The 2016 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally
A column by Gov. Dennis Daugaard:

It’s almost rally time in South Dakota. What started in 1938 as a single motorcycle race in a small town has grown into one of the largest and best-known motorcycle gatherings in the world. This year is the 76^th Annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, and though we don’t expect the numbers will approach the levels we saw last year, the rally is sure to be well-attended.

Motorcycle enthusiasts won’t just be visiting Sturgis. They will be traveling all around the Black Hills – staying in our local hotels and at our campgrounds, eating in our local restaurants, shopping in our local stores and refueling at our gas stations. Each year the rally has a big economic impact on Sturgis and all of the Black Hills, and that creates benefits for our state too.

An event this size is not without its challenges. To help things go smoothly, the state will create a Rally Operations Center and a Traffic Operations Center. Local law enforcement, the Highway Patrol and ambulance services will have additional personnel working during the rally.

Many state agencies will provide additional staff to support food safety, drinking water safety, fire safety, roadway safety, emergency communications, and vendor sales tax registrations and collections. National Guard soldiers will also be prepared in the event they are needed to respond to a large-scale disaster

For the past 75 years, we’ve had no major emergency at the Sturgis Rally. Our goal is to get through the 76^th rally with that record intact, but we need help.

We’re asking South Dakotans to do their part to help make this a safe journey for our visitors. Drive carefully and be particularly mindful of the motorcycles on the road. It only takes one mistake to alter your life and someone else’s forever. If you live in the Black Hills area, plan extra time to reach your destinations, and be patient with law enforcement and emergency responders. If something doesn’t look right – maybe how someone is taking photos of government buildings or measuring distances between buildings – let law enforcement know.  If you see something, say something.

For those who are attending the rally, be careful and be prepared. Wear a helmet and proper riding attire. If you are driving a vehicle, wear your seatbelt. Most importantly, don’t drink and drive.

Riders can visit SouthDakotaRides.com for real-time information and some helpful tips. On the website there are links to weather updates, fire danger information, Twitter feeds from the departments of Transportation and Public Safety, and a map of hospital, urgent care and police station locations.

One of government’s primary functions is to keep people safe. The state of South Dakota is ready to perform that responsibility and we welcome the opportunity to host so many visitors in our great state. If South Dakotans and our visitors do their part, it will go a long way toward helping make the 76th Sturgis Motorcycle Rally a safe and fun event.

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From a correspondent up in Aberdeen:

Hi! …just walked by the official SD Libertarian convention. 10 people total in attendance.

Annette, Chad, and Lee Stranahan must have passed on it this year.

Here’s some interesting scuttlebutt that’s coming across in the Steve Westra District 13 withdrawal. It sounds as if that State Representative Alex Jensen may have the blessings of good timing for a return to the ballot box.

Jensen had looked at running in the D13 Senate race, but given that he was in the middle of getting married, and moving, etcetera, he thought is would be best to take a step back, especially given that Jack Kolbeck was also a good candidate for the office.

Fast forward several months. There was no need for a primary, and Jensen is now a married man, albeit, one who is not running for office. And Steve Westra, a man who has a house seat in the district in which Jensen now resides, has now decided to take a step back.

As one door closed earlier this year for Jensen in making a decision to not run for the State Senate, it appears that another one may have just opened in the same district, just in the House.

Having served on the appropriations committee, Jensen has a good handle on the State’s finances, and a good working knowledge of the process, likely better than that of most other contenders for the seat.  He’s got good connections to the Sioux Falls business community, and is visible as a local Realtor.

And more importantly, Jensen is a tremendous campaigner and fundraiser, which counts for a lot when it comes to winning the seat. Last election, as a new candidate who had not run for anything, he raised in the neighborhood of $30k. Now with a couple of years under his belt, he would have no trouble fending off any Democrat effort in the district with the open seat at hand.

There may be others who step into the race to replace Westra, but they would be hard pressed to bring what Jensen has to the table in terms of name ID, fundraising, and campaigning.

