Since we’re going to start voting absentee by the end of the week, I wanted to pass on how we’re looking at the ballot measures, and to encourage your participation and your vote. And to provide input on viewpoints and information that you might consider as you think for yourself, and evaluate what you intend to do as you walk into the voting booth. – pp

Constitutional Amendment E – SDWC says “It is 2024 for god’s sake. You should be embarrassed if you don’t vote yes.”

Title: An Amendment to the South Dakota Constitution Updating Gender References for Certain Officeholders and Persons.

Attorney General Explanation: The South Dakota Constitution became effective upon the State joining the United States in 1889. The generic male pronouns he, his, and him are used in the text of the State Constitution to reference certain officeholders or individuals.

This amendment changes the text of the State Constitution to remove the use of generic male pronouns when referencing certain officeholders or individuals. For example, when referencing the Governor, instead of saying “he shall be commander-in-chief of the armed forces of the state,” the text will be changed to read “the Governor shall be commander-in-chief of the armed forces of the state.” The amendment makes similar changes to other references to the Governor, as well as to references to other officeholders including Lieutenant Governor, Supreme Court Justices, and Circuit Court Judges. The amendment also makes similar changes to references in the Constitution to general classes of people such as persons, electors, and public officers.

Vote “Yes” to adopt the amendment.
Vote “No” to leave the Constitution as it is.

Our View:

This is not the first time voters have been asked to consider changing the constitution to introduce some gender neutrality.

Way back when we were voting for A. C. Mellette, our first Governor, there were several ballot questions submitted to the voters; To strike the word ‘Male’ from section 7 the State Constitution, whether Indians who sustain tribal relations be permitted to vote, and whether Pierre should be the permanent seat of government.

Guess which one didn’t pass until their hands were forced by a wave of national sentiment? It was always voted down, until the state ratified the 19th Amendment in a midnight session on December 4th, 1919.

And here we are around 225 years later having a similar argument over what should be basic clerical updates that should have been accomplished decades upon decades ago as we update constitutional provisions that are unenforceable. Yet amazingly, there are people opposing it.

Such as Hillary Clinton donor and State Representative Liz May. Why would Liz oppose this?

While this seems like a minor change now, opening up the constitution
in order to correct pronouns will not accomplish anything substantive,
but will cost taxpayer dollars to reprint materials that are already
effective in their current form.

Liz May, “Con – Constitutional Amendment E”  – 2024 ballot

That’s all she’s got? Honestly?

To refute and underline why Liz May’s argument is a failure at every level, I would point you to Exhibit A – the South Dakota Constitution as provided in it’s current form by the Secretary of State.

This is the latest version of the South Dakota Constitution as prepared for South Dakota citizens on the Secretary of State’s website. You can find it here. It is updated after any change, and every time a new Secretary of State comes in, so they can put their mark on it. And, it’s electronic.

Basically, Liz May is complaining that a yes vote “will cost taxpayer dollars to reprint materials” in a Microsoft Word document, that’s converted to a .pdf, and uploaded to the state’s website.

Really?

If you count the hard copy that’s updated in the hard copy law books, any updates would be included in the pocket supplement that the law book company sends already at the same annual subscription cost.

The “no” argument is about cost. And there isn’t any that is measurable, or attributable to a line item. The argument against Amendment A is the last gasp of someone trying to preserve a practice that went out of vogue over a hundred years ago, that despite Liz’s effort, would benefit even her as a naysayer.

Arguments by a ‘Benedictine Arnold‘ eventually failed in the early 1900’s. They should also fail now.

Vote Yes on Amendment E.

Republican Sioux Falls Mayor Paul Tenhaken is expressing concern over the wave of xenophobia that’s sweeping through politics this season, as he took to twitter to refute commentary about the dietary habits of Haitians:

He went on to condemn the comments made on a national level, saying that they are not “dog eaters” and “savages”.

TenHaken continued in a comment to another user.

“I ‘align’ with no one. I align with my values. And I speak up (see above) when those values call me to,” TenHaken commented.

Read the entire story here on KELOland.

That wave of common sense and decency coming from a political figure was a refreshing change of pace.

Now, back to presidential politics.

@aarontaylor241

#ohio #cats

♬ original sound – Aaron Taylor

Actions Speak Louder Than Words
By Sen. John Thune

In recent weeks, Vice President Harris has attempted to reinvent herself and run away from her record in the U.S. Senate and as President Biden’s vice president. Those who know that record, however, will find it difficult to believe her sudden about-face.

As a senator, Kamala Harris ranked among the institution’s most liberal members. She was an early backer of the Green New Deal and Medicare for All. She supported a bill that would mandate all new vehicles be zero-emission by 2040. She even authored a universal basic income proposal that one analyst said “could be the most expensive bill ever introduced.” Then, as a presidential candidate five years ago, she ran on an agenda that would please members of the far-left. She endorsed a fracking ban, decriminalizing drug possession, decriminalizing illegal border crossings, and mandatory buybacks of certain guns.

