon Hansen for Governor effort:

Here’s Lewis spotted following Hansen with a phone in the air (filming I might guess?) at the parade as if it’s going to make any difference whatsoever in moving Hansen out of last place.

South Dakota US Senator John Thune appeared on NBC’s Meet the Press with Kristen Welker, and spoke about the shutdown that government faces because Democrats are unwilling to come together with Republicans on funding the budget, and are instead engaging in brinkmanship by holding the American government hostage.

KRISTEN WELKER: All right. Let’s talk about the big battle over government funding. We’re just two days away, Leader, as you know, from a potential government shutdown. The president did cancel a planned meeting with Democratic leaders. The House doesn’t plan to be in session until after the shutdown deadline. Is the government going to shut down this week, Leader Thune?

SEN. JOHN THUNE: Totally up to the Democrats. The ball is in their court. There is a bill sitting at the desk in the Senate right now, we could pick it up today and pass it, that has been passed by the House that will be signed into law by the president to keep the government open. So this decision, in my judgment, at this point in time is up to a handful of Democrats. We need eight Democrats to pass it through the Senate, something that 13 times when the Democrats had the majority over the last four years and President Biden was in the White House Republicans helped Democrats do. Thirteen different times, we did continuing resolutions in the Democrat majority. And in every case, they passed. And what the Democrats have done here is take the federal government as a hostage, and for that matter, by extension, the American people, to try and get a whole laundry list of things that they want, the special interest groups on the far left are pushing them to accomplish. And using a seven-week funding resolution, which is designed to give us time to do the normal appropriations process. They are using this hostage trying to get all these other things done. It’s a very straightforward argument in my mind. It’s simple.

Watch the entire segment here at NBC’s Meet the Press with Kristen Welker.

New and Improved
By Rep. Dusty Johnson
September 26, 2025

BIG Update

Artificial intelligence (AI) will be an engine of economic growth around the world. That’s why China and the United States are in a race to develop the infrastructure to support this transformative technology. America must win this race. President Trump and I understand the urgency and importance of this issue, from an economic and national security perspective.

I was in Aberdeen with energy, AI, and data center leaders to talk about how these investments would provide critical property tax revenue for South Dakota counties while helping the United States win this race.

As the world becomes increasingly digital, I will work with industry leaders to find ways to grow and train Americans for the skills needed to support this future-forward, emerging AI technology. South Dakota absolutely can and should be positioned to have a place in this digital race.

Johnson digital roundtable in Aberdeen

BIG News

The federal government is unfortunately heading towards another government shutdown. Shutdowns are stupid and do not serve the American people. That’s why I introduced the Eliminate Shutdowns Act with Senator Ron Johnson to prevent the government from shutting down ever again. My bill makes sure government funding continues at current levels until Congress passes new funding packages.

There is plenty of blame to go around for any shutdown, but one thing is clear: no one benefits from a shutdown.

BIG Idea

Four decades have passed since America’s ag producers had a mandatory update for the base acres – essentially how much a farm plants of certain crops. I’m sure you know how much the world has changed since 1985 and so has production agriculture. Inaccurate base acre numbers create discrepancies between USDA program payments and what is actually planted.

To improve these programs, I introduced the Balanced Agricultural Support and Efficiency (BASE) Act to require a one-time update of base acres for covered commodities to ensure base acres reflect recent planting history. These updates will better protect producers during disasters and more accurately reflect a recent average of acres planted.

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Big News for Small Businesses
By Sen. John Thune

For many South Dakotans, running their own business is part of their American Dream. Small businesses are the backbone of a lot of South Dakota’s communities, whether they are Main Street storefronts or family farms and ranches. I’m proud that this summer, Republicans delivered permanent tax relief for these hardworking Americans – relief that will help small businesses, farms, and ranches thrive and grow for many years to come.

This year, Republicans made permanent the pro-growth tax cuts that we enacted in 2017. Alongside lower tax rates for all Americans, this bill locks in the lower tax rates for small businesses that we enacted eight years ago. Small businesses, farms, and ranches that operate as pass-through entities will also continue to benefit from the small business tax deduction that our bill made permanent. And these pro-growth tax policies will help free up cash for small businesses, farms, and ranches, to invest in their operations and employees.

Then there are the specific investment incentives that are also now permanent fixtures of our tax code. Bonus depreciation for new equipment makes upgrading farm, factory, or office equipment more affordable. As just one example, with bonus depreciation, a farmer can deduct the full cost of a new combine or tractor the year he starts using it rather than over several years. We also made immediate expensing for research and development permanent, a provision that has already had a meaningful impact getting innovative technologies off the ground in South Dakota. And another provision allows full expensing for building new factories and factory improvements, which will help grow manufacturing across the country.

Our bill also delivered meaningful relief from the death tax for family-owned businesses, farms, and ranches – something that has long been a priority of mine. We permanently raised the exemption threshold for the death tax to $15 million, which will save a lot of family businesses from this fundamentally flawed tax and the costly estate planning that comes with it. Thanks to this bill, Americans who have worked their entire lives building up their dream won’t have to worry about that dream being sold off or dismantled to settle a tax bill when they pass it on to the next generation.

