Johnson’s Wounded Knee Bill Passes U.S. House 

Washington, D.C. – Today, the Wounded Knee Massacre Memorial and Sacred Site Act passed the U.S. House unanimously. U.S. Representative Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) worked with the Oglala Sioux Tribe and Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe to introduce the bill that would preserve a section of the land where hundreds of Lakota Indians were massacred by the U.S. Army.

“In 2023, I visited the site of the Wounded Knee Massacre. I met with descendants of the survivors, and I saw the bloodstained floorboards of St. John’s Church where the wounded were treated,” said Johnson. “It was a tragic day in America’s history. My bill acknowledges our mistake and ensures this land will be sacred for generations to come.”

“On behalf of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, I am encouraged by the swift passage of the Wounded Knee Massacre site bill by the House of the 119th Congress. We continue to support Representative Dusty Johnson’s efforts in Congress to preserve the memory of the Wounded Knee Massacre and the legacy and sacrifice of our ancestors. This sacred site should forever serve to remind us of where we as a country have been and as a marker for how much further we have to go. This bill has bipartisan support and we look forward to a timely and favorable vote by the Senate to protect our Wounded Knee site in perpetuity,” said Frank Star Comes Out, President, Oglala Sioux Tribe. 

“We thank Congressman Dusty Johnson and all the members of the House for acting quickly as the new Congress begins to pass the Wounded Knee Massacre Memorial and Sacred Site Act. This vital legislation honors the memory of our ancestors who were brutally murdered at the Wounded Knee Massacre site and will preserve this sacred ground for future generations and ensures it is maintained as an undeveloped memorial. We urge the Senate to now take up and pass this bill expeditiously so it can be signed into law,” said Ryman LeBeau, Chairman, Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe. 

“Congressman Johnson has long been a champion of tribal issues in the great state of South Dakota, and his Wounded Knee Massacre Memorial and Sacred Site Act is a continuation of this important work. This legislation will set aside land within the Pine Ridge Reservation as a sacred site and memorial for the Lakota people who died during the tragedy of the Wounded Knee Massacre. I thank Congressman Johnson for his thoughtful work on this bill and look forward to working with him on more legislation in the future,” said House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-AR)

Last Congress, the Wounded Knee Massacre Memorial and Sacred Site Act passed the House unanimously but was not voted on by the U.S. Senate. Johnson reintroduced the bill earlier this month.

Read full bill text here. Find the Covenant between both tribes here. Find the map here.

Wounded Knee Massacre Background:

In the late 1880s, a movement called the Ghost Dance swept across the nation. Indians believed that this dance would give stolen land back to the Indians, bringing about a renewal of Native society. Indians would join together, wearing shirts they believed would protect them from bullets, to dance for this renewal, all at the protest of the federal government.

On December 29th, 1890, a group of Lakota Indians led by Chief Spotted Elk had made camp near Wounded Knee Creek on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. There, U.S. Army 7th Calvary troops were sent to disarm the Lakota. A struggle occurred between the U.S. Army and some of Chief Spotted Elk’s band – a majority of which consisted of women and children. A shot rang out, and the U.S. Army opened fire on the largely unarmed group, massacring an estimated up to 350-375 Lakota Indians. Twenty-five U.S. soldiers also died.

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Thune to Senate Democrats: We Can Do This the Easy Way or the Hard Way

“Democrats have already begun stalling President Trump’s nominees – and it doesn’t seem to matter who it is.”

 Click here to watch the video.

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) today delivered the following remarks on the Senate floor:

Attorney General Jackley Confirms No Explosives Found at State Prison Site in Lincoln County

PIERRE, S.D. – South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley confirms that no explosives were found Wednesday afternoon following an investigation at the site of the new state prison in Lincoln County.

The South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation’s Bomb Unit was dispatched to the scene after a citizen called the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office concerned about the possibility of agricultural-related explosives being located at the scene where several old farm buildings were to be demolished.

“The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office received the first call and promptly responded,” said Attorney General Jackley. “DCI, the Sheriff’s Office, and the South Dakota Highway Patrol searched the area and found no explosives of any kind. We utilized two DCI bomb technicians and a Highway Patrol Police Service Dog. We appreciate the quick response and cooperation of those involved.”

Attorney General Jackley said DCI has cleared from the scene.

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District 4 State Representative Dylan Jordan was in House Education Committee yesterday testifying in favor of HB1009, the education voucher bill he’s fronting for toxic lobbyist Anthony Miryzants and his group.

And right off Jordan explained why this bill was needed, because as he claims,”the leftists, the LBGTQIA2S+ communities and the woke agenda make their way into our public school system,” down to rural school districts:

The measure is estimated to cost anywhere between $150-200 million, which is a lot to spend to address Jordan’s fear of gay people coming to Clear Lake, SD. So it was sent back for a fiscal note and we will likely see it again.

However, regarding his concern over the need to bring legislation to prevent exposing impressionable young minds to the LBGTQIA2S+ communities and the woke agenda.. I’m pretty sure he advertises himself as a Disc Jockey (Jordan River Entertainment).

