Today is the day when the rubber hits the road and the offensive Librarian Lock up bill House Bill 1239 – which should be heard on the Senate Floor today.

Who is bringing this mess on South Dakota? Make a list. Because you should really consider whether they should be asked back during the next election:

House Bill 1239
Title:   revise certain affirmative defenses to dissemination of material harmful to minors and obscenity offenses.
Sponsors:  Representatives Soye (prime), Aylward, Baxter, Hughes, Ismay, Jordan, Kayser, Manhart, May, Novstrup, Rice, Schaefbauer, and Sjaarda and Senators Nelson (prime), Carley, Grove, Perry, Peterson (Sue), and Voita

Not a shocker that we have some of the worst offenders to foist big government upon South Dakotans sponsoring this measure, the Lock-Up Librarians Act, to subject librarians, teachers, museum workers and others to up to 1 year in the county jail if a minor checks out a book that someone takes offense to.

This measure is crazy-pants zealotry at it’s worst. Don’t forget that one of the bill sponsors (White History Month follower Travis Ismay) directly stating in committee that an arrest might be insufficient punishment, noting “If a librarian rented this out to my son or daughter, you’d be lucky if you got hauled out of there in handcuffs,” Ismay said. “So, yes, if they’re breaking the law anyway, why would we have any problem with librarians getting hauled out of the library in handcuffs?”

I don’t think some of these legislators realize that this is a bill whose impact will go much deeper than the superficial political flack of the hour, here today and gone tomorrow. But this bill cuts across all political lines. This bill goes directly to joe six-pack and suzy homemaker and is one which digs deep into communities as it will affect families who will no longer be able to send their child to the library to check out a book.  In fact, it may go so far as to shut down libraries who will no longer want to take on the liability.

Why do I keep harping on this issue? It underlines – with an exclamation point – the disconnect South Dakota Legislators have with the true base of Republican voters. Because the base isn’t the 5% squawking about this silliness – it’s messing with the 90% who are usually ambivalent, and gives them an issue to hook into on what’s wrong with Pierre.

If you want to pass it, go ahead. But you will see it back in postcards in the 2026 election cycle. I can guarantee you that.

Don’t let this be the legacy that the 2025 Legislative session leaves South Dakota. Call your legislator at 605-773-3821, or e-mail your legislator, and tell them to kill the embarrassing Lock Up Librarians bill (HB 1239.)

Or don’t. And you’ll hear about it later.

This last week former State Senator Brent Hoffman noted on facebook that he was praying about running for US Senate against former Governor and current US Senator Mike Rounds.

Aside from my noting that this would be a very different race than he’s used to running given Rounds’ string of success, it also looks like that if he’s going to run, he’s also going to face toxicity from the kooky hard-right, in this note from Nichole Braithwait, one of the election hand-counting goofs:

And the only answer they’ll accept is buying into conspiracies.

It’s going to be a long, long campaign season.

Why Should You Care about Medicaid Funding?
Dr. Michelle Powers, Chief Executive Officer, Northern Hills Training Center

In South Dakota, approximately 4,000 people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) rely on Medicaid for their long-term care and support needs. But that 4,000 is not just a number – these are real people who depend on this program for their day-to-day needs. But, perhaps that’s not enough of a reason to consider why you should care about Medicaid funding.

I am willing to bet you have a personal connection to Medicaid and you might not even realize it. Medicaid supports people who might be your co-worker, the person who helped you check out at the grocery store, or the individual who served you a meal last week. My own personal connection to Medicaid comes from my 20-year-old daughter who has a developmental disability.

My other connection to Medicaid comes from my role as chief executive officer for Northern Hills Training Center (NTHC), a community-based support provider, where our mission is to “support people to have meaningful lives”. We exist exclusively to be of assistance to adults with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities and are privileged to support no less than 125 individuals in Spearfish and surrounding communities. You interact with these individuals daily, whether you realize it or not. They are employed in settings across the community, they volunteer, attend local events, and contribute to the Spearfish economy in the same ways you and I do.

For NHTC, almost 90% of the funds we receive are generated through the Medicaid program. These are the funds which pay for staff who help people with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities to live independently, have careers and thrive in our community. Our staff are the backbone of our organization, and they do everything from coming to an individual’s home to help them with activities of daily life, help them find and keep a job they love, providing transportation to that job, and ensure they can participate in community events and maintain meaningful relationships. We do this day in and day out, feeling privileged to be a part of these individuals lives.

