The newly defanged House Bill 1239 had a razor thin majority of House members concur in NOT wanting to lock up librarians as Bethany Soye had wanted in the original bill. Instead, House members agreed with the slim majority in the Senate that there should be a civil path forward for those who don’t library decisions on what books to put on the shelved.

Sanity prevailed today in the South Dakota House. By a narrow margin.

So, just a question… since those people in red technically all voted against the bill… does that mean they are pro-porn in libraries?  Just asking, since we’ll see this fight played out in text messages and postcards next year.

Gov. Rhoden Signs Pro-Second Amendment Bill and 31 Other Bills into Law

PIERRE, S.D. –  Today, Governor Larry Rhoden signed HB 1080, a pro-Second Amendment bill, which voids covenants that prohibit or restrict the possession or use of firearms and ammunition.

“I am proud that South Dakota is not only the most Second Amendment-friendly state, but also the freest state in a nation that was founded on the principle of freedom,” said Governor Larry Rhoden. “As long as I am Governor, I will continue to do everything in my power to protect our Second Amendment rights and keep South Dakota strong, safe, and free.”

Governor Rhoden also signed the following 31 bills into law:

• HB 1001 updates a reference to the Internal Revenue Code for purposes of higher education savings plans;
• HB 1024 amends certain fees collected by the secretary of state;
• HB 1026 makes an appropriation for the replacement of the Richmond Lake dam and spillway, for the general maintenance and repair of other state-owned dams, and declares an emergency;
• HB 1051 updates provisions on the interim legislative oversight of administrative rulemaking;
• HB 1067 defines the term “must;”
• HB 1068 allows a student to wear certain military decorations at a school graduation ceremony and declares an emergency;
• HB 1079 increases the number of off-sale licenses from two to three in municipalities and counties of one thousand or less;
• HB 1092 makes an appropriation for a student teacher stipend grant program;
• HB 1093 modifies the permissible dates for a school district bond election;
• HB 1097 establishes and modifies provisions for the temporary training of nonresident physicians;
• HB 1100 clarifies which opinions must be included in the annual judicial opinions report prepared by the Legislative Research Council;
• HB 1129 provides for the transfer of motor vehicles and boats upon death;
• HB 1133 amends bond requirements;
• HB 1141 provides an exception for employers to acquire and distribute opioid antagonists that are available over the counter;
• HB 1157 amends the maximum fee limit due when applying for a county drainage permit;
• HB 1194 authorizes the cooperation of counties for purposes of operating an office of county director of equalization;
• HB 1265 establishes provisions related to the sharing of information with the national marrow donor program;
• SB 8 establishes certain criminal offenses for boat operators and provides penalties therefor;
• SB 34 updates the roles of the Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources and the Department of Public Safety regarding burning and burn permit issuing authority;
• SB 37 revises and repeals provisions related to the 911 emergency surcharge and the 911 Coordination Board;
• SB 44 modifies tax refunds for elderly persons and persons with a disability, makes an appropriation therefor, and declares an emergency;
• SB 46 specifies the funds into which certain boat fees are deposited;
• SB 52 authorizes the expansion of the South Dakota State Veterans Cemetery, makes an appropriation therefor, and declares an emergency;
• SB 79 permits the operation of a Class I electric bicycle on the Mickelson Trail;
• SB 99 makes an appropriation for purchasing, storing, and distributing sexual assault kits;
• SB 123 revises provisions related to forensic medical examinations;
• SB 140 revises a provision related to the reimbursement of expenses incurred by a county in detaining a parolee;
• SB 154 prohibits pharmaceutical manufacturers from interfering in contracts between 340B entities and pharmacies and provides a penalty therefor;
• SB 167 revises certain provisions pertaining to municipal government;
• SB 170 authorizes the South Dakota State Brand Board to enter a memorandum of understanding with any Indian tribe for the investigation of cattle theft; and
• SB 219 requires the acceptance of a cash payment for admission to a school-affiliated event.