Jordan River Entertainment LLC provides everything from Protestant Christian Wedding ceremonies to dances that will make you Boogie all night long and Karaoke whenever you want it!

Hmmm.. Boogie all night long? Sounds like devil music to me.

Before he brought this bill, did he go through every singer/songwriter he plays to make sure they do not promote a woke agenda, or promote the LBGTQIA2S+ community? Has he stripped Lady Gaga, Miley Cyrus, Elton John and Ricky Martin from his playlists?  If these are his values he wants to uphold as a state legislator representing his district, he’d better get that copy of the Village People singing YMCA out of his music catalog darned quick.

It’s going to be a long session.

MAGA Dream Team! 🇺🇸❤️ pic.twitter.com/gIiHM6lGCA

— GOP (@GOP) January 22, 2025

Wow.

Former Lawrence County Commission candidate Erica Douglas actually put this to print this morning, and is apparently upset that consideration for the rights of the disabled actually matter:

Erica is apparently upset that education for people with a disability might be a consideration for House Bill 1009, one of the education voucher bills. And apparently someone testifying against the bill for that reason this morning had the temerity to oppose her efforts at hand-counting ballots, because their efforts don’t take into account voting rights for the disabled.

Not only does she not apparently not care about the disabled.. but can’t even spell the word.  And she’s sick of people standing up for the rights of the disabled?

Again, Wow.

She could have been an elected official, responsible for the interests of citizens in Lawrence County. And apparently, doesn’t like the disabled and their advocates standing up for their place at the table.

Keep that in mind for the next time she runs, because that needs to be hung around her neck forever.

Senate Bill 12 was just heard in Senate State Affairs committee, and there was a core group of opponents who stood hard against fixing the loophole for wealthy donors, where someone say, such as George Soros, has a loophole where they don’t have to follow South Dakota’s campaign finance law and can loan a campaign committee unlimited funds such as $50,000, $100,000 or even a million dollars.

Senators Carl Perry, Tom Pischke, and Kevin Jensen were the opponents on the Senate State Affairs Committee to the campaign finance reform measure proposed by Senator Michael Rohl, with the rest of the committee voting “Do Pass,” after Carl Perry’s effort to submarine the measure.

Why would Sleepy Carl be so firmly against campaign finance reform? Well, I seem to recall Toby “Dumpster-Fire” Doeden‘s Dakota First Action PAC being very loud against the measure:

I also seem to recall that there’s a bit of a relationship there.

Well no wonder why this core group opposed it. They’re all the endorsed candidates of the South Dakota version of George Soros who has made no bones about using nearly unlimited funds to buy as many elections as he can, with Tom and Carl as the beneficiaries of his unlimited loan-ability.  (We’ll know if there’s more when the year-end reports are filed).

As noted earlier, he even has a lobbyist in Pierre to oppose anti-corruption election laws, giving Senator Perry crib notes on how he’s supposed to vote:

Thankfully, there were enough politicians who don’t owe Toby Doeden or his Political Action Committee any favor$ for buying mail pieces, billboards or text messages for them, that the measure sailed out of House State Affairs committee to the Senate floor.

But I’m sure Toby and his lackey will keep the pressure on to keep the loophole for the wealthy open to dump unlimited hundreds of thousands into state legislative campaigns.

Stay tuned.

 

South Dakota Retailers Elect President, Officers, Board Members

PIERRE, SD – Sarah Hustead of Wall Drug in Wall has been elected President of the South Dakota Retailers Association Board of Directors. Board members are responsible for setting general policies, establishing goals and objectives, and determining legislative positions for the influential statewide business organization, founded in 1897.

Having served on the board since 2016, Hustead officially received the gavel from outgoing President Kevin Nyberg of Sioux Falls during the association’s annual business conference on January 13 in Pierre.

“Since 1897, this organization has been the voice of retail and hospitality in South Dakota,” Hustead said. “I’m humbled to take on this historic role and grateful for the opportunity to serve our dedicated members who make our communities stronger every day.”

In addition to Hustead, three other business owners were named as officers: Jason Harms of Harms Oil Company as President-Elect, David Mickelson of Graham Tire as Secretary-Treasurer, and Kevin Nyberg of Nyberg’s Ace and Dakota Workwear in Sioux Falls and Watertown as Past-President.

Six first-term board members were elected to serve in 2025, including Nick Caton of Killian’s Food & Drink in Spearfish, Melissa Johnson of Oh My Cupcakes! in Sioux Falls, Erin Krueger of Freed’s Fine Furnishings in Rapid City, Rodney Messmer of Lynn’s Inc. in Rapid City, Michael Shoup of Oahe Pan in Pierre, and Rhonda Sprecher of Don’t Spill the Beans in Huron.
RF Buche of the GF Buche Food Company based in Wagner and Scott Cross of Lewis Drug in Sioux Falls were re-elected to the board.

“Our board consists of outstanding South Dakota business professionals, and our newest members are no exception,” said Executive Director Nathan Sanderson. “With their dedication and expertise, we will continue to provide our members with unmatched information, advocacy, and services.”

