Attorney General Jackley Statement on Leonard Peltier Sentence Commutation

PIERRE, S.D. – South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley released this statement following former President Biden’s decision to commute the sentence of Leonard Peltier from life in prison to serving the remainder of his sentence in home confinement:

“The Attorney General’s Office strongly opposes this action and has in recent months argued against any change in the defendant’s sentence. He was convicted in the 1975 cold-blooded murders of FBI Special Agents Ronald Williams and Jack Coler on the Pine Ridge Reservation. That conviction has been reviewed and upheld by no fewer than 22 federal judges since then. Former Gov. Janklow, who was Attorney General at the time of the murders, also opposed any reduction or change in sentence.  I was the prosecutor in the Annie Mae Aquash murder trial that elicited the testimony from the witness recounting how Peltier described in his own words executing the FBI Special Agent by shooting him through his hand raised to protect himself into the face. The Attorney General’s Office will continue to stand with, and protect, law enforcement.”

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Outgoing President Joe Biden has been doing his best to be remembered as one of the worst presidents in US History, and underlined it today as one of his last acts in office was to pardon members of his family on a preemptive basis, and commute the sentence of the murderer Leonard Peltier. As noted in a story on the MPR Website:

In one of his last official acts before leaving the White House, President Joe Biden released Leonard Peltier from prison.

and..

The commutation was widely opposed by law enforcement who insisted that Peltier’s actions were cold-blooded, and he should remain imprisoned for the rest of his life for murdering FBI agents Jack Coler and Ronald Williams in 1975. The agents’ deaths came at a time when tensions were high over a nationwide struggle between the U.S. government and activists for Native American civil and treaty rights.

and..

Biden’s move is certain to anger many in the law enforcement community. FBI Director Christopher Wray lobbied against Peltier’s most recent parole request.

“Over the last 45 years, no fewer than 22 federal judges have evaluated the evidence and considered Peltier’s legal arguments.” Wray wrote in a letter opposing Peltier’s 2024 parole request. “Each has reached the same conclusion: Peltier’s claims are meritless, and his convictions and sentence must stand.”

The FBI also discouraged past presidents from pardoning or granting clemency to Peltier.

“They were down, they were wounded, they were helpless and he shot them point blank,” Mike Clark, president of the Society of Former Special Agents of the FBI, told The Associated Press last summer. “It is a heinous crime.”

Read the entire story here.

As noted by Attorney General Jackley in July of this year,

“Leonard Peltier murdered two FBI agents in cold blood, and he has never shown any remorse for these murders,” said Attorney General Jackley.  “The two FBI agents, who died in the line of duty, and their loved ones deserve justice, and parole for Peltier is not justice.”

Read that here.

For more reading, I’d recommend the book “American Indian Mafia” which presents first hand accounts, and the other side of the coin to the propaganda that Joe Biden succumbed to.  (Which was positively reviewed by Bill Janklow, and former Congressman Frank Denholm)

Sometimes it’s better to be quiet and thought a fool, rather than speak and prove it.

New State Senator John “California” Carley decided that now he’s in government he should learn more about what it is that the South Dakota National Guard does.

And so, in the 1/16 Joint Appropriations Committee, Carley asked if our National Guard members have ever been deployed to a foreign land:

Rep. Carley asks “I know the Military has been deployed personnel and  equipment but the actual National Guard in South Dakota has been deployed into foreign conflicts?“

In 2012, the newspaper covering his legislative District  – the Rapid City Journal – had an article about how at the time 26 South Dakota National Guard members had given their lives in defense of our country and had been killed in Iraq & Afghanistan.  If Carley had lived in South Dakota at the time, you think he would have noticed that.

Or that in 2018 Camp Rapid dedicated a memorial plaza to honor 171 fallen SDNG soldiers who died in various wars or conflicts since the organization’s formation in 1862.   Within 15 miles of where “California” Carley is living (now). I’m guessing n 2018, he lived farther away.. much farther away.

We can hope in the next election, his district will send a South Dakotan to Pierre. As opposed to a California transplant who has a tough time not pronouncing our State’s Capital as PEE-AIR.

Did I just read this?  Austin Goss at The Dakota Scout just dropped a story this morning on the Secretary of State’s race, largely based on  Minnesota Dollar Store owner turned elekt-shun expert Rick Weible’s complaints that Secretary of State Monae Johnson figured his goofiness out, and decided she didn’t want him nor his conspiracies anywhere near the Secretary of State’s office:

Rick Weible, a prominent figure in the election integrity movement, has publicly called for Johnson to remove Tom Deadrick from his position as her chief deputy as well as other high-ranking staffers, citing concerns over their suitability for the roles.

and..