Governor Rhoden has signed 97 bills into law this legislative session.

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Johnson Introduces Legislation to Crack Down on Chinese-Made Fentanyl 

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representative Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) and the Select Committee on China’s Fentanyl Policy Working Group introduced bipartisan, bicameral legislation to combat the deadly fentanyl crisis and hold China accountable for its role in fueling the epidemic.

“China has been flooding our nation with fentanyl for years, profiting on the destruction and poisoning of American lives,” said Johnson. “Getting tough on China includes cracking down on their money-making fentanyl scheme, which is devastating American families. I’m proud to support this legislation to help make America safe and healthy again.”

“The Chinese Communist Party has deliberately funded the production of fentanyl chemicals, which are sold to cartels and trafficked into the U.S., killing Americans,” said Select Committee on China Chairman John Moolenaar. “This legislation builds on the bipartisan Select Committee’s report from last year and will unite government agencies to disrupt trafficking networks and impose sanctions on those poisoning our country. This is a critical step to hold China accountable and protect American lives from this deadly crisis.”

“The CCP is the leading force behind the fentanyl crisis, and the United States is failing to respond while they profit from the loss of American lives,” said Newhouse. “This Joint Task Force will pool resources across the federal government and respond to this crisis with everything from sanctions to joint drug raids to keep this deadly substance out of our communities. This task force will help President Trump and his administration accomplish his goal of stopping the flow of fentanyl from China across our northern and southern borders.”

“Fentanyl killed nearly 4,000 Pennsylvanians last year and over 200 Americans each day,” Senator McCormick said. “This legislation would empower our federal government to coordinate all the tools at its disposal to combat the trafficking of lethal fentanyl that is ruining American families. I’ve heard from too many families who have lost their loved ones to fentanyl overdoses, I refuse to allow it to continue.”

In 2023, fentanyl was responsible for nearly 70% of drug overdose deaths in America – a staggering and preventable loss of life.

Johnson was appointed to the Fentanyl Policy Working Group in June 2024.

Legislation:

Joint Task Force to Counter Illicit Synthetic Narcotics Act of 2025

This bill establishes a Joint Task Force to counter synthetic narcotics, primarily focusing on opioids like fentanyl. The task force will bring together representatives from relevant federal agencies to conduct joint operations, disrupt trafficking networks, and enforce sanctions. It will focus on international and domestic coordination, including addressing the role of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in the opioid crisis. The task force aims to streamline interagency collaboration, enhance legal enforcement, and report regularly to Congress.

In the Senate, the legislation is cosponsored by Senators Dave McCormick (R-PA), Chris Coons (D-DE), Katie Britt (R-AL), and John Fetterman (D-PA). In the House, the legislation is cosponsored by Representatives Dan Newhouse (R-WA), Jake Auchincloss (D-MA), John Moolenaar (R-MI), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), Neal Dunn (R-FL), Ro Khanna (D-CA), Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.), and Ritchie Torres (D-NY).

Read text here.

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Thune: Senate Republicans Work to Stop Fentanyl From Taking More American Lives

 “One in three Americans knows someone who has died of a drug overdose. We’re losing young people. Teenagers. Young parents. People with bright lives ahead of them.”

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.

Johnson Strengthens Second Amendment Rights for Active-Duty Military, RV-ers

 Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representative Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) re-introduced the Traveler’s Gun Rights Act to close gaps in firearm registration paperwork and strengthen Second Amendment rights. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) leads companion legislation in the Senate.

Johnson’s Traveler’s Gun Rights Act passed the House Judiciary Committee in January 2024.

“Many servicemembers and military spouses haven’t been able to obtain a firearm due to gaps in the address verification process,” said Johnson. “This is a commonsense bill to ensure these individuals can practice their Second Amendment rights.”

“As a hunter, a lawful gun owner and a supporter of the Second Amendment, I am committed to protecting the rights of lawful gun owners,” said Rounds. “The laws currently on the books do not go far enough in acknowledging the unique living situations of many Americans, including military families and full-time travelers. These bills would amend the law to remove roadblocks for law-abiding citizens trying to exercise their Second Amendment rights.”

“Active-duty military and Americans who travel full-time often use P.O. boxes as their official and legal point of residence,” said John Commerford, Executive Director of NRA-ILA. “Sadly, what works for the IRS is not good enough for the ATF, leaving those who serve or travel full-time in a Constitutional catch-22. We thank Rep. Dusty Johnson for his commitment to defending the Second Amendment for all Americans.”

“Americans, especially our active-duty military members, should never be denied the full spectrum of their Second Amendment rights simply because they use a post office box address instead of a physical address,” said Lawrence G. Keane, Senior Vice President and General Counsel for National Shooting Sports Foundation, The Firearm Industry Trade Association. “This legislation is a simple fix to an overlooked problem that unfortunately disenfranchises law-abiding citizens of their ability to lawfully purchase a firearm. It still requires all the safeguards to ensure firearms remain out of the hands of those who should never possess them. Congressman Dusty Johnson’s leadership on the Traveler’s Gun Rights Act to ensure those with unique living situations are not denied their rights is commendable.”

Legislation:

The Traveler’s Gun Rights Act allows law-abiding RV-ers, active-duty military, military spouses, and others who rely on a P.O. Box for their primary mailing address to obtain a firearm. Currently, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) requires Americans purchasing a firearm to fill out paperwork listing an address. However, the ATF prohibits buyers from listing a P.O. Box or Private Mailbox (PMB) on this form. This prohibition unfairly hurts full-time travelers, many of whom live in their RV year-round and utilize a P.O. Box or PMB in order to receive mail. These alternate addresses can be listed on driver’s licenses, but they cannot be used on the ATF paperwork.

The Traveler’s Gun Rights Act is cosponsored by Doug LaMalfa (R-CA), Dan Crenshaw (R-TX), and Scott Perry (R-PA).

Click here for bill text.

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Rounds Introduces Pair of Bills Strengthening Second Amendment Rights for Military Families, Full-Time Travelers 

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) today introduced a pair of bills that would strengthen Second Amendment rights for military families and full-time travelers. Both pieces of legislation, the Traveler’s Gun Rights Act and the Protect Our Military Families’ 2nd Amendment Rights Act, would amend sections of the Gun Control Act of 1968 (GCA) to make exceptions for Americans with unique living situations. This includes spouses of military members and full-time travelers whose permanent residence is a private mailbox or post office box.

“As a hunter, a lawful gun owner and a supporter of the Second Amendment, I am committed to protecting the rights of lawful gun owners,” said Rounds. “The laws currently on the books do not go far enough in acknowledging the unique living situations of many Americans, including military families and full-time travelers. These bills would amend the law to remove roadblocks for law-abiding citizens trying to exercise their Second Amendment rights.”

The Traveler’s Gun Rights Act would amend the GCA by explicitly defining “state of resident” and “residence” to include private mailboxes and post office boxes. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) requires that licensed federal firearms dealers and individuals purchasing a firearm must jointly fill out a firearms transaction record. While private mailbox and post office box addresses are able to be listed on driver’s licenses, the ATF has determined that they do not qualify as residences on ATF paperwork.

The Traveler’s Gun Rights Act is cosponsored by Senators John Boozman (R-Ark.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) and James Risch (R-Idaho), with Representative Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) leading Rounds’ companion legislation in the House. Rounds first introduced the Traveler’s Gun Rights Act in April 2022, followed by reintroduction in the 118th Congress in March 2023.

“Many servicemembers and military spouses haven’t been able to obtain a firearm due to gaps in the address verification process,” said Johnson. “This is a commonsense bill to ensure these individuals can practice their Second Amendment rights.”

The Traveler’s Gun Rights Act is endorsed by the National Rifle Association (NRA) and the National Shooting Sports Foundation.

“For many Americans, traveling full-time is a way of life,” said John Commerford, Executive Director of NRA-ILA. “Whether someone is active duty military and moving for their duties, or traveling this beautiful nation full time, they should not be denied their Second Amendment rights due to a bureaucratic ATF form. While other government agencies like the IRS allow this practice, the ATF lags woefully behind. The NRA applauds Senator Mike Rounds for working to close this loophole where the ATF refuses to recognize P.O. Boxes as a legal point of residence.”

“Americans, especially our active-duty military members, should never be denied the full spectrum of their Second Amendment rights simply because they use a post office box address instead of a physical address,” said Lawrence G. Keane, Senior Vice President and General Counsel for National Shooting Sports Foundation, The Firearm Industry Trade Association. “This legislation is a simple fix to an overlooked problem that unfortunately disenfranchises law-abiding citizens of their ability to lawfully purchase a firearm. It still requires all the safeguards to ensure firearms remain out of the hands of those who should never possess them. Senator Rounds’ leadership on the Traveler’s Gun Rights Act to ensure those with unique living situations are not denied their rights is commendable.”

The Protect Our Military Families’ 2nd Amendment Rights Act would amend the current federal criminal code, allowing a licensed gun dealer, importer or manufacturer to sell or ship a firearm to the spouse of a member of the U.S. armed forces on active duty. Under the GCA, citizens can only purchase a handgun in the state where they are considered residents. While exceptions have been made for active duty military members, exceptions have not been made for military spouses.

The Protect Our Military Families’ 2nd Amendment Rights Act is cosponsored by Senators Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Jim Justice (R-W.Va.), James Risch (R-Idaho) and Rick Scott (R-Fla.). Rounds first introduced this legislation in the 114th Congress in 2015, followed by reintroductions in the 115th Congress and the 116th Congress.

Click HERE to read full text of the Protect Our Military Families’ 2nd Amendment Rights Act. Click HERE to read full text of the Traveler’s Gun Rights Act.

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Attorney General Jackley and Transportation Secretary Jundt Caution Consumers About Toll Road Scam

PIERRE, S.D. – South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley and South Dakota Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Joel Jundt caution consumers about a text message scam being reported in South Dakota where people are being ordered to pay a tax for traveling on the state’s roads.

“This scam informs the recipient they have an outstanding toll amount and to be resolved by a certain date or jeopardize their legal ability to drive and threatens future penalties,” said Attorney General Jackley. “The message also includes a link to an E-Z Pass account that poses as an overdue payment portal.”

Other states also have reported this scam, but DOT Secretary Jundt said South Dakota does not levy such taxes. “All South Dakota state-owned roads and bridges are toll-free,” he said.

The South Dakota Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division recommends these tips to consumers:

*** Do not click onto suspicious links or accept downloads.

*** Do not give into high pressured tactics to resolve “the issue.”Stop, take a moment, and review all information.

*** Don’t trust your caller ID.  If you don’t know the number, DON’T answer the call. Hang up on robocalls. 

*** Find the official number of the agency that supposedly called you and call to confirm the information.

*** Don’t provide money or personal information via telephone or internet to an individual or organization that you don’t know or haven’t verified.

*** Be wary of any caller who tells you not to tell anyone else about the call.

*** Talk to someone you trust before you provide money or personal information to someone who contacts you.

Consumers who believe they may have been a victim of any type of scam should contact the Attorney General’s Office’s Consumer Protection Division at 1-800-300-1986 or at https://consumer.sd.gov/, You may be helping someone else out by reporting what you’ve encountered.

To learn more about SDDOT programs and services, please view https://dot.sd.gov.

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Just for your clarification, in case you’re wondering if your State Senator voted to pass a bill that would throw librarians in the county jail if someone checked out a book that someone else thought had naughty words in them, the vote to amend the measure, stripping out the language that would have sent your local librarian arrested & fingerprinted, and instead created an appeal process for obscenity determinations and placing it under civil jurisdiction, as opposed to a criminal court of law. Here’s how it shook out:

And the roll being called: Yeas 18, Nays 16, Excused 1, Absent 0

Yeas: Crabtree, Davis, Deibert, Duhamel, Hulse, Kolbeck (Steve), Larson, Mehlhaff, Miskimins, Otten, Reed, Rohl, Sauder, Schoenfish, Smith, Vilhauer, Wheeler, and Zikmund

Nays: Beal, Blanc, Carley, Grove, Hohn, Howard, Jensen (Kevin), Karr, Lapka, Marty, Nelson, Perry, Peterson (Sue), Pischke, Voight, and Voita

Excused: Foster

You can read that here. (page 16)

The send the librarians to jail list included President Pro Temp Carr, Assistant Majority Leader Carl Perry, And Majority Whips Kevin Jensen, Sue Peterson & Tom Pischke. You can also add California Carley, Taffy Howard, Lauren Nelson, and End-time army member Mykala Voita, among others who joined the attack on people just trying to do their job.

Not a good sign when Majority Leader Jim Mehlhaff and Majority Whip Randy Deibert were the only members of leadership who wanted to bring sanity back into the discussion.

What do you do with a legislature when so many people assume evil intent and want to brand their local librarians as criminals, guilty of a class 1 misdemeanor? And want them to suffer the same penalties as simple assault, stalking or first-degree petty theft. Just for doing the job they were hired to do, checking out books.

This has not been a legislative session to celebrate or to cheer about. It has literally been a non-stop parade of some of the worst legislation in years, and the only victories have been trying to keep as much raw sewage dammed up as possible. This should really be a wake up call for people to get involved and engaged in politics.

Because if you don’t, this is what you get.

A former Intern for State Rep. Will Mortensen is winding his way through the process to be confirmed as South Dakota’s next Student Regent, succeeding Student Regent Brock Brown who is currently attending USD Law School.

In addition to being a legislative Intern, Onida native Griffin has interned for Senator Mike Rounds, and currently attends USD where he is an Undergraduate Admissions Ambassador.

(Miles Beacom also had his hearing to join the board of Regents this AM, and he very deservedly receives plenty of accolades already).

 

I had noticed this during the debate on House Bill 1239, the Librarian Lock-Up Bill,  but in the debate over people objecting to books that they wanted declared as obscene, there was once again a reference to violence against librarians for checking out books.

First off, when this bill was first discussed on the House side in Committee debate, White History Month’s Rep. Travis Ismay:

Rep. Travis Ismay, R-Newell, suggested an arrest might be insufficient punishment.

“If a librarian rented this out to my son or daughter, you’d be lucky if you got hauled out of there in handcuffs,” Ismay said. 

Read that here.

Those aren’t the words of a stable person.

And yesterday, we had the utterly awful (and now Senator) Taffy Howard actually call for librarians to be killed by hanging:

If somebody had knowingly given that to my children when they were little, I’d want them strung up from the nearest tree.

– Taffy Howard

Read that here.

They are calling for violence against Librarians because they don’t like words?  (Literally.)   Who does that?

Most of us would say “Ugh, where did you get that trash,” or “that’s not appropriate,” and send it back, with a note or a call to the person in charge not to allow my kid to check that sort of thing out.

But, you have idiots like Ismay or Laffy-Taffy elected to office, representing a segment of our population, calling for violence, or in Taffy’s case, death to librarians?

If someone had suggested those acts against either of these two boobs, they might be getting a call from the Division of Criminal Investigation. But when they call for violence against Librarians as part of committee discussion or debate? Nothing.

And we wonder why politics have gotten so toxic.