Outgoing board members were also recognized for their contributions: Steve Beck of Beck Motors in Pierre; Sean Dempsey of Dempsey’s Brewery Pub & Restaurant and Danger Von Dempsey’s in Watertown, Aberdeen and Brookings; Debra Jensen of Jensen Enterprises in Rapid City; and Susan Peterson of Buffalo Jump Off Ranch in Belle Fourche.
To view a complete list of South Dakota Retailers Association board members or to find out more about their efforts to foster a successful business climate in South Dakota, visit sdra.org/sdrabod.

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The South Dakota Retailers Association is one of the nation’s oldest and largest state retail organizations, operating as the South Dakota Restaurant, Grocers, and Hospitality associations. We believe in South Dakota businesses, offering information, advocacy, and money-saving services to over 4,000 members. Learn more online at sdra.org.

In recent months, affiliates of the South Dakota Canvassing group filed suit in two counties over petitions demanding County Commissions mandate that they approve petitions for hand-counting after these petitions were rejected by the respective county commissions. 

The first was slam-dunked in Lawrence County. This is the second of those decisions, issued this morning in Charles Mix County, also delivering a defeat to the hand-counting zealots on the basis of violating state or federal law.

Memorandum Decision Writ of Mandamus by Pat Powers on Scribd

Senator Mike Rounds’ WEEKLY ROUND[S] UP: January 6-20, 2025

Welcome to the first Weekly Round[s] Up of 2025! We’ve had a busy first couple weeks of the 119th Congress out here in DC. Preparation for President Trump’s second term is in full swing. While I started meeting with his nominees in December, we began hearing from those nominees in public hearings. Hosting these hearings early tees up the nomination so that we are ready to vote and get them in place now that President Trump is in office. In my committees, we’ve already voted to approve Pete Hegseth and John Ratcliffe, and they’ll now head to the full Senate. We’re hitting the ground running and ready for a busy few months as we work day in and day out to get President Trump’s chosen team confirmed, as well as accomplishing some of his major policy priorities early in his term. Here’s my Weekly Round[s] Up:

South Dakota meetings: I met with the South Dakota Wheat Growers Association; and Cammy Lantis and Leah Rinard with Lantis Enterprises. We also had many South Dakotans visiting Washington for the inauguration. I enjoyed getting to visit with them and welcome them to town at events hosted by my office over the weekend.

Met with South Dakotans from: Aberdeen, Box Elder, Brandon, Brookings, Chamberlain, Deadwood, Dimock, Estelline, Forbes Township, Midland, Milbank, New Underwood, Piedmont, Pierre, Rapid City, Sioux Falls, Spearfish, St. Lawrence, Tea, Vermillion, Wagner, Whitewood and Winner.

Cabinet nominee meetings:

• John Phelan, nominee to be Secretary of the Navy. His nomination will come before the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), which I serve on.
• Dan Driscoll, nominee to be Secretary of the Army. He will also go through SASC.
• Stephen Feinberg, nominee for Deputy Secretary of Defense who will come through SASC.
• Todd Blanche, nominee for Deputy Attorney General.

Other meetings: Brendan Carr, Commissioner at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC); Kirsten Hillman, Canada’s Ambassador to the United States; John Ketchum, CEO of NextEra Energy; Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic; Bill Anderson, CEO of Bayer’s Worldwide; and Nathan McCauley, CEO of Anchorage Digital.

I hosted a gathering with Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.) honoring our seatmates, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) and Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), who are now in leadership positions within our conference. I also attended Senate Bible Study, hosted by Senator Steve Daines (R-Mont.), and Senate Prayer Breakfast, where we heard from Senate Chaplain Barry Black.

Inauguration Ceremonies: I stayed in Washington this past weekend attending the Inauguration of President Trump. This included breakfast with President Trump on Sunday morning and the Inauguration ceremony in the Capitol Rotunda on Monday. It was a great weekend celebrating our 47th (and 45th) President, and we’re ready for all the good things to come!

Hearings: We kicked off our nomination hearings with Pete Hegseth, nominee for Secretary of Defense, in the Senate Armed Services Committee. Mr. Hegseth did well in responding to questions from the committee members on his vision for the Department of Defense, including a focus on lethality. You can watch the clip of my questions here.

We also had the nomination hearing for John Ratcliffe, nominee to lead the Central Intelligence Agency, which you can watch a clip of here. In the Banking committee, we heard from Scott Turner, nominee to lead the Department of Housing and Urban Development. You can watch the Banking clip here.

Votes taken: 5 – all of these votes were to move the Laken Riley Act forward. I voted yes on this legislation, which I was an original cosponsor of in both this Congress and the last Congress. This bill will require Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to arrest and detain immigrants who have committed certain crimes until they are deported.

My staff in South Dakota visited: Aberdeen, Brookings, Pierre, Sioux Falls, Volin, Wall, White River and Yankton.

Steps taken: Week 1: 55,645 steps or 27.7 miles

                       Week 2: 49,483 steps or 25.09 miles

Video of the week: I joined Newsmax following President Trump’s swearing in to discuss the ceremony as well as his executive orders: