From twitter:

SD Dems are officially throwing in the towel today. They can’t win as Democrats so they want to remove party affiliation from the ballot.

— South Dakota GOP (@sdgop) November 9, 2015

It might be funnier if it wasn’t true.  Today, a ballot measure backed by snake oil salesman ‘Slick’ Rick Weiland was turned into the Secretary of State, as noted by a press release that went out today:

Rick Knobe, Sioux Falls radio talk show host, former Mayor of Sioux Falls, and a registered Independent serving as chair of the coalition, announced that 39,182 –10,000 more than the required 27,741–were hand-delivered to Secretary of State, Shantel Krebs, today at 2:00pm.

The proposed constitutional amendment would establish an open, nonpartisan primary where voters choose individual legislative and statewide candidates based on their ideas and merit, regardless of political party. The top two candidates receiving the most votes would then compete in the general election.

“An increasing number of South Dakotans are convinced that the political status quo in Pierre and in Washington is no longer viable,” Knobe said, “and our initiative will make several positive changes, including:

1) allowing every South Dakotan to vote in primary elections, regardless of partisan registration

2) changing the South Dakota Legislature into a nonpartisan body, just as the nonpartisan initiative passed in Nebraska in 1934 has effectively done there

3) dispensing with the need for partisan caucuses, as it has in Nebraska, thus ensuring that public policy will no longer be made behind closed doors

4) allowing members of both political parties to chair legislative committees; and

5) sending a message to Washington, DC that South Dakotans are not happy with the partisan division and gridlock that has undermined our system of government.”

Of course, today’s press release conveniently didn’t have mention of Knobe’s partners, and the originators of the measure, who were quite eager to claim authorship credit as noted in a prior piece:

A Plan to Promote Nonpartisan Democracy
By Rick Weiland and Drey Samuelson

..  We believe that most voters are more than ready to try something new, and our organization, TakeItBack.Org, is gathering signatures to put the South Dakota Nonpartisan Democracy Amendment on the 2016 South Dakota general election ballot. If a majority votes for the initiative, as we expect, it’s likely that other states—especially those in which ballot initiatives are allowed—will follow.

Could Congress eventually follow suit? Yes, it could, and it’s now time for the states to show the way.

Rick Weiland is a businessman in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and former candidate for the U.S. Senate; Drey Samuelson was Chief of Staff for U.S. Senator Tim Johnson for his 28 year congressional career. They are the co-founders of TakeitBack.org.

Very simply put, Rick Weiland found it impossible to win as a Democrat, so he wants to eliminate party affiliation. He wants to put an eraser to the term “Democrat,” because he knows in it’s current form. no one has any interest in putting them in office. So, it’s far easier to eliminate party affiliation from the ballot than it is for them to transform their political party into one that reflects the views of South Dakotans.

Yep, long-time Democrats Slick Rick Weiland and Drey Samuelson. But, what does Slick Rick hope to accomplish if he can get more Democrats in? That’s easy. He wrote about it on July 8th of this year:

Political party barely matters in the Nebraska Legislature.

* Nebraska has a substantially more progressive taxation system than many other “red” states–while our home state of South Dakota ranks a dismal 4th on the Institute on Tax and Economic Policy “Tax Inequality Index,” Nebraska ranks 28th, substantially better than blue states like Washington, Pennsylvania, Hawaii, Ohio, Rhode Island and Massachusetts.

* The Nebraska Legislature just passed a repeal of the death penalty, a 6 cent increase in gas taxes (which will fund desperately needed infrastructure repairs to roads and bridges), and issuance of drivers licenses to the children of undocumented immigrants, the so-called “Dreamers.”

Wait, what?

Rick Weiland wants “more progressive taxation,” a.k.a. Democrat-speak for a state income tax. Rick Weiland wants to repeal the death penalty. Rick Weiland wants even higher gas taxes. And Rick Weiland wants to give drivers licenses to the children of illegal aliens.

And I suspect that’s only the tip of the iceberg of what they intend to do to South Dakotans.