I spend a lot of time with small business owners, farmers, and ranchers in South Dakota. One thing I always hear is concern about the cost of doing business. With permanent tax relief, we’re giving small businesses more breathing room, which helps them grow and create good jobs in South Dakota. We’ve permanently oriented the tax code to support family businesses, farms, and ranches – and that will have a big impact for years to come.

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Rounding Up Results
By: Gov. Larry Rhoden
September 26, 2025

It’s tough rounding up 1,500 buffalo in the annual Buffalo Roundup, but it’s a whole lot tougher rounding up a two-thirds vote in both chambers of the Legislature to support a new prison. Regardless, we got both done this week, and what a week it was!

South Dakotans pride ourselves on getting things done – no matter how difficult it may be to do so. More than 20,000 visitors turn out to watch the Buffalo Roundup, and they get to see the big final show, but they don’t see the weeks of preparation that go into getting the herd ready for that big final push. And they don’t see the weeks of work that come after as the wildlife specialists at Custer State Park work the herd.

That spectacle is truly a sight to see, and if you never have, you must. The buffalo is as majestic an animal as there is, but they’re tough. And they’re mean. And they’ll turn on you in half a heartbeat. I rode in the Roundup this year, and it was far from my first time, but it was my first time as Governor! Turns out, the buffalo don’t care what your title is.

On the other hand, I was able to put my full Governor’s Office to work to get the prison across the finish line. For months, this issue was our top focus. We worked with the prison task force to build a plan. And then we diligently addressed every question that remained. We built a good plan, and we achieved a good result. We got it done.

Now, the real work begins of actually building the largest public safety investment in South Dakota history, and it’ll take some time. But the end result will be a good one. And in the meantime, we’re getting to work on the Correctional Rehabilitation Task Force to focus on making sure that inmates have the opportunity to return to our communities as productive members of society.

There’s always more work to do. Now, we get into the thick of preparing the State Budget and getting ready for the 2026 legislative session. Folks always have questions about what’s next for South Dakota. Answering those questions becomes a lot easier when I remember my oath to support the Constitutions of the United States and of South Dakota – and when we keep our eyes on the prize: delivering results for the great people of South Dakota.

So long as we continue to do that, we’ll be able to keep South Dakota strong, safe, and free for generations to come.

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The South Dakota Board of Elections was an interesting place to be today, according to media reports. Apparently, Jessica Pollema, one of the chief goofballs leaders of the group was demanding EVERYONE’s resignation today. Why? Because they didn’t get their way.

A leader of South Dakota Canvassing Group, a pro-Trump organization that’s been pushing for an overhaul of the state’s election system, on Thursday called for the resignations of all seven members on the South Dakota Board of Elections, including Secretary of State Monae Johnson, and said she wants the board abolished.

Jessica Pollema, of Tea, made the statements during the state board’s public-comment period. Her comments came a few minutes after the board had refused to go forward with a request from Rick Weible, of Elkton, for a declaratory ruling.

Weible wanted a decision on the legality of some laptops that an elections-equipment business, ES&S, had provided for use in the auditor offices of Lincoln and Pennington counties.

Read the entire article here.

South Dakota Canvassing is heavily promoting the candidacy of State Representative Heather Baxter who announced as a challenger for the office.  In fact, the chatter I’m hearing is that Pollema’s right hand election conspiracist Rick Weible is allegedly running the Baxter campaign.

From a look at it, Baxter has been provided the SDGOP contact list, as they immediately started e-mail blasting out to the members of County GOP organizations.

This was sent to me today, and is interesting to contemplate as Nebraska communities begin to receive income from their CO2 pipeline.  It comes at a time when South Dakota claps itself on the back for killing a pipeline that would have reaped massive rewards for the state. And the billion dollar project that would have put us in the lead for aviation bio-fuels instead is looking to our neighbor to the North, because we’re not exactly a great place to do business :

On Tuesday, officials with Tallgrass Energy said they would soon be shipping CO2 from the first of 11 ethanol plants connected to its pipeline — a converted, former natural gas pipeline — for a 392-mile trip across Nebraska, Colorado, Iowa and Wyoming.

and..

Such pipelines in other states have generated opposition, as well as lawsuits and protests. In this case, though, extensive new rights of way weren’t necessary, and many landowners along the pipeline route grow corn, a crop expected to benefit from expanding the markets for corn-based ethanol by making the fuel more environmentally friendly.

and..

“It’s going to put Nebraska ethanol into a league of its own,” said Steven Davidson, a Tallgrass spokesman.

Jeff Yost, president and CEO of Nebraska Community Foundation, said the new community fund will target some of the biggest challenges facing rural communities — quality early childhood education, senior care and food insecurity — providing small grants to sustain jobs and services.

Read the entire article here.