Weible has also urged Johnson to give him an appointment to the state’s Board of Elections, the group responsible for oversight of election laws, and where these clashes often are reignited.

“Some of the things she’s done are troubling,” said Weible who, along with his wife, played a big part in getting Johnson across the finish line in 2022. “I still like her personally, but she is getting bad advice and going the wrong way.”

Read it here.

What is Austin smoking, trying to consider former Senate candidate Weible as someone credible or to be taken seriously by anyone outside of the fringes of the hard right?

Lest we forget Danger Rick...:   Starting at about 5:50:

“The fact is that I’ve now shown you this piece of evidence, I understand that my life is at risk, and that the United States does not want this to be known that this software is available on the dark web..”

Or lobbyist Rick…

Or self-declared “South Dakota Hero” Rick..

I could go on, but trying to make it a story that the Secretary of State figured this guy out, quickly distanced herself, and noped-out on demands regarding appointing him to the state Board of Elections does not seem to be the basis of legitimate critique.

It’s going to get worse before it gets better, isn’t it?

In the latest goofy measure coming from the 2024 South Dakota Legislature, State Representative Garcia of Watertown thinks that people should actually be able to tell doctors that they don’t want the blood of someone who’s been vaccinated during medical procedures.

And put forth her intention to make it the law of the land.

Representative Garcia wants to denote people who have received the Covid vaccine are somehow unclean and walking around like they have a blood transmissible ailment? And she wants to give people the ability to refuse the blood of the vaccinated?

I guess that’s one way to thin the gene pool. Theirs, not those of us who get flu & COVID shots.

“we have our freedoms and we have to live by that and I agree with that also. But it is a great vaccine. It is a safe vaccine and it is something that works.” – President Donald Trump

Speaking of carbon capture and pipelines, what is State Representative Tina Mulally talking about here, and what is it supposed to mean?

And more importantly ..is she going to wear that pirate hat in the background during session?

Carbon capture got a vote of confidence this week in hearings for Chris Wright, who is Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Energy, as evidenced by this line of questioning from Senator John Hoeven:

(John Hoeven to incoming Secretary of Energy, Chris Wright) Will you work with us to address the carbon capture, CO2 capture, not only to address CO2 concerns but also to use it as a resource for additional oil recovery? Will you come with me to the University of North Dakota Energy and Environmental Research Commission there and see what we’re doing and work with us on things like Project Tundra to do this?”

Wright’s response? “My answer is a resounding yes.”

And..

Former Gov. Doug Burgum, who will almost certainly be confirmed as Trump’s secretary of the Interior and will serve as the chair of a Trump-created energy council, is as enthusiastic about carbon capture as Hoeven is.

Read the entire story here

Addressing Illegal Immigration Crisis Is Republicans’ Top Priority
By Sen. John Thune 

During the Biden administration, more than 10 million illegal immigrants entered the United States. That’s more people than the population of most states. This crisis has affected both border communities and places far from the border, including places like South Dakota. And we’ve all heard the tragic stories of Americans killed by illegal immigrants who should have never been in our country in the first place.

One of those tragedies happened last year in Athens, Georgia. Last February, nursing student Laken Riley was murdered while she was out for a morning run on the Athens campus of the University of Georgia. The man who killed her was an illegal immigrant. Like many illegal immigrants encountered at the border during the Biden administration, Laken’s killer was released into the interior of the United States on parole.

He made his way to New York City, where he was arrested for a crime. But he was released before a detainer could be issued for him to be turned over to immigration authorities. Then, he made his way to Athens, Georgia, where he was cited for shoplifting and, once again, released.

This individual should not have been in our country in the first place, and he definitely should not have been on the streets after previously being involved in two crimes. But he was. So he was free on the University of Georgia campus on that February morning when Laken Riley went running.

Shortly after this tragedy, my colleagues Sens. Katie Britt (R-Ala.) and Ted Budd (R-N.C.) introduced the Laken Riley Act. It’s a simple bill that would require an illegal immigrant who has been charged with a theft-related crime to be detained by immigration authorities. It’s a commonsense and straightforward measure aimed at preventing a similar tragedy from befalling another family.

Laken Riley’s murder was preventable. The man who killed her should not have been on the streets, he should have been detained long before he had the chance to kill Laken Riley. If this had been the law when her killer was arrested in 2023, she might be alive today. This is not a comprehensive bill, there is a lot more work to do to fix the border crisis, but this is an important step to keeping criminal illegal immigrants off the streets.

The Laken Riley Act was the first bill that the Republican majorities in the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate brought up this year. Resolving the Biden border crisis and the chaos it has brought to communities across the country is a top priority for this Congress. We and President Trump have a lot of work to do to restore order from the chaos of the last four years, and this is just the start.