 

 

From my e-mail:

Fellow Caucus members and South Dakotans,

I had the distinct privilege of attending the 12^th Annual National Assembly of Sportsmen’s Caucuses (NASC) Sportsman-Legislator Summit. Myself and legislators from 30 other states discussed current issues relate to environmental conservation, hunting, and fishing.

Such topics included the use of lead ammunition and its effect on the environment. I along with many other lawmakers, found it interesting that only .07% of animal deaths are caused by the use of lead ammunition. Habitat loss/destruction, and the building of structures both represent 30%. When lead is used in paint, it is in a different chemical form and is harmful to living organisms; however, the use of lead ammunition has not been found to directly affect animals, or those who consume animals shot with lead ammunition.

Another topic we briefly covered was the importation of Ivory and Trophy animals. There have been many states and countries that have banned the importation of these items. Ivory doesn’t affect us here in South Dakota, but the importation of trophy animals does. Some lawmakers and individuals think that banning these items may help curve illegal poaching, but in reality it hurts the communities’ revenue, which results in less funds to enforce and end such illegal activity.

Habitat management on public lands was a major topic. Timber being sold and harvested on federal land is down 80%, and firefighting costs now consume over half of the United States Forest Service (USFS) budget at 67%. As South Dakota legislators, we see this directly when we try to allocate funds for the Pine Beetle efforts out west. Allocations for the creation of young forest habitat have also decreased; consequently, as a nation we have seen a 15% decline in wild turkey, a decline of Ruffed Grouse, the eradication of Elk habitat, a 66% decline of the Golden Winged Warbler, and an overall 59% decline of all bird species. Simultaneously, the federal government’s budget allocation to the USFS is also declining—it is paramount that we as a state continue to correctly and efficiently manage our public lands, and work to acquire as much federal land as possible.

There is some good news though. H.R. 2647, the Resilient Federal Forests act of 2015 is a comprehensive bill aimed at expediting and improving forest management activities in federal forests. It builds upon many legislative concepts introduced in this and previous Congresses to address disastrous consequences of catastrophic wildfire, insect, disease infestations, and other threats to our nation’s forests. This bill seeks to return resilience to overgrown, fire-prone forested lands. This legislation builds upon the 2014 Farm Bill to extend limited “categorical exclusion” authorities, enabling the forest service to expedite critical forest health projects. It also allows agencies to request and access emergency disaster funds if firefighting budgets are exhausted, and establishes revolving funds for projects. Most importantly for South Dakota, it empowers the forest service to immediately implement tools to reduce the threat of catastrophic wildfire, insect and disease infestation, and damage to municipal watersheds.

Another topic that should have some light shed upon it is the existence of the Humane Society. Many of you have seen the commercials, read the advertisements, and maybe have donated to the organization. Multiple times, I was informed on how only 1% of the 180 million dollars of donations actually go towards the humane treatment of animals, and that zero animal shelters are maintained across the United States by the organization. Many of those dollars are actually used to fight against Ducks Unlimited, Pheasants Forever, and many other ethical organizations that not only promote sportsmen, but environmental conservation.

Which brings me to the most shocking news of all: the sportsmen population in the United States is declining. As a nation, younger generations are choosing to pursue different hobbies and interests. In South Dakota, we must work together to keep our conservation efforts strong—and promote public and private partnerships required to accomplish such a goal. I was very proud to attend this event being a native South Dakotan, and I want everyone to know, that this organization is thrilled to have us. We received a VERY warm welcome, as well as, a fetching plaque that I will present at our first meeting Jan. 12^th 2016 at Red Rosa in Pierre. South Dakota has very strong roots when it comes to Hunting & Fishing, and every other state in the nation has recognized us for that.

