Press Release: Government Accountability Bills Will Take Effect

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Government Accountability Bills Will Take Effect

PIERRE, S.D. –  On July 1, two government accountability bills signed by Governor Larry Rhoden will take effect. SB 62 establishes mandatory reporting requirements related to improper governmental conduct and crime, and SB 63 establishes protections for state employees who report improper governmental conduct and crime. Implementation efforts are being rolled out this week to all state employees ahead of the law’s effective date.

“Government accountability is essential to keeping South Dakota strong, safe, and free,” said Governor Larry Rhoden. “It takes collaboration between all branches of state government to ensure that our state promotes integrity and is responsible with taxpayer dollars.”

The two bills were introduced by Attorney General Marty Jackley, and Governor Rhoden’s Office engaged with the Attorney General’s Office on these bills throughout the legislative process. Governor Rhoden signed the bills in a signing ceremony with the Attorney General, and you can find a photo of that signing here.

“This legislation will better protect taxpayers and hold government accountable,” said Attorney General Marty Jackley. “Thank you to the legislators, Governor Rhoden, State Auditor Sattgast, and State Treasurer Haeder for supporting these bills.”

Governor Rhoden also signed Executive Order 2025-04 this spring, which further advances government accountability. The Executive Order directed the establishment of a secure standard reporting system for state employees and supervisors and the development of training and policies statewide. Leaders from the Governor’s Office, the Auditor General’s Office, the Attorney General’s Office, the Unified Judicial System, the Bureau of Human Resources and Administration, and the Board of Regents regularly met to accomplish these goals.

Additionally, the Rhoden Administration is moving forward with implementation of the Project BISON accounting system; has reviewed, updated, improved, and even added dozens of internal controls; and has allocated more resources to the Board of Internal Controls.

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Guest Column: A Generational Opportunity for Strength, Prosperity by Senator John Thune

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A Generational Opportunity for Strength, Prosperity
By Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.)
Fox News

All eyes will be on the United States Senate this week as we endeavor to pass the shared Republican agenda of American strength, security, and prosperity.

With the Republican reconciliation bill, we have the opportunity to deliver. It is one that doesn’t come around often, and our country stands to benefit greatly by Republicans seizing this moment and getting this bill across the finish line.

In large part, this bill is the culmination of President Trump’s campaign promises and the promises that Republican senators have made to our voters. Chief among them is keeping the American people safe through strong border security and a military strong enough to deter threats and conflicts around the world before they begin.

President Trump has achieved remarkable success in ending the Biden border crisis and removing the criminal illegal aliens that President Biden let walk into our country – but it hasn’t been cheap, and the administration has told us that resources are running out. This bill will fully fund the border wall and President Trump’s successful policies for the entirety of his presidency, removing any possibility that Democrats will hold those resources hostage to try to increase other government spending.

This same principle also applies to defense funding. Recent conflicts around the world should make clear the need to have a modern and lethal fighting force that can keep the American people safe. This means smart, generational investments like President Trump’s Golden Dome for America to defend against advanced drones, missiles, and hypersonics, as well as prioritizing building new ships and unmanned vehicles.

A nation cannot prosper unless it is secure, and with our borders and defense capabilities bolstered, the next key pillar of this bill is creating prosperity in America.

We do this through permanently extending President Trump’s signature achievement in his first term, the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA). The American people are facing a hefty $4 trillion tax increase at the end of the year, the largest in American history. If we fail to act, the average family of four making the median income in the United States will face a $1,700 tax increase. Not only does this bill prevent that tax increase, it makes the TCJA’s low rates permanent – meaning Democrats can never again try to use a pending expiration as leverage for advancing wasteful government spending.

The bill locks in the TCJA’s small business provisions for all time, which is crucial for economic growth, and it also delivers on President Trump’s tax promises: No tax on tips, no tax on overtime, relief from Social Security taxes for seniors, and no tax on interest for vehicles made in the United States.

In the wake of the Biden administration and Democrats exploding the growth of government spending on programs like Medicaid, we will make commonsense reforms to return to a fiscally sustainable path. That means kicking illegal immigrants off of health programs and introducing work requirements that even 50% of Democrats agree with – all to ensure that programs like Medicaid are strengthened and able to deliver for the American citizens the programs were designed to benefit.

Senators have worked to develop this bill for well over a year now. Now it is time to act. Border resources are drying up. National security needs have never been more apparent. And with each passing day, we move closer to reaching both our nation’s debt limit and the largest-ever tax increase on the American people.

Senators return to Washington today and we will remain here until this bill is passed. We know that Democrats will fearmonger and misrepresent our efforts, and we expect them to drag this debate long into the night with unrelated issues. However, I am confident we will get this bill across the finish line.

On the Fourth of July, Americans celebrate our freedoms and the work of previous generations to keep this great American experiment going. By placing this historic bill on the president’s desk by the Fourth of July, Republicans will be ensuring that future generations of Americans can live in safety and prosperity.

