Attorney General Jackley Seeks Public’s Assistance in Investigation of Former Rapid City Gymnastics Coach

PIERRE, S.D. – South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley announces the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI)’s Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force seeks the public’s assistance in the investigation of a former Rapid City Gymnastics Coach who faces federal Child Pornography charges.

Hayden Sengua, 25, has been indicted on multiple counts involving Receipt of Child Pornography and Possession of Child Pornography. Sengua worked at Just Jymnastics in Rapid City until May 2024, when his employment was terminated. He previously worked as a gymnastics coach in Oregon.

Sengua is alleged to have possessed images and videos of children in the Rapid City area whom he may have coached. The defendant is presumed innocent under the U.S. Constitution.

“We are asking members of the public, whose children have been coached by the defendant to contact us with any pertinent information,” said Attorney General Jackley. “We need to determine if any more local children may have been exploited and ensure they receive necessary care and attention.”

People with information about this case can contact the DCI at 605-394-2258.

The investigation is being conducted by the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) – Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office.

The U.S. Attorney’s Release on the case can be found here:

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US Senator Mike Rounds’ Weekly Round[s] Up
JUNE 23 – JULY 1, 2025

Welcome back to another Weekly Round[s] Up. The Senate worked through the weekend and Monday to pass our reconciliation bill which delivers on President Trump’s agenda. This bill contains many important provisions such as securing the border, lowering taxes and providing for our national security that will benefit American families. The most important piece for hard-working South Dakota families is the permanent extension of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Without this extension, the average South Dakota household would have seen their taxes raise by around $2,400. After 24+ hours of nonstop voting on amendments, I’m pleased that this bill is across the finish line in the Senate to create a stronger America. It now goes back to the U.S. House where they will have the final vote before it becomes law. Read more about my week in my Weekly Round[s] Up:

Invitation to President Trump: This past week, I joined Rod Woodruff of the Sturgis Buffalo Chip to extend a formal invitation to President Trump to attend the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally this August. South Dakota is Trump Country and the Buffalo Chip is the gathering place for thousands of patriots each year during the Rally. I know he’d get a warm welcome from this crowd and enjoy all of the America First pride on display at the Sturgis Rally. Read more about this and the full letter here.

South Dakota groups I met with: South Dakota representatives from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention; South Dakota members of Clean Fuels Alliance America; South Dakota members of the American Academy of Family Physicians; Sheila Gestring, President of the University of South Dakota; Shane and Kelli Penfield of Lemmon and Gary Chytka of Belle Fourche who were visiting DC this past week; South Dakota AARP; students from McCook Central FFA; and Sonja Seivert of Sioux Falls, National Youth Delegate at the Washington Youth Summit on Environment.

South Dakota towns represented: Aberdeen, Belle Fourche, Lemmon, Rapid City, Salem, Sioux Falls, Spearfish, Vermillion and Watertown.

Other meetings: Sean Plankey, nominee for the Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency; members of the Embassy of Rwanda in the United States; Prineha Narang, a quantum physicist who does work with the Department of Energy; Admiral Stephen “Web” Koehler, Commander of the United States Pacific Fleet; Robin Vince, CEO of BNY; Kirsten Davies, nominee to be Chief Information Officer at the Department of Defense; Cho Hyun-dong, South Korea’s Ambassador to the United States; John Byrnes, Director of Strategy at Concerned Veterans for America; and Phill Swagel, Director of the Congressional Budget Office.

I attended the signing ceremony for the peace agreement between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. These countries have been at war for decades and I want to congratulate President Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and leadership from both nations on getting this deal done to establish lasting peace in the area. I spoke to a group of interns from across Capitol Hill about my work in the Senate. I also attended our weekly Senate Bible Study, where our verse of the week was 1 John 3:17, and our Senate Prayer Breakfast, where Senator Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire was our speaker.

Hearings: I attended six hearings this past week. In one hearing of the Appropriations committee, we discussed the President’s rescissions package with Director of the Office of Management and Budget Russ Vought. I asked Mr. Vought about protections for tribal radio funding, watch the clip here.

In addition, we had Chairman of the Federal Reserve Jerome Powell in front of the Senate Banking Committee this past week, which you can watch here. We had two hearings in the Senate Armed Services Committee to question nominees for the Department of Defense, which you can watch here and here. I also attended two hearings in the Select Committee on Intelligence.

Classified briefings: I attended one classified briefing on the United States’ strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.

PASS Act provision: This past week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 1713, the Agricultural Risk Review Act of 2025. This legislation included provisions of legislation I introduced titled the Promoting Agriculture Safeguards and Security (PASS) Act. The House legislation would require the Secretary of Agriculture to review all agriculture transactions reviewed by the Committee on Foreign Investments in the United States (CFIUS). It would also give the U.S. Department of Agriculture the ability to refer cases to CFIUS for review if there is reason to believe an agriculture land transaction may raise a national security concern. This will make it easier to flag any unusual activity by our foreign adversaries that could threaten the United States. Read more here.

Intern with us: Our office is currently accepting applications from college students to serve as interns during the fall 2025 semester. Positions are available in the Washington, D.C. office and the state offices in Pierre, Rapid City and Sioux Falls. Fall internships typically run from September to December, but dates can be tailored to specific schedules. Learn more about our internship program here.

Votes taken: 50 – Most were on procedural votes and amendments for the reconciliation package, with a few votes being for confirmations of administrators in the Defense, Commerce and Treasury Departments.

My staff in South Dakota visited: Fort Pierre, Hartford, Madison and Pierre.

Steps taken: 54,182 steps or 24.52 miles.

Passed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act: The reconciliation package that I voted for includes several important provisions for South Dakotans, see here for a comprehensive list of South Dakota priorities that passed. Toplines include:

• $3.3 billion for Border Security to fund Department of Defense personnel and logistics support to Department of Homeland Security to help carry border, immigration, and counterdrug enforcement.
• $25 billion for Golden Dome for America, a layered missile defense shield, to develop the space-based assets needed to support the system.
• Permanent continuation of the current tax rate for the average South Dakota household, avoiding a $2,400 increase per year.
• Permanent increased and enhanced child tax of $2,200 per child beginning in 2025.
• Lower taxes for seniors by providing a $6,000 bonus income exemption.
• No tax on tips for millions of tipped workers by creating a deduction of up to $25,000 for qualified tips.
• No tax on overtime for overtime premium payments of up to $12,500 for hourly workers.
• Establishes savings accounts for newborns and children up to age 18, building financial security for the next generation.
• Makes the 20 percent small business deduction permanent.
• Prevents Medicaid payments for beneficiaries who have died, are enrolled in multiple states or do not qualify for the program.
• Ends Medicaid financing gimmicks that increased federal spending.
• Supports rural hospitals in South Dakota by providing $50 billion for the Rural Hospital Relief Fund.
• Supports nursing homes by eliminating burdensome Biden-era staffing mandates that threatened to close facilities.
• Invests in USDA’s premier animal health programs that defend against livestock disease outbreaks and mitigates threats like New World Screwworm, Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza and African Swine Fever.
• $4.5 billion for expansion of production capacity of B-21 long-range bomber aircraft, including tooling and expansion of supplier base and purchase of aircraft only available through the expansion of production capacity.
• $100 million for Impact Aid to local educational agencies.
• $100 million for Defense Community Infrastructure Program to support infrastructure needs like Douglas School District.

Video of the week: I joined KOTA TV to discuss my invitation to President Trump to attend the Sturgis rally:

Remember when the South Dakota Republican Party had bylaws they claimed to follow with regards to forming a county GOP organization?  Apparently, that’s out the window, as one Toby Doeden supporter claims that if you stop at the Doeden meeting in Pine Ridge tonight, you might become the next county GOP Chairman:

Yeah.

Attorney General Jackley Announces Former DSS Employee Sentenced to 13 Years In Prison for Stealing $1.78 Million from Child Protection Services

PIERRE, S.D. – South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley announces that a former state Department of Social Services employee was sentenced Tuesday to 13 years in prison, with six years suspended, after earlier being convicted of stealing $1.78 million in state and federal funds from the department’s Child Protection Services.

Lonna Carroll, 68, of Algona, Iowa, was sentenced in Hughes County Circuit Court. She had been convicted in April by a Hughes County Jury on two felony counts of Aggravated Grand Theft. She was sentenced to 10 years in prison with five years suspended on the first count and three years in prison with one year suspended on the second count. The sentences will be served consecutively. The defendant also was ordered to pay back the entire amount as well as court costs.

“This jury conviction and sentence confirm that public trust is not for sale,” said Attorney General Jackley, who spoke for the state at the sentencing. “Stealing from federal and state programs is a serious crime that undermines the integrity of state government employees. The Attorney General’s Office will continue to aggressively pursue those who abuse their positions for personal gain.”

The state Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) and Legislative Audit led the investigation. The Attorney General’s Office prosecuted the case.

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Rounds Releases Statement on Reconciliation Passage
Achieves $1.6 Trillion in savings, $4.1 trillion in economic growth

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) today released the following statement after the reconciliation bill passed the Senate by a vote of 51-50, with Vice President Vance breaking the tie:

“Last November, South Dakotans and the American people voted for a better, stronger nation that puts the safety and prosperity of American families first. They voted for policies that rein in government spending, cut taxes for the middle and working class and protect Americans from threats at home and abroad. With the Senate passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, we are one step closer to delivering on those promises.

“Despite obstruction from Democrats that went long into the night, Leader Thune and our Senate Republican majority passed the bill this afternoon. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act is a win for families in South Dakota and across America. It delivers the largest tax cut for the working class in American history, boosts our national defense, secures our border and cuts wasteful government spending on the taxpayer’s dime. Specifically in South Dakota, it will save families from an average tax increase of $2,400 next year. It also introduces new savings for families by increasing the Child Tax Credit, no taxes on tips, overtime or car loan interest and giving middle-class seniors tax relief on Social Security. This means more money going back into the pockets of hard-working South Dakotans.

“I look forward to working with my colleagues as we build on this momentum and continue to deliver results for the American people.”

The reconciliation package includes several important provisions for South Dakotans, see below for final provisions that Sen. Rounds voted for.

Strengthens National Security

• $3.3 billion for Border Security to fund DoD personnel and logistics support to Department of Homeland Security to help carry border, immigration, and counterdrug enforcement.
• $9 billion for Servicemember Quality of Life, including increases in allowances and special pays, as well as improvements to housing, healthcare, and assistance to military families.
• $25 billion for Golden Dome for America, a layered missile defense shield, to develop the space-based assets needed to support the system.
• $28 billion for Shipbuilding and the Maritime Industrial Base to expand the size and capability of our naval fleet.

Supports South Dakota Families & Small Businesses

• Permanent continuation of the current tax rate for the average South Dakota household, avoiding a $2,400 increase per year.
• Permanent increased and enhanced child tax of $2,200 per child beginning in 2025.
• Lower taxes for seniors by providing a $6,000 bonus income exemption.
• No tax on tips for millions of tipped workers by creating a deduction of up to $25,000 for qualified tips.
• No tax on overtime for overtime premium payments of up to $12,500 for hourly workers.
• Establishes savings accounts for newborns and children up to age 18, building financial security for the next generation.
• Makes the 20 percent small business deduction permanent.
• Restores and makes permanent full expensing for domestic R&D to encourage domestic innovation.
• Restores and makes permanent full expensing for new capital investments for investments in machinery and equipment to boost domestic production.
• Permanently renews and enhances the Opportunity Zone program, driving $100+ billion of investment to rural and distressed communities.
• Cut Consumer Financial Protection Bureau funding in half, which would weaken an out-of-control regulatory entity that only created red tape for local banks and businesses.

 

Safeguards Longevity of Health Care System

• Prevents Medicaid payments for beneficiaries who have died, are enrolled in multiple states or do not qualify for the program.
• Ends Medicaid financing gimmicks that increase federal spending.
• Establishes work requirements for able-bodied adults who are choosing not to work and do not have young dependent children or elderly parents in their care.
  • Able-bodied adults without dependents can work, participate in a work training program, enroll in school or volunteer for 20 hours per week in order to receive taxpayer-subsidized Medicaid coverage.
  • Exemptions are included for veterans with total disabilities, serious medical conditions, caretakers of young children or disabled individuals, certain American Indians, and others.
• Supports rural hospitals in South Dakota by providing $50 billion for the Rural Hospital Relief Fund.
• Supports nursing homes by eliminating burdensome Biden-era staffing mandates that threatened to close facilities.

 

Supports American Ag

• Strengthens SNAP work requirements for able-bodied adults by increasing the age that able-bodied adults must continue working from 54 through 64, which would save $285 billion.
  • Limits the ability of States to arbitrarily waive work requirements by restricting waivers to only areas with high unemployment.
  • Exemptions are included for certain American Indians and others.
• Increases statutory reference prices for all covered commodities and bolsters the effective reference price escalator for the 2025 through 2031 crop years.
• Expands access to standing disaster programs and conservation programs.
• Improves the livestock programs to be more responsive to drought and predation and expands producer eligibility for the tree assistance program.
• Provides more affordable crop insurance for beginning farmers and ranchers for the first ten years of farming.
• Increases the coverage level and affordability of certain crop insurance policies used by row crop and specialty crop producers.
• Invests in efforts to maintain the accessibility and affordability of crop insurance nationwide, while investing in additional reviews, compliance, and integrity.
• Increases the budget authority for popular conservation programs by over $16 billion, representing an approximately 35% increase in these programs’ baseline.
• Invests in USDA’s premier animal health programs that defend against livestock disease outbreaks and mitigates threats like New World Screwworm and Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza and African Swine Fever.

 

South Dakota Provisions

Below are provisions authored or requested by Senator Rounds to be included in the reconciliation package:

• $50 million for cold spray repair technologies.
• $50 million for high-altitude stratospheric balloons for military use.
• $250 million for Cyber Command artificial intelligence.
• $25 million for military spectrum agility, testing of simultaneous transmit and receive technology.
• $100 million for Defense Community Infrastructure Program to support infrastructure needs like Douglas School District.
• $4.5 billion for expansion of production capacity of B-21 long-range bomber aircraft, including tooling and expansion of supplier base, and purchase of aircraft only available through the expansion of production capacity.
• $250 million for advancement of artificial intelligence ecosystem.
• $100 million for Impact Aid to local educational agencies.
• $150 million for Ground moving target indicator military satellites.

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Thune: Senate Republicans Pass Bill to Make America Safer, Stronger, and More Prosperous

“I look forward to the House taking up and passing this historic legislation and getting it to the president’s desk.”

Click here to watch the video.

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) today delivered the following remarks on the Senate floor.

Lance Russell, Fall River and Oglala Lakota County State’s Attorney,
to run for Attorney General

HOT SPRINGS, S.D. (July 1, 2025) – Fall River and Oglala Lakota County State’s Attorney Lance Russell today announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination for South Dakota Attorney General.  “I am running to work as our next Attorney General to ensure safer communities and open government for all South Dakotans,” Russell. “Violent and drug-related crime is on the rise in South Dakota, and my number one priority will be to reverse that trend and to make sure our streets are safe.”

Russell is committed to open government and has always fought to ensure the public’s right to know. South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley appointed Lance to serve as a member of the South Dakota Open Meetings Commission in 2024.  “If I am entrusted to serve as our next Attorney General, I will continue my efforts be a guardian of transparency and open government in South Dakota.”

Lance previously served 12 years in the South Dakota Legislature, with 8 years in the House and 4 in the Senate. During Russell’s time in the Senate, he served as Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, where he focused on issues of government transparency, accountability and protecting Constitutional Rights. According to Russell, this was a significant factor in his decision to run.

“My life as a public servant has always been about fighting for victims, property rights, transparency in government, and an improved quality of life for all South Dakotans,” Russell said.

Currently in his fourth term as the Fall River and Oglala Lakota County State’s Attorney, Russell also owns a 25-year private practice in Fall River County.

Russell earned a Juris Doctor Degree from the University of South Dakota School of Law and a Master of Laws Degree in Natural Resources and Environmental Law from the University of Denver College of Law. He represents Grassland Grazing Associations and is City Attorney for municipalities in the southern Black Hills.

Russell has been a life-long member of the South Dakota Republican Party and has served as the Executive Director for both the Pennington County Republican Party, and the State Republican Party. Lance has also served as GOP Chairman in his home county of Fall River and was selected by his peers to represent South Dakota as a delegate to the 2016 and 2024 Republican National Conventions.

During his public service, Russell has been recognized by South Dakota Right to Life, the National Rifle Association and the National Association for Gun Rights as a champion for our rights.

Russell concluded, “The South Dakota Republican Party will nominate our candidate for Attorney General at the 2026 Republican State Convention next year in June, and I hope to earn your support at the Convention and in the November General Election.”

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Hot off the press from the Federal Elections Commission, Marty Jackley has filed paperwork with the FEC to continue his entrance into the Congressional contest.

Well known Sioux Falls attorney Russ Janklow will serve as the treasurer for the committee, and you can read the Statement of Organization for yourself below:

Jackley for Congress FEC by Pat Powers on Scribd

Thune Secures Generational Wins for South Dakota in Reconciliation Bill Passage

“The Senate’s reconciliation bill will put more money in the pockets of South Dakota families and strengthen farms, ranches, and small businesses across our state for generations to come.” 

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today applauded the Senate’s passage of the Republicans’ reconciliation bill that will provide permanent tax relief for South Dakota families and small businesses, bolster the agriculture sector for farmers and ranchers across the state, and provide resources for the B-21 bomber mission at Ellsworth Air Force Base. The legislation will also make a generational investment in border security, increase American energy independence, and cut waste, fraud, and abuse in federal programs.

“The Senate’s reconciliation bill will put more money in the pockets of South Dakota families and strengthen farms, ranches, and small businesses across our state for generations to come,” said Thune. “This historic legislation delivers on a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make our country safer, stronger, and more prosperous, and I look forward to getting these pro-growth policies working for the people of South Dakota.”

Permanently extends the 2017 Republican-led tax cuts:

• Prevents a $2,500 tax hike on the average South Dakota family;
• Prevents a $5,125 tax hike on the average farm;
• Prevents the potential loss of 17,000 jobs in South Dakota; and
• Prevents 88,730 South Dakota small businesses from seeing their tax rates surge to 40 percent.

Puts even more money in the pockets of South Dakota families by:

• Permanently extending and expanding the nearly doubled standard deduction claimed by 413,980 families in South Dakota;
• Allowing seniors to reduce their taxes even further with a $6,000 boost to their standard deduction;
• Permanently extending and increasing the doubled child tax credit, which is claimed by 101,810 South Dakota families;
• Eliminating taxes on tips and overtime pay; and
• Increasing take-home pay by an estimate of $7,100 to $12,000 for the typical South Dakota family.

Strengthens South Dakota’s economy and incentivizes small businesses and family-owned farms to grow and invest in their workers by:

• Permanently increasing the estate tax exemption to $15 million for single filers ($30 million for married couples filing jointly) and indexing it to inflation to protect more family-run farms, ranches, and small businesses from this punitive tax and costly estate-planning expenses;
• Permanently extending the job-creating 199A small business deduction;
• Reinstating incentives for small businesses like immediate expensing for new equipment and for domestic research and development;
• Creating an estimated 40,000 additional jobs in South Dakota over the next 10 years; and
• Increasing long-run wages by an estimate of $5,400 to $10,300 for South Dakota workers.

Provides critical support for South Dakota’s agriculture producers and rural communities by:

• Delivering a modernized safety net to help provide the certainty that South Dakota’s agriculture producers require to feed and fuel our nation;
• Expanding access to standing disaster programs for South Dakota’s farmers, ranchers, and foresters;
• Reinvesting in critical conservation programs;
• Including funding for animal disease prevention to combat zoonotic disease like New World Screwworm, African Swine Fever, Foot and Mouth Disease, and Highly-Pathogenic Avian Influenza; and
• Investing in trade promotion for agricultural commodities to expand access to foreign markets.

Bolsters the mission at Ellsworth Air Force Base and makes our nation safer by:

• Providing $4.5 billion to expand production and expedite fielding of the B-21 bomber that will operate at Ellsworth Air Force Base; and
• Making a generational investment in U.S. border security, including finishing the border wall.

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Chemtrails Conspiracy Movement Streams into S.D. Republican Politics

Scientists say they are contrails not chemtrails
By Todd Epp, Northern Plains News

A growing movement centered on “chemtrails” conspiracy theories has found its way into South Dakota Republican politics, with some state lawmakers actively supporting efforts to ban alleged chemical spraying from aircraft.

Pledge Circulates Among Lawmakers

On April 4, 2025, State Representative Logan Manhart of Aberdeen shared a “Ban Chemtrails” pledge on his Facebook page that commits signatories to three specific actions:

1. Advocate for and support a statewide ban on the use of chemtrails in South Dakota.

2. Support legislation that authorizes the National Guard to take military action against aircraft engaged in the dispersal of chemtrails.

3. Sponsor or co-sponsor legislation to enforce this ban and ensure it remains strong, without dilution or compromise.

“Originally posted on April 4, 2025, the pledge reads: ‘By signing this pledge, I commit to protecting the health, environment, and sovereignty of South Dakota,” states the document posted on Manhart’s Facebook page on April 4, 2025.

Representative Dylan Jordan of Clear Lake has also signed the pledge, commenting in April 2025 “Yes!” on Manhart’s Facebook post, according to screenshots of the Facebook exchange.

Facebook Group Pushes for Action

The Facebook group “South Dakotans Against Chem Trails,” which has 327 members, is at the forefront of this movement. The group describes itself as being for those “committed to advocating for legislation that would obligate the National Guard to shoot down these poison pushing planes dispersing chem trails,” according to the group’s Facebook page as of April 2025.

Political Tensions Emerge

The movement has already created friction in South Dakota politics. According to a post in the Facebook group by Lori Jacobson Welch on April 3, 2025, “SD speaker Jon Hansen refused to, not only sign a pledge to ban chemtrails in SD, but refused to discuss the issue.”

This approach has caused some division even within the group. One member, Vanessa Namken, expressed concern about tactics, writing in a Facebook comment: “If ambushing a guest speaker at an event hosted for him is a tactic, and then bashing them on social media, then maybe this is not a group I want to be a part of.”

Scientific Consensus vs. Conspiracy Claims

Scientists have repeatedly debunked chemtrail theories, explaining that condensation trails from aircraft consist of water vapor that freezes at high altitudes, not chemical agents. A 2016 survey of 77 atmospheric scientists found that 76 out of 77 (98.7%) reported not having encountered evidence of a secret large-scale atmospheric program, and that the data cited as evidence could be explained by other factors, such as typical contrail formation.

However, group members remain convinced. Jeffrey Lerud wrote in the Facebook group: “This is not a ‘brain’ thing. I live in a place where chemtrails disrupt weather. I have personally seen jets flying in formation releasing an exhaust that hung in the air and seemed to draw moisture.”

Understanding Contrails Not Chemtrails

Contrails, or condensation trails, are cloud-like formations that appear behind aircraft flying at high altitudes. They form when hot exhaust gases from jet engines mix with cold, humid air in the upper atmosphere, causing water vapor to condense and freeze into tiny ice crystals.

The persistence of contrails depends on atmospheric humidity. In dry air, contrails dissipate quickly. In humid conditions, they can remain longer and spread out, resembling natural cirrus clouds. This variation in persistence and appearance has led some observers to believe in chemtrail activity, despite scientific explanations.

According to the American Chemical Society, contrails can be categorized into three types:

1. Short-lived contrails that disappear within minutes due to low humidity

2. Persistent contrails that linger for hours

3. Persistent spreading contrails that can contribute to artificial cloud cover

Regional Context

The chemtrails conspiracy movement has gained traction in several states surrounding South Dakota. In February 2025, Republican lawmakers in Iowa advanced House File 482, which would prohibit chemical emissions for weather modification purposes. Nearly two dozen Republicans in the Iowa House co-sponsored the bill, according to legislative records.

Tennessee had already enacted House Bill 2063 and Senate Bill 2691 in early 2024, which addressed the release of airborne chemicals. The Republican-sponsored bill passed along party lines and broadly prohibits “affecting temperature, weather, or the intensity of the sunlight,” according to the text of the legislation.

Internal Republican Rift?

The Dakota War College, a mainstream Republican political blog, broke the story about South Dakota legislators’ involvement in the chemtrails movement on April 1, 2025. The blog specifically noted that “unfortunately, it’s not an April Fools’ joke.” There has been a vigorous back-and-forth among Pat Powers, the editor of DWC, and more conservative Republicans.

What’s Next?

This regional spread of chemtrail conspiracy legislation represents a growing trend of emerging theories influencing mainstream Republican politics across the Plains states. According to a 2011 international survey, nearly 17 percent of respondents said they believed the existence of a secret large-scale atmospheric spraying program to be true or partly true.

As this debate unfolds, it underscores the challenges facing policymakers and voters in an era of widespread misinformation and political polarization. The coming months may reveal whether this movement gains further traction or faces pushback from within the Republican party and the broader electorate.

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