Our People
By: Governor Larry Rhoden
May 8, 2026

When visitors arrive in our state, they are greeted with warm smiles and friendly faces. South Dakota is known for our world class hospitality – and all the credit goes to our people and our way of life. Tourism is not just about where people go; it’s about the connections they make, the memories they create, and the communities they support along the way.

These connections are important because tourism is more than a seasonal activity in South Dakota. It’s a year-round economic engine that supports communities in every corner of our state. In 2025 alone, nearly 15 million visitors traveled to South Dakota, generating a record $5.16 billion in visitor spending. These aren’t just numbers. They represent livelihoods, small businesses, and families that thrive because visitors choose to invest their time and dollars in our state.

During National Travel and Tourism Week, it is important to remember that travelers also play a critical role in easing the tax burden on our citizens. By generating more than $400 million in state and local tax revenue, this industry helps fund essential services while saving each South Dakota household over $1,100 annually. That is the power of welcoming the world to experience our Great Faces and Great Places. And next year when the record-breaking property tax cut takes effect, tourists will help decrease the tax burden on South Dakotans to an even greater degree!

From our biggest monuments to our smallest communities, South Dakota has one thing at every stop: our people. They work hard, live by common sense, and they understand how to approach situations with civility. Everywhere I visit across the state, I am met with the same thing: friendly and strong-willed South Dakotans.

Along with the travel industry, we’ve been setting aside time to celebrate professional groups like nurses, correctional professionals, state employees, and teachers. They all share a common heart of service. I find the same factor of friendliness and grit when I visit with those working in our healthcare facilities, prisons, state agencies, and schools.

A couple weeks ago, I toured Harrisburg High School and Brandon Valley High School. The focus of these visits was to understand their youth apprenticeship programs. I was amazed at the opportunities for students. As I see it, South Dakota is open for opportunity even in our K-12 schools, combining curriculum, work experience, and college credit to give our students purpose and direction when they graduate. I can think of few greater gifts to give to serve each other than to give the gift of purpose.

This month, many of our students across the state will celebrate graduations. I want them to stay in South Dakota. They are product of our people and our way of life. In order to make this expansion of youth apprenticeships possible, we are opening a statewide apprenticeship coordinator. This will multiply what these schools have created and open more doors for students to find work and opportunities right here in South Dakota – all while continuing their education.

Creating opportunities for our next generation keeps me motivated when the sledding gets tough. And just like travelers that come back every year to experience the connection with our folks, I enjoy being your governor most when I’m out meeting our citizens, seeing what they are proud of and what gives them purpose. It is a reminder of two truths I already know: that our people are world class, and our way of life is special. Thank you for being a part of it.

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Police Officers: A Noble Calling
By Sen. John Thune

Take a look at a police officer’s belt, and you get a sense of their job. They carry handcuffs for criminals, a flashlight to see in the dark places they have to go, and a first aid kit to help a person who’s hurt. And in a single shift, an officer may very well use all of these things. That’s the type of job police officers have, and these items tell us something about the type of individuals who serve their community in this way. During National Police Week, we salute these brave men and women.

Police officers represent some of the best of our country. If someone needs help, they’re the first on the scene. When there’s danger, they put themselves in harm’s way. And they – and their families – make considerable sacrifices for their communities. The recent shooting of a Sioux Falls police officer is a timely reminder of the dangers police officers face in the course of doing their jobs. And it’s a reminder for all of us to be grateful for the men and women in our community who are willing to face these dangers in order to keep us safe.

Growing up in the small town of Murdo, the officers who served our town and county and the highway patrol officers who worked I-90 were all fixtures of daily life. And my dad, a World War II veteran who knew something about the sacrifice of those serving in uniform, instilled in us a deep respect for law enforcement – something I’ve carried throughout my life.

Unfortunately, respect for law enforcement isn’t always a given these days, but it should be. Kimberley and I now have six grandchildren, which makes us even more acutely aware of the importance of having safe communities for them and other children to grow up in. But safety doesn’t happen by chance. It takes people with character and courage to stand up to protect our communities and to support the people who live in them. That’s exactly what police officers do, from arresting criminals to helping stranded motorists to mentoring young people.

As a U.S. senator, I have an additional responsibility to support law enforcement. Last year, congressional Republicans’ Working Families Tax Cuts bill made a significant investment in state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies. That same bill also provided tax relief for police officers, especially by allowing them to deduct overtime pay they earn when they spend long hours and holidays on the job away from their loved ones.