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Former D31 GOP Senate Candidate Kate Crowley Johnson pushing antisemitic Rothschild conspiracy theory about Iranian conflict on social media

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Is the extreme heat in South Dakota this weekend affecting some people’s brains?

Former District 31 Republican Senate Candidate Kate Crowley was kooky enough last year when she was running for office, when she claimed “Communism is knocking at our door” in her campaign material..

But as the conflict between Israel and Iran intensifies, and the United States acts to try to stop Iran’s development of a nuclear weapon, it seems that Crowley has fallen out of the nest and hit every branch on the way down the nut tree, as she takes to social media pushing the highly antisemitic Rothschild conspiracy theory where internet kooks believe that the Rothschild family is a prime example of Jews allegedly using their money to control global financial institutions:

WOW!

It’s crazy that someone who tried to run for State Senate on the Republican ticket actually puts their name to this kind of crazy person trash.

Although, with the other examples of antisemitic bigotry that some of the others who pretend to be Republican are comfortable saying, I should not be surprised.

Other state leaders, politicians weigh in on Iran bombing

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Congressman Dusty Johnson’s statement on tonight’s bombing of Iranian nuclear facilities

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From Twitter:

So how are they going to report those cash donations?

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Sounds like the Hansen/Lemmings campaign are taking fundraising suggestions from the SDGOP:

What will that net them? A couple hundred?

And let’s not forget this state law:

12-27-11. Required information about contributors–Contributions from unknown source to be donated to charitable entity–Violation as misdemeanor.

No person, entity, candidate, or political committee may give or accept a contribution unless the name, mailing address, city and state of the contributor is made known to the person, entity, candidate, or political committee receiving the contribution. In addition to any other information to be made known under this section, the name of the custodial parent or parents of an unemancipated minor who makes a contribution shall be made known. Any contribution, money, or other thing of value received by a candidate or political committee from an unknown source shall be donated to a nonprofit charitable entity. A violation of this section is a Class 2 misdemeanor. A subsequent offense within a calendar year is a Class 1 misdemeanor.

How exactly will that work with “tips?” Last I knew, most people don’t fill out a campaign contribution card for tips at Pizza Ranch.

Thune Statement on U.S. Airstrikes on Iran Nuclear Sites

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Thune Statement on U.S. Airstrikes on Iran Nuclear Sites

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) today issued the following statement:

“The regime in Iran, which has committed itself to bringing ‘death to America’ and wiping Israel off the map, has rejected all diplomatic pathways to peace. The mullahs’ misguided pursuit of nuclear weapons must be stopped,” said Thune.“As we take action tonight to ensure a nuclear weapon remains out of reach for Iran, I stand with President Trump and pray for the American troops and personnel in harm’s way.”

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More Minnehaha GOP: Fake county meeting will attempt to boot elected officials from being precinct people. Despite SDGOP bylaws that don’t say that.

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An eagle-eyed Minnehaha County Central Committee member sent me a text this morning, and asked if I read the bylaw change being proposed by rebellious Minnehaha Central Committee members in a non-sanctioned fake meeting they called?

Because they are going to try to boot out elected officials from being precinct people – Despite no authority in South Dakota Republican Party bylaws giving them the power to do it:

8. VACANCIES:
a) Events Causing Vacancy: The following events shall cause an officer of the MCRCC or a precinct committeeman and committeewoman to forfeit his or her office and the office declared open in occurrence of any of the following: death, resignation, failure of an officer to reside in the county, failure of a precinct committeeman and committeewoman to reside in the precinct, failure to be a registered Republican voter, after taking office of an elected partisan position, or the conviction of a felony.

as Arch Beal would say… Whoa, Whoa, Whoa! What’s this proposed vacancy “after taking office of an elected partisan position?’ It literally proposes stripping elected officials from the leadership of the Minnehaha Republican Central committee, as well as from being precinct committeeman or woman.

Did I mention that this this action bars them from being members of the delegation who select state elected officials at the next state convention? Hmmmm….

So, Rep’s John Hughes & Taylor Rehfeldt as Precinct Committee people? Gone. But, also Sen. Tom Pischke as County Committeeman? Gone as an officer of the MCRCC. Losing that position would also boot him off of the SDGOP executive board, but I don’t know if the people proposing the amendment were smart enough to understand that.

Their bigger problem is contradicting the over-ruling SDGOP bylaws of the parent organization:

Notice how being elected isn’t a trigger for vacancy as a precinct person? It’s the same type of situation that the Yankton County GOP faced when they tried to put a literal price tag on being “a republican in good standing.”

While these rebel Minnehaha GOP try to put in their own qualifications in county bylaws at a fake meeting beyond that which the state party has, they are not compliant with state party bylaws. And they don’t get to do that because the parent body’s bylaws (state GOP) supersedes those of the county. Whether this group of rebellious county committee members like it or not.