The Augustana University College Republicans have set a goal recently, and that goal is to take 18 of their membership to CPAC – The Conservative Political Action Conference at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in Washington DC From March 2nd through the 5th. As you can read on their Go Fund Me Page, this self-supported Republican student organization is trying to raise $5000 to make it happen for their members:

One of the greatest opportunities for young conservatives to hit the ground running is the Conservative Political Action Conference, or CPAC, in Washington, D.C. in March, 2016. The conference hosts thousands of conservative leaders, and is even hosting a few of the Presidential Candidates who are fighting for Republican Nominee. CPAC is a bootcamp for young conservatives: it engages them in the political process, creates networks, and provides hands-on learning about how college students can relay their political experience and skills onto their campuses; thus sharing conservative values, engaging more students into one of most important parts of being an American citizen.

That’s where you come in. Augustana University wants to take as many students as possible. Our goal is to take 18 students to Washington, D.C for four nights during the conference. We will use the funds to pay for flight tickets, transportation to and from the airport, and lodging.

As the conference is in Washington, D.C in March, we are trying to reach our goal of $5,000 by the end of January 2016 in order to book flights for 18 students. As any conservative knows, hard work and dedication will reap results. We know that with hard work and dedication, we can make this trip affordable for 18 college students.

Read, and help them with their Go Fund Me campaign here.

The Augie Republicans have been very active in conservative causes this year in the Sioux Falls Area. In looking this evening, they’re already 10% of the way to their $5,000 goal, and that was before I added $50 to it.

Give them a hand, and a little funding to help make it happen for these future GOP leaders.

Update: You’ll notice in the comment section below, one of the Democrat’s leftist leaders, Cory Heidelberger, is calling out this bunch Conservative of College kids as “socialists” and “panhandlers” for trying to raise money to attend CPAC.   Apparently, he must chase away the Girl Scouts and Hockey players raising money around his neighborhood as well.

Yes, this is the same person who threw the hate at a person trying to raise money to attend the execution of her child’s rapist/murderer, who eventually made it to Sioux Falls despite his best efforts. Apparently, a rape/murder victim’s mother was too much of a challenge, so he’s out criticizing college kids raising money now.

I think It was Ben Carson out there who said that “with every negative article, he raises a million dollars.”

So, with the state’s liberal elite hating on them, now you have even more of a reason to help get these kids to CPAC.

(PS, they’re up to $1000 now!)

Keeping America’s Trains Moving
By Sen. John Thune

With limited options to efficiently ship materials such as fertilizer, ethanol, or corn and soybeans, railroads play an absolutely critical link to South Dakota’s agricultural sector. Thankfully, now that legislation averting an end-of-year railroad service shutdown has been signed into law, farmers, ranchers, businesses, shippers, and municipalities can breathe a sigh of relief. For lawmakers, regulators, and railroads, there is still much work to be done in order to fully implement positive train control (PTC) technology that will make passenger and freight railroads even safer in the coming years.

PTC technology can prevent certain accidents that involve train-on-train collisions and excessive speeds that are caused by operator error. With a new, more achievable deadline, full implementation of this complex rail safety technology will keep the pressure on each freight and passenger railroad to finish the job.

As the chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, which has jurisdiction over railroads, I worked with my colleagues in the House and Senate to forge this agreement based on bipartisan legislation that I authored and the Senate passed this summer. Had Congress failed to extend the PTC deadline, customers who depend on railroads would have been hit the hardest. This is especially true in agricultural states like ours that are so dependent on safe and efficient modes of transportation like rail.

In recent weeks, many railroads were preparing to deny traffic because they had no choice due to conflicting federal safety requirements. Just imagine what farmers and grain elevators across the state would have done if they couldn’t move any of their corn, wheat, soybeans, or ethanol because of a rail service shutdown.

Although widespread use of PTC on 20,000 locomotives covering over 60,000 miles of rail track has not yet been achieved, railroads are making progress in finishing a system that can change a rail accident into a prevented incident. Even with the economic disaster of a railroad shutdown averted, we must not lose sight of finishing full implementation as soon as possible. I am confident the legislation that the House and Senate passed by voice vote will provide the U.S. Department of Transportation with the necessary oversight and transparency so the public and Congress can ensure that these important safety improvements are made.