Watch for the replacement to be held sometime next week or shortly thereafter. And as far as I’m concerned, my bet is on Jensen for the win.

Steve Westra, who by all accounts was going to be the next House majority leader, has decided to take a pass this election:

Rep. Steve Westra, R-Sioux Falls, withdrew his candidacy this week and told party leaders he didn’t plan to return to Pierre. His decision leaves an opening for another Republican to become House Majority Leader following Rep. Brian Gosch’s exit from the Legislature.

and…

(Minnehaha County GOP Chair Dave) Roetman said he was saddened to see Westra leave the Legislature, but confident the party would find a candidate to fill his spot.

“I like Steve Westra personally and in leadership, he did a great job of representing the Republican party,” Roetman said Friday morning.

Read it all here.

Whomever is appointed to take Westra’s ballot position should have little trouble winning in this very Republican District.   However, it is sad to see Steve leaving. We wish him well in his future endeavors.

As noted, this also opens up the Majority Leadership position. I was discussing this with a friend & legislator this morning who personally saw this as an opportunity for Larry Rhoden, who had formerly been Majority Leader to step back in and fill the void. (They also noted they believe State Rep Kent Peterson may be a candidate for Assistant.)

Just like when the Senate had a big turnover before the last election, this will mean the incoming speaker, Mark Mickelson, will be playing an even more significant role as the voice of experience.

Never a dull moment.

Preface:  For many years, everytime George Brett came to bat (whether the Royals were playing the Twins or not), in the moment, I cringed and expressed how I didn’t “like him.”  But, when I looked at the box score and his stats over the course of the season, I had to always admit the guy could hit and was a heck of a baseball player.  No matter the pitcher’s strength (fastball, curve, slider, etc.), Brett had a strategy to take that strength away and augment the pitcher’s weakness.

So it is with Trump.   Hyperbolically, it seems 9 out of 10 times Trump opens his mouth, I cringe and often times disagree with him.  But, when I look at the “boxscore,” I have to admit the guy knows how to play to HIS strength and make the other side play to their weakness.  Like Brett, sometimes I just have to grudgingly give Trump the respect he earns by the results.

I AM NOT MAKING THIS UP.  A FEW DAYS AGO, TRUMP TOOK A BIG SWING AND MISSED, DARING THE DEMOCRATS TO RESPOND IN A PARTICULAR WAY.  AND, DANG IF THEY DIDN’T THROW A FASTBALL DOWN THE MIDDLE OF THE PLATE AND TRUMP HIT IT OUT OF THE PARK.  Yesterday on my drive home, I had on MSBC radio on to hear what they were saying about the Democratic Convention.  Rachel Maddow was having a conversation with Senator Warren (wasn’t really an interview).  Anyway, Maddow throws what she intended to be a softball to Warren about Trump’s call for Russia to release (if they have them) the 30,000 personal (not turned over to the government) emails from Clinton’s personal email server.

A)  Warren goes off on it is treasonous to for Trump to ask a foreign country to hack a high ranking government officials computer because of the risk to national security.  

1. The server is in the hands of the FBI and can’t be hacked any more.  If they have the emails, Russia already committed the crime and wouldn’t it be better off knowing they have the information?
2. I thought the emails were only about Clinton’s appointment with her hair stylists, emails to her daughter about her grandchild, and to her husband.  According to Hillary, there is nothing on those emails which are a risk to national security.  But, to Senator Warren they are a risk to national security.  What does she know that we don’t know?

B)  Warren goes off on the illegality to ask Russia to directly influence our sovereign election.  Ummmmm, It is against both US and Israeli law for the US government to influence an Israeli election.  Where was Senator Warren’s outrage when both Obama campaign funds and State Department funds were used to try to defeat Netanyahu in last year’s Israeli election?

However, I admit it is the nature of politics for one side to tactically respond to the tactics of one’s opponent.  And, in a vacuum, Warren’s response could be characterized as “par for the course” and not surprising.