But in just a few weeks’ time, Vice President Harris has changed – or at least she would like the American people to think so. As a senator, she called a border wall “un-American” and “a waste of money.” Now she supports one. She wanted to ban fracking, now she doesn’t. She was for a federal jobs guarantee, but not anymore. She even changed her position on banning plastic straws!

In the last few years, Vice President Harris has also played a key role in implementing President Biden’s agenda. She cast the deciding vote to pass a massive spending spree that sparked a historic inflation crisis from which families continue to suffer. A crisis at the southern border raged for years after the vice president was put in charge of the administration’s response to it. And we’ve seen uncertainty on the world stage dating back to this administration’s disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan in which the vice president played a role.

Despite these sudden changes, it seems that progressives should have no cause for alarm. The vice president’s former colleague, Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-Vt.), was recently asked whether Harris was abandoning her progressive ideals. “No,” he answered, “I don’t think she’s abandoning her ideals. I think she’s trying to be pragmatic and doing what she thinks is right in order to win the election.” I think he’s right. I suspect that one of the Senate’s most liberal members would be one of the nation’s most liberal presidents.

Try as she might to remake herself, the vice president’s record reveals a lot about her. She has been aligned with the left wing of the Democrat Party, and she’s been involved in some of this administration’s biggest blunders. No one has to wonder what the next four years would look like – it would be a lot more of the same.

###

Fighting Foes, Fostering Families
By Rep. Dusty Johnson
September 13, 2024 

BIG News

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is gobbling up land outside of China, and we’ve seen their attempts to purchase farmland in America. I’ve been vocal in opposition to the CCP’s purchases of our ag land – it’s a major threat to the security of our food supply. This week, I voted on dozens of bills that get tough on China. One of the bills, the Protecting American Agriculture from Foreign Adversaries Act, passed the House and would strengthen the U.S.’s review process for foreign purchases of American ag land.

I also voted to pass legislation to protect the U.S. from Chinese fentanyl, limit China’s leverage in the electric vehicle market, prevent U.S. dollars from going to Chinese biotech companies, and more. China is our biggest adversary – we should not fund their economy and military companies. I’m glad the bills this week take the threat of the CCP seriously and move the needle in the right direction.

BIG Update

Adoption is an incredibly meaningful way to complete a family. Each year, the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute (CCAI) hosts the Angels in Adoption program for members of Congress to honor families who have chosen adoption. I wasn’t able to meet with this year’s honoree, but in my meeting with CCAI, I met with Deb and her son Matthew from Aberdeen. Deb has fostered more than 117 children. The Gathering Well was also part of our meeting. They provide support for the adoption and foster care communities in the Sioux Falls area. I appreciate them for sharing their stories with me and for their advocacy work to improve the lives of children.

 

BIG Idea

Light detection and ranging, or LiDAR, is a remote sensing technology that captures detailed three-dimensional maps of surrounding environments with millimeter-level accuracy. It’s used in the transportation sector in autonomous vehicles, drones, traffic control systems, railroad crossings, airports, and more. Allowing China to have such detailed access of our critical infrastructure is a major threat to our national security.

I introduced the Securing Infrastructure from Adversaries Act to prohibit the Department of Transportation from using LiDAR technology and keep our sensitive data out of the hands of those who seek to undermine our nation.

###

The Basics of Education
By: Gov. Kristi Noem  
September 13, 2024    

As I watch my grandchildren grow and learn, I’m reminded of something that I learned as a young parent: our kids are capable of learning far more (and more quickly) than we realize before we see it for ourselves. They watch everything that we do, and their little developing brains absorb it shockingly fast.

A two-year-old is capable of looking at two entirely different cups yet identifying both as “cup” because they understand what a cup is at its most basic level. It’s a very simple jump from saying “cup” to spelling “c-u-p” – and from there to actually reading.

American education has focused on teaching our kids to read by the time they complete 3^rd grade, and far too many students don’t even meet that expectation. But reading is actually pretty basic once you break it down to the phonics level. Many of us remember our own phonics instruction, but unfortunately “modern education” has all but gotten rid of it. South Dakota launched a strong investment into the Science of Reading this year, specifically by training teachers how to apply phonics education in their own classrooms. Once this method of teaching takes root, we will be shocked at how quickly our kids learn to read!

Education isn’t rocket science (it literally isn’t – until at least college, anyway). I know teachers work hard – they do God’s work making sure that our students are as prepared as possible for their future. But education doesn’t have to be complicated. It can be pretty basic, especially at the elementary level.

Our kids need to learn reading, writing, and arithmetic. From there, they can apply those skills to obtain knowledge. Those basic skills teach them how to learn. And reading – more so than the others – can instill a love of learning that turns our kids into lifelong learners.