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Saying ‘Thank You’ to our Veterans
By Senator Mike Rounds

Veterans Day is a special time to thank the men and women who wear the uniform of the United States of America, past and present, and acknowledge those who have sacrificed everything to protect our God-given freedoms. We are eternally grateful to them for not only keeping us safe here at home, but also for granting freedom and democracy to millions of people across the world. Every freedom we have – our entire way of life – is because of our veterans and their loved ones back home who supported them.

As a member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, providing our veterans with quality care and support is a top priority of mine. I continue to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to find ways to improve services within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to make certain our veterans are properly cared for. Earlier this year, the Senate passed the Clay Hunt SAV Act, which I supported. The bill makes sure certain returning vets have access to quality mental health care to prevent suicide upon their return to civilian life. This bill was signed into law by President Obama and I was honored to attend the signing ceremony.

More recently, I cosponsored a bipartisan, bicameral bill to make it easy for veterans to get medical advice from a VA doctor via teleconference, so they won’t have to travel miles from home to visit a VA facility. I’ve also signed onto legislation to honor as veterans National Guard and Reserve retirees who served honorably for 20 years but do not qualify as veterans under existing law, as well as a number of bills aimed at reforming the VA and improving the Veterans Choice Program. Additionally, I worked with my Senate colleagues and the Department of Defense (DoD) to create a position for a Gold Star Advocate at DoD to assist families of fallen service men and women, as well as provide support to other Gold Star Advocates within the departments of the military.

While there is no doubt more must be done to change and reform the VA, this year the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee has made great strides in working to change and improve the quality of care they deliver. Our veterans have sacrificed everything on our behalf; providing them with adequate care is the least we can do.

When honoring our veterans, it’s also important to recognize and thank the families of those deployed. While their loved ones are far away fighting for our freedoms, those back home also make great sacrifices that often go unnoticed. When a loved one is gone, it places an extra burden on all family members. If something goes wrong, there is one less person to help fix it. When something wonderful happens, that person isn’t there to share in the joy. The strength of our military families continues to be an inspiration. I am extremely grateful for their selflessness and perseverance.

Every day, but especially on Veterans Day, I thank all of the men and women who have served in the military and who bravely continue to protect our freedoms. On behalf of all South Dakotans, I offer my deepest gratitude for their service. May God continue to bless all our service men and women, their families and their loved ones.

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Serving Those Who Have Served
By Rep. Kristi Noem

We have a fundamental responsibility to care for America’s veterans, but time and again, our efforts have fallen short.  Recent years, in particular, have seen repeated instances of misunderstanding, mismanagement, and mistreatment when it comes to supporting our veteran community.  Veteran suicides, for instance, occur at an average of about 22 per day.  Tens of thousands remain homeless.  In some areas, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has systematically ignored the urgent medical needs of our veterans.

And in South Dakota, we are caught in a years-long fight to keep the doors open at a Hot Springs VA hospital that veterans want and need.  This is a facility that has served veterans for more than 100 years.  Its position in the Black Hills provides a level of serenity that aids in the healing process – especially for those facing Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), traumatic brain injury, and similar illnesses.  Those who receive care there have lobbied hard to make sure it stays open, as has the community.  Despite all this, the VA has incrementally depleted the number of services offered in Hot Springs and pushed forward a plan to close the facility altogether.  This is not what our veterans want, nor what they deserve.

In late October, the VA released its draft environmental impact statement regarding the closure of the Hot Springs hospital.  This is one of the final steps when looking to close a VA facility.  The findings once again highlighted the dramatic impact a closure would have.  The public now has at least 60 days to review and comment on the report before VA Secretary Robert McDonald issues a final decision.  I’ve urged everyone who will be impacted to take part in this process.

George Washington said after the Revolutionary War had concluded that “The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war … shall be directly proportional to how they perceive veterans of earlier wars were treated and appreciated by our nation.”  Closing the hospital in Hot Springs – even reducing its services as the VA is already in the process of doing – does not leave a positive perception.

I’ve been focused on writing and supporting legislation that better serves our state’s veterans and their families.  This includes provisions to stop the VA from closing the Hot Springs hospital as well as legislation to make it easier to fire VA employees who are failing to serve our veterans with integrity, efforts to improve mental health services for veterans, and bills to increase post-service job training.

There is a role each of us can play in our communities too.  This Veterans Day, I encourage you to touch the life of someone who has served.  Bring them and their family a meal.  Volunteer at one of the many veterans-centered charities in South Dakota – whether that’s your local VFW, the American Legion, or another one.  Attend a Veterans Day service.  Or just tell them thank you.  These women and men have put on our nation’s uniform and stepped into danger for the sake of our country and the values we stand for.  It’s our responsibility to serve them when they return.

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Driving Safely This Holiday Season
A column by Gov. Dennis Daugaard:

It won’t be long before South Dakotans will be hitting the road to visit family and friends for the holiday season. Traveling to celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas with loved ones is well worth it, but holiday driving can turn tragic when impaired drivers take to the road.

Despite positive trends over the last few decades, we must still do more to stop drunk driving. Last year, 47 people died in alcohol-related accidents. That’s why we have stepped up our efforts to improve road safety and battle impaired driving.

The South Dakota Highway Patrol has increased its number of DUI checkpoints and patrols, resulting in 416 scheduled enforcement actions in 2014. The Highway Patrol is utilizing crash data to determine the most effective dates, times and locations for carrying out these efforts.

The Highway Patrol is also partnering with local law enforcement to conduct those checkpoints, to initiate joint media efforts for increased awareness and to provide officers with special training in advanced roadside impaired driving enforcement.

For repeat DUI offenders, we’ve learned that prison is not always the best way to improve safety. Under the Public Safety Improvement Act, we have increased penalties while simultaneously improving supervision and enhancing community-based treatment efforts.

A key piece of this effort is DUI and Drug courts. Since I took office, we have increased the capacity of these courts by 500 percent. These programs have been utilized around the country to hold offenders accountable through intensive community supervision, while also providing tools to address the root causes of impaired driving – alcoholism and substance abuse. Instead of being incarcerated at great expense, participants are supervised in their communities where they can continue to support their families.

It’s still early and we have yet to see the full impact of this expansion. Right now, the DUI court program currently has an 86 percent rate of retention. We are hopeful this model will lead to fewer DUI offenders who reoffend.

We are also continuing our efforts in the 24/7 program, which helps DUI offenders stay sober 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Those who complete the 24/7 program are only about half as likely to reoffend within three years. South Dakota has been a national leader in this program, and our successful model has been replicated across the country.

These are just a few ways we are striving to reduce the number of DUI offenders. But we can’t do it alone. We need your help.

As you travel this fall, remember to buckle up, slow down and take the keys from those unfit to drive. Be safe and have a great holiday season.

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I got a laugh as I sat down to watch the new “Vacation” movie, as the opening image on the movie was Mt Rushmore, followed by a vintage photo of a family in a photo by a sign declaring “Welcome to South Dakota – William J Janklow, Governor.” 

The opening montage also had pictures of the Corn Palace, and Dinosaur Park in Rapid City.

I’m not sure if it was a good sign that the other photos were of other traditional vacation photos mixed with photos of vacation mishaps.

This is interesting. It sounds like the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe might be backing down, and abandoning their pot plans:

The Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe is burning millions of dollars worth of marijuana intended to be sold in the nation’s first pot smoking lounge on tribal land, KELOLAND News has confirmed.

A source tells KELOLAND News that the decision was made because the tribe didn’t want to deal with the ongoing controversy with the federal government. Instead, they want to sell marijuana the right way and the safest way possible.

and…

Moody County State’s Attorney Paul Lewis says stepping onto tribal land does not provide you with a magic fence that protects you from prosecution if you have ingested marijuana and later stopped by police.

Attorney General Marty Jackley backs up that statement, saying it is illegal for non-tribal members to use or possess marijuana anywhere in the state of South Dakota.

Read it here.

That’s good news.  And as area pot users quickly try to find where down wind is, watch KELO for more on the story as it develops.