Gov. Rhoden to Visit Chamberlain and Oacoma on Open for Opportunity Tour

PIERRE, S.D. – Tomorrow, Governor Larry Rhoden will bring his Open for Opportunity tour to Chamberlain and Oacoma.

Governor Rhoden will stop by Dignity: Of Earth & Sky, an iconic tourism monument designed by sculptor Dale Lamphere to honor South Dakota’s tribal history.

Governor Rhoden will also support the development of our students by touring St. Joseph’s Indian School, meeting with Chamberlain Superintendent Justin Zajic, and participating in Chamberlain Elementary’s backpack program, which packs backpacks for low-income students in the district.

In Oacoma, Governor Rhoden will highlight our thriving tourism industry by visiting the historic Al’s Oasis.

WHAT: Governor Larry Rhoden to visit Chamberlain and Oacoma on Open for Opportunity tour
WHEN: Wednesday, September 3, 2025
WHERE: Chamberlain, SD; Oacoma, SD

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Johnson Recognized for Outstanding Hospitality Shown to South Dakota Visitors to Our Nation’s Capital 

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Representative Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) received the Congressional Management Foundation’s (CMF) Best of Constituent Experience in D.C. award. This award recognizes offices that go above and beyond to make their constituents feel welcomed and cared for during their trip to Washington, D.C. Only one Republican and one Democrat office are selected in each award category.

This marks Johnson’s third Democracy Award. Johnson’s office previously won the 2021 award for Constituent Accountability and Accessibility. In 2023, Johnson’s office received the Outstanding Constituent Service award.

“Serving the people of South Dakota does not stop at our state’s borders,” said Johnson. “My D.C. office is full of South Dakotans who are sure to provide exceptional service to our visitors in our nation’s capital.”

“This award recognizes the importance of making every constituent visit to Capitol Hill meaningful and welcoming,” said Jen Daulby, CEO of the Congressional Management Foundation. “Rep. Dusty Johnson’s dedication to hospitality, responsiveness, and engagement sets a high standard for providing an exceptional constituent experience.”

Johnson’s office has welcomed nearly 5,000 visitors to Capitol Hill and given nearly 950 tours since January 2022, when the Capitol reopened to tours after COVID-19. Johnson has personally given 53 private evening tours of the Capitol to South Dakota visitors.

Johnson leads a private evening tour of the U.S. Capitol

Constituent testimonials:

“Dusty, just wanted to send a note to thank you and your staff for the time and effort in setting up such a cool D.C. experience for my family! Really appreciate everything you do at the national level for our small (but awesome) state.”

“Just wanted to say it was a pleasure to meet you and I do appreciate all your hospitality! Thank you for making this once in a lifetime trip special!”

“Alas, a big thank you for the amazing Capitol tour. We were so honored to be a part of the group to tour the Capitol at night. Representative Johnson gives a great tour – and the special opportunity to go onto the House Floor and Speaker’s Balcony made the night one to remember. Thank you and all the staff for making that a possibility. Thank you for all you do on behalf of South Dakota. We are very fortunate to have you!”

The Best of Constituent Experience in D.C. Award:

This award recognizes congressional offices that provide exceptional service to constituents who visit Capitol Hill. It celebrates the offices that go above and beyond to make constituents feel welcome, informed, and engaged during their visits. Whether it’s through effective tours, meeting coordination, or creating memorable experiences, this award honors those who take a service-oriented mindset to constituent visitation. The winner will have demonstrated outstanding hospitality, responsiveness, and dedication to creating a positive and meaningful experience for constituents on Capitol Hill.

The Congressional Management Foundation (CMF) is a 501(c)(3) nonpartisan nonprofit founded in 1977 dedicated to strengthening Congress and building trust in its work with and for the American people. CMF works to revitalize Congress as an institution; promoting best practices in congressional offices; and helps Congress and the people they represent engage in a constructive and inclusive dialogue toward a thriving American democracy.