In South Dakota, we’ve revamped how our kids acquire knowledge in social studies. Their education in civics and history starts at a basic level then spirals into more in-depth knowledge – and these standards are raising the bar for what is possible in public education. But again, it isn’t rocket science – we focus on learning basic skills and then applying those to obtain real knowledge of America’s true and honest history.

Once our kids learn to read – and learn to love reading – they can go read some really great literature that teaches them more about our world. And we should empower both teachers and parents to inspire our kids to seek out that knowledge.

Our parents should be the ones who hold ultimate power in their kids’ education – and then their teachers should be the next at the table to take this trust and ensure those children get exactly what they need. And they need very little guidance from the outside.

The state has a role to make sure that all of our communities achieve basic standards for our kids. But honestly, I agree with people like Ronald Reagan who often expressed legitimate concerns about the federal government getting involved in the education of our kids. They send us money, sure – but South Dakota schools spend more money complying with federal regulations than they actually receive in federal funding. The power should be held first and foremost by parents, and with their permission, the teachers, then local school districts, then the state – and it should go no further.

We are going to be doing some powerful things in South Dakota education with these basic principles in mind. We’ve already accomplished a lot to restore parents’ role in their kids’ education and to support teachers as they educate our kids. And we’re just getting started.

I can’t wait to see my grandkids continue to amaze me with what they learn – and kids across South Dakota will do the same in every community every day.

###

Attorney General Jackley Interprets South Dakota Constitution Requires Ballot Measure Sponsors to be SD Citizens

PIERRE, S.D. – South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley announces that, in an answer to a question from the Secretary of State, that he interprets the State Constitution requires a sponsor of an initiated ballot measure to be a citizen of South Dakota.

In his letter to the Secretary of State, Attorney General Jackley recognized there is no explicit statue requiring a sponsor of an initiated measure to be a citizen of South Dakota. However, the South Dakota Constitution provides that a sponsor of a measure must be reserved to the “people.”

“My interpretation is that in 1889 our founding fathers were referring to ‘people’ in our Constitution as citizens of the State of South Dakota,” wrote the Attorney General.

The letter can be found here:

-30-

No ridiculous $250 a head dinners here, as South Dakota Republican Women are doing it up right as they feature Republican candidates in a couple of weeks!

The South Dakota Federation of Republican Women are hosting a Candidate Meet and Greet on Thursday, Sept 26 in the Hotel Alex Johnson ballroom, with light appetizers and live music (harpist who will play background music.)

Public Utilities Commission candidate Kristie Fiegen is giving brief remarks at the end, and it’s open to all Republicans and free to attend!  (Although, I’m sure they’re always happy to take donations)

Put it on your calendar!

Thune: Harris Can Reverse Her Positions, But Not Her Record

 “Suffice it to say that after the past four years, no one has to wonder what Democrat governance would look like.  And I hope our country – and American families – will be spared another four years of it.”

Click here or on the picture above to watch the video.

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today spoke on the Senate floor to contrast Vice President Kamala Harris’ recent policy flip-flops with the Biden-Harris administration’s record of high prices, open borders, and weakness on the global stage. Thune noted that the American people need look no further than the last four years to see what Democrat governance would look like for the next four.

Anyone want to sound off about the debate last night?  I’m almost afraid to ask.

I found myself noping out of it part way through, and turning the channel. It didn’t instill a lot of hope for the future if this is the best we have to offer. It was just a lot of ..noise.  It was about eating pets and deflecting or just outright ignoring many of the questions that were actually asked.

I don’t trust Kamala when it comes to her campaign promises. And I gave up trying to get a coherent point from Trump. Instead of the drubbing he gave Biden in the last one, he seemed all over the place.

What was your takeaway?

From the Dakota Scout, Minnehaha County Commissioner Joe Kippley took County Auditor Leah Anderson to the woodshed for sowing distrust in her own elections. And making claims of CIA interference didn’t help her case any:

Kippley, who has been a frequent critic of Anderson and her distrust of the accuracy of electronic vote tabulators, asked her if she had regrets for sowing distrust about the 2020 election results.

“I feel completely vindicated calling that half-baked,” he said.

After issuing the June press release, Anderson went on to do online interviews with people who then said that she couldn’t rule out CIA interference in Minnehaha County’s 2020 election results, Kippley said. He called the people spreading those theories “useful idiots,” a term Soviet-era communists used for people who unknowingly spread Marxist propaganda.

“You have no credibility, and I, as one commissioner, ask you to resign,” he said.

and..

At the end of the meeting, Kippley took another shot at Anderson, saying she had burned her credibility and predicting she would generate lawsuits against the county. He called on the commission to create a contingency fund to defend potential litigation.

“Basically, this auditor is a walking lawsuit,” he said.

Read the entire story here.

It’s this kind of thing which makes me believe our democracy is in for a bumpy ride over the next few years, as we try to navigate ourselves past the paranoia and conspiracies.