My Great Honor
By: Gov. Kristi Noem  
January 17, 2024   

You probably know that President-elect Trump has called on me to serve, if confirmed, as the next Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. It’s a tremendous honor and a great responsibility. The mission is to keep the American people safe from threats to the Homeland. 

That leaves me in a position where I may say “farewell” to all of you in the very near future. But South Dakota will be in good hands.

Almost seven years ago, people recommended I pick a Sioux Falls businessman to be my running mate. But I didn’t. I asked a West River rancher to join me on the ride of a lifetime. Larry Rhoden stepped up to the plate. He has been more than just a partner in this role – he has been an adviser, a source of wisdom, and (this is sometimes more important) a source of laughter.

I chose Larry to run with me because I knew that a day like today might come. I knew that it was always possible that I might not be your governor anymore – whether that circumstance be the result of tragedy or opportunity. So I wanted a partner who would lead this state just as I would. I wanted someone who realized that our rights come from God, not from government – that it is our duty to protect the rights and Freedoms of our people. I wanted a friend – and Larry has been a friend since I was first elected to the state legislature almost 20 years ago.

I trust Larry and our leaders in the legislature to knock it out of the park – because that is the trust that the people have bestowed in them.

“Under God, the People Rule.” Our people are worth serving. They are the very best in America. They have been such a blessing and a source of joy to me and my family.

So although I am saying “farewell,” please know that I’m not going far. South Dakota has always been my home – and it is still my home. I will continue to focus on making our people safer, stronger, and freer.

To the people of South Dakota: thank you for the incredible honor of serving you as state representative, as congresswoman, and now as governor. Thank you for trusting me and for working with me to accomplish incredible things.

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Rounds Presses Biden Administration to Suspend Mandated Use of Electronic Tags in Livestock Herds

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) is pressing U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) leadership to immediately suspend enforcement of the USDA’s Electronic Identification (EID) tag mandate.

The rule, which went into effect on November 5, 2024, requires producers to use both visually and electronically readable tags on covered cattle and bison herds. Many producers are concerned about the security and confidentiality of EID tag data.

After receiving funding from Congress to address the price of the rulemaking, USDA initially said it would supply the tags at no cost to producers. However, animal health officials have not made these tags available to producers of covered livestock, leaving producers with no choice but to spend their own money on these tags or risk being noncompliant with Animal Disease Traceability (ADT) regulations.

“Our American ranchers work hard every day to produce the highest quality beef in the world while contending with unpredictable markets, rising input costs and extreme weather,” said Rounds. “It is unreasonable to subject American producers to this unfunded mandate.”

In 2024, Rounds introduced legislation to prevent the EID tag mandate from going into effect. The bill was endorsed by the South Dakota Stockgrowers Association, R-CALF USA and the U.S. Cattlemen’s Association.

Read the full letter HERE or below.

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Dear Secretary Vilsack and Administrator Watson,

I am concerned about the recent implementation of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Electronic Identification (EID) rulemaking. While USDA initially committed to providing EID tags for covered livestock, animal health officials have failed to allocate the necessary infrastructure.

Shortly after the rule went into effect on November 5, 2024, veterinarians began reporting an EID tag shortage. Unfortunately, producers are now being forced to grapple with an unfunded mandate. Farmers and ranchers are also concurrently dealing with high input costs and a worsening trade deficit.

As you are aware, the cattle industry has remained sharply divided over USDA’s EID rulemaking. While producers raised various concerns about the new regulations, potential costs remained a significant point of contention. In several USDA documents, animal health officials indicated EID tags would be made available to producers at no cost. USDA’s inability to supply necessary tag infrastructure has made producers even more skeptical of the new animal disease traceability (ADT) regulations. This is especially true in areas with a high concentration of cow-calf production, including the northern plains.

The federal government has taken steps in the past to avoid unfunded mandates. After earlier ADT regulations required tags to be visually readable, the federal government supplied the necessary tags at no cost. To alleviate the concerns of many livestock producers, Congress acted to address the price of the rulemaking. In the Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 spending measure, Congress directed USDA to spend no less than $15 million on EID tags and related infrastructure. Despite the efforts of appropriators, animal health officials have failed to make EID tags readily available to producers of covered livestock, exacerbating skepticism and opposition to the ADT regulations across the livestock industry.

Given these circumstances, we urge USDA to suspend the enforcement of the new requirements under the EID rulemaking. In addition, we request a detailed explanation as to why USDA has not complied with the congressional directive to supply EID tags and infrastructure.

Our American ranchers work hard every day to produce the highest quality beef in the world while contending with unpredictable markets, rising input costs and extreme weather. It is unreasonable to subject American producers to this unfunded mandate.

I look forward to your prompt response.

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