NHTC and its services fuel local economies, not only by creating direct support jobs, but also by helping people with I/DD to stay employed, and allowing their family members or caregivers to stay in the workforce too. Community providers enable disabled workers to secure employment in high-demand jobs while also being a top driver of job creation themselves, with direct support being the fastest-growing profession over the next decade.

Unfortunately, proposals to slash Medicaid funding threaten to unravel the vital support system thousands of South Dakotans with intellectual and developmental disabilities rely on to remain in their homes and communities.

Medicaid is not just a line item in the federal budget, it is a lifeline for our family, friends, and neighbors. As lawmakers consider drastic cuts to Medicaid funding, they risk dismantling a system that allows people with disabilities–and the people who care for them–to live, work and thrive in their communities.

Medicaid is funded by our state with matching funds from the federal government. Any cuts to federal funding for Medicaid will force our state to make impossible choices about crucial and life-saving programs and services.

Significant cuts to federal Medicaid funding will place additional financial strain on the state budget, forcing us to absorb the increased costs. State budgets must prioritize mandatory Medicaid services, leaving optional services like NHTC as a community-based service vulnerable to reductions. Without access to community-based services, people with I/DD will either go without the support they need or end up in high-cost, state-run institutions, the very settings we have spent 50 years and more trying to close.

If you’ve read this far, I ask you to decide if you care enough about Medicaid to call on Senators Thune and Rounds and Representative Johnson to protect people with disabilities and their families, our economy, and our communities by rejecting Medicaid cuts, whether those cuts are proposed through the reconciliation package or through some other federal action.

Simply stated, we need to strengthen–not weaken–our commitment to those with I/DD. Doing so requires both federal and state investments in these services and in the direct support professionals who deliver those services day in and day out.

To contact Senator Thune (Rapid City office) – Phone: (605) 348-7551
To contact Senator Round (Rapid City office) – Phone: (605) 343-5035
To contact Congressman Johnson (Rapid City office) – Phone: (605) 646-6454

(From the Editor – My wife penned this column which recently appeared in papers out west regarding one of the major items that Medicaid funding provides that often gets lost in debates; support for those with intellectual disabilities to live and work in their home communities. – pp)

From Facebook:

The Power of Enforcement
By Rep. Dusty Johnson
March 7, 2025

 BIG Update

Forestry is a big part of the local economy in the Black Hills but is at risk due to the Black Hills National Forest’s failure to hit their harvest targets. As a result, timber production and harvest in South Dakota has been declining for years, forcing many mills to close. Not to mention that when timber harvest is decreased, forests are more prone to bug outbreaks and catastrophic fires. America has outsourced much of its timber supply, causing us to rely on imported lumber from other countries. When timber production decreases in America, due in part to heavy-handed government regulations, we lose jobs and the infrastructure needed to properly manage our forests.

No one wants to over-harvest the Black Hills, of course. For a number of years, though, timber production has been below levels that the data indicates is sustainable. That’s why I’ve been calling for increased timber production in the area. Last year, I hosted a roundtable in Spearfish for other members of Congress to hear from South Dakota’s forest industry leaders about how these policies are impacting their livelihoods and our forests. I recently spoke with the new Forest Service Chief, Tom Schultz, who echoed this sentiment. I was encouraged when I read President Trump’s Executive Order to expand timber production and improve forest management practices. I’m glad the Trump Administration is taking action to increase American production and manufacturing and make our forests healthy again.

BIG Idea

The bird flu is taking a catastrophic toll on our poultry population. The egg supply has quickly dropped, skyrocketing prices across the country. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins recently announced her plan to save the poultry industry. The plan assists producers’ implementation of enhanced biosecurity measures, takes steps to develop a vaccine or similar solution, and cuts unnecessary red tape in the poultry industry. I’m glad Secretary Rollins is taking swift action to increase the egg supply and bring prices down. Eggs are a staple for many American families – we must address this crisis.

You can read more about Secretary Rollins’ plan here.

BIG News

I was joined by Meade County Sheriff Pat West and Clay County Sheriff Andy Howe to hear President Trump’s Joint Address to Congress this week. As law enforcement officers, both West and Howe faced the impacts of Biden’s border crisis that left American communities flooded with fentanyl and criminal illegal immigrants. Both sheriffs were excited to hear Trump talk about his Administration’s success in securing the border, resulting in a 95% decrease in daily crossings from the previous Administration.

I thought the President’s speech was great, specifically how he used the stories of real Americans to highlight the welcome need for change from the previous four years of policy. Families like Laken Riley’s and Jocelyn Nungaray’s were changed forever due to heinous crimes committed by violent illegal immigrants. Law and order has returned to America so tragedies like these don’t happen again.

Sheriff Pat West was featured in a Fox News article about the results of Trump’s commanding border policy. You can read that article here.

Sheriff Howe, Johnson, and Sheriff West

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There was a column published yesterday in Inforum papers in North Dakota by Scott Hennen, who notes how South Dakota is tarnishing it’s reputation as a place where people want to do business when the state changes the rules after someone has a project in process by the rules that had been set:

South Dakota once gained a reputation as one of the most business-friendly states in the U.S. due to your pro-business policies and low taxes.

and..

But that great reputation is all being threatened by a group of misguided Republicans who have been duped by big-money lawyers and extreme environmental groups. They have taken over your legislature and your state party. They are standing in the way of President Trump’s “America First” energy agenda, which relies on infrastructure.

Gov. Larry Rhoden shared great wisdom when he warned legislators against changing the rules in the middle of the game. His plea to keep South Dakota open for business is being disregarded.

and..

A national energy company, GEVO, has invested $200 million already in a planned $1.63 billion plant in Lake Preston, S.D. Because of your toxic political environment, founder Dr. Patrick Gruber told me he may have to move the plant. “I have to go convince people from Wall Street to invest in South Dakota. How can I do that in a place that changes the rules of the game after we’ve started and spent money?”

Read the entire column here.

Instead of being a land of economic opportunity, South Dakota is quickly becoming the place where value-added agriculture goes to die.

We’ll see how this all plays out, but as usual, I suspect we’re going to be our own worst enemies.

Librarians out in the west are weighing in on how the lockup librarians act, House Bill 1239, will affect their ability to do what they do. And like many things in the library, you should read this:

“My initial reaction to HB 1239 was confusion as to why it is necessary and how it would be implemented,” said Grace Balloch Memorial Library Director Amber Wilde. “We already have procedures in place to handle concerns about specific books in our collection, and in over 20 years of working in libraries, I’ve only handled one ‘request for reconsideration’ form. The library board completed the reconsideration and sent the concerned patron a thoughtful response, and the matter was complete.”

And..

“If a library assistant allows a minor to check out an art book that contains an image of a nude figure — say, a Botticelli painting — that assistant could face criminal charges, a fine of up to $2,000, and/or up to one year in jail. The law would treat this the same as someone deliberately distributing pornography to minors,” Shoop said.

And..

“I kind of feel like this is another way for people who are trying to censor materials to go about it because they are not having success going to school boards and libraries,” Hahn said. “By removing protections that are already in the law, I think they are trying to intimidate librarians and school boards to keep them from picking materials that they think are going to get them in trouble.”

And..

Shoop said, “Ultimately, the responsibility for guiding a child’s reading choices should belong to parents, not librarians. We strongly encourage families to be involved in their children’s reading selections, using the tools and policies we have in place to make informed choices. Our role as librarians is to provide access to a broad range of materials that serve the needs of the entire community, not to act as gatekeepers making decisions for individual families.”

Read the entire story here.

Go read this story, if you read anything this weekend. The lock up librarians act will result in librarians being exposed to criminal charges, and will close many libraries in South Dakota simply because nobody wants to work there.

And for those who will remain open, they will likely refuse to check out books to children, for fear of going to jail.

If there is one piece of legislation this session that will underline to the public how awful the legislature is this year, this is it.

Attorney General Jackley Part of Coalition to Submit Final Proposal to End Google’s Search Monopoly

PIERRE, S.D. – South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley joins 37 other State Attorneys General and the U.S. Department of Justice in submitting a final package of remedies to end Google’s illegal monopoly over internet search engines and to restore competition to benefit consumers.

“The Federal Court has ruled that Google has a monopoly in online searches,” said Attorney General Jackley. “We are proposing remedies that ensure consumers will be fairly treated.”

The package of remedies, which was initially submitted last November, proposes a ban on all search-related payments to distribution partners, including Apple and Android partners. Google would also be required to divest Chrome, with the possible divestiture of Android if the initial set of remedies prove less effective than anticipated or if Google fails to comply with the decree.

Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser and Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti, who are leading the states on the litigation, have been in contact with the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division on the key issues related to the remedies package.

A hearing on the proposed remedies is currently scheduled to begin on April 21 and conclude by May 9, 2025.

The revised remedies proposal can be read here:

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From my mailbox, the Brookings County GOP has announced their Lincoln Day Dinner, April 25. AG Marty Jackley will be the emcee.

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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