But, the standard tactical response must contemplate the larger strategy, which for the Democrats is to address Hillary Clinton’s high unfavorable rating with the public (which at its core is Hillary is not considered trustworthy).  And the two biggest factors working against Clinton is her lack of forthrightness on her own personal email problem and most recently the revelation from emails that the Democratic National Committee didn’t follow its own rules of neutrality in the Clinton-Sanders primary (resulting in Hillary lapdog leaving her “neutral” position as head of the DNC directly to the Clinton campaign).

Strategically, ANY discussion of emails, foreign hacking, etc. feeds the Trump narrative.  The Democrats took Trump’s bait “hook, line and sinker.”  In addition to Warren, nearly every speaker yesterday RESPONDED to Trump which had the effect of reminding people about the emails, enhancing Trump’s gravitas, and making Hillary look small.

What is the major news story in the major papers and on the news channels?  Not a narrative from the Convention on how Clinton presidency would be good for Americans but emails and treason.  I’m not sure Trump could have gotten a better result if he had written the script himself.  Warren is right.  You just can’t make this stuff up.  

Bonus News Item #1:  President Obama’s speech was essentially a plea for Democrats to come together to preserve the work and legacy of his Presidency even if Democrats don’t want to do it for Hillary.  It was a glaring admission of how small Hillary is on her own.  Contrary to Hillary who openly admits she NEEDS Obama, Sanders, et. al., Trump has made it clear he doesn’t need the endorsement of Ted Cruz, Jeb Bush, or anyone else to win this election.  He is willing to stand on his own. Warren is right.  You just can’t make this stuff up.  

Bonus News Item #2:  When the ink isn’t even dry on his endorsement of Hillary at the Democratic Convention, Bernie Sanders announced he is leaving the Democratic Party and returning to his historical Independent Socialist (caucusing with the Senate Democrats).  Bernie’s decision/announcement before the Convention even closes will be seen by many of his supporters as a signal Hillary and the Democratic Party didn’t move enough and their home is not here.  Warren is right.  You just can’t make this stuff up.  

New Poll Shows Marsy’s Law Has Overwhelming Support Across South Dakota

A new scientific poll conducted by Public Opinion Strategies shows South Dakota voters support Marsy’s Law, also known as Constitutional Amendment S, to expand rights for crime victims by an overwhelming 70%-18% margin. The poll also shows that when voters are given more information about Amendment S, support climbs to 84%-12%.  The poll further shows that even after voters hear the likely back-and-forth messaging points on either side of Amendment S, nearly three-quarters of South Dakota voters say they’d vote yes with a margin of 74%-18%.

“South Dakota has some of the weakest crime victim rights in the nation. We are pleased to see South Dakotans overwhelmingly support Amendment S,” said Jason Glodt, Former Assistant Attorney General and State Director for Marsy’s Law. “Voters in South Dakota believe that crime victims in our state deserve the same constitutional protections as their offenders. Nothing more, nothing less. Tens of thousands of South Dakotans have already signed petitions to put Marsy’s Law on the ballot and we are continuing to build on that support. We are confident we will keep this overwhelming support through November.” said Glodt.

Marsy’s Law for South Dakota is a Crime Victims’ Bill of Rights that is named after Marsalee “Marsy” Ann Nicholas. Marsy was a beautiful, vibrant University of California Santa Barbara student who was stalked and killed by her ex-boyfriend in 1983. Only a week after Marsy was murdered, her mother Marcella and her brother Nick walked into a grocery store after visiting her daughter’s grave and were confronted by the accused murderer. They had no idea that he had been released on bail.

From Public Opinion Strategies:

KEY FINDINGS

▪ There’s overwhelming support for Constitutional Amendment S.

By an overwhelming 70%-18% margin, South Dakota voters support Constitutional Amendment S, the amendment to expand rights for crime victims. Support for this Amendment extends across every key South Dakota demographic and geographic group:

▪ Once South Dakotans learn more information about this Amendment, often called Marsy’s Law, support climbs even higher.

