You would have imagined that the SDGOP would have thought better when it came to light just who they were bringing to the Republican State Convention as a VIP.

Well, with this crew in charge, you can imagine they would have thought better, but that doesn’t mean they did. Because they dropped this graphic on social media trying this week trying to get convention-goers to buy tickets:

They want people to throw out the cash to go see a former no-name activist from a libertarian group.  Why do I say former activist from the Young Americans for Liberty group?  In case I need to remind you of my earlier post on the subject:

…if you have daughters, you might want to demand they find a different VIP.

From FOX News:

The president of Young Americans for Liberty (YAL) has been placed on leave as the conservative group investigates sexual assault allegations against him and other leaders in the nonprofit.

YAL’s board released a statement saying it was investigating the matter and calling on anyone who had evidence regarding the claims to come forward to report it. 

The organization, which works to elect conservative and libertarian leaders across the country, said that President Cliff Maloney and vice president of grassroots, Justin Greiss, had been placed on leave until the investigation was complete. 

Read that here.

And that apparently was not all. Among other accusations..

Cambria Co., PA (WJAC) — After nearly ten hours of deliberations, which began Wednesday afternoon, spanned into the night and continued Thursday morning, a jury has reached a verdict in the trial of political commentator Cliff Maloney Jr., who is accused of drugging and raping a woman at the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown in 2013.

The jury found Maloney not guilty on four of the six charges he faced, which included rape of an impaired person, rape of an unconscious victim, aggravated indecent assault of an impaired person and aggravated indecent assault of an unconscious person.

However, the jury could not reach a verdict on the two other charges of aggravated indecent assault without consent and sexual assault.

Read that here.

While the SDGOP claims that this speaker is a proven leader, and a bold disruptor... they left out a lot.  Is the State Republican party scraping down that far in the barrel that this resembles anything remotely close to a VIP?  Are they going to expect the party’s slate of candidates to get within 10 miles of this guy?

Yes, yes they are.   And they deserve every single ounce of guff they end up on the receiving end of for giving this guy a stage.  We will see who wants to actually sponsor this event.

Anyone who has their head on straight, will not just give it a wide berth, but will actively run away from this one.

Rhoden for Governor Releases “Good Things” Ad

Pierre, SD – Today, the Rhoden for Governor campaign released the “Good Things” ad. You can find the ad here.

“You know what I love about this truck? It’s built for the long haul – just like South Dakota. And I’m working to keep it that way,” said Governor Larry Rhoden in the ad while standing in front of his old pickup truck.

In the ad, Governor Rhoden highlights the following results that he has delivered:

• Cutting property taxes by the most in South Dakota history;
• Reducing crime – including by double digits in many categories;
• Investing in education, including groundbreaking advancements in career and technical education;
• Investing in rural healthcare through the Rural Health Transformation Program; and
• Keeping taxes the 2nd lowest in America.

“Some folks want you to think South Dakota’s broken. It’s not. Things aren’t perfect – but here, we fix things,” continued Governor Rhoden. “Good things last when you take care of them. And we’re just getting started.”

You can learn more about Governor Rhoden’s results at RhodenResults.com.

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South Dakota Libertarians gathered this last weekend, and have offered their candidates unto South Dakota for the 2026 campaign.  And those candidates so anointed thus are..

Well.. that’s kind of anti-climactic.

So many things not on my Political bingo card this year. And here we have another one:

Former State Representative Neal Tapio filed paperwork late this last week to run as an independent in the District 5 House Race.

Yes, the same Neal Tapio who ran for Congress, with a campaign that included accusations of racism after verbally haranguing an inter-faith prayer group at the Capitol, and claimed towards the end of the campaign on a hot mic that “all that has to happen is that there will be one more terrorist attack between now and then and I will be the, just by the Trump effect, I will be the candidate.”  

Neal has joined the campaign as an independent in the general election, which in case no one reminded him, will not just have Republicans voting, but also Democrats and Independents voting in this election, as he runs against the two GOP nominees.

I’m not thinking that running not just to the right, but to the far, far right of the Republicans in the race is going to be effective in this contest.

Supposedly after bypass surgery, Jim Eschenbaum, the 32-year former Democrat who is currently in charge of the SDGOP was going to be laid up for several weeks.  But it seems that this time-table has been cast by the wayside as he gathered his strength from convalescing to tap out this post to social media attacking the front-runner in the race for Governor:

Didn’t the chair at one time say the party should stay out of primary elections?