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Johnson Pledges to Ban Cell Phones in the Classroom

Sioux Falls, S.D. – Today, gubernatorial candidate and Congressman Dusty Johnson committed to banning cell phones during K-12 instructional time. South Dakota is one of 17 states that has failed to take statewide action to address cell phone use in schools.
“We must be laser focused on student achievement. Getting cell phones out of classrooms will move us in the right direction,” said Johnson. “We are falling behind other countries, including China. Removing the constant temptation, distraction, and hidden dangers of cell phones will better prepare our students to compete and win.”

As governor, Johnson will work with public school districts to implement policies that prohibit cell phone access by students during instructional time. Decisions regarding exemptions and enforcement will be made at the local level.

“The next 20 years could be the best years South Dakota has ever had, and making sure our kids are ready for the challenges ahead is a key part of ensuring our state’s success,” Johnson continued. “Numerous school districts in South Dakota have led by example, and it’s time for us to implement their best practices statewide.”

According to a 2024 Pew Research Center survey, 72% of U.S. high school teachers say cell phone distraction is a major problem in the classroom. A more recent survey states 74% of U.S. adults support banning middle and high school students from using cell phones during class. Numerous studies have shown more than a 5% increase in student test scores when cell phone bans are implemented.

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It appears that State Representative Jon Hansen is having a bad weekend as the measure he led this last session, House Bill 1184, was ruled unconstitutional by the US District Court in a decision that was handed down this last Friday:

50829.Order.granting.permanent.injunction by Pat Powers

This action is a permanent injunction blocking its enforcement, unless the state appeals further. 

There’s a particular passage in the decision from Judge Camela Theeler (a Republican, before you start throwing stones) that got my attention:

The Court is not persuaded that the State has tied HB 1184’s nine month deadline to the State’s regulatory interest in protecting the integrity and reliability of the initiative process. While the Legislature ultimately agreed to change the filing deadline to nine months, the impetus of HB 1184 was Speaker Hansen’s inability to have a trial on the challenge to Amendment G prior to the election. But Speaker Hansen was acting as an interested person on behalf of Life Defense Fund in that litigation, not as a government actor.

Read that on Page 14.

I know somewhere I’ve read about those concerns questioning exactly who Hansen is representing in Pierre …

Stay tuned.

Guest Column: Rhoden Needs to Clean Up D.O.C. Before Prison Vote
September 1, 2025

On September 23, 2025, at a special legislative session, we will be asked to entrust $650 Million to the Secretary of the Department of Corrections within the Rhoden Administration. We do not have trust in the leadership of Rhoden’s Department of Corrections. We are renewing the call for Governor Rhoden to clean up his Department of Corrections before the special session vote on the new prison in Sioux Falls.

To be clear, we have been among the loudest and most consistent voices affirming the need for a new prison. Public safety demands it and common sense recommends it.  The current facility has outlived its useful life and is not appropriate for the correctional officers, staff or inmates who live and work behind its walls. There are concerns ranging from the safety of the staff to the rehabilitation of the inmates, all of which deserve to be addressed. We worked with Governor Noem to fund and construct the new women’s prison in Rapid City and have listened to law enforcement and prosecutors across the state. We know we need a new men’s prison facility.

However, many of those same members of law enforcement and same prosecutors have been raising alarms about the operations Department of Corrections under the Rhoden Administration. Representative Tim Reisch, former Adjutant General of the National Guard, Secretary of Corrections, and Sheriff, raised these operational concerns in chapter-and-verse months ago. The Rhoden Administration responded with general denials and no apparent improvements. That is the wrong approach. This is a time when we need accountability and a restoration of trust from the Rhoden Administration, not blinders and not blame-shifting.

Setting the operational issues aside, the Rhoden Administration stood before the legislature six months ago and told us that a 1,500 bed men’s prison would cost $825 Million. Today, the same people are telling us a 1,500 bed men’s prison costs $650 Million. Based on politics emerging from the proposed Lincoln County site, the legislature did not authorize construction. Still, many of us supported building the new prison and trusted the Rhoden Department of Corrections with their cost estimates. That trust is gone. As with the operational problems, there has been no accountability and no concrete explanation of how the Administration overestimated the cost by $175 Million.

