From Facebook, State Rep. Fred Deutsch who was not successful in moving to the State Senate this last month offers his thoughts on the recount process, as well as his support for our current system of electronic ballot counting:

POST-ELECTION THOUGHTS: Because so many friends and supporters asked me to go through the election recount, I opted to oblige. Six different recount committees were established, one in each county in my District.

As far as the process, each ballot was individually reviewed by the committee, along with simultaneous review by me and my opponent. They were then hand-counted, and then fed into the tabulator machine.

The hand-count, the tabulator count, and the Election Day tabulator count all matched in each county except for a few voter errors (e.g. one voter put a check mark in the oval instead of filling it in). As a result, I gained a single vote – – not near enough to impact the results.

There are some people in our state who are concerned with the accuracy of these machines. After going through this pain-staking process looking at each ballot, I have zero concerns about accuracy.

Six different machines with six different auditors were all bulls-eye accurate each time, except for a few human errors.

I’m grateful the process exists to allow candidates to request recounts in close elections, and I’m grateful to the people in each county (18 people total) who gave up time to make sure our election was accurate. The entire process was professional and transparent, and frankly made me proud to be a South Dakotan.

Federal Parole Commission Denies Parole Request For Leonard Peltier in Shooting Deaths of Two FBI Agents

PIERRE, S.D. – South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley announces the federal Parole Commission has denied the parole request for Leonard Peltier, who was convicted of killing two FBI agents on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in 1975.

Peltier is serving two consecutive life sentences for the fatal shooting of FBI agents Jack Coler and Ron Williams. The murders occurred on June 26, 1975 when the two agents were on the reservation to arrest a man on a federal warrant. During his trial, an eyewitness testified that, shortly after the shooting, Peltier had bragged “about killing the agents.”

Attorney General Jackley sent a letter to the Parole Commission this spring objecting to Peltier’s parole request. Attorney General Jackley was the prosecuting attorney that examined a trial witness regarding Peltier’s confession in Marlon Brandon’s motorhome to American Indian Movement leader Anna Mae Aquash. Peltier’s confession ultimately led to her execution by John Graham who was found guilty of her murder. See State v. Graham, 815_N.W.2d_295 (SD 2012).

“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.”

More than 30 members of Congress have written President Biden asking clemency for Peltier. Attorney General Jackley said he will write to the President as well, requesting that clemency be denied.

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From today in the Dakota Scout:

“Transparency is the inoculation to conspiracy theories.”
– Rick Weible to the Minnehaha County Commission.

Also Rick Weible:

“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.”
– Rick Weible, March 19, 2024 to the Brookings County Commission.

Rick must know that they’re watching him..

All bills passed by the state legislature that were signed into law, except those that included an emergency clause to go into effect earlier, took effect July 1.  According to South Dakota Law:

2-14-16. Effective date of legislative acts.

Subject to the provisions of the Constitution and statutes relating to vetoes and the referendum, an act of the Legislature which does not prescribe when it shall take effect, if passed at a regular session, takes effect on the first day of July after its passage and if passed at a special session on the ninety–first day after the final adjournment of such session.

This would include Senate Bill 201, which had a number of petition signatures turned in last week to refer that measure to a vote. What South Dakota law states about those bills notes:

2-1-3. Referendum–Laws subject to petition–Form.

Any law which the Legislature may have enacted, except one that may be necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, shall, upon the filing of a petition as provided in this chapter, be submitted to a vote of the electors of the state at the next general election.

and..

2-1-3.1. Referred law–Petition–Filing deadline–Contents–Signatures–Circulator handout.

The petition must be filed with the secretary of state within ninety days after the adjournment of the Legislature that passed the referred law. A sworn affidavit, signed by at least two-thirds of the petition sponsors, stating that the documents filed constitute the entire petition and to the best of the knowledge of the sponsors contains a sufficient number of signatures, must also be filed with the secretary of state.

Now, here’s a good question. What happens when a petition, filed to refer a law that passed in the preceding legislature, is not validated by July 1, the date the law takes effect?  Because one law says the measure has taken effect, and others allow it to go to a vote of the people.

And here we sit unaware of whether the petitions were able – or unable – to be validated on a timely basis.

I’ve spent a chunk of last week in airports, but I believe the Secretary of State was working under a hard deadline for the approval or rejection of the SB201 petition signatures.

Allegedly, there was a completion deadline for the SOS review, as laws passed in the 2024 legislative session go into effect today, but I do know they had staff out of the office, and they are not allowed to review on Saturday or Sunday.

Has anyone heard what happened with that yet?

Libertarian Party of South Dakota Nominates Candidates and Affirms Ballot Issue Positions

PIERRE, S.D. – The Libertarian Party of South Dakota gathered for its annual convention Saturday in Pierre. The convention marked a significant moment for the party as they nominated several candidates and took official stances on November’s ballot issues.

Gideon Oakes of Keystone was nominated for the S.D. Public Utilities Commission, while Josh Dennert and Tamara Lesnar were nominated for District 1 House seats, and Greg Zimmerman for District 8 House.

“We are thrilled to nominate such dedicated individuals who embody our values of individual liberty and limited government,” said Tracey Quint-Isburg, State Chair of the Libertarian Party of South Dakota.

Oakes, 39, is a Keystone-area business owner and volunteer EMT who has worked in the technology and logistics sectors throughout much of his career. He and his wife, Mary, have three children.

