Just had this pop up in my facebook feed with regards to tomorrow’s event with the Pennington County Republican Women featuring Senator John Thune:

Noticing it, my immediate reaction was good on them for featuring our senior US Senator. But also, a realization dawned on me that really, a number of those involved in Republican Women have stepped up and started doing some of the things that some of the more volatile county organizations have just stopped doing.

Off hand, would you think the Pennington County GOP itself would host an event featuring Senator Thune? No. Not likely at this point. They’d rather bring goofball & former Congressman Steve King to be their speaker.

Really, if you think about it, they or their members have taken over functions that the party at large does not have the resources or willingness to do anymore.

Last election, in the face of no funding from counties caring to meet their quotas, or the ability to raise money due to the chaos that the populists have wrought upon the party itself, there was no material in support of candidates being put out as had happened in previous years. For several elections before, the SDGOP had put out sometimes multiple slate cards and elections mailers across the state to help win elections.  But this last election? Nothing.

But – a group of Republican women decided that since the party could not do it, they would. And they sent the only slate mailer in support of candidates across SD.

Before that, they also had put into place an excellent calendar of events for Republican activities, which is still in use. While the party at large is still trying to figure out whether they want to put phone numbers or not on their website, and is having endless meetings after meetings on the topic, SDFRW is just quietly doing the work.

In the most recent development of the SDFRW taking over the function of the work the party had done in the past, former SDFRW President Catherine Barranco stepped up, and has taken over the organization of the Teenage Republican group. TARs had somewhat languished in recent years, dropping off events as party resources dried up, with TAR camp ultimately being canceled in the recent past.

But now, TAR camp is back on, as a vital lifeline to engaging young people to learn about politics and leadership.

I believe the common thread is that when it comes to the organization itself, in these examples, and what they have managed to do right is that they have found a path forward where they can leave egos and personal agendas aside, act for the greater good of the organization itself, and support Republicans.

A quality that has been lost on many of those who have taken over the Central Committee and those who have taken over the Republican Party.  Where the chairman is more worried about kicking out RINOs out of the party, scorcarding GOP officeholders, trash-talking the staff, joining Democrats to attack the DC Delegation, and causing the GOP at large to resemble a long-lasting and toxic tire fire.

Senator John Thune is faced with a unique set of challenges in his new role as Senate Majority leader in the face of President Trump, who seems to want to stretch the boundaries of presidential power in the balance among the three rings of government. The Associated Press recently posted an article about South Dakota’s own senior US Senator on the job:

At the outset, however, such an outcome was far from assured. President Donald Trump was making demands that the new Senate leader be ready to put the chamber into recess so he could skip over the Senate confirmation process altogether. Faced with that prospect, Thune, a South Dakota Republican, said his message in conversations with the president was, “Let us do this the old-fashioned way and just use the clock and grind it out, and then we’ll see where we go from there.”

That approach has been successful at allowing Thune to show Trump the Senate’s worth while also preserving its constitutional role in installing a president’s Cabinet.

and..

Discussing the reconciliation package as he sat in McConnell’s old leadership office, Thune stressed that for the GOP’s marquee legislation to work, “Everybody’s got to be rolling in the same direction. It takes a lot of teamwork.”

As Trump has entered office with practically total command of the Republican Party and an agenda to upend the federal government and its role in society, Thune acknowledged that Trump has been aggressive in his use of executive power. But he argued that it was no different from how previous presidents wanted to “take as much power as they possibly can,” pointing to President Joe Biden’s moves to cancel student debt and boost government food assistance.

“Our job is to do what we can to support the president and his agenda,” Thune said. “But, you know, be that important check and balance, too, that the Founders intended.

Read the entire story here.

What are your thoughts on the role of the legislative branch in response to President Trump’s actions? Should they be facilitating his agenda, or acting as a gut-check on keeping things from getting too outlandish?

The Justin McNeal for US Congress Committee is apparently still operating and spending the $50,000 he loaned the largely dormant committee according to the Federal Election Committee report filed today:

JustinMcNeal_1q2025 by Pat Powers on Scribd

According to the report, McNeal used his campaign to spend $500 to attend at the Butte County Lincoln Day Dinner. Despite the fact the committee was formerly used to support his race as an independent in it’s last incarnation. He also donated $204 to the American Legion. It’s odd, because those do not add up to the $1286.20 he claimed as “operating expenditures” in the report.