After voters get the following information about Marsy’s Law, support for Constitutional Amendment S increases to 84%-12%:

“This Amendment, often called Marsy’s Law, is named after a 21-year-old college senior who wasmurdered in 1983 and was written as a result of the experiences her brother and parents faced after her murder when they were often treated as though they had no rights.

Under current South Dakota law, those accused and convicted of a crime are granted specific rights and protections, while victims of a crime ARE NOT given these equal rights. This proposed Amendment would guarantee that victims of a crime are notified, heard and granted standing to ask that those rights be protected.

In addition, this measure would ensure that victims of crime are notified of bail hearings, as well as any parole, release or escape of a criminal. And, it would create equal rights and standing for crime victims and finally grant victims and their families the voice they deserve.”

▪ Finally, even after testing statements AGAINST Constitutional Amendment S, support remains well above 70%.

After voters hear the likely back-and-forth messaging points on either side of this Amendment, nearly three-quarters of South Dakota voters say they’d vote YES (74%-18%). This demonstrates the significant positive feelings toward this Amendment, and the difficulty any NO campaign would have in defeating it on the ballot this Fall.

BOTTOM LINE

Constitutional Amendment S looks headed toward a resounding victory this Fall, as voters are strongly inclined to support it initially, and after hearing about its connection to Marsy’s Law, the YES side climbs even higher. And, even after voters are presented with some messaging points against the Amendment, support for this ballot issue remains well above 70%.

So, if Rick Weiland is seeking to change laws so the majority of South Dakota’s political races becoming non partisan….

Why is he a delegate to the Democrat National Convention?

Perhaps, there’s an ulterior motive?

Perhaps.

MAIN Coalition Applauds U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Decision to Approve Permits for the Dakota Access Pipeline

July 26, 2016

DES MOINES – The Midwest Alliance for Infrastructure Now (MAIN) coalition today applauded the U.S. Army Corps of Engineer’s approval of the final permits necessary to construct the Dakota Access pipeline project in areas under their jurisdiction. Construction has already begun on other segments of the 1,172 mile project, which was approved by the four state regulatory bodies in North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, and Illinois earlier this year.

Members of the Midwest Alliance for Infrastructure Now – a coalition of local businesses, labor unions, and agriculture, and other local economic development interests along the pipeline route – have long advocated for the project’s timely approval given the significant economic, employment, and energy security benefits derived from the project.

“As a local farmer, I have long supported construction of this project and am pleased that today it becomes a reality,” Chairman of the MAIN Coalition and Iowa farmer Ed Wiederstein said. “It will provide untold benefits to the security of our nation and our economic future. The agriculture industry, in particular, relies on affordable, easy to access energy and the Dakota Access project will provide value for decades to come for the thousands of farmers across our region.”

Bill Gerhard of the Iowa State Building and Construction Trades also applauded the Corps’ decision: “Thousands of American workers from labor unions throughout the Midwest are already benefiting from this project, and these final permits will secure their jobs for the entirety of construction. I’m proud of the men and women building this pipeline for adhering to best safety practices during construction and ensuring that the job is done right the first time.”

Mike Ralston, President of the Iowa Association of Business and Industry, added his support as well: “The Dakota Access Pipeline has already provided a multitude of benefits for manufacturers throughout the Midwest and will continue to do so long after construction is complete. By sourcing raw materials from American companies Dakota Access has created an enormous market for American suppliers. After construction is finished, the affordable resources delivered by the pipeline will help to further power America’s industry. I’m very pleased to see these final permits approved.”

About the MAIN Coalition:

The Midwest Alliance for Infrastructure Now (MAIN) is a partnership of entities from the agriculture, business, and labor sectors aimed at supporting the economic development and energy security benefits associated with infrastructure projects in the Midwest. MAIN is a project of the Iowa State Building and Construction Trades Council, with members in Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Illinois – the states crossed by the proposed Dakota Access Pipeline.