We ask a lot of police officers. Their job requires them to face dangerous places, people, and situations. When others run away, police officers run toward the danger. It takes a special type of person to be willing to risk their own safety to keep the rest of us safe, but that’s what a police officer does. And I’m grateful for those who have stepped up to answer this noble calling.

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Rhoden for Governor Demands Blatantly False Advertising be Removed

Pierre, SD – Today, the Rhoden for Governor Campaign demanded that blatantly false advertising by the Rushmore Principles PAC be pulled off air for categorically false claims. The Rushmore Principles PAC is operating on behalf of Dusty Johnson’s gubernatorial bid. A copy of the cease & desist letter is attached.

“Governor Rhoden has cut taxes his entire career. He eliminated the Trucker’s Tax, he fixed property taxes for ag, and this year, he delivered the largest property tax cut in South Dakota history!” said Ian Fury, Campaign Manager for Rhoden for Governor. “If an opponent would so willingly lie to gain a political advantage, then that individual does not possess the integrity necessary to serve the people of South Dakota. South Dakotans deserve a Governor with integrity, and such lies are disqualifying.”

The ad falsely claims that Governor Larry Rhoden raised the gas tax. The last two times that the gas tax increased were in 1999 and 2015 – and Larry Rhoden was not serving in either the legislative nor the executive branch in either of those years.

The ad also falsely claims that Governor Rhoden raised fees on concealed carry permits. During the Noem-Rhoden Administration, fees for concealed carry permits were eliminated entirely. In fact, the first bill that Governor Noem signed into law was constitutional carry, which made concealed carry permits irrelevant, and Governor Rhoden stood right by her side when she signed it. Furthermore, while he was in the legislature, Larry Rhoden was the prime sponsor for the bill to enact constitutional carry. Governor Rhoden did work on the bill to establish an enhanced carry permit while he was in the legislature, but that was a new opportunity – not a fee increase.

“We’ve sent this complaint to the FCC and every station that is carrying the ad,” continued Ian Fury. “If this false advertising is not pulled down, we will pursue further action.”

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Caught this on-line, where apparently the Jon Hansen for Governor campaign has subbed out media work to another state:

Last I knew, Goss was selling pizza in Indiana at an 80’s-themed pizza place owned by his family.

Apparently media work was not on the menu at Pizza Ranch in South Dakota, so Hansen had to order out.

The Dakota Scout had a story today doing a deep dive into the background of State Treasurer candidate Heath Shields, along with an interview that seems to have been contentious:

“I am a person of faith. If you really want to get into the weeds, we can do that,” he told The Dakota Scout.

The review found two bankruptcies and criminal charges scattered throughout Shields’ background report, including charges involving possession of more than four ounces of marijuana, prostitution and writing a bad check. While those charges were filed decades ago in his home state of Texas, Shields’ most recent bankruptcy filing occurred in 2017. A simple assault charge and an aggravated assault charge from 2024 also appear on his criminal background report.

Shields defended his record in a phone call with The Dakota Scout on Thursday, saying his criminal history stemmed from a rough upbringing in his youth and characterizing the bankruptcies as a product of building a successful business empire that included auto dealerships, a gun range and auto repair shops.

And..

“I can say that all new hires at the State Treasurer’s Office are required to pass a background check,” Hull said in a text message sent to The Dakota Scout on Thursday. “If what you have said is true, it does not sound like he would be hired to work there.”

Read the entire story here.

There is far more in the story than I can unpack here, because I can’t quote everything from both sides. Suffice it to say you should go read the article for yourself and make your own decisions.

By Grabthar’s hammer!

Oh! That was from the movie Galaxy Quest.

But this is from Tuesday night‘s City Council meeting in Sioux Falls:

You can watch the invocation for yourself here.  And you should, because that is not something you see every day. Even in Sioux Falls.

Attorney General Jackley Congratulates Minnehaha County State’s Attorney Daniel Haggar for Prosecutor of the Year Award

PIERRE, S.D.  – South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley congratulates Minnehaha County State’s Attorney Daniel Haggar for being named as the Prosecutor of the Year by the South Dakota State’s Attorneys Association.

“Daniel Haggar is a strong prosecutor who works tirelessly to protect the people of Minnehaha County,” said Attorney General Jackley. “I appreciate his partnerships with the Attorney General‘s office and prosecutors across our State.”

Haggar received the award Thursday during the Association’s annual meeting in Deadwood. The Prosecutor of the Year award, established in 2002, is given annually to an outstanding South Dakota prosecutor.

Past winners of the award are:

• 2002 – Clyde Calhoon
• 2003 – Dave Nelson
• 2004 – Mark Smith
• 2005 – Hope Okerlund Matchan
• 2006 – Ron Oswald
• 2007 – Hon. Mark Barnett
• 2008 – Marty Jackley
• 2009 – Pam Tiede
• 2010 – Michael Moore
• 2011 – James Iosty
• 2012 – John Fitzgerald
• 2013 – Robert Mayer
• 2014 – Scott Roetzel and Crystal Johnson
• 2015 – Mark Vargo
• 2016 – Aaron McGowan
• 2017 – Lara Roetzel
• 2018 – Thomas Hensley
• 2019 – Roxanne Hammond
• 2020 – Randy R. Sample
• 2021 – Thomas Wollman
• 2022 – Shane Penfield
• 2023 – Dylan Kirchmeier
• 2024 – Jay Alderman

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The Jon Hansen for Governor campaign went on the air with a commercial today, which they have available on their facebook page.

Interestingly, the ad appears to feature Brown County farmer Jared Bossly who according to court documents allegedly threatened to kill surveyors for the Summit pipeline:

When Bossly found out Summit Carbon surveyors came to his farmstead to conduct their surveys, he allegedly threatened to kill them for entering his property without his permission, court documents show.

and..

After the lead surveyor told Bossly he would ensure they clean up after themselves, the farmer allegedly responded, “when I get there, I’m killing the first person I see.”

and..

Upon hearing this, the surveyors left Bossly’s property without completing the surveys and have not returned “due to his threat that he would kill us,” the affidavits state.

Read that entire story here.

Not exactly sure who supposedly was bullying who when they came out with a tripod to do a survey.

From today’s mail, the Dusty Johnson campaign continues to play pin the tax increase on the donkey, with Jon Hansen joining the debate as Dusty for Governor points out Hansen authored the bill that captured the statewide sales tax hike.

Obviously this irks the Rhoden campaign, as they took to social media earlier today to claim they didn’t raise taxes..

It was a lie when Dusty Johnson claimed I raised sales taxes. And it’s still a lie when he tells it about Jon Hansen.

I worked with Speaker Hansen to deliver the largest property tax cut in SD history. We put aside our political differences and got the job done.

South Dakotans… https://t.co/XrMRYG3rqs

— Larry Rhoden (@LarryRhodenSD) May 7, 2026

(insert eyeroll here). The Governor’s team is really splitting hairs on this one, as yes, he proposed the measure (with Hansen) and signed the bill, which has new sales taxes as a component to let counties use them to offset property taxes, as well as allowing cities to get into the sales tax hike game themselves.

No matter how you slice it, sales taxes are going to be going up.  In fact, under the Governor’s post, someone linked a post I was going to refer to as an independent opinion on the whole thing:

Two of the laws use revenue from a higher state sales tax rate and an optional county sales tax to reduce property taxes for homeowners. The third creates a sales tax that cities can use temporarily to pay for special projects such as building an arena.

One of Gov. Larry Rhoden’s three opponents for the Republican nomination for governor is U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson, who has said the new laws will raise the maximum sales tax rate to 10%.

During a recent press conference, Rhoden said that figure is “fabricated.”

and..

when I go to Pierre in the future, the taxes on my hotel room could be 10.5%, consisting of:

• The 4.5% state sales tax.
• A 2% city sales tax.
• The 1.5% tourism tax.
• A 1% city bed, board and booze tax.
• A 1% city special projects tax.
• And a 0.5% county sales tax.

and..

All of which is to say that when you’re looking for truth in politics, ignore the rhetoric and check the receipts.

Read the entire story here.

Whether anyone involved in the passage of the sales tax increase plan cares to admit it, sales taxes are going up, some will offset property taxes, and the rest will go into government coffers at some level.

That’s not a decrease in sales taxes.  At all.

The big issues that Dusty Johnson has been hitting on in his race for Governor have been the sales tax increases passed this last legislative session, with proceeds being shifted over to reduce property taxes for homeowners.

Governor Rhoden had been the sole target of Johnson advertising on the issue. But with an ad released to twitter tonight, Gubernatorial wannabe Jon Hansen is now being named and included in the Johnson campaign’s advertising as being responsible for upcoming sales tax increases:

As of yet, the Hansen campaign’s efforts to raise money at Pizza Ranch have not been successful enough to put Hansen on the air.

With FCC public files not appearing to show Hansen as having made anything in terms of ad buys to date on either TV or radio, it’s unclear where the campaign is going to go in the last thirty days. Except nowhere fast.