Saw the latest edition of the South Dakota Right to Life newsletter. Am I the only one reading something that comes off as a bit troubling?

Because the newsletter announces the quiet part out loud, that legislators who are also board members for the organization are in Pierre to represent SDRTL, as opposed to say… voters?:

“Together we will represent SDRTL as we support, with your help, appropriate life legislation...”

If for example Sanford announced that legislators in their employ were there to represent Sanford, or any other business or special interest group said the same, there would justifiably be some public concern over that assertion.

But, apparently SDRTL thinks nothing of it?

It’s going to be a long legislative session.

Here’s a dichotomy in opinion on development that would benefit South Dakota, versus the anti-development forces who don’t want small towns to flourish.

On one hand, you have President Trump lauding a $20 Billion dollar investment in Data Centers and the infrastructure to support them in the Midwest:

On the other, you have anti-development Amanda Radtke (on page 10) complaining about the very thing that president-elect Trump is cheering on – developers bringing in data centers:

Not sure what she has against President Trump, but she might have spent too much time with the Jane Fonda people.

We’re back with another edition of the South Dakota Political show podcast!

This week South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley joins Pat & Mike on the South Dakota Political Show to discuss the recent cases where State Employees have been prosecuted for doing things they ought not to, and the new laws he’s proposing to help prevent future instances. As well as to protect whistleblowers who point this kind of thing out.

Senator John Thune is also in the spotlight as he takes the reins as the Majority Leader in the US Senate!

If you’re into podcasts, or have a long drive across the state, give the South Dakota Political Show a listen.  We’re on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Acast, Amazon, and a number of other places where you can hear original content with South Dakota leaders, and a couple of guys who have been kicking around South Dakota politics a while.

SD News Watch had a story in the last day or so about politics in 2025, but the more interesting items were buried in the article, noting that Attorney General Marty Jackley is working to position himself, including outreach to President Trump’s team:

Jackley, who saw Noem run to the right in defeating him for the 2018 gubernatorial nomination, is determined to better position himself this time. He has assembled volunteer campaign staff for whether he runs for governor or attorney general in 2026, showcasing hardline stances against illegal immigration, abortion and gun control.

It points out the current state of the race for Governor, with a poll by Axis Research showing Congressman Dusty Johnson leading by around 8 points:

The congressman shared with top supporters an internal poll from Axis Research that showed him at 31% among 306 “known Republican primary voters” in South Dakota from Nov. 10-12, compared to 22% for Jackley, 10% for Rhoden and 7% for former state legislator and U.S. House candidate Taffy Howard. The poll showed 31% as undecided, with a margin of error of 5.6 percentage points.

It also notes that Lt. Governor Rhoden has assembled a kitchen cabinet to assist him with his race, including at least two who have been mentioned as possible Lt. Gov choices in their own right:

The Union Center resident has assembled a “kitchen cabinet” to prepare for his new role. That group of close advisers includes Steve Westra, former commissioner of the Governor’s Office of Economic Development; Board of Regents president and former state legislator Tim Rave; and Sioux Falls lawyer and lobbyist Matt McCaulley.

Read all of that in the same article.

All of the major players appear to be assembling their teams.. And it is looking more and more like it’s game on in the 2026 race for Governor!

“John Thune has been doing a fantastic job,” Trump says.

On two bill versus one bill: “I can live either way.”

— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) January 7, 2025

Someone tell the District 3 legislators – President Trump announced today that an investor is going to be putting at least $20 Billion into data centers in the midwest.

🚨 BREAKING: Trump reveals $20 billion investment to develop large-scale data centers throughout the Midwest and Sunbelt.
pic.twitter.com/OSpAo0sFSQ

— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) January 7, 2025

Instead of showing up at meetings against data centers, maybe the legislators need to do their job and try to capture some of that investment for our state? Just sayin’

Thune, Cotton Slam Biden Admin for Releasing Dangerous Guantanamo Bay Detainees

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) and incoming Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) today released the following statements after the Biden administration announced it was transferring 11 detainees from Guantanamo Bay to Oman.

“In the wake of an ISIS-inspired terror attack in New Orleans last week, it is appalling that President Biden would pursue an 11th-hour attempt to release the same detainees that were rejected for transfer on a bipartisan basis in 2023 after Hamas’ terrorist attack on Israel,” said Thune. “This release unnecessarily jeopardizes our national security, and the American people deserve better from our nation’s leaders. I immediately call on President Biden to halt any plans to release the additional Guantanamo detainees during the final days of his administration.”

 

“ISIS just inspired a terrorist attack in New Orleans, yet Joe Biden wants to release eleven terrorists on his way out the door, adding to his sorry legacy of coddling America’s enemies and endangering our people,” said Cotton.

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Happy birthday to my good friend and fellow South Dakotan, @LeaderJohnThune! I’ve always looked up to him, and that’s not only because he’s 6’4”. pic.twitter.com/9wwuwhjpEs

— Dusty Johnson (@DustyJohnson) January 7, 2025

Dakota News Now has a story today on Senator John “California” Carley’s bill to bring an unfunded mandate for schools to post the ten commandments in every classroom in South Dakota’s public schools. (Wonder where they heard that?).

And in the story, while trying to claim it’s about history, Carley doesn’t exactly shy away from his goal of mentioning they’re specifically Christian values when he’s talking about public school curriculum:

He said the mention of God does not equate to a push of a religion and points to the Christian God’s role in prominent documents such as the Declaration of Independence and the Magna Carta. He also points to the stories of many historical U.S. figures as proof.

“We call him Reverend Martin Luther King. We are illustrating the historical context that he was a reverend. he wasn’t a Muslim cleric or a Hindu priest. We put his title of what it is to illustrate truth.”

Read that here.

Suuurrreee it doesn’t equate to a push of a religion.

State Representative Amber Arlint is on facebook today celebrating 5 years with State Farm Insurance. Congratulations to a good person, and a great legislator!