He said his candidacy offers voters a better choice for an office he believes desperately needs a fresh perspective.

“The three current commissioners have a combined tenure of 48 years — almost half a century,” Oakes said. “I think most South Dakotans believe elected office should be a calling, not a career.”

Oakes further differentiated his candidacy by pointing out his Republican opponent’s history as an advisor to Xcel Energy immediately prior to being appointed to the PUC in 2011, as well as his Democratic opponent’s support of Biden Administration policies.

“The question voters get to decide is whether they want a commissioner that represents the utility industry, one that represents big government, or one that represents the people,” Oakes said.

Oakes said his top priorities as a PUC commissioner will be encouraging the security and redundancy of utility infrastructure components, continuing expansion of access to terrestrial broadband and being a staunch advocate for utility customers and landowners.

“South Dakotans are resilient. Our infrastructure should be as well,” Oakes said. “From day one, I will work with our utility providers to help ensure that we can always rely on critical services in the times we need them the most.”

In addition to nominating candidates, the LPSD also took official positions on several upcoming ballot measures, including voicing opposition to Amendment H, which would restructure South Dakota’s elections in a manner similar to California’s top-two primary system.

The party also took a stance supporting the repeal of SB 201, highlighting their continued opposition to eminent domain for private commercial gain. On the issue of recreational marijuana, the party declared its support for IM29, emphasizing personal freedom and the economic benefits of legalization.

“The LPSD remains committed to advancing policies that promote individual freedom and fiscal responsibility,” added Quint-Isburg. “We believe our positions reflect the values and priorities of South Dakotans who want a government that respects personal liberty.”

For more information on the Libertarian Party of South Dakota, please visit https://lpsouthdakota.org. Learn more about Gideon Oakes at https://electoakes.com.

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Merrick Garland’s Contempt for Congress
By Congressman Dusty Johnson

I joined Governor Noem for her Tribal Public Safety Crisis Summit on Monday for a conversation to find solutions to the violent crime crisis on Indian reservations. Local Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents were participating in the event but were told by Department of Justice (DOJ) officials that they could not be at the summit if I was present. Attorney General (AG) Merrick Garland’s Deputy gave this directive. Garland’s rules and regulations prevent FBI officials from having policy conversations with members of Congress outside the DOJ’s official briefing process. In obedience to their boss, these local FBI officials drove circles around the block and hid in the hallway until I left the building. This was absurd.

The purpose of Governor Noem’s summit was to bring federal, state, local, and tribal community leaders under one roof to discuss ways we can work together to ensure tribal law enforcement officers have the resources needed to stop violent crime and protect those living on reservations. Indian country is in a public safety crisis. Between 2022 and 2023, violent crime rates on the Cheyenne River Reservation increased 55%, while Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate and Lower Brule Sioux Tribe both saw an increase of more than 30%. People are dying. The federal government is failing Indian country, and we must do better.

Throughout my time in Congress, I have been an advocate for more federal dollars to be allocated to tribal law enforcement agencies. I commend Governor Noem for organizing and hosting this summit and look forward to turning the tides towards safer communities on our Indian reservations. We need to work together to find solutions, but we can’t do that if we can’t all come to the table.

For some reason, the FBI agents could brief the Governor, local law enforcement, South Dakota’s Attorney General, tribes, and my own staff, but not a sitting member of Congress. Garland’s out-of-touch rules and regulations from bureaucrats prevent progress and innovation from happening at the local level. I sent a letter to AG Garland requesting an explanation for the FBI’s refusal to brief the room while I was there. We need addition and multiplication, not subtraction and division. Preventing myself or the FBI from being at the table simultaneously does a tremendous disservice to all who attended, those in Indian country, and the people of South Dakota.

AG Garland’s policies resulted in a ridiculous display on Monday. I hope his unreasonable DOJ policies are stripped soon, so we can keep our citizens safe.

Sitting in a hotel room in Boston, and just watched the debate. The local news had a college prof commentator on who immediately called Biden’s debate performance an “unmitigated disaster.”

In Massachusetts.. hard left Massachusetts.

Wow. This was not a good night for Biden.

Just caught this picture of my cousin’s house down in Lehigh, Iowa:

That’s just nuts. Although, it’s not their first rodeo with this stuff, as they’ve done a lot to largely “flood-proof” their home, which includes actually letting it fill the basement to a point. As she relates the family has to “let it fill so far or the water pressure would blow out the walls.”

Please keep everyone in your thoughts as they do battle with mother nature.

Most of my day job (in insurance claims) is out-of-state, so I’m not dealing with much of it. A couple of tips I would offer for affected home & business owners as found on the NFIP – National Flood Insurance Program website provide some good information about flood insurance:

The news is out that hand-counting of ballots this last primary was officially a bust, as the hand-tabulators in McPherson County took two audits to get it right:

Hand-counting all of the June 4 primary ballots in McPherson County proved the process is a waste of time and money.

That was the take of McPherson County State’s Attorney Austin Hoffman after a secondary audit of ballots on Tuesday.

and..

The hand-counting resulted in four missed ballots (eight missed tallies) in the District 23 House Republican primary, Hoffman said.

“In my view, that’s not acceptable for an actual election,” he said.

Hoffman said concerns about vote tabulators have “no merit whatsoever.”

Read the entire story here.