From Facebook, Jordan Youngberg is already out and hitting the campaign trail hard, with 9 months to go…

Saw this call for protest is making the rounds on Facebook today, where s group is calling for a “Read-In” protest before this evening’s school board meeting.

This follows a previous call to action, as noted in my August 25th post, where I noted this flyer was making the rounds.

Basically, the big deal is that the book burning groups want to substitute parents’ judgement with their own, and supersede the role of parents in choosing what’s appropriate for one’s own children. As I’d written on August 25th.

Ultimately, as the parent of a child in the school, if there is something I object to, I consider it MY JOB to determine what might be appropriate or inappropriate for my child. It’s called being a parent. And guess what? I refuse to abdicate that role to a group of nanny-state zealots any more than I would abdicate that role to the school.

Having the ability to determine myself what is appropriate for my child.  That seems to be a lot closer to the definition of freedom as it has been taught to me than the “big government freedom” some want to impose on South Dakotans.

Read that here.

Protesters versus the nanny-staters… The Brookings School Board meeting will be held tonight at Dakota Prairie Elementary, and should also be streamed live via youtube here, if you’re interested in watching the show.

Had a couple of people reach out to me this weekend confirming what I had heard on Friday, that the SDGOP National Committeewoman position is going to be an open contest at the next State Republican Convention, taking place in 2024.  At the meeting, I’m told current GOP National Committeewoman Sandye Kading announced she would not be running again, making it the only open convention race so far seat that candidates will be competing for.

Public Utilities Commission, and the National Committeeman and Committeewoman positions are the only races that Convention Delegates have the opportunity to vote for at the next convention after 2022’s big contests.

Currently, PUC Commissioner Kristie Fiegen has announced she is running again. We have not heard from National Committeeman Ried Holien intentions to step down, so with the announcement of the only open seat at this time, there is likely to be a spirited campaign for the office.

Like a lot of South Dakotans, I can’t wait for Friday night lights in the fall. I enjoy being able to attend games and other sporting events around the state throughout the season. Friday night football, Dakota Relays, Legion baseball, and the Summit League tournament – they’re all part of the sports heritage that we cherish and that we are proud to pass on to the next generation of South Dakota athletes.

College sports have a special place in South Dakota. Many South Dakotans continue following athletes from their hometown who keep playing in college or who go on to play professionally. I know the impact that college sports can have on athletes. My daughter ran cross country in college, and she was inducted into her college’s hall of fame a few years ago. My dad played basketball for the University of Minnesota where he was lucky enough to get a scholarship that covered room and board. He was the team’s MVP during his junior year and the high point man in a game at Madison Square Garden in 1940 – quite the journey for a small-town kid from South Dakota.

Sports have certainly changed a lot since my dad played for the Gophers. But one of the most significant changes for college sports came recently with rules that allow college athletes to benefit from their name, image, and likeness (NIL). For many athletes, this is a welcome development. But, while NIL presents new opportunities for student athletes, it also brings challenges and complexities for them to navigate.

I recently joined NCAA President Charlie Baker for a discussion with student athletes and administrators hosted by Augustana University in Sioux Falls. The student panel spoke to some of the complexities of NIL, the need for a level playing field, and their hope that college sports will remain focused on playing the game, and not just making money. Their personal insights will be helpful as conversations continue in Congress about a federal role in setting NIL standards.

In my view, we need to ensure there is continued competition between large and smaller schools. A uniform set of standards to replace the existing patchwork of state laws that sometimes advantage public colleges would ensure there is a level playing field for all college athletes and their schools, no matter their size. National standards should also protect student athletes from being taken advantage of by bad actors.

One solution I’ve proposed is the Athlete Opportunity and Taxpayer Integrity Act, a bipartisan bill that would prohibit outside organizations and collectives from writing contributions off their taxes that are being used to compensate athletes. Student athletes now stand to benefit from opportunities related to their own NIL, but taxpayers shouldn’t be subsidizing such recruitment methods or payments.

As the new NIL era unfolds, it’s important that we safeguard the things that make college sports uniquely great. I appreciate Augustana University for hosting this timely discussion and the student athletes for their insight. I’m looking forward to seeing South Dakota’s athletes compete this fall, and I wish them the best of luck this season and with the opportunities ahead.

###

Governor Noem Endorses Donald J. Trump for President

RAPID CITY, SOUTH DAKOTA – Today, Governor Kristi Noem endorsed President Donald J. Trump for President of the United States. She delivered the endorsement during remarks at the South Dakota Republican Party’s Monumental Leaders Rally. President Trump then joined Governor Noem onstage.

These remarks are as prepared for delivery:  

Good evening.

Three years ago, during some of our country’s darkest days in recent history, South Dakota inspired the nation by daring to boldly celebrate our God-given Freedom. While leaders across the world used fear to manipulate, lie, and control people, we chose a different path. On July 3^rd, we gathered at this nation’s greatest monument and invited the world’s strongest leader to join us. And President Donald J. Trump showed up.

President Trump showed up, like he always does for the American people. 

And he has shown up again here tonight!

I’ve gotten a lot of questions from people across the country about tonight’s events. They want to know why? Why did you invite President Trump to come help support the South Dakota Republican Party? Why would he waste his time in the middle of a presidential race to go to a small, insignificant state like South Dakota? Is President Trump going to pick you as his favorite Governor? 

So here are the facts:

Chairman John Wiik had this fantastic idea to bring Republicans in our state together to rally us around our shared values and principles. I loved the idea and told him I would do what I could to help. We started discussing inviting all the candidates running to be President of the United States. Tim Scott was asked… and he declined. Vivek Ramaswamy was invited, and he turned the chairman down. Other candidates were asked, and all told us they had better things to do. But when President Trump was invited to come be with you tonight, he said, “I’ll be there!”

You see, that’s why people love President Trump. He doesn’t listen to consultants, or the media, or the political elite to tell him who is important and what his priorities should be. To him, every American is worth fighting for. No one is better than anyone else. No one deserves to be treated differently than anyone else. And he will never forget about us, the little people in the little states that are the backbone of this country. He shows up for every American and fights for us every day.

Some people can’t figure out his popularity – why are people so loyal to him? I’m convinced it’s because we have never seen anything or anyone like him before – and we’ve certainly never seen anyone like him serve in public office before!  

He’s unapologetically himself – he’s real – he’s genuine – he is who he is, and he never pretends to be something he’s not. And those who hate America know he will fight every day to stop them from destroying this country.

When I first asked for your support to serve as your Governor, I talked about my vision for South Dakota. I believed our state could grow, become stronger, expand businesses and industry, pay down our debt, and build stronger families – all while preserving our values and way of life. 

We have done that. And we didn’t do it through more government control or more taxes. We did it by trusting our people and giving them more opportunities to succeed. When the rest of the country was locking down and ordering people to stay home – we did the exact opposite. We invited people to come to South Dakota and used it as an opportunity to tell our story. We were a “city on a hill” during a very dark time – and we represented hope. A light in the darkness. We showed the country how to do better – be better.  

Many are threatened by what South Dakota has done the last several years. Here is why – while big government socialists want more control over you and your family, your money, and your life – we chose personal responsibility. We cut taxes, cut regulations, let families make the best decisions for themselves – and we have thrived.

We have gone from flyover country to one of the fastest growing states in the nation. South Dakota’s real GDP just grew a whopping 10.1%. Our personal incomes just went up by another 9.2%. Those are both top-5 in the nation. Our population has been growing at 5 to 10 times the national average for the past several years. We are a beacon of Freedom to the nation. We have broken tourism records every year since the pandemic. We have grown our economy faster than any other state – and faster than at any time in South Dakota’s history. 

Let me give you all a quick refresher course on South Dakota’s story. In January 2020, I stood before the legislature for my “State of the State” address and declared South Dakota “Open for Business.” Just two months later, our first COVID cases came to South Dakota. I knew one thing: the only way that we were going to get through it was together. We made decisions based on the science, the facts, and the data. And the science did not support mandates or lockdowns. We asked South Dakotans to use common sense, and then we trusted them. We trusted them to use personal responsibility to make the best decisions for themselves and their loved ones. 

And as a community – as a state – we got back to work. Other states were taking a very different approach. They ordered their citizens to shelter in place. Ordered businesses to lock down. Ordered churches to close. Some even sent nursing home patients who had COVID back into their facilities. 

Those decisions weren’t leadership. They were made based on fear and control. South Dakota focused on facts, instead. I respected my oath to the United States and South Dakota Constitutions. I respected our people. I respected their Freedom.

If Joe Biden had been President, he would have tried to stop me from protecting you. Thank God President Trump was in the White House at the time – because he let me do my job. 

The results have been absolutely incredible. Earlier this year, South Dakota became the first state in American history to reach a 1.8% unemployment rate. No state had ever had an unemployment rate that low! Our people understand the value of work – and purpose – and serving each other. Incomes have been going up faster than anywhere else. Women owned businesses do better here than virtually any other state. Folks are moving here in record numbers. Our birth rates are the highest in the country. Our new housing developments have led the nation. We have had historic tourism numbers, set new records in hunting and fishing licenses sold, and cut taxes all while bringing in historic revenues because of our economic growth. And while other states struggled with out-of-control crime, violence, and hopelessness, South Dakota enforced our laws, respected our law enforcement officers, and saw declining mental health challenges, declining drug overdoses, and declining suicide rates. By embracing our faith and our Freedom – and by working together – our people are happier.

You see, I believe this is one of the main reasons why South Dakota is so attacked by those who want to see us fail. They will do anything, and destroy anyone to get more control and power. We refused to comply.

All we did here in South Dakota is what Republicans have always said they believed – we just did it – and it worked!

That frightens the liberals – because we have proof that our policies lift people up – help people – improve their opportunities for success. We don’t have to speculate, guess, or be philosophical about the benefits of our principles – we have proof that they work.

Three years ago, on July 3rd at Mount Rushmore, I stood there to honor our nation. I quoted one of the four great leaders carved in stone on that mountain. I quoted my favorite president, Teddy Roosevelt:

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”

That night, I used those words to introduce our special guest who was with us that evening. I introduced him as “someone who knows precisely what it means to brave the dangers of the arena… someone who strives valiantly; who knows great enthusiasms; who spends himself in a worthy cause; and who has firmly and repeatedly stated his commitment to place Americans, American liberty, American safety, and the American Constitution before anything else.” 

Let me be clear: there are many who chose not to be in the arena – many who take the easy path, who criticize, who don’t show up for our party, our country, and our Constitutional rights. They don’t show up for you when it matters. They didn’t even show up here tonight to welcome a former President of the United States to South Dakota who cared enough to come support our state Republican Party and our great Chairman John Wiik. 

Yes, maybe it’s controversial to be here tonight. Maybe it’s not convenient. But it is not the critic who counts. Thank you all for being respectful – for being here for the man who always shows up for us. May we all know the triumph of high achievement because of those like him who fight for freedom. It is a worthy cause. 

I was at the southern border just two weeks ago. Make no mistake, it is a warzone, and President Biden’s policies are inhumane. He is ignoring our federal laws, perpetuating drug and human trafficking, and undermining our national security. 

The only person in this Presidential race who will fix the situation is President Trump. He started building and funded the wall. He instituted the “Remain in Mexico” Policy. And it worked. He supports our allies, such as Israel and Taiwan, and understands that a strong America brings a safer world.

I trust President Trump to use our military only when it’s in America’s best interests. I have been Commander in Chief of South Dakota’s National Guard. I have had South Dakota Guardsmen and women deployed every single day that I have served as Governor. Before that, I served on the House Armed Services Committee. I know how important American strength is on the world stage. I have seen it firsthand. I have seen President Trump take decisive action time and time again. He exhibits peace through strength. He destroys our enemies swiftly and without hesitation. And he understands that American men and women in uniform should only be deployed as a last resort.

The only person in the race that I trust to do what needs to be done on these issues – is President Trump. I haven’t seen those other candidates fight when it mattered – when it was hard to do the right thing for our country. Some of them talk pretty tough. But where were they when the pandemic was raging, when leaders were taking away people’s constitutional rights? Because government told folks they couldn’t gather together, people lost their freedom of assembly. Because government told people they couldn’t go to church, people lost their freedom of religion. Because government censored what information could be shared and what couldn’t, people lost their freedom of speech.

Where were the other candidates then? They were silent. Cowering. Or worse yet, locking down their own people, pushing mandates, and closing beaches – even arresting people for taking spring break. 

Yes – I will be attacked for speaking the truth to you all tonight. Yes, I expect Joe Biden, these candidates, their political operatives, and the media will perpetuate ugly, hateful misinformation in an attempt to destroy me and my family because of my opinions. It’s nothing new. I’m getting used to it honestly. 

But all of us here tonight need to heed the warning in this well-known quote: “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”

Do something. Get in the arena.

History cannot and should not be rewritten. 

We must remember what has happened in the past, learn from it, and not allow those who abused their power to ever perpetuate their harm again. 

To President Trump, my message is clear. It is an honor to have you here in South Dakota. These people here — they’re FREE. We are the strongest state in America because you let me do my job, and we seized that moment and told our story.

As you travel this great country, point to South Dakota as the example of what is possible. We just did here what Republicans have always said they believed. We just did it – and it worked!  We don’t have to talk in hypotheticals anymore. We kept businesses open. We kept government out of people’s lives. We cut taxes. Our government lives within its means. We have a surplus, not debt. We fund our pensions. We take care of our veterans. We conserve our natural beauty without government mandates. We fight for true and honest education, because we know how important it is to hand America off to our kids. We stand up for common sense, like fairness in girls’ sports. We do our part to secure the border. We honor America’s heroes. We stand for the flag and kneel for the Almighty. And sing the National Anthem.

This is real America. South Dakota is the example that you should share with the rest of the country. You made America great again once. Let’s do it again.

It is my honor to present to you the man in the arena. He is a man of significance. He is the leader, the fighter, that our country needs. He has my full and complete endorsement for President of the United State of America. I will do everything in my power to help him win to save this great country.  

Ladies and gentlemen, the 45th — and 47th — President of the United States, President Donald J. Trump!

 

Freedom Really Does Work Here
By: Governor Kristi Noem
September 8, 2023

I launched the “Freedom Works Here” nationwide workforce recruitment campaign in June to tell South Dakota’s story to America. South Dakota has seen unprecedented economic success over the last several years. This resulted in us having one of the lowest unemployment rates in the nation – but we still had open jobs to fill.

From the beginning, this campaign has been about filling job openings for South Dakota businesses. Our businesses are loving the results, and Americans are answering the call!

We’ve been telling our story to the entire nation, encouraging Freedom-loving Americans to move to the best state in the nation to live, work, and raise a family. Today, I’d like to tell a bit of a different story. I’d like to share the stories of the South Dakota businesses who have been able to thrive because of this campaign.

I’ve talked to businesses across South Dakota about their workforce struggles. Since the launch of this campaign, local businesses have seen an increase in out-of-state applicants, welcomed new employees from across the country, and eased the workforce shortages that used to hinder their success.

Cole-TAC in Rapid City, DemKota Ranch Beef in Aberdeen, and Journey Construction Group in Sioux Falls are just a few examples of all the businesses that have been hiring out-of-state workers to fill their open jobs.

“Where most politicians just say they are working on a problem, Governor Noem is actually doing something about it. Here at Cole-TAC, we have started to receive more and more applications from folks living out-of-state. They are all very well qualified, and it’s clear that they are excited about the prospect of moving to South Dakota,” said Cole-TAC President Dustin Coleman. “One of our applicants even said that Governor Noem’s ‘Freedom Works Here’ TV commercials are the reason they looked into moving to and working in South Dakota. We are excited to start welcoming these folks to our great state.”

“In addition to aggressively recruiting in our home state of South Dakota, DemKota Ranch beef routinely recruits teammates out-of-state. DemKota recruiters have visited Texas, Minnesota, Iowa, Kansas, Indiana, Illinois, Arkansas, Florida, Colorado, and Missouri. We have hired teammates from all of these states,” said DemKota Ranch Beef CEO Adam Bode. “In the last six weeks, DemKota has welcomed 82 out-of-state teammates and families into our company and community. DemKota Ranch Beef will continue to support our local cattle producers to competitively market their animals, where locker plants and large conglomerates fail to meet their needs.”

“Journey Construction Group has already hired two employees from out-of-state just in the last few weeks – one from Alaska and one from Colorado. With our need for workers, we’ve been grateful to Governor Noem for her efforts to share South Dakota’s story with the rest of the country,” said Journey Construction Group CEO Randy Knecht. “The two positions that we have already filled are professional positions, meaning they are year-round jobs, rather than seasonal roles like many jobs in construction tend to be. We are excited to hire more workers from within and outside the state of South Dakota as our need for more workers will increase again this spring.”

These businesses are proving that South Dakota’s story inspires people. Folks want to move their families to a state that values Freedom – that still believes in the beauty of the American Dream.

In the three months since the campaign launched, the five TV ads have been viewed almost 700 million times. 6,501 of people have filled out the online job application, and 1,402 of those folks are in the final stages of moving to South Dakota.

In South Dakota we’re showing America that Freedom really does work here.

###

Hot off the press, just had someone send me this flyer that’s going around at the various events this weekend leading up to the SDGOP Trump event and Central Committee Meeting.  Apparently, Heidi Engelhart, 2nd Vice President for South Dakota Republican Women, has thrown her hat into the internal SDGOP race for the National Committeewoman position current held by Pennington County resident Sandye Kading.

Her predecessor Sanye Kading was originally elected national committeewoman in 2012 for the South Dakota Republican Party, and has served as the president of the South Dakota Federation of Republican Women.

In South Dakota, the National Committeeman & woman’s duties have been largely ceremonial, and have consisted largely of representing South Dakota Republicans at meetings of the Republican National Committee.  In the past, the positions had travel paid for by the party, but as I understand, that went out of practice in past years, and committeepeople have largely been left to their own devices to cover their costs as the activity level and duties of the committeepersons were minimized and became less active in party activities such as fundraising.

Engelhart recently appeared on Mike Lindell’s streaming “Frankspeech” channel unhappy about local SDFRW clubs finding out they might have to accept transgendered individuals in their ranks, and along with an Iowa official in Republican Women, Engelhart declared that Republican Women Clubs would fight against transgendered membership in Republican Women all the way to the Supreme Court:

In the August 29 interview on the “Tamara Scott Show” on Mike Lindell’s FrankSpeech network, Carlson and Heidi Englehart of the South Dakota FRW said that they were advised by conservative constitutional attorney John Eidsmoe that the NFRW has a right as a “private organization” to establish its own bylaws for membership, and, like the Boy Scouts of America, it would prevail if a pro-LGBT legal challenge went all the way to the Supreme Court.

Read that here.

If that’s how they feel, I guess that’s all well and good for them, and I hope they pay for that fight out of their own budget. Not the party’s.

But to bring it up, if Engelhart is out campaigning for the spot to be elected at the next Republican convention, I want to know #1 – what is she going to do to get Republicans elected? And #2 – what is she going to do to raise money for the party (to help get candidates elected)?

Because the rest of it just sounds like a lot of noise.

And if anyone else is looking to run to be the next SDGOP National Committeewoman, it looks like it’s game on for the convention race.

The Sioux Falls Live website team has confirmed the story I brought you on August 30, noting that an activist with the SD Canvassing Group has been put in charge of Minnehaha County’s elections by Minnehaha County Auditor Leah Anderson:

The hourly pay will be $27.98 per hour. The pay rate was increased after the qualifications were upgraded with addition of a college degree and project experience, said Anderson.

and..

Commissioner Dean Karsky said in an interview with Sioux Falls Live that the auditor has the authority to hire whoever she wants.

“Leah was elected and beat an incumbent auditor,” Karsky said. “She was elected based on promises she made and what I see her doing is following through with the promises she made to the people who voted for her.”

Read it all here.

I’m sure this will go well.

The Aberdeen insider website had some talk in the last couple of days regarding the upcoming State Senate throwdown between long-time Aberdeen Republican Leader Katie Washnok, and State Representative Carl Perry:

The reason Novstrup and Perry hope to switch chambers is simple, Novstrup said. He will be term-limited out of the Senate.

and..

Washnok, 35, said the fact that Novstrup is term-limited in the Senate was one the reasons she decided to run. She describes herself as a political junkie who has been involved in a variety of political events and campaigns, but didn’t see herself running for office until recently.

Aberdeen has some big issues to face, she said, like ensuring it has an adequate water source. She said she wants to make sure it and other important topics are advocated for at the state level.

Read it all here (subscription required).

Katie Washnok quickly makes herself stand out, as she rattles off issues, and hits on solutions.  But, Novstrup and Perry are running for each other’s seats is because Al is termed out?  …and they felt the need to switch?

Really?  So how do they put that slogan on a billboard? One more time for the Very Old Boys’s club?  Or, Perry for Senate: Al told me I had to.

I know that I get barbs thrown my way because at times I will point things like this out on the Republican side of things. But regardless of party, it’s hard not be completely jaded when candidates like Al and Carl get up and make these kind of nakedly awful announcements.  “The reason Novstrup and Perry hope to switch chambers is simple, Novstrup said. He will be term-limited out of the Senate.”  Absolutely Ugh.

Al has been around for a while, if you look at his record of service..

So, why exactly does Al feel the need to go back and serve in a House yet again, with a record of chamber flipping that – if successful – that would match him with Frank Kloucek in holding on to office by his fingernails? There has got to be a better reason to be there.   Novstrup had also added “I still feel like there are issues to work on,” but aren’t there always?  And what will be his reason when he decides to jump back to the Senate the next time?

Even worse, reading the article makes Carl Perry sound like a butt-sniffing lap-dog, who only knows how to follow Al. His 2023 record for the bills he primed were 4 bills killed in committee, 4 bills withdrawn, so there’s no laurels for him to rest on.

Given that Perry and Novstrup have ran together over the last several elections, this announcement did nothing to dispel the impression that Perry only exists to do what Al says.  When candidates run together, and run together, and run together, and never stop, the voters will get the hint. Trust me, voters are looking for candidates who represent them not just a “yes-man” who does what he’s told.

If either Al or Carl intend to be in Pierre after the 2024 session, they had better step up their game and offer more than simply being Aberdeen’s septuagenarian broski ticket. As it is, this announcement was worse than a flop – it gave their opponents ammo to use against them.

Just got back from seeing my daughter in her educational program out east, where we spent the long weekend as a family. We managed to do a few fun things, including whale watching, and headed back Tuesday, where my rotten head cold I’d been developing was just getting worse.

As we were making the drive up from Sioux Falls, my wife remarked to me that maybe “I should go in to the clinic for a Covid test.” Ugh. Why do I want to go to the doctor? My mom was a nurse and we didn’t go to the doctor unless we were dying or had broken something.

I broke down and went in. Positive. Wife went in later. Same result. Time to unfurl the banner:

~ Welcome Back COVID ~

So now we’re back on the COVID quarantine train. Thankfully, things may be a little more relaxed after our country’s first experience with it.

This time they have antivirals they throw at you (paxlovid), which means you’re less apt to want to self-treat with ivermectin, aka ‘liquid sheep drench.’

Not foggy this time, as at least for me more like one of the worst head colds I’ve ever had, with exhaustion and some body aches. Although, my mouth tastes like ear wax. It can stop that any time now.

I think I might feel enough ambition to change pajamas this morning before I go back to my place of hiding on the basement couch. Definitely self-quarantining and popping into the office in bits and pieces to telecommute. But not planning anything big. Probably skipping the Trump Rally in Rapid.

It literally seems like a heavy case of what we used to get in previous years as the head flu.. not to be mistaken with the stomach flu. Where there was misery for a few days, and then back to work.

if that’s where it’s current mutation has landed us, we’ll just have to live with it, as we did all those years with seasonal flu that would affect schools and work in spurts, but would not shut the country down.

I’m going back to the couch now to live with it for another couple of days. Bleaugh.