Of course, that was after he originally said they should be involved..

Hand County Commissioner Jim Eschenbaum tried to use the word unity, but said the divide in the party can not be fixed because “we have politicians and people who are establishment players and they want to play politics” among other random words and noises that exited his voice box.

Eschenbaum spent more time attacking Sen. Thune, Governor Noem, a majority of the legislature and others, as well as declaring that the party should be involved in primary elections because that’s our wrestling match.

Read that here.

It’s challenging to keep up with the chairman’s flip-flops.

But maybe that he’s feeling well enough to tap things out on his phone, the worst chairman in SDGOP history could pivot from attacking officeholders to devoting some time to attempting to raise money?

Oh.. no no no. Did I really see that?

There’s a reason that sometimes you get a second opinion on political pieces.  I collaborate with people all the time. Sometimes you can look at things 100 times, and not catch something. And someone else sees an error or something that just doesn’t work right away.

In fact, I was looking at something just on Friday and pointed out “you’re clipping the top of the candidates head off” and they immediately went and fixed it.

So, when someone sent this over to me today, my jaw immediately dropped.

This piece is a postcard sent out by District 16 House Candidate Jason Vandentop, with language on the card which declares him a Christian and conservative leader, as he stands next to a White American sign.

Yes, there was a tractor manufactured by the White Company in the 1980’s. And yes, they called it the American.

But you know, you take a picture standing in front of that, put that on the front of a political postcard referring to yourself as a conservative Christian.. and that just takes on a different meaning.

If there are any other tractor aficionados out there.. I think I’d stick with the International Harvester’s or John Deere’s.

Just so people don’t start wondering.

Update.. forgot to mention, here’s the other side.  There’s no disclaimer on this postcard either- which is actually against the law:

Small Business, Big Impact
By Sen. John Thune

During the first week of May, we celebrate Small Business Week. This time of year, the impact that small businesses have in our communities is especially evident. We might notice the Little League team has the name of its local business sponsor on the back of its jerseys. High schoolers might be applying for summer jobs at a restaurant on Main Street. And a little outside of town, we can see planting season is underway on family farms across South Dakota.

Small businesses aren’t just a big part of our economy, they’re also pillars of our communities. Nearly half of private sector jobs in America are at small businesses, and most of our nation’s job growth comes from smaller enterprises. And one of my top priorities is strengthening our small businesses, farms, and ranches so they can continue to be engines of growth and opportunity in our country.

That’s exactly what Republicans did last year with the Working Families Tax Cuts. In addition to permanent tax relief for hardworking South Dakotans, this bill included permanent, pro-growth tax policy to help South Dakota small businesses, farms, and ranches. It made permanent the lower small business tax rates that Republicans enacted in 2017. It also made permanent full expensing for new equipment, which allows small businesses to deduct the full cost of a new piece of equipment the year they start using it, which makes it a lot easier for a farmer to buy a new tractor or a factory to get a new machine online.

This bill also made permanent the 199A small business deduction, which enables South Dakota small businesses to reduce their tax burden and free up money to invest in their operations and their employees. In fact, one agricultural cooperative in our state estimates the impact of this deduction at over $100 million since it was first enacted in 2017, and another South Dakota business credits it with allowing them to build a large addition and hire additional employees.

Here in South Dakota, a lot of our small businesses are also family businesses, and the Working Families Tax Cuts helps ensure more of these enterprises stay in the family for generations to come. I’m proud to have worked to increase the exemption threshold for the death tax in this bill, which protects a lot more family businesses, farms, and ranches from a possibly devastating tax bill when they pass the business on to the next generation, not to mention the costly estate planning expenses that many families incur because of this unfair tax.

As much as this bill helps their businesses, when I talk to small business owners in South Dakota, they are often most excited about what the Working Families Tax Cuts does for their employees and customers. This bill puts more money in their customers’ pockets, and policies like no tax on tips and no tax on overtime deliver significant tax savings for their employees.

Like a lot of South Dakotans, I got my start working at a small business when I was in high school, taking shifts at the Star Family Restaurant in Murdo. I know there’s nothing small about the impact these businesses have in their communities, and I’m proud to be working to strengthen our small businesses so they can continue to be engines for the American Dream.

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Flags at Half-Staff at State Capitol in Honor of Kenneth Kredit

PIERRE, S.D. – Today, Governor Larry Rhoden ordered that flags be flown at half-staff at the State Capitol from sunrise until sunset on Saturday, May 2, 2026, in honor of former state legislator Kenneth Kredit. He served in the South Dakota House of Representatives from 1995-1998.

A memorial service will be held at 11:30 am CT on Saturday, May 2, 2026, at Platte Christian Reformed Church in Platte, SD.

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Rooted in Rural America
By Rep. Dusty Johnson
May 1, 2026

BIG News

I’ve met with ag producers across South Dakota and they all agree – we need a Farm Bill. Farmers and ranchers want certainty as they plan for the future, and outdated farm policy is holding them back.

This week, we got one step closer to providing that certainty: the House passed the Farm Bill with my support. This legislation contained a dozen of my priorities to support rural America and South Dakota producers. These investments in American agriculture strengthen communities, secure our food supply chains, and put our producers first.

My bills to expand processing capacity outside of the Big 4 meat packers, protect American trade, end California’s Prop 12 requirements, and support working lands conservation were included in the Farm Bill.

BIG Idea

Access to high-speed internet brings e-commerce, education, and socialization to the most remote areas of our state. Federal programs to deploy rural broadband and connect all Americans must be implemented to maximize impact. The Farm Bill I just passed strengthens this connectivity.

This week, I met with the South Dakota Telecommunications Association to discuss how the Farm Bill supports their work and additional ways to achieve a more connected South Dakota.

 Johnson meets with South Dakota Telecommunications Association members

BIG Update

South Dakota continues to grow – that’s great news – but it presents challenges when it comes to a ensuring a sustainable water supply for future generations. I testified in the House Natural Resources Committee on behalf of my bills to help the Lewis & Clark, Dakota Mainstem, and Western Dakota water projects receive the approval they need to move forward. Each system would draw water from the Missouri River to provide ample resources for communities in eastern, southeastern, and western South Dakota. Together, these projects will reach more than half of the South Dakota population.

It’s hard to overstate the importance of water – I’m grateful for the opportunity to partner with these water systems to ensure South Dakota remains healthy and strong for generations to come.

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Attorney General Jackley Releases Draft Explanation on Proposed Ballot Issue Requiring 60 Percent Approval for Constitutional Amendments and Revisions

PIERRE, S.D. – As required by state law, the South Dakota Attorney General’s Office has drafted an explanation for a Constitutional Amendment proposed by the Legislature that would require any future proposed Constitutional Amendment or Revision receive an affirmative vote of at least 60 percent of the votes cast to be approved. The draft explanation has been filed with the Secretary of State’s Office.

Attorney General Marty Jackley takes no position on any such proposal for purposes of the ballot explanation. He has provided a fair and neutral explanation to help assist the voters as required by state law.

Rep. John Hughes and Sen. Sue Peterson are listed as the prime sponsors of the proposal which was approved by the 2025 South Dakota Legislature.

The ballot explanation can be found here.

State law requires the Attorney General draft a title and explanation for each initiated measure, initiated constitutional amendment, constitutional amendment proposed by the Legislature, or referred measure that may appear on an election ballot. The Attorney General’s explanation is meant to be an “objective, clear, and simple summary” intended to “educate the voters of the purpose and effect of the proposed” measure, as well as identify the “legal consequences” of each measure.

Once the Attorney General has filed and posted the draft explanation, the public has 10 days to provide written comment. The explanation was filed May 1, 2026, and the deadline for comments on this explanation is May 11, 2026, at the close of business in Pierre, South Dakota. The final explanation is due to the Secretary of State on May 19, 2026.

If approved, the explanation will accompany the proposal on the 2026 general election ballot which is Nov. 3.

To file written comments regarding the language of the explanation, not the merits of the proposal, please use one of the following methods below. Copies of all comments received by the deadline will be posted on this website.

Comments may be submitted via mail, or through hand delivery, to the Attorney General’s Office at:

Office of the Attorney General
Ballot Comment
1302 S.D. E. Hwy. 1889, Suite #1
Pierre, SD 57501

Comments that are hand delivered must be received by the close of business in Pierre, South Dakota, by May 10, 2026.

Comments may also be emailed to ATGballotcomments@state.sd.us by May 11, 2026 Comments should be clearly expressed in the body of the email. The Attorney General’s Office will not open attachments in an effort to prevent malware or other digital threats. Please include your name and contact information when submitting your comment. The title of the comment must be included in the subject line of the email.

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