It is time for the Rhoden Administration to clean up its mess at the Department of Corrections. We want to be full supporters of the construction of the prison on September 23. Our main hesitation is entrusting the current leadership with such a substantial task and amount of taxpayer money. These issues have been clearly presented to Governor Rhoden for months. It is time to take accountability and attempt to restore trust.

Faithfully Submitted,

Rep. Tim Reisch (R-Howard)
Rep. Will Mortenson (R-Fort Pierre)
Rep. Taylor Rehfeldt (R-Sioux Falls)
Rep. Mike Stevens (R-Yankton)
Rep. Amber Arlint (R-Sioux Falls)
Rep. Tim Walburg (R-Madison)
Rep. Kevin Van Diepen (R-Huron)
Rep. Kent Roe (R-Hazel)
Rep. Drew Peterson (R-Salem)
Rep. Matt Roby (R-Watertown)
Rep. Rebecca Reimer (R-Chamberlain)
Rep. Roger DeGroot (R-Brookings)
Rep. Tim Goodwin (R-Rapid City)
Rep. Bill Shorma (R-Dakota Dunes)
Rep. Jeff Bathke (R-Mitchell)
Rep. Trish Ladner (R-Hot Springs)
Rep. Steve Duffy (R-Rapid City)
Rep. Tim Czmowski (R-Sioux Falls)
Rep. Keri Weems (R-Sioux Falls)
Rep. Jim Halverson (R-Winner)

I finally have links for you to buy the Dusty Johnson for Governor and Christine Erickson for Mayor Pins I created.

I was trying to create a single page where you could select the number of pins, creating a store page for SDWC, attaching to my merchant account.. and I nearly blew up my site in the process, since I still need to update the back-end.

As a result, I’m doing it this way with individual links to my paypal.  USPS Shipping is included, as is sales tax.

Buy your Dusty Johnson for Governor Pins by Clicking here.

Buy your Christine Erickson for Mayor Pins by clicking here.

This is while these very limited supplies last.

If you recall, former reporter Austin Goss had been rumored to be looking to run for State Auditor in the 2026 SDGOP State Convention contest back this last February.

However, according to a story this weekend at the Aberdeen insider, that’s looking to not be the case anymore, as he’s  announcing that he’s moving in a column titled “Austin Goss: The final page in the South Dakota chapter“

Now, it’s time for my family and me to head back east. While I was serving on active duty military orders for most of this year, we faced a series of emergencies that made one thing clear: in the event of another extended activation or deployment, my immediate family needs to be closer to extended family.

Read that story here (subscription required).

With Goss moving, that means the sole candidate in the contest for State Auditor remains Sioux Falls City Councilman David Barranco.

Gov. Rhoden Mobilizes SDNG to DC at the Request of President Trump

PIERRE, S.D. – Today, Governor Larry Rhoden announced the mobilization of 12 South Dakota National Guardsmen to support ongoing operations in Washington D.C. at the request of President Donald J. Trump.

“South Dakota stands in solidarity with President Trump and his efforts to Make America Safe Again,” said Governor Larry Rhoden. “With the National Guard’s help, President Trump has restored law and order to our nation’s capital – and our guardsmen will help keep it that way. We will not sit on the sidelines while crime threatens the safety of our families.”

The 12 public affairs guardsmen are from the 129th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment based out of Rapid City. They will serve in a public affairs capacity in the joint information command center.

This mobilization is under the command of the D.C. National Guard and is completely federally funded. The guardsmen will activate on a Title 32 status. The initial deployment is expected to last for 30 days.

For the safety of the guardsmen and their families, the announcement of this mobilization was held until the guardsmen were safely on site.

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This was kind of interesting to see the Jim Eschenbaum’s SDGOP promoting.  At least interesting as in who isn’t there:

No Governor Rhoden? No Senator Rounds? No Congressman Dusty Johnson?

Well, that should not come as a surprise to anyone given how they treat them. When the version of the Republican Party ran by a former 32-year Democrat has managed to burn bridges with most of its actual office holders, that’s what happens. An event headlined by the 2% and 4% gubernatorial wannabes that isn’t exactly going to draw out the donors.

And deservedly so.

From KELOland: