We’re Just Getting Started
By Sen. John Thune

 President Trump recently came to Congress to report on his first few weeks in office and lay out his vision for the next four years. In just a few weeks, President Trump has already accomplished an incredible amount, and this is just the start.

Chief among his achievements is restoring order to the southern border. In February, 8,450 illegal immigrants were caught trying to cross the southern border. Not long ago, Border Patrol was sometimes dealing with that many apprehensions in a single day. This turnaround means that Border Patrol can focus on the criminals, cartels, traffickers, and terrorists who once tried to hide behind the chaos.

President Trump has also wasted no time in addressing the national energy emergency our country faces. The United States is heading toward an energy crisis where we don’t have enough energy to meet demand. Instead of taking steps to increase our energy supply, the Biden administration pushed us further toward crisis with measures to restrict conventional energy development. President Trump and Republicans in Congress are already working to increase our nation’s energy supply to promote a secure and affordable energy future.

One of the signature accomplishments of President Trump’s first term was the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Making that tax relief permanent is a priority for President Trump and congressional Republicans. We are hard at work laying the groundwork to protect American families, small businesses, and farmers and ranchers from a tax hike next year, and we will keep working to put more money in hardworking Americans’ pockets.

President Trump has also taken actions to restore commonsense in government. He’s worked to protect children from a radical gender ideology and keep biological men out of women’s and girls’ sports. He’s committed to eliminating 10 regulations for every new regulation his administration proposes. And the list goes on.

This is just the start. I’m proud that the Senate has already confirmed almost all of the president’s Cabinet. Senate Republicans helped get President Trump’s team in place faster than any of the last three administrations, and they’re on the job delivering on the promises President Trump made to the American people.

President Trump has brought a new direction to Washington and to our country. As always, I’m particularly grateful for President Trump’s faith in America. He reminds us of how blessed we are to live in this great country and that, in America, everything is possible.

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From my mailbox, the American Petroleum Institute released the following statement regarding Gov. Larry Rhoden signing HB 1052 into law yesterday.

“The American Petroleum Institute is disappointed by the signing of HB1052. This law could have negative implications for future infrastructure projects in which eminent domain has always been used as a last resort,” said Mike Karbo, Midwest Regional Director for API.  “Infrastructure is the backbone of commerce with large investments already being made in low-carbon fuel technologies nationwide. Our industry is committed to advancing a lower carbon future while delivering safe, affordable, and reliable energy to meet increasing demand here in the US and worldwide.”

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The American Petroleum Institute represents nearly 600 members that produce, process, and distribute the majority of the nation’s energy. 

Former State Senator and recently retired SDGOP Chair John Wiik has taken to Facebook to offer his own opinion on the Fox News story taking the Dakota Scout to task for their reporting on former Governor Kristi Noem’s travel, where they claim the former Governor spent over $600,000, but are refusing the Governor’s position that her spending was just over $2000 during her time on office.

The post on facebook is as follows:

Wiik stated “I’ve spent a lot of time on our state budget. 600 thousand dollars is pretty much impossible to hide in the state budget. I never believed the reporting on Governor Noem’s credit card use, and I want you to hear from her side before you cast judgement.”

The Dakota Scout responded to the allegations brought up in the Fox News story with their re-publishing of a story from Sioux Falls Live, by Patrick Lalley whom Dakota Scout owners Jon Ellis and Joe Sneve used to work under at the Sioux Falls Argus Leader:

The Scout’s co-founders, Jonathan Ellis and Joe Sneve, declined to comment on the letter, other than to characterize it as a “frivolous attempt to throw a brush off pitch” meant to stifle further reporting on the amount of spending on state-issued credit cards that took place during Noem’s tenure as governor.

“We stand by our reporting and consider it an honor to bring the truth about government spending to South Dakotans,” the longtime South Dakota journalists said in a joint statement, adding that more stories are likely. “And we’re always willing to defend it in a court of law, too.”

Read that story here.

We have identified criminal leakers within @DHSGov and are preparing to refer these perpetrators to the @DOJ for felony prosecutions.

These individuals face up to 10 years in federal prison.

We will find and root out all leakers. They will face prison time & we will get justice… pic.twitter.com/KEtpJDtUNs

— Kristi Noem (@KristiNoem) March 7, 2025

Doing another drive-by for an update on the car accident that’s the South Dakota Republican Party, since the new group took over on February 22nd.

What has the new leadership of the South Dakota Republican Party accomplished in the two weeks they’ve been in charge?

• Announced they’re doing an audit for less than $2k. (Experts tell me that’s not what a real audit costs).
• They’ve lobbied against the Gov’s office to fix the Lt. Gov election situation.
• They spent the bulk of their time on HB 1052, lobbying for it, promoting a resolution for it, and making it the bulk of almost all their social media.
• They got facebook running after about a week and a half.  (No twitter yet.)

What else have they accomplished? Well…..

** It appears the SDGOP has managed to violate SDCL 12-5-15 which states pretty directly “The name and mailing address of the state party chairperson shall be certified to the secretary of state immediately following the election or appointment of the state party chairperson.”

What do we see on the Secretary of State’s website in this screen grab from 1pm this afternoon?

Why, this says John Wiik is the current South Dakota Republican Party chair, and Brett Koenecke is the current Treasurer.  Wouldn’t you agree, that would not appear to have been updated with the Secretary of State “immediately” after Feb 22 that Jim Eschenbaum is Chair and Tina Mulally is Treasurer?  There’s no filing with the SOS at all. Because, why would there be?

Was new chair Eschenbaum out of the area? Well, no. In fact:

Despite the new chair Jim Eschenbaum himself physically being in the State Capitol Building on March 3rd – this past Monday – and posting about being in the Capitol, and testifying in committee just 2 floors above the Secretary of State’s office, he couldn’t be bothered to take care of the Party business he was elected to do when he was in the building?

Last I checked, immediately does not mean 2 weeks after the fact.  New Treasurer Tina Mulally is also State Representative Mulally – and has been in the Capitol constantly for the last 2 weeks, one floor up from the Secretary of State.

Yet, neither got the job done.

** It also appears that the South Dakota Republican Party has managed to run afoul of the Federal Elections Commission’s guidelines at this point, because they also haven’t reported the party leadership changes to the FEC.

If information disclosed on the Statement of Organization ever changes, the committee must report that change within 10 days. Do this by filing an amended Statement of Organization. If the party committee isn’t an electronic filer, update the Statement of Organization by letter.

Read that here.

Here’s what the FEC’s information currently notes for the Republican party:

Yes, the SDGOP is an electronic filer. And no, there’s no records of them filing within 10 days, given that we’re now 13-14 days after the fact. Failure #2.

Under new chair Jim Eschenbaum, the leadership of the Republican party has only been all about pipeline posturing since his taking office. But he’s failing miserably in his first test of competency to actually run the South Dakota Republican Party.

Which is reporting to State and Federal Election authorities that he’s (supposed to be) the one in charge.

It’s going to be a long election season.

(But on the bright side, it will give us a lot to write about.)

From Facebook, former State Senator Brent Hoffman announces that he’s praying about running for office.

And in this case it might be appropriate to say a ‘Hail Mary,’ which would mirror the kind of campaign he’d be running if he intends to take on one of South Dakota’s longest serving political figures, former State Senator/Senate Majority Leader, former Governor, and current US Senator Mike Rounds:

Brent has been successful in prior runs for office for City Council in Iowa and now one term in the South Dakota Senate.  But I’m not sure he appreciates what he’d be taking on.  Especially from a Senator Mike Rounds who seems to have found a new fire to serve over the last couple of years, as the Senator has navigated his life in the time since his beloved wife Jean’s passing from cancer in May of 2021.

And Mike comes to the race with $1.8 Million plus in the bank to start his effort, along with the likely support of fellow South Dakotan and Majority Leader John Thune, who Rounds backed for the position and enjoys a good relationship with.

Brent’s reality is that he may be finding himself in a much different kind of race than he’s ever had to run before against an incumbent who is the embodiment of South Dakota nice.   So if Brent finds himself waking in the night, seeing lights and receiving a vision to run for US Senate, he might want to turn Netflix off and go back to sleep.

Fox News has a big story on DHS Secretary and former Governor Kristi Noem finally having enough with false claims being made against her in the South Dakota media, causing her to issue a cease and desist letter to Sioux Falls website/newspaper the Dakota Scout regarding false allegations about her spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on her state credit card as Governor:

“Specifically, your website repeatedly, and inaccurately, refers to all charges on credit cards used by the Office of the Governor of South Dakota as charges of my client—allowing a conclusion by multiple commenters on the site and other news outlets that my client violated the laws of South Dakota or stole taxpayer funds for her personal use,” it continued.  “We demand that The Dakota Scout immediately cease spreading these false, misleading, and inaccurate statements and take immediate and significant steps to correct past inaccuracies.”

The Dakota Scout has for months reported that Noem racked up more than $650,000 in credit card transactions on a government-issued card during her gubernatorial career, which has now grown legs in the state as other outlets publish similar reports.

However, receipts reviewed by Fox Digital, as well as outlined in the cease-and-desist letter, show that Noem used her government credit card about 30 times across her tenure as governor for a total of $2,056.72. 

and..

“This is fake news,” Tim Murtaugh, a spokesman for Noem in her personal capacity, told Fox News Digital of the outlet’s reports in recent months. “They’ve been told it’s fake news, and it’s been proven to them, but they’re still at it.” 

and..

The outlet acknowledged that the governor’s office had requested a correction but brushed off the email, including writing “heh” in the response.

“I have reviewed your letter. We do not comment on pending litigation. Heh,” read the email, which was sent by The Dakota Scout co-founder, Jonathan Ellis.

Read that all here.

The article also goes hard against Austin Goss, one of the primary authors of the articles taking the former Governor to task in their allegations.

The majority of The Dakota Scout’s coverage on the expenses was authored by journalists Ellis and Austin Goss.

Goss previously made national headlines in 2023 when he was arrested for impersonating Noem in what he said was a prank phone call. Goss was arrested in May 2023 after using a prank website to make it appear a phone call was made from Noem’s personal cellphone number.

Again, read that and more here.

The extensive Fox News story even linked to this website (One of my kids said “you’re Fox famous!) regarding my note on Goss potentially running for Auditor.

It’s interesting that the Fox article brings up Auston Goss because after the cease and desist letter was issued and only hours before the Fox News article was posted, Goss announced he’s leaving Pierre for military training in Maryland:

That seems …coincidental.

The bottom line from the Noem camp is that despite the claims being floated in the media, directly she spent far less than they’re claiming, and the expenses were across the office:

The letter, obtained by Fox News Digital, detailed that in 2019 Noem did not have a government-issued credit card, that she spent $55.44 on her card in 2020, $841.21 in 2021, $730.19 in 2022, $429.88 in 2023 and $0 in 2024. The grand total comes to $2,056.72 in expenses on Noem’s card specifically.   

Noem’s gubernatorial office told the outlet in the letter that the office of the state auditor initially provided the outlet with a spreadsheet of monthly official expenses “for several state employees, not just the governor,” which Noem’s office said led to the outlet’s “incorrect conclusion that ‘The monthly totals show that Noem spent nearly $650,000 from the time she took office in 2019 through April of this year.’”

Read that here.

According to reports, Noem’s legal team will be sending letters out to a number of other outlets as well.

This actually makes a lot of sense, as I’ve read some of the reports such as detailing when Noem’s team went to Vegas for the “Shot Show” ammunition manufacturers convention. The economic development team was there to recruit ammo manufacturers to come to South Dakota. They’ve been doing a bit of that recruiting in recent years.

It only makes sense that you go where they gather, and they go with a team. If they can hook a big fish that’s nibbling at the idea of coming to SD, the Governor isn’t walking the convention floor – a team is going to be talking with people, and if they can reel someone in, they’re going to have them meet the Gov who tells the state’s story and why they should come, so they have meeting rooms, and a number of associated expenses to pull this kind of thing off.  In addition to being the state’s commander in chief – the Governor is the state’s salesman in chief.

Don’t forget – when Governor Mickelson and his team were tragically killed in a plane crash, they were traveling doing economic development. It’s part of the job, so YES, the Governor’s team – and it would be an entire team – spends money to travel and stay at hotels when they’re out recruiting.

Right now, that’s where things sit, as outlets try to make the story juicier (Scout now claims she spent $750,000).  We will continue to monitor how this story develops, and whether outlets will be issuing retractions.

Interesting news out of Aberdeen today. Apparently, according to Hub City Radio,  aside from taking all the credit for passage of House Bill 1052. a measure he didn’t send his PAC lackey to testify on, or did.. literally anything.. Toby “dumpster fire” Doeden has plans for the next election.

And that includes removing anyone he considers moderate from office:

Governor Larry Rhoden signed HB1052 into law to ban eminent domain to be used for carbon oxide projects.  One of the big proponents of the bill was Dakota First Action founded by Dakota First Action created by Aberdeen’s Toby Doeden.

What’s the next step for the PAC?…

Continue to replace moderate legislators with conservative of America first legislators.

Read the entire puff piece here.

Not that I agree with HB 1052 (at all), but at what point did dipstick Doeden or his PAC do anything? I saw a johnny-come-lately text message blast at one point that no one paid attention to.  But, at what point was he in Pierre actually doing any lobbying on the measure? Or anything?

I’m guessing that’s what counts for ‘leadership’ nowadays.  The kind of leadership he wants to bring to the legislature by replacing those he considers moderate with more California Carleys and Carl Perrys.

Just what South Dakota needs.

Rounds Leads Legislation to Ban Foreign Adversaries from Buying American Farmland and Agricultural Businesses 

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) today reintroduced the Promoting Agriculture Safeguards and Security (PASS) Act, legislation to ban individuals and entities controlled by China, Russia, Iran and North Korea from purchasing agricultural land and businesses located near U.S. military installations or sensitive sites.

“Our near-peer adversaries such as China are looking for any possible opportunity to surveil our nation’s capabilities and resources,” said Rounds. “One example occurred in 2021 when the Fufeng Group purchased 300 acres of land in North Dakota, located near the Grand Forks Air Force Base. We can’t risk this happening again. The PASS Act would prevent entities of foreign adversaries from purchasing agricultural land and businesses near our military bases and sensitive sites. I am hopeful that with President Trump’s recent National Security Presidential Memorandum on this issue, we can finally get it across the finish line.”

“Nevada is home to many sensitive sites that are critical to our national security,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “It is common sense that we should not allow our foreign adversaries to buy agricultural land next to these locations. This bipartisan bill will keep Nevadans safe and protect American national security.”

The PASS Act is cosponsored by Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) and Senators John Hoeven (R-N.D.) and Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.).

“Foreign ownership of American farmland can pose major threats to our national security, especially when that land is close to sensitive military sites,” said Thune. “This legislation would help safeguard our national defense, food supply, and rural economies and ensure farmland across South Dakota and our nation is protected from our foreign adversaries.”

“Foreign adversaries are buying up U.S. farmland which is a threat not only to our food security, but our national security,” said Hoeven. “Our legislation will prevent these bad actors from purchasing farmland and agricultural businesses near our strategic assets to better protect our nation from those with malign intentions.”

“Wyoming’s agricultural land should feed Americans, not provide surveillance platforms for our adversaries,” said Lummis. “This legislation prevents the Chinese Communist Party and other hostile nations from purchasing land near military installations across our state. It’s a straightforward solution to a serious threat.”

This legislation is endorsed by the South Dakota Soybean Association, the South Dakota Corn Growers Association, the South Dakota Dairy Producers and R-CALF USA.

“The South Dakota Soybean Association supports Senator Rounds’ legislation governing foreign ownership of agricultural land and business that protects U.S. farmers, consumers, national security and economic interests,” said Kevin Deinert, President of the South Dakota Soybean Association. “We recognize that national security is a federal responsibility and that this legislation will help to eliminate a patchwork of state interests.”

“The South Dakota Corn Growers Association (SDCGA) strongly supports a federal response on issues with national security implications,” said Taylor Sumption, President of the South Dakota Corn Growers Association. “We greatly appreciate Senator Rounds’ efforts on foreign ownership of agland based upon his unique perspective sitting on both the U.S. Senate Committees on Armed Services as well as Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. It is important that the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture’s role be elevated and enhanced and this legislation is a step in the right direction to utilize the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s unique knowledge about the needs of production agriculture and rural America.”

“South Dakota Dairy Producers (SDDP) recognizes the view that food security is national security and applauds Senator Rounds work to ensure specific foreign adversaries will not be able to purchase farm land near critical sites and thereby gain any competitive advantages surrounding United States agricultural resources,” said Marv Post, Board Chairman of the South Dakota Dairy Producers. “SDDP also supports the Secretary of Agriculture being included in the oversight of foreign ag-related transactions as a common sense approach to ensure United States agriculture is represented in these decisions.”

“We greatly appreciate Senator Rounds’ bill that reaffirms that neither national security nor food sovereignty can exist without the other,” said Bill Bullard, CEO of R-CALF USA. “We must protect both our food production capacity and our sites sensitive to national security from known foreign adversaries. This bill does both.”

In February 2025, President Trump issued a National Security Presidential Memorandum (NSPM) which specifically calls for new rules that prevent China from “buying up America.” The PASS Act would codify parts of that NSPM.

Specifically, the PASS Act would:

·         Ban purchases of agricultural land by individuals/entities controlled by North Korea, China, Russia and Iran near military installations and sensitive sites.

·         Make the Secretary of Agriculture a voting member of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) for all covered transactions involving the purchase of agricultural land, biotechnology, and any other transaction related to the agriculture industry in the United States.

·         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.

BACKGROUND:

Rounds has been a leader on preventing foreign adversaries, namely China, Russia, North Korea and Iran, from owning land in America. Rounds first introduced the PASS Act to the Senate in August 2022 during the 117th Congress, with Representative Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) leading companion legislation in the House.

In February 2023, Rounds reintroduced the PASS Act in the 118th Congress. The Senate Armed Services passed an amendment offered by Rounds as part of their committee version of the National Defense Authorization Act which would have banned China, Russia, Iran and North Korea from purchasing farmland or agriculture businesses.

In October 2023, Rounds introduced the Protect Our Bases Act. This legislation would have made certain the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States can review foreign land purchases near sensitive military, intelligence and national laboratory sites by requiring member agencies to annually update and review their lists of these sites.

Click HERE to read full bill text.

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Gov. Rhoden Signs “Baby Gabriel” Bill and Five Other Bills

PIERRE, S.D. –  Today, Governor Larry Rhoden signed HB 1044, which authorizes the use of a newborn safety device for the voluntary surrender of a newborn. This legislation creates a new option for mothers to surrender infants under South Dakota’s “Safe Harbor” law. You can find a picture of Governor Rhoden signing HB 1044 here.

“House Bill 1044 will save lives. These baby boxes have saved lives in other states,” said Governor Larry Rhoden.

Under HB 1044, an emergency services provider or a licensed child placement agency may install and maintain a newborn safety device on its premises, if the premises are staffed 24/7, and if the device meets certain safety standards.

“Baby Gabriel” was a full-term baby found abandoned and deceased at a recycling center in Sioux Falls last August. “Hopefully with these baby boxes, there will be fewer ‘Baby Gabriels’ and more babies in loving homes,” continued Governor Rhoden.

Governor Rhoden also signed the following five bills into law:

• SB 93 prohibits payment or rebate of insurance deductibles by contractors providing motor vehicle repair services;
• SB 111 permits a court to order family therapy or reunification therapy in a custody or visitation dispute;
• HB 1099 modifies the community paramedic endorsement;
• HB 1144 adopts the dietitian licensure compact; and
• HB 1189 extends by two years the date on which moneys appropriated to the Governor’s Office of Economic Development in 2021 for marketing, route restoration, business development, and air service marketing will revert to the general fund.

Governor Rhoden has signed 64 bills into law this legislative session.

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