(Unlike some of the legislative social events, [former] Staff and Interns are invited — Editor PP) 

 

PROGRAM DETAILS ANNOUNCED, REGISTRATION OPEN FOR ONE HUNDREDTH SESSION CELEBRATION 

PIERRE – Online registration is now open for current and former legislators, Legislative Research Council staff, interns, and pages wanting to attend the special events on April 12, 2025, commemorating the 100^th session of the South Dakota Legislature. Interested people should register before March 1, 2025, through the South Dakota Historical Society Foundation at https://www.sdhsf.org/donate/100th-legislative-session-reception-reunion.html.

The day’s events, to be held at the State Capitol and the Ramkota Hotel and Convention Center in Pierre, will include a program from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Capitol Rotunda. Prior to the program, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., the legislative photographer will be on hand for group photos of former legislators and other attendees.

Beginning at 4:00 p.m., a reception will be held at the Ramkota Hotel and Convention Center, with a dance starting at 6:00 p.m. featuring the 147^th Army Band of the South Dakota National Guard. Drinks and hors d’oeuvres will be served.

Representative Tony Venhuizen (R-Sioux Falls), Chair of the One Hundredth Session Planning Committee, encourages those affiliated with the South Dakota Legislature during its history to attend.

“I hope all former legislators and others who have been involved will plan to attend this historic reunion,” said Venhuizen. “It will be a great opportunity to celebrate our citizen legislature and its rich history, and to see old friends.”

Tickets for the reception and dance are $20 each. Registrants will be required to designate their affiliation with the legislature (as a current or former legislator, legislative staff, intern, page, or other affiliation) when they purchase tickets.

Other members of the One Hundredth Session Planning Committee include Senator David Wheeler (Vice Chair) (R-Huron); Representatives Erin Healy (D-Sioux Falls) and Stephanie Sauder (R-Bryant); Senators Jean Hunhoff (R-Yankton) and Steve Kolbeck (R-Brandon); former state lawmakers Bernie Hunhoff and Matt Michels; and State Historian Dr. Ben Jones.

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Actually, I can register in a dual role, as I was an intern in the 1988 session, and legislative staff for the Senate in … I believe 1994. I think.   (Proving that memory is the first thing to go.). 

This filing came last week. Apparently the Minnehaha County Republican Party is dumping cash into the Freedom Caucus PAC while leaving some of their candidates by the side of the road:

I spoke to one Minnehaha County candidate and asked if they had gotten $950 from the county party. The answer? Nope.

We’ll just have to keep an eye on where that cash is going a little down the line, since they’re using donor dollars for a private PAC, and follow the money.

The SDGOP pulled no punches in going after one of the leftmost candidates running for office this year in a postcard that hit mailboxes last week:

The party hits him on his campaign agenda of “To expose the ruling party’s corruption, to enhance worker rights: raise minimum wage to $20/hr, no more right to work.”  Hyperbole, perhaps?   Well, the problem for Swanson is that it’s not puffery, and actually direct quotes that SWANSON SUBMITTED HIMSELF ANSWERING BALLOTPEDIA’s 2022 SURVEY when he ran the last time:

You can read what Comrade Swanson is laying down here.

Most people subscribe to the adage that if it walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck..

Well, for Swanson, if you spout propaganda like Karl Marx and Vladmir Lenin, and you campaign on the issues of Marx and Lenin, some might just view you as being a socialist.

That might be tough for a lot of the residents of District 30 to swallow.  Especially in deep-red District 30. (But not the type of red we’re thinking when we read what Swanson wants to bring to Pierre.)

 

The blockchain industry yields benefits for businesses and individuals in South Dakota and across the country
by Dirk Lohry

As the general election approaches, both major political parties have now concluded their national conventions and presented policy platforms outlining their priorities for the coming years. While voters are focused on a variety of key issues, I urge both voters and our elected officials to prioritize responsible, pro-business regulation in emerging industries—particularly in the crypto and blockchain sectors.

In July, the Republican National Committee’s platform highlighted a commitment to fostering a pro-crypto environment, signaling a notable shift in the party’s stance from previous years. Meanwhile, the Democratic National Committee, in their August platform, did not mention cryptocurrency or blockchain technology. However, Vice President Kamala Harris recently addressed both AI and digital assets at a fundraiser, pledging to encourage further investment in these areas. This marks the Vice President’s first positive acknowledgment of the crypto industry, reinforcing the importance of this issue and the need for informed legislative action.

Former President Trump also made headlines recently with his endorsement of World Liberty Financial, a decentralized cryptocurrency platform, expressing his vision of making the United States the “crypto capital of the world.” With both presidential candidates signaling support for the crypto industry, momentum is building around the potential of this dynamic sector.

The blockchain industry has already begun to yield significant benefits for businesses and individuals in South Dakota and across the country. As this sector continues to grow, Congress has a unique opportunity to enact policies that support innovation and economic advancement here in America.

In the House, Representative Dusty Johnson led bipartisan efforts to pass the Financial Innovation and Technology for the 21st Century Act (FIT21). This landmark legislation lays the groundwork for consumer protections while encouraging American innovation in digital assets.

I urge Senator Rounds to build on this momentum in the U.S. Senate. Through strong leadership and bipartisan cooperation, Congress can craft legislation that enables American businesses to harness the full potential of crypto technology. Just as with other industries, it’s vital that Americans lead in this space, driving innovation and growth.

D32 State Senator Helene Duhamel was in mailboxes this past week with a new postcard which talks about how she’s worked with many of our elected officials to solve problems. (there’s a GOP and non-GOP version out there, here’s the GOP card that went out):

Protecting Mt. Rushmore, making sure drinking water ia available, supporting Ellsworth, protecting communities and supporting law enforcement, helping to fund the expansion of the Rapid City Regional Airport, etcetera is all a good list.  For the Republican faithful, the quote on the front from State Senator and South Dakota Republican Party Chairman John Wiik is very much worth taking notice of:

That’s ONE Republican in the race for District 32 State Senate. And it isn’t the other person.

Chris Larson, Sioux Falls’ mattress guy – not to be confused with the equally conspiracy minded pillow guy – is out campaigning against most of the ballot measures as he leads the “No on everything” effort.

As well as once again posting how he’s no longer a “normie,” (as he derisively terms people who don’t mindlessly believe facebook conspiracy theories), and explains:

..the Enemy (bad actors who serve their father, the devil – see John 8:44) is employing a strategy of “flooding the zone’’, which has overwhelmed the sense-making abilities of average citizens. It’s just too much to keep track of. From our borderless border, to endless wars, to non-stop blatant lying from our government/media cabal, to runaway gov’t spending & inflation, to presidential assassinations that are “no big deal” anymore, to an absolute loss of trust in our election systems, to Klaus Schwab and the WEF, to the possibility that nefarious shadow groups are somehow controlling the weather (!), the average American is being carpet bombed by negativity, lies and chaos.

In case you need to read the goofiness here.

I’m not sure how he managed to leave out the trilateral commission, Q-anon warnings about child stealing pizza parlors, the Rothchilds, British Monarchy’s various conspiracies, and jewish space lasers causing fires out west as well as Toby Doeden’s Taylor Swift/Vaccine conspiracy.

Just remember, these are the guys who want to take over the Republican party in SD.

Burying Republicans one crazy facebook post at a time.

Oacoma Democrat David Ries is running as an independent against Representative Rebecca Reimer for the House in 26B this election.

And he just sent out a postcard encouraging his people to get out and vote:

He’s asking his supporters to Vote Independent on November 6th for a change. 

I’m ok with that. Although, they might find the doors shut.  Considering the election is November 5th.

Just over a week to go. Stay tuned.

From “Frank Speech,” it looks like we know where “self-declared election expert” Rick Weible has been since he was at the receiving end of a campaigning 101 lesson on how to run for office in the primary.  Weible seems to be the fill-in guest host for the pillow guy show on the pillow guy website.

I’m surprised he’s running this far above the radar, considering Rick declared to the Brookings County Commission that his “life is at risk” on March 19th.

Although, this could actually be an underground bunker. Or a storage closet.

Stay tuned.

 

Celebrating South Dakota’s Unofficial State Holiday
By Sen. John Thune

As the crisp fall temperatures begin to break through, an unmistakable anticipation builds in the air for our state’s unofficial holiday. The days and nights get cooler, the leaves change colors, and South Dakotans start counting down the days to the third Saturday in October: the start of pheasant season.

Growing up in Murdo, my family and I always looked forward to getting out in the fields and bagging some roosters. My dad passed this tradition on to us, hunting with us into his nineties. We have proudly passed it down to our kids, and I look forward to sharing this heritage with my grandkids someday, too.

A morning in the field is made better with good bird dogs and good company, and coming together at the end of a long day offers a perfect opportunity to thank God for His many blessings and hopefully enjoy a plate full of pheasant. One of the things I cherish most are these moments with friends and family in our great outdoors.

In food plots, sloughs, and shelterbelts across our state, shouts of “rooster!” can be heard all season as locals and visitors alike take part in our famed pastime. For more than a century since that first hunting season commenced, generations of South Dakotans have taken up the mantle of providing suitable habitat for ringnecks and other wildlife, and it’s this spirit of conservation that has sustained our state’s proud tradition for so long and made South Dakota the “pheasant capital of the world.”

In Washington, I’m working to preserve and modernize the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), a historic program that has helped keep our pheasant population bountiful. I’ve introduced bipartisan legislation to strengthen CRP, and I will continue fighting to support this and other land conservation efforts in the U.S. Senate.

This season, I hope you enjoy some quality time with family and friends, take in the rich beauty of our wonderful state, and, of course, bag a limit of birds. To hunters across South Dakota, here’s to a safe and successful hunt.

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Growing and Improving
By Rep. Dusty Johnson
October 25, 2024

BIG News

It’s pheasant season in South Dakota! I’ve been able to break out the orange vest (my favorite color) and enjoy the crisp fall air and golden prairie. It’s one of my favorite traditions each year, spending time with family and friends in the hopes of a successful hunt.

We’re blessed to have the world’s best pheasant hunting in South Dakota. In 2023 alone, we harvested 1.2 million birds – more than every surrounding state combined. I’m hopeful for another bountiful harvest this season and for visitors and South Dakotans to enjoy the incredible landscape of our state.

BIG Idea

Xiomara came to LifeScape as a young girl only able to move her toe to control her electric wheelchair, but now, she is able to stand on her own! The incredible work of both patients and providers at LifeScape has transformed and is transforming lives, like Xiomara.

LifeScape provides services for more than 4,000 children and adults with disabilities and medical rehabilitation needs. Their facilities include a specialty hospital, school, residential services, and outpatient therapies. This year, they began construction of a new campus in Sioux Falls to serve even more patients, and hopefully the 500 families on their waitlist.

It was a privilege to meet those who are a part of this facility.

BIG Update

When you go to the grocery store, everything has a higher price tag – bread, milk, eggs, meat, flour, chips, and more. Over the past nearly four years, inflation has risen more than 20%, and we’re losing hope that these prices will return to what they were pre-pandemic. Families across America are struggling to scrounge together the additional $13,300 they need to buy the basics that they could buy three years ago.

Unnecessary bureaucratic red tape, reckless progressive spending, and high interest rates have slowed growth and skyrocketed prices. I’ve opposed more than $13 trillion in unnecessary spending and the Biden Administration’s regulations that make it harder for companies to invest and develop in America. We must encourage new and old businesses to grow and expand, improving the lives of individuals, families, and communities. America is the number one economy in the world, but we must take steps to ensure it stays that way.

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