He might have spent that $300 on those brand new suede boots and pants he was observed wearing this week as he was tagging along with some of the populist legislators.

Otherwise, He’s got about $36,823.48 left in his account from the $50,000 he loaned the campaign on which no payments have been made.

I would venture he’s never going to see that debt retired.

Gov. Rhoden Appoints James Halverson and Eric Johannsen to the Second Century Habitat Fund Board

PIERRE, S.D. – Today, Governor Larry Rhoden announced the appointment of James Halverson and Eric Johannsen to the Second Century Habitat Fund Board. The Second Century Habitat Fund, Inc is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation that works to educate landowners on the importance of grassland to improve pheasant habitat in South Dakota.

“I am proud of James Halverson and Eric Johannsen’s commitment to protecting both our land and our thriving pheasant populations,” said Governor Larry Rhoden. “South Dakota’s strong heritage of pheasant hunting is unmatched, and the beautiful habitats across our state are ripe with countless sporting opportunities. James, Eric, and the other members of the Second Century Habitat Fund will keep it that way for generations to come.”

James Halverson is a first-generation calf producer and ranch owner with degrees in Agriculture Education, Animal Science, and Rangeland Ecosystem Management. He has served on multiple Game, Fish and Park Wildlife Task Force Committees and has a strong history of successful legislative efforts and collaboration. Halverson also has a proven record of leadership, having served as Director of External Affairs and Government Relations for NewsCenter1 Media Group and Executive Director for the South Dakota Stockgrowers Association.

“I am deeply humbled and honored by Governor Rhoden’s appointment. I’ve come to hold a belief that habitat conservation and productive agricultural lands are not diametrically opposed; in fact, with active land management and proper incentives, they enjoy a mutually beneficial relationship,” said James Halverson. “It is my aim to bring conservationists, land managers, sportsmen, and agriculturists together. I’m excited to be part of the team making a difference for the next generations of all who enjoy the wonderful outdoors South Dakota has to offer.”

Halverson is a proud husband, father, and Jackrabbit Alumni. He is also an award-winning professional rangeland evaluator. You can find a picture of James Halverson here.

Eric Johannsen graduated from South Dakota State University with a degree in Agricultural Business and Animal Science. He farms and raises cattle with his family near Tolstoy, SD, and previously served as a Financial Advisor for Principal Financial Group. In 2014, Johannsen was named the SD Pheasants Forever Conservationist of the Year. He is also the recipient of several awards, including the 2^nd Century Habitat Fund Stewardship Award and the HuntFish SD Habitat Stewardship Award.

“I’m honored to be selected to serve on the Board of Directors for the Second Century Habitat Fund. I look forward to applying my experience as a conservation-oriented farmer and rancher to continue elevating ring-necked pheasants and grassland habitat as a colorful barometer of environmental health throughout our wonderful state,” said Eric Johannsen. “When farmers, ranchers, and landowners utilize conservation practices in tandem with production agriculture, it helps make South Dakota a destination for hunters and a wonderful place to raise a family.”

Johannsen has been married to his wife, Tina, for 19 years. Together, they have three daughters. You can find a picture of Eric Johannsen here.

###

From the notice of proposed rules in today’s South Dakota Register:

South Dakota Board of Elections (Office of the Secretary of State): (April 10, 2025) intends to amend rules to comply with statute terminology changing “someone” to “absentee ballot messenger;” allow flexibility as to using ballot style for Express Vote; clarify that the recount board supervises the testing of the tabulators; update terminology relating to recount boards; clarify that receipts for returning absentee ballots go to authorized messengers; update the cost of purchasing voter registration files to comply with 2025 legislative changes; update the voter registration form and voter registration instructions to comply with 2025 legislative changes; update the verification notice to comply with USPS rules and regulations; and allow auditors to use letters instead of postcards for the list maintenance process. The general authority for these rules, as cited by the board, is SDCL 12-1-9, 12-4-35, 12-17B-7, and 12-17B-17.

A public hearing at which persons may present amendments, data, opinions, and arguments for or against the proposed rules will be held at the South Dakota Capitol Building, Room 362, 500 East Capitol Avenue, Pierre, South Dakota, on May 7, 2025, at 1:00 p.m. (CT). Copies of the proposed rules may be obtained without charge from the South Dakota Board of Elections, 500 East Capitol Avenue, Pierre, South Dakota 57501. Copies are also available at https://rules.sd.gov or https://sdsos.gov. Written comments on the proposed rules may be sent to the South Dakota Board of Elections, 500 East Capitol Avenue, Suite 204, Pierre, South Dakota 57501 or emailed to elections@state.sd.us. The deadline to submit any such written comments for consideration is seventy-two hours before the date of the public hearing. This hearing is being held in a physically accessible location. Persons with special needs for which the office can make arrangements may call (605) 773-3537 at least 48 hours before the public hearing.

I was looking up something in an old post, and stumbled across this “blast from the past,” where Toby Doeden declared that Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift was a plot by the superwealthy to push the COVID vaccine:

In the man’s own words on facebook:

“When will ALL Americans wake up and realize that the super wealthy control what you do, what you think, and soon will control even more.”

And you know, that’s kind of a curious statement given that he was crying about a year later that people closed a loophole that allowed him to dump unlimited amounts of cash into his PAC, and hired a lobbyist to try to stop it (unsuccessfully):

Let’s also not forget that about that time, he had a clip of himself landing in his jet in Pierre sent to Laura Loomer, so he could preen around the State Capital…

And just a few weeks after that was addressing the Lincoln Day Dinner in the Miller gymnasium, pacing back and forth on the stage giving a terrible speech, all while wearing a Ralph Lauren polo vest and what appears to be a Rolex.

Just remember folks, when Toby flies in on his jet wearing Ralph Lauren, and wants to caution you against the “super wealthy” whom he fears will “control what you do, what you think, and soon will control even more”  …It’s just another line with no self-awareness, and no authenticity.

Have you noticed this post in your facebook feed in the last few hours?

Where Rep. Karla Lems is going on about the Charles & Heather Maude matter?  It left me scratching my head wondering:

#1 – What exactly do state legislators think they are going to do in a federal matter? And

#2 – Where have they been for nearly the last year, while US Senator Mike Rounds has been working on this, communicating with the US Forest Service and introducing legislation?

In the article from August 28th, 2024:

The U.S. Forest Service is denying it overreacted by pursuing criminal charges against a South Dakota ranching couple rather than resolve a land dispute civilly.

and..

In an emailed response to questions about the case, however, the agency claims it originally notified the couple nearly four years ago that their plan to install an irrigation system would require trespassing onto the Buffalo Gap National Grasslands. “Subsequently, the Forest Service observed crops had been planted and an irrigation system installed on National Forest System land without authorization, despite the Maudes having been informed that they were trespassing,” the agency said.

Contrary to allegations the indictments disrupted civil proceedings, the agency claims that it’d only referred the case to the U.S. Department of Justice after it was “unable to resolve the matter through administrative means.” The referral was “normal protocol” under such circumstances and it was ultimately the DOJ that decided to bring criminal indictments against the Maudes, according to the Forest Service. “At no point during this contact was anyone placed under arrest or taken into custody, nor did any officer utilize any tactical uniform, gear or assault weapons,” the agency said.

and..

The indictments prompted U.S. Sen. Michael Rounds, R-S.D., to request additional information about the case from the USDA, which oversees the Forest Service. His letter to USDA says the Maudes were “abruptly” indicted after they’d “cooperated in good faith with USDA to resolve a recently identified boundary discrepancy” after decades of working with the agency. “The criminal indictment appears unnecessary and conflicts with USDA’s stated good neighbor practices,” Rounds said in the letter.

Read that all here.

I’d also refer the publicity hungry legislators standing in a field to actual legislation that Rounds brought forth in December to address these kinds of federal land disputes..

“I won’t get into the specifics of that particular case, but I can tell you that other producers are also concerned about the possibility of facing the same type of aggression as the family in South Dakota already,” Rounds said. “We just want to get ahead of this.”

and..

Rounds introduced the Fence Line Fairness Act to try to mediate land disputes. This legislation would create a formal mediation process for land boundary disputes by forming a committee consisting of appointed producers from the state, two of whom would be appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture and three of whom would be appointed by the state’s department of agriculture or natural resources.

“Rather than going directly into an aggressive move by the U.S. government, we think it’s more appropriate that we have the opportunity for the two sides to sit down and to reconcile their differences,” Rounds said.

Read that story here.

The Maudes do have a court date at the end of the month, which is why I’m sure there’s the push for publicity in the matter.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, as I point out chunks of the Representative Lems’ post being utter bullshit, such as when she’s trying to claim that “this looks like lawfare,”  there has been no due process, and that all of this just happened 6 weeks after a survey.

Despite the record of it being a matter that has drug out for 4 years administratively, BEFORE they moved it to a criminal matter, for these legislators to show up for a photo op and then try to claim that these representatives of state government are somehow able to do something in a federal land dispute being heard in federal court?

Well, I don’t know about you, but it just seems that these legislators are trying to mine publicity out of misery.

Misery arising out of a federal fence line dispute above their pay grade that’s drug on for years.

The Dakotas: North and South
By: Gov. Larry Rhoden
April 12, 2025

We have a friendly rivalry with our neighbors to the north in North Dakota. I’ve joked many times that I’d much rather have Mount Rushmore than oil – and we all know that South Dakota’s Badlands are far more stunning! But we’re a lot more similar to North Dakota than probably any other state in the Union.

My predecessor, Governor Noem, had a strong relationship with Governor Doug Burgum of North Dakota. In fact, as the new Secretary of the Interior, Burgum is helping us get ready for the upcoming Mount Rushmore Fireworks over Independence Day in 2026! His successor, Governor Kelly Armstrong, is new to the role like me.

Governor Armstrong and I recently had the opportunity to share something pretty special: we visited the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe together. Standing Rock is one of two tribes with land on both sides of the South Dakota-North Dakota border. It was the first time in a decade that both governors have been on that reservation simultaneously.

We visited Chairwoman Janet Alkire and their tribal council leaders. We discussed several key topics affecting the tribe, including education, economic development, water permits, and the latest on federal funding.

After the great conversation, we took a driving tour of the reservation and stopped by a local school. I met with several bright students and faculty members and saw the kids hard at work, learning to shape their futures!

We are at our strongest when we work together. At times, mutual trust with our Native American tribes has been tough to maintain. We are all neighbors, so part of keeping South Dakota strong, safe, and free means doing the same for our Native American people. I will continue to work hard to be a governor for all South Dakotans.

We may have friendly rivalries – or even legitimate debates or disagreements. I am committed to listening so that I can understand the concerns that our communities face. That goes for small towns, big cities, tribal reservations, and communities on both sides of the Missouri River.

I’ll say it again: we are strongest when we work together. I look forward to working with both our North Dakota neighbors and all nine South Dakota tribes to keep our communities strong, safe, and free.

###

In the South Dakota Searchlight article which is blowing up Republican in-boxes this morning, former Obama-voting Democrat and new Republican Party chairman Jim Eschenbaum rails on about removing the Republicans he does not deem as worthy from the party, calling them RINOs.

As part of the interview he did, Eschenbaum takes a direct, and completely low-class bum shot at outgoing Executive Director Reggie Rhoden, claiming:

He resigned at the meeting on February 22, when we did the elections. And we have decided thus far that we don’t need an executive director. Nobody knows that he was doing much.

Read that here.

Just a few moments ago, Reggie Rhoden, the outgoing Executive Director, offered his take on the one-ring circus that the Republican Party has turned into under RINO-hunter Eschenbaum:

I was getting paid $4,357.50 a month with no benefits.

I’m not perturbed, but it certainly seems a weird thing to lie about after begging me to stay on board until the next meeting. It’s especially odd when I’ve spent dozens of hours over the past few weeks trying to help his team with a smooth transition– A transition he should consider allowing his board to complete before speaking poorly of the only person genuinely trying to help them out.

He hasn’t even arranged for anyone to come to my office to pick up the files they so badly wanted to audit! I hate to think how that audit must be going thus far if the Chairman is publicly misrepresenting the only salary they have to keep track of. By proxy it must also be hard for the Chairman to imagine that the ED did much when the Chair doesn’t even know what the Chair does.

Read that here.

I would hope Reggie’s cooperation ends here and now, since what passes for a GOP chairman has decided to go scorched earth on the people who were trying to help in a smooth transition.

South Dakota Searchlight has done an extensive Q&A with the South Dakota Republican Party’s new chairman. And if you’re a South Dakota Republican, it does not bode well for the future of the party.

In fact, I believe I can argue with some merit that Jim Eschenbaum is actually the worst Republican Party chairman in South Dakota history. On to the story:

South Dakota’s new Republican Party chairman is a former Democrat, but he’s been a Republican for nine years. Now he’s concerned about “Republicans In Name Only,” or RINOs, and wants to weed them out. 

“RINOs are a real thing,” Jim Eschenbaum said. “People say, ‘Don’t call us RINOs.’ Well, If you’re supporting abortion or gun control in any way, or any kind of sequestering of First Amendment rights, well, that does not align with conservative principles.”

Eschenbaum is a 62-year-old Hand County commissioner and farmer. He was a registered Democrat for 32 years until he and his wife switched when Democrats nominated Hillary Clinton for president in 2016. 

Read all of that and more here… and that’s just the start, as Eschenbaum tells the world that the Republican Party doesn’t need any money to do anything, while at the same time taking a nasty swipe at the Governor’s son, Reggie Rhoden, who was the outgoing executive director:

I agree that people are funding candidates now instead of just throwing all the money to the state or state party. And I am perfectly OK with that. We don’t need any more money thrown to the state GOP than what we need to operate.

And we’ve already taken $77,000 out of the annual operating costs of the state GOP. Reggie Rhoden, Governor Rhoden’s son, was executive director and he was being paid $5,400 a month. He resigned at the meeting on February 22, when we did the elections. And we have decided thus far that we don’t need an executive director. Nobody knows that he was doing much.

Read that in the article as well.

One politico who predates my 37-year involvement in the SDGOP, upon reading this article quipped that “the smack talking of Reggie — the only thing that outpaces Eschenbaum’s arrogance is his ignorance.” 

But that’s not all. Why would it be all? Because the fool in charge of the Republican party wants to see The Republican Party producing scorecards on candidates:

I have even proposed a South Dakota GOP scorecard. I don’t know if the state central committee will decide to do it, but it would be based on just those three principles, the two constitutions and the party platform.

Again.. read that here.

When asked about unifying Republicans, Eschenbaum’s response included this passage:

“..some of these politicians, they get elected to office, they get a fat head about what it is they want to do or who they want to benefit, or using government to do business, and that’s not what government is intended to be.”

Read that in the Searchlight article, you ‘fat-heads’.

And finally, perhaps a moment of self-reflection given what he’s done to the Republican party to date:

Just because you’re elected to office currently does not guarantee you’re going to get reelected to office again.

(Well, no shit Sherlock Holmes.)

Go read this wide-ranging interview at SD Searchlight by Joshua Haiar

What did we learn about Jim Eschenbaum? He doesn’t feel he needs the Republican Party to raise money. He wants to institute purity tests via scorecards. He doesn’t think Reggie Rhoden did anything as executive director, and he wants to weed out the people HE THINKS are RINO’s – Republicans in Name Only.  I’m thinking this 32-year Democrat needs to look in the mirror and weed himself out.

A legislator, after reading this article pointed out:

Our new Chairman is basically Frank Kloucek with a mustache. The guy vaguely mentions abortion and guns, but otherwise can’t name a single Republican issue. What about limited government? What about free markets and prosperity?

Another long-time politico’s review, and maybe the most prophetic:

Great way to divide the party and burn it to the ground.

And I would agree. If anyone is giving to the party, they really need their heads examined at this point.  Political parties have one job – in our case it’s elect Republican candidates, and secondarily, raise money to help elect Republican candidates. Anything else is off task, and will only bring the party to ruin.

In my time, I had always considered former legislator Don Peterson, who had a 2 year stint as GOP Chair, as arguably as having the worst tenure as party chair. Nice guy, and he tried, but when you spend the last 2 weeks of the election golfing in Arizona… that’s not the sign of an engaged chairman. He passed away a number of years ago now, but those who remember him fondly can take solace in that he will no longer be considered by history as not being among the best as Chairman of the South Dakota Republican Party.

Because in his first two months, former Obama Democrat Jim Eschenbaum has swept the boards in being the absolute and utterly worst chairman of the South Dakota Republican Party to date in State History.

As he takes a wrecking ball to the organization that so many good Republicans took over a century to build, it may take the party decades to recover.

If it ever can.