Gov. Noem’s Border Address to Joint Session of SD Legislature
By: Governor Kristi Noem
January 31, 2024

Lieutenant Governor Rhoden, Mr. Speaker, members of the House and Senate, and my fellow South Dakotans:

Thank you for calling this joint session of the legislative body today so I may address both chambers on a matter of grave importance to the people of South Dakota and the United States of America. It is no secret that our country is being overwhelmed with en masse illegal immigration. Nearly 10 million foreign nationals have broken federal law and infiltrated our country within the past 3 years, bringing with them drugs, trafficking, crime, and violence.

Our immigration system has long been a subject of discussion in this country, but the policies of the Biden Administration have elevated this to a national security crisis. Our history is proudly built on the stories of our ancestors who came to this country for opportunity and a new beginning. But today, many of those who are entering under the current policies of this administration are known terrorists, criminals, human traffickers, and drug cartel members. Because the federal government is facilitating the violation of federal law, vulnerable people from over 100 countries have heard the story of the open border, put their families in jeopardy, and have fallen victim to the atrocities of the Mexican cartels. Countries such as Venezuela have been known to empty out their prisons and mental institutions and send them to America. They are happy to let our open border be the solution to their problems and responsibilities.

We are a nation of laws. And our leaders should respect those laws.

South Dakota is directly affected by this invasion. We are affected by cartel presence on our tribal reservations; by the spread of drugs and human trafficking throughout our communities; and by the drain on our resources at the local, state, and federal level.

America is the greatest nation in the history of the world. But we weren’t always that way. Our nation started as nothing more than an idea – an idea that was so controversial that our Founding Fathers had to pledge their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor to each other just to write it down.

That all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it.

In that powerful document, our Founding Fathers outlined certain facts, a list of injuries, that King George had perpetrated against the colonies. Those grievances included ways that he failed to protect the colonies, and how he used force to make the colonists less safe.

When the original 13 states ratified the Constitution just a few years later, they did so with the understanding that this document would allow them to keep themselves safe from external threats. They would not have done so if they did not have the power to defend themselves. Texas would not have joined the Union in 1845 if they did not have the power to defend themselves – they were still at risk of invasion from Mexico at that time.

Article IV, Section 4 of the US Constitution provides that “The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government, and shall protect each of them against Invasion.” So who repels the invasions? Well, Article I, Section 8 provides “for calling forth the Militia to…repel invasions.” Article I, Section 10 provides for states to enter into compacts with other states if they are “actually invaded.”

And in Federalist 29, Alexander Hamilton – one of the key architects of the Constitution – makes very clear that the militia is to be under the purview of the states and made up of the people. In closing that paper, Hamilton wrote, “In times of… invasion, it would be natural and proper that the militia of a neighboring State should be marched into another, to resist a common enemy, or to guard the republic against the violence of faction or sedition.”

Ladies and gentlemen, the United States of America is in a time of invasion – the invasion is coming over the southern border. The 50 states have a common enemy – that enemy is the Mexican drug cartels that are waging war against our nation. And the cartels are perpetrating violence in each of our states, even here in South Dakota.

For almost 250 years America has been the standard of a government of, by, and for the people. But today, the American people are not secure. A nation without borders is not a nation at all. A government that does not value the security of its people is not only negligent but inhumane.

When the federal government fails to uphold its duty to the people, the responsibility falls to the states. I have been to the Southern Border many times. Some of you have, too. I have witnessed firsthand the invasion taking place. What shocks me is that every time I go, it is more of a warzone than the time before. The cartels have operational control of that border.

For three years, Texas Governor Greg Abbott has been left to handle the crisis at the border in his state while the federal government has refused his requests for help. Only a few governors have been willing to step up and lead alongside him. Last week, Governor Abbott declared an invasion under Article I, Section 10 of the U.S. Constitution to invoke Texas’ constitutional right to defend and protect itself.

While I was at the border last week, I received a briefing from border patrol agents. They informed me that over the last several months as many as 4,000 apprehensions occur in just ONE DAY at Eagle Pass alone. December was the first month in American history with more than 300,000 encounters at the Southern Border.

Almost three years ago, when Governor Abbott asked states to send troops to help secure the border, South Dakota was the first state in the nation to send National Guard soldiers to help. We later deployed our Lakota helicopters on a federal mission when the Biden Administration needed help with surveillance of drug traffickers. Last summer, when Governor Abbott again asked for assistance, we sent more troops.

During my time there this past Friday, I was able to see with my own eyes what has changed. Texas has been calling their efforts and mission “Operation Lone Star.” But more recently, the cartels have been pushing women and children across the Rio Grande, many of whom cannot swim. They’re telling them that if they turn back, they will be shot before they reach the Mexican shore. When many of these women and children struggle and inevitably drown in the high waters, Texas DPS is pulling them out of the water, performing CPR, and bringing them back to life. This has been happening so frequently that Texas has begun calling their efforts “Operation Lazarus.” So why are the cartels intentionally causing these women and children to drown? Because while Texas is distracted saving their lives, cartel members are smuggling drugs and sex-trafficked human beings just a couple miles down the river.

During my visit to Shelby Park, I watched as the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Texas National Guard, and various law enforcement officers ensured the border invasion didn’t happen on their watch. And their efforts are working there. But the Biden Administration is threatening to seize control of that area. They claim that the Supreme Court gave them authority to do so. That’s not true – the Supreme Court’s order only allows them to cut or move the razor wire.

Democrat politicians are urging President Biden to federalize the Texas National Guard. If he were to do that, if he were to put them on Title 10 federal active duty, it would be the first time in American history that a President activated American armed forces explicitly to stand down – to make us less safe – to NOT protect the United States of America. And if President Biden can do that to Texas, he can do it to South Dakota – or any other state.

Governors are Commanders in Chief of our National Guards. These soldiers report to us, not the federal government. We understand our unique situations better than a distant federal authority can. I trust Governor Abbott to make the best decisions for his National Guard, just as I make the best decisions for ours here in South Dakota.

You may be sitting there wondering, “why should care? Texas is a long ways away and my community and my state are not affected by this.”

You would be wrong.

The sheer number of illegal migrants coming into the country has made it so that every state is now a border state. This isn’t just an issue for Texas and other states along the border. This is an issue for every American. And this issue is about preserving this great nation for our kids and our grandkids.

We see the effects of Joe Biden’s failures at the border every day here in South Dakota. The drugs and human trafficking pouring over the border devastate our people. Make no mistake, the cartels have a presence on several of South Dakota’s tribal reservations. Murders are being committed by cartel members on the Pine Ridge reservation and in Rapid City, and a gang called the “Ghost Dancers” are affiliated with these cartels. They have been successful in recruiting tribal members to join their criminal activity. On the other side of the state, there is documented evidence of cartel activities on the Sisseton Wahpeton reservation and others.

We in state government do not have the jurisdiction to unilaterally intervene and provide law enforcement support to our tribes. That is a treaty obligation of the federal government. The Oglala Sioux Tribe sued the federal government. They pointed to evidence that the level of violent crime, drug trafficking, and gang activity on the Reservation is staggering, unprecedented, and overwhelming law enforcement resources. A federal judge ordered the Biden Administration to come to the table and work with the Oglala Sioux Tribe to provide the desperately needed law enforcement resources. But Biden has failed to make good on that obligation, so now the Oglala Sioux Tribe is suing again. They said that these crimes were being perpetrated primarily by “non-Native” individuals. They’re talking about the cartels.

I plan to support the tribe in this litigation. I previously met with President Trump’s attorney general, Bill Barr, to urge him to do what he could to help, but that progress did not carry over to the Biden Administration. Even before that, when I was in Congress, I raised alarm bells with Attorney General Jeff Sessions on this matter. I have signed law enforcement Memorandums of Agreement with some of our Native American tribes and stand ready to work with tribes who have not yet partnered with us.

The cartels are using our reservations to facilitate the spread of drugs throughout the Midwest. In particular, fentanyl – which is being manufactured by the Chinese and smuggled over our Southern Border – is causing these deaths. Total overdoses have increased by almost 20% across America since Joe Biden took office. Despite this hopelessness, South Dakota has been a bright spot. We led the nation for the largest decline in drug overdoses in 2020, and we led it again in 2022. Our anti-meth and anti-opioid campaigns are working. But even with that success, a higher share of the overdoses that do occur are happening as a result of fentanyl. There has been a 40% increase in just the past 2 years. It is literally killing our children.

This war is primarily being fought at the southern border, but it affects us here in South Dakota, too. We might see the effects differently than Texas, but make no mistake – the open border affects everyone. It is South Dakota’s duty to protect OUR people.

So why am I standing before all of you today?

Because as we move forward with action, I want us to be united. We are willing to provide Texas with additional razor wire. We can load that up and send it their way very quickly. We are currently exploring various legal options to support Texas and force the federal government to do their job. And I am consulting with my Adjutant General, Secretary of Public Safety, and others as to what our options are to provide personnel.

We sent our National Guard soldiers because the border is a warzone – and soldiers are best equipped to operate in such a situation. However, our troops have been hampered by federal restrictions when they’ve been deployed to the border in the past. I don’t want South Dakota soldiers to facilitate an invasion – I want them to stand up and stop it. So we are talking to Texas about what rules of engagement can look like to make sure that happens.

We will do all that we can to defend the United States of America so that we can keep it safe for our kids and grandkids. There is no other nation in the world that is better or more free. And if we lose this country, where will we go? Every American throughout history has had the responsibility to preserve, protect, and proliferate the ideals upon which our Founders built this nation. This is a test of our endurance. It is a test of our patriotism. And it is a test of the very foundation of our nation.

But we have been tested before. Just since I have been Governor of South Dakota, we have seen the federal government try to take away our Freedoms. And we saw other states comply and force citizens to give up their Freedom of Assembly, their Freedom of Religion, and even at times their Freedom of Speech. Not here in South Dakota. 

Now we need to be prepared to stand united to protect our state’s constitutional right to defend ourselves. Defend our people. I am proud to support what Texas is doing to defend itself because I realize the consequences of what will happen if they don’t. You need to know the facts. It is clear we cannot rely on this administration to uphold the law and secure our border. The cartels are here in South Dakota, and they are perpetuating violence and criminal activity daily on South Dakota families. They are killing our children with their drugs and trafficking. These cartels are being fed from over the open southern border where more dangerous individuals are entering the country to destroy America from within.

We must stand strong together. South Dakota will protect our people.

Thank you. God bless you all. God bless South Dakota. And may God continue to bless the United States of America.

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SD Bill Will Provide Clarity to Doctors on State’s Life of the Mother Provision
States Should Look to South Dakota in Dispelling Abortion Industry Misinformation

Pierre, S.D. – Rep. Taylor Rehfeldt has filed a bill to protect the lives of South Dakota pregnant women who face a medical emergency. The Medical Education Bill, HB 1224, allocates $100,000 for a training video and materials to educate doctors and hospitals throughout the state on the life of the mother provision in South Dakota’s life at conception law. Co-sponsors of the bill include Rep. Jon Hansen and Sen. Erin Tobin.

The materials will be established through the Department of Health and with input from the attorney general, medical professionals and legal experts. The video will cover the details of the state’s abortion law, the most common medical conditions that threaten the life or health of a pregnant woman, the standards of care for treating a pregnant woman in a medical emergency, and a practitioner’s ability to use reasonable medical judgment in all situations.

Kelsey Pritchard, state public affairs director for SBA Pro-Life America, thanked Rep. Taylor Rehfeldt for bringing the legislation:

“As a South Dakota mom, I’m grateful to Rep. Rehfeldt for sponsoring the Med Ed Bill so it is clear to doctors and those across this state that pregnant women can and should receive timely medical care in an emergency. The abortion industry has sown confusion on this fact to justify their political agenda for unlimited abortion, putting women’s lives in danger.

“The South Dakota Med Ed Bill is a model for how states around the country can protect the health of moms by addressing the confusion caused by the abortion industry through explaining how state laws as written allow doctors to act. This bill and any bill like it that protects women’s lives should have unanimous approval across the board by both Republicans and Democrats.”

Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America is a network of more than one million pro-life Americans nationwide, dedicated to ending abortion by electing national leaders and advocating for laws that save lives, with a special calling to promote pro-life women leaders. 

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What You Need to Know About Eye Surgery
HB 1099 would compromise safety for eye surgery in South Dakota.

On Thursday, Feb. 1, the South Dakota House Health and Human Services Committee will consider HB 1099, a bill that would reduce the training required to provide surgical eye care by adding laser and scalpel surgery to optometry’s scope of practice. It can be difficult to discern accurate information on this issue. Let’s set the record straight:

CLAIM #1: SD Ophthalmologists are “scaremongering” the public over eye surgery standards.

FACT #1: There are no shortcuts to surgical safety in eye care. In states where similar laws have been unfortunately enacted, patients have been severely hurt and visually impaired due to optometrists performing some of the same procedures as authorized in HB 1099. This is bigger than a piece of legislation. These are the safeguards for our families and communities. As Denise Hanisch, MD, President of the SD State Medical Association stated: “We cannot forget the patient as we debate who should be able to perform these surgeries. Our first priority must be to patients and their protection. This bill makes compromises regarding surgical safety.”

CLAIM #2: Optometrists are medical doctors and should be able to perform eye surgery.

FACT #2: Ophthalmologists and optometrists play critical roles in a patient’s eye care. Optometrists provide basic vision care through regular check-ups, diagnose proper prescriptive lenses, and treat certain eye diseases. But they are not medical doctors or trained surgeons. The American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery sent a letter to legislators explaining why this is problematic: “This dangerous legislation places South Dakotans at risk and threatens the high quality of eye care and surgical safety standards currently available to patients throughout the state.”

CLAIM #3: Optometrists are fully trained to perform the eye surgeries outlined in HB 1099.

FACT #3: Optometrists are not medical doctors or trained surgeons. Even in ostensibly straightforward procedures, eye tissues are extremely fragile, with narrow margins of safety. Surgical errors are challenging – if not impossible – to correct.

When it comes to the procedures outlined in the bill, optometrists’ “surgical training” consists of a 32-hour course containing lectures and practice on non-human models. This is shockingly low compared to the 15,000+ training hours ophthalmologists undergo in addition to 8-10 years of highly supervised medical and surgical training during medical school, internship, ophthalmology residency, and fellowship. Ophthalmologists complete medical school with a keen sense of judgment to ensure surgical therapies are offered only when necessary and are prepared to manage surgical complications if they arrive.

To note, 22 of the nation’s 24 optometry schools are in states where optometrists are not permitted to perform laser eye surgery, making it unrealistic at 91% of these programs for students to properly train in performing these procedures. This represents roughly 95% of U.S. optometry students. An optometrist who has completed the equivalent of a long weekend of training should never be permitted to perform laser surgery on someone’s eyes or inject anesthesia with a needle into someone’s eyelid to surgically treat patient’s eye or perform surgeries to treat skin conditions of the eyelid.

CLAIM #4: Expanding optometrists’ scope of practice will increase access for rural communities. HB 1099 proponents write: “If you live in a rural area, would it be better to be treated that day, or to need a referral to an ophthalmology clinic for an evaluation, and then a separate visit for the procedure?”

FACT #4: Medical research shows there is no significant increase in accessibility to eye care in states that allow optometrists to perform eye surgery. Living in a rural area must never be a prescription for unsafe eye surgery.

House Judiciary Committee Approves Two Attorney General’s Office Bills

PIERRE, S.D. – Two South Dakota Attorney General legislative bills were approved Wednesday by the State House Judiciary Committee.

*** Senate Bill 26 would clarify the membership of the five-member Open Meeting Commission to include Deputy State’s Attorneys. https://sdlegislature.gov/Session/Bill/24893

*** Senate Bill 27 would fix a statutory conflict concerning removal from the sex offender registry. https://sdlegislature.gov/Session/Bill/24894

“These two bills help improve the Open Meeting Commission and the sex offender registry,” said Attorney General Marty Jackley, who spoke in support of both bills. “We appreciate the continued support of legislators for public safety.”

Both bills now go to the full House. Since the bills already have been approved by the State Senate, if approved by the House, the bills would go to the Governor for final signature.

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Gov. Noem Signs Bills Prioritizing Tribal Relations into Law
Signs First Bills of Legislative Session

PIERRE, S.D. – Today, Governor Kristi Noem signed the first bills of the 2024 legislative session into law. The first two bills she signed into law prioritize tribal relations.

The first bill Governor Noem signed into law, SB 3, extends the length of time allowed for a tax agreement with an Indian tribe. And HB 1041 modifies the definition of public infrastructure to allow a federally recognized Indian tribe to be eligible for housing infrastructure grants and loans and to declare an emergency.

“Our state’s rich tribal history and culture are crucial to the fabric of South Dakota,” said Governor Noem. “With this legislation, we are prioritizing the relationships between the State and the tribes, and I hope these bills will help us to continue having conversations about how to work together for the betterment of all South Dakotans.”

Governor Noem also signed following 2 bills into law:

• SB 7 revises the water resources projects list; and,
• HB 1019 clarifies language regarding sales and use tax in certain statutes.

Governor Noem has signed 4 bills into law this legislative session.

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As the SDWC was founded in part with regards to making campaigns better, I thought I’d take the opportunity to drop some general information for candidates about what’s happening this year in the word of campaign materials, based on what I’m finding in my other role as owner of Dakota Campaign Store.  (Ignore my site being under construction. I’m in the middle of a complete website overhaul as I debate swapping platforms. Nearly all of my work is from word of mouth, so I’m lucky if I have time to even think about it).

The big takeaway for this election is that candidates should expect higher pricing on a couple of important items.

• Postage has bumped up (again), after minor increases during the last election cycle. Where in the last election, business rates were around .28 each, and then bumped up in July 2022 to be in the neighborhood of .30 each for postcards. Because of further increases in the year since, and an increase that went into effect on Jan 21 of this year, look for postage on pre-sorted business class postcards to be in the neighborhood of .375 per piece.  And that’s mailing into the Sioux Falls zone. If you’re out in the middle of the state, it might be slightly higher.
• Yard Signs are taking the biggest jump.   If you were printing full color yard signs before, you won’t notice much.  But for the rest doing 1 and 2 color signs, look for jumps of 25% in cost.

  Why the big increase? Traditional old-school screen printing of signs is on the way out, and in fact might already be extinct in South Dakota. The largest sign production house in the state that offered traditional screen printing on signs has been sold, and like many, the purchaser is forgoing offering that service.  Even if you know what you’re doing, traditional screen printing is messy, space intensive because you have to lay them out and let the ink evaporate, and it uses harsh solvents to get the ink to adhere to the plastic.  The new technology is to print the colors onto the plastic and instantly cure them with UV light with far less mess, cancer causing fumes, and space needed.  The downside is financing the massive printers, which are much more expensive than a reusable screen, some ink, and a person swiping that ink on top of a piece of coroplast. So, *sniff* inexpensive screen printed signs, we’ll miss you. 

What isn’t going up?

• Paper prices for postcards, brochures and palm cards seem to be stable. Not seeing a lot of price variance from last election. Maybe a little bump on shipping, but all-around I’m not seeing a large price difference. Thank goodness, because the postage rates make up for it.
• Steel is not in short supply, so yard sign stakes remain at the same pricing as 2022.  After the trade wars and steel embargoes made yard signs stakes a hot commodity and doubled their price during the last election cycle, supplies are back to being stable, and prices might have even softened slightly, especially on the heavy duty goal post stakes. Prices on stakes will vary greatly per vendor.
• Highway signs from 4×4’s to 4×8’s are about the same price as last election. Why? For the most part, those had long transitioned from being screen printed to being done on flatbed printers. So, if you’re a heavy user of highway signs, such as in rural areas, you can anticipate paying the same.

How does this impact your campaign budget?

It really depends on what you do in your race. The yard sign bump will affect those who campaign in cities the most, and the mail rates will affect heavy postcard campaigners.

Buying in larger quantities is a plus, as with yard signs the prices for low runs are such that it’s getting cost prohibitive to do a small run of say, 25 signs. Think 100 signs minimum when you’re budgeting in most races, as if you have a cost of $13-18 per yard sign sign with stake for 25 signs, you’re most of the way there for a larger order and the price breaks they provide. Expect most vendors to have price breaks at 25, 50, 100, 250, and 500, etc. depending on your vendor.

As always – and it’s never changed – candidates should be spending considerable time fundraising, as what you can raise directly affects what you can do. It also forces you to interact with the public seeking support of your campaign effort. And that’s kind of what campaigning is. If they believe in you enough to support your effort financially, they’re going to vote for you. And that’s the most important job that a candidate has – getting people to vote for you.

Stay tuned, and if you’re a South Dakota reader and need campaign materials, reach out to me here, and I’m happy to give you a quote.

Senator John Thune ended 2023 on a high note, according to his latest Federal Elections Commission report:

Friends of Thune YE 2023 by Pat Powers on Scribd

Raising $237,651.00, and transferring in $115,835.00 from authorized committees, Senator Thune’s final report of the year shows $726,959.96 in receipts, after interest.

Against this, the committee had operating expenditures and other disbursements of $367,609.33, leaving him with $17,795,642.29 cash on hand at the close of the year.

Not a bad position to be in.

Word is that ‘Congressional explorer’ Toby Doeden is speaking at the Brown County Republican lunch on Thursday this week.  The thought that comes to my mind is “why?” Why would he want to start addressing Republicans in South Dakota? Because as far as I can tell, the word Republican has never been important to him before.

If you look at his website or the materials he’s issued to date, he claims to be ‘conservative’ constantly, trying to pretend that the term means something to him. But he’s not once indicated any interest in representing South Dakota Republicans.  So why start now?

A couple of times, he’s thrown out the term RINO in reference to his opponent, trying to pretend he understands what it stands for. But.. Has he ever put his money where his mouth is, and actually supported the Republican Party?

Reviewing a number of sources, including the Federal Elections Commission, Political Money Line, and followthemoney.org, reviewing both State and Federal donations, the only donation towards Republican candidates or committees that you can find for Toby Doeden is a whopping $180 that he sent on the “Trump Save America Joint Fundraising Committee” on January 23^rd of 2023.  What, did Toby make a donation because he wanted a hat?

So, the answer to that question about supporting the GOP?  Appears to be no.

Let’s keep going.. Because there’s other places to check regarding Toby’s participation in the political process. Not every type of support is financial.  So asking the question, can we see how active in Republican politics Toby has been in the past?

Here’s where I stumbled across something particularly interesting.

According to records, I cannot find where Toby has ever voted in a Republican Primary.

He has .. well, mostly, voted in the general election.  I see in his voter history that he voted in the ‘04, ‘08, ’10, ’12, ’16, ’18, ‘20 & ‘22 general elections.  But nothing in a Republican primary.

If the voter history record is accurate, it appears that Toby Doeden has not voted in a Republican primary in the nearly 20 years’ time that I can find records for.

It looks like Toby doesn’t refer to himself as a Republican in his materials, hasn’t really supported the Republican Party or it’s candidates, and it doesn’t appear he votes in Republican primaries.  So why is he looking for face time in front of the Brown County Republicans now?

Of course, it’s because he wants something. As opposed to running as an independent or a Democrat, He wants to use the Republican Party.

Compared to the person Toby is running against, Dusty Johnson, Dusty has probably been kicking around the SDGOP for longer than I have, and I’ve got over 35 years in.  Active and identifying as a Republican since his Teenage Republican days, Dusty has been an active and visible part of the GOP ever since. Check that box off.

In terms of supporting the GOP statewide, he’s been doing that as a volunteer, staffer, serving in the Republican party, and in a hundred other roles, supporting local GOP groups and candidates in deed, helping to raise money, or just writing a check for the good of the party and/or it’s candidates.

During the last several campaigns, whether he has a race or not, Dusty has been on the ground himself, as well as insisting his volunteers support many of the legislative and local Republicans running. If he’s walking in a parade, they’re carrying other Republican signs too.  Another check box.

It also goes without saying that Dusty hasn’t missed voting in a primary or general election, but you knew that. Green check here.

Referring back to Toby Doeden speaking to the Brown County Republican group, when Toby is there he’s going to be asking for a lot of names. Even moreso if and when he gets outside of Aberdeen city limits.  Compared to when Dusty speaks to GOP groups across the state and knows most of the names of people in any given room.

If a candidate is going to go up and ask for support to represent the Republican party, I think it’s valid to ask whether this is going to be a one-sided relationship.  Because in this potential race, it looks like one of them has walked the walk with the Republican Party for more years than many can count.

The other one? Looks to be a Republican in name only, and it’s a pretty short and one-sided relationship, at that.

Gov. Noem to Address Joint Session of SD Legislature on Border Warzone

PIERRE, S.D. – Today, Governor Kristi Noem requested a joint session of the South Dakota Legislature to provide a briefing on the warzone at America’s Southern Border. House and Senate leadership quickly accepted the governor’s request. You can read the full letter here.

“I will address the joint session of the legislature on the current situation at the border and the potential South Dakota response,” wrote Governor Noem. “Because of the dire situation, it is pertinent that we have this conversation quickly.”

This joint session would make South Dakota the first state in the nation to take the rare step of calling a joint session to support Texas. The joint session will take place on Wednesday, January 31, 2024, at 2pm CT.

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POET and Summit Carbon Solutions Announce Carbon Capture Partnership
Partnership will incorporate 17 POET plants, capture 4.7 million metric tons of CO2 

AMES AND SIOUX FALLS (Monday, January 29) — In a major step forward for the future of agriculture and biofuels, POET and Summit Carbon Solutions (Summit) announced a groundbreaking partnership connecting the world’s largest biofuel producer with the world’s largest carbon capture and storage project. This collaboration brings together two entities—both founded upon creating new agricultural markets and supporting rural communities—to capture the value of the biogenic CO2 from the bioethanol production process.

The partnership strategically expands the carbon opportunity across the Midwest by incorporating POET’s 12 facilities in Iowa and five facilities in South Dakota into the Summit project. This addition will facilitate the capture, transportation, and permanent storage of 4.7 million metric tons of CO2 annually from the 17 POET bioprocessing plants.

“POET is excited to partner with Summit Carbon Solutions on this historic project,” said Jeff Broin, POET Founder and CEO. “As the world seeks low-carbon energy solutions, carbon capture ensures that ag-based biofuels will remain competitive for decades to come. This is a tremendous opportunity to bring value to farmers, bioethanol producers, and rural communities and counties in participating states, and I believe it will unleash even more opportunities for ag and bioprocessing in the future.”

“Today marks a historic day for American agriculture and biofuels,” said Bruce Rastetter, Founder and Executive Chairman of Summit Agricultural Group. “POET is the largest bioethanol producer in the world, and their partnership with Summit Carbon Solutions ensures that decarbonizing bioethanol will lead to exciting new market opportunities for producers, rural economies, and American energy security.”

“Our partnership with POET is creating new economic opportunities in agriculture,” said Lee Blank, CEO of Summit Carbon Solutions. “This initiative is aimed at enhancing the financial profitability of our farmers, contributing to higher land values, and ensuring a more prosperous future for farm families and communities. Our focus is on tangible benefits that directly support the backbone of our nation’s agricultural industry.”

The timeline for the addition of these plants is strategically planned. The plants in South Dakota will be included in the upcoming state application, ensuring a streamlined integration into Summit’s existing project framework. Meanwhile, for the plants in Iowa, separate applications will be filed, acknowledging the unique requirements and opportunities in each state. This structured approach allows Summit to efficiently expand our project scope while adhering to local regulations and needs.

About Summit Carbon Solutions

Summit Carbon Solutions is driving the future of agriculture by expanding economic opportunities for ethanol producers, strengthening the marketplace for Midwest-based farmers, and creating jobs. In developing the largest carbon capture and storage project in the world, the company seeks to connect industrial facilities via strategic infrastructure to store carbon dioxide safely and permanently in the Midwest United States. For more information, visit: www.SummitCarbonSolutions.com.

About POET

POET’s vision is to create a world in sync with nature. As the world’s largest producer of biofuel and a global leader in sustainable bioproducts, POET creates plant-based alternatives to fossil fuels that unleash the regenerative power of agriculture and cultivate opportunities for America’s farm families. Founded in 1987 and headquartered in Sioux Falls, POET operates 34 bioprocessing facilities across eight states and employs more than 2,400 team members. With a suite of bioproducts that includes high-quality animal feed, corn oil, green asphalt rejuvenator, purified alcohol, and renewable CO2, POET nurtures an unceasing commitment to innovation and advances powerful, practical solutions to some of the world’s most pressing challenges. Today, POET holds more than 100 patents worldwide and continues to break new ground in biotechnology, yielding lower-carbon, more efficient renewable energy and bioproducts.