From the Sioux Falls School District, Dawn Marie Johnson took an early lead in the race for School Board, and never let up:

Location	Total Ballots Cast	Dawn Marie Johnson	Nick Zachariasen	Brian Mattson
Peace Lutheran Church (1-1)	578	368	0	210
Memorial Middle School (1-2)	670	432	3	235
Career & Tech Ed Academy (1-3)	135	87	0	48
Maricar Community Center (1-4)	104	53	1	50
Oyate Community Center (1-5)	194	128	3	63
Our Redeemer Lutheran Church (1-6)	401	276	1	124
First Lutheran Church (1-7)	505	412	1	92
Wesley United Methodist Church (1-8)	131	90	0	41
Kenny Anderson Community Center (1-9)	319	223	0	96
Morningside Community Center (1-10)	807	556	1	250
Gloria Dei Lutheran Church (1-11)	643	436	2	205
Faith Baptist Church (1-12)	726	429	4	293
Instructional Planning Center (1-13)	1,266	990	3	273
Absentee Center (1-14)	1,172	925	1	246
Totals	7,651	5,405	20	2,226

Johnson seemed to have broad based support across party lines, while Mattson focused much of his energy in running as the Republican in the race.  As one resident put to me, “this was the first candidate under the Tornow regime” (as leader of the Minnehaha Co GOP) and the Republican candidate was beaten badly, on a 2-1 basis.

If this was a race that area Republicans were supporting, they didn’t show up.  But, I think it was less the focus on Republican identity than it was simply name identification.  Johnson raised and spent 3-4 times the amount Mattson was able to muster, which gave Dawn Marie Johnson the ability to get her name in front of far more people.

Big stats to keep in mind…

In a race where turnout was 6%, the race was less about ideology, and more about bringing your voters to the polls, which Dawn Marie Johnson managed to do.

I haven’t met Johnson, but Brian Mattson is certainly a nice person, and I’d encourage him to give it another go in the future.

Johnson Introduces Bill to Protect Land of Wounded Knee Massacre

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representative Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) introduced the Wounded Knee Massacre Memorial and Sacred Site Act to preserve a section of the land where hundreds of Lakota Indians were massacred by the U.S. Army.

“The Wounded Knee Massacre is a stain on our nation’s history,” said Johnson. “The Wounded Knee Massacre Memorial and Sacred Site Act provides greater tribal sovereignty to this sacred tribal land. Memorializing the Lakota lives lost will ensure this site remains sacred for generations to come.”

Specifically, the Wounded Knee Massacre Memorial and Sacred Site Act places the purchased land into restricted fee status to be held by the Oglala Sioux Tribe and Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe. Restricted fee status allows the tribes to own the land outright, while also keeping protections in place, such as a restriction on alienation and taxation from any state or local government. In September 2022, both tribes purchased the field where an old trading post was located. On October 21st, 2022, the tribes signed a covenant, stating that this property shall be held and maintained as a memorial and sacred site without any development.

This bill states that the land will continue to be owned by both tribes, subject to civil and criminal jurisdiction of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, may not be sold without the consent of Congress and both tribes, and is not subject to taxation by any state or local government. This land currently resides within the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation’s boundaries.

“We the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe view the 1890 Wounded Knee Massacre as one of the most atrocious acts of genocide against the innocent 350 Lakota children, women, and men who were brutally attacked and murdered after being disarmed by the United States Seventh Calvary. It is with great respect to those that came before us and those that will come after us that fuels our work to continue to create a stronger Lakota Nation. We are proud descendants of our Lakota ancestors, and we will never forget their sacrifices for us to be here today. We extend a heartfelt thank you to Congressional Representative Johnson and Staff for diligently working to bring the truth to light in honor of the original stewards of the sacred lands. We stand in strong solidarity in memorializing this sacred site, that will be honored as such forever more,” said the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Chairman Ryman LeBeau, Manny & Renee Iron Hawk (Hawk 1890) Wounded Knee Survivor Descendants.

“We must remember the sacrifices our ancestors have suffered for us. What happened at Wounded Knee is a reminder that we as a Oyate (people) have succumbed incredible odds to survive, so we must honor our ancestors by preserving the land for future generations to come,” said Ogalala Sioux Tribe President Frank Star Comes Out.

Read full bill text here. Find the Covenant between both tribes here. Find the map here.

Wounded Knee Massacre Background:

In the late 1880s, a movement called the Ghost Dance swept across the nation. Indians believed that this dance would give stolen land back to the Indians, bringing about a renewal of Native society. Indians would join together, wearing shirts they believed would protect them from bullets, to dance for this renewal, all at the protest of the federal government.

On December 29th, 1890, a group of Lakota Indians led by Chief Spotted Elk had made camp near Wounded Knee Creek on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. There, U.S. Army 7th Calvary troops were sent to disarm the Lakota. A struggle occurred between the U.S. Army and some of Chief Spotted Elk’s band – a majority of which consisted of women and children. A shot rang out, and the U.S. Army opened fire on the largely unarmed group, massacring an estimated up to 350-375 Lakota Indians. Twenty-five U.S. soldiers also died.

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Gov. Noem Leads Letter Opposing the Chinese Communist Party

PIERRE, S.D. – Today, Governor Kristi Noem led a letter with three of her fellow Republican governors to Mortimer Buckley, Chief Executive Officer of Vanguard. The letter encourages Vanguard to create an index fund that excludes China. You can read the letter here.

“As governors, we are responsible for protecting our people and recognizing financial security plays a significant role in their lives and livelihoods,” wrote Governor Noem and her colleagues. “We are deeply committed to ensuring that our state investments deliver the highest possible returns while insulating our states from financial risk. Such financial risk can often come from external factors and threats to our nation’s financial security – including the risk posed by the Chinese Communist Party.”

In response to earlier correspondence from Governor Noem, Vanguard indicated that it was exploring the option of creating a new emerging markets fund that excludes any investments in China.

In addition, Governor Noem sent a letter to the South Dakota Investment Council asking them to take advantage of such a product if it becomes available. The letter encourages the Investment Council to consider other asset managers in the meantime.

The Chinese Communist Party is increasing its efforts to infiltrate the Unites State by:

• Purchasing significantly more American land, particularly farmland, in order to control our food supply and collect critically important intelligence information in the process;
• Invading the homes of 150 million monthly active TikTok users in the United States and using the app to collect data off of our people’s devices;
• Brazenly sending a spy balloon across the American homeland with the intent of gathering intelligence on American military installations; and,
• Gaining entry, under the guise of diplomatic missions and exchange programs, into our universities, governments, and private sector institutions in an orchestrated attempt to manipulate our day-to-day lives.

“Because of these and other security threats, our states are looking for options to invest our taxpayer dollars in a way that does not financially benefit the Chinese Communist Party.” continued Governor Noem and the other governors. “We appreciate Vanguard’s attention to this matter and look forward to seeing how you are able to once again lead the industry through your attention to this critically important issue.”

Governor Noem was joined by the following Republican governors in issuing the statement:

Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds, Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves, and Texas Governor Greg Abbott.

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According to reports, former South Dakota Secretary of State Shantel Krebs, who lost the 2018 Republican Congressional Primary to Dusty Johnson, has recently been named the interim leader of Avera St. Mary’s in Pierre.

Former state lawmaker and Secretary of State Shantel Krebs has been named the interim leader of Avera St. Mary’s hospital in Pierre.

and..

Krebs served in both the House and Senate of the South Dakota legislature from 2005 to 2015.  She served as Secretary of State from 2015 to 2019.

Feller did not say if Krebs, who previous lived outside Fort Pierre, would be moving to the area or working in the interim role remotely.

Read the story here.

Clarifying language as it relates to South Dakota’s abortion law for the life/health of the mother will be coming back in 2024, according to sponsors of a measure that was withdrawn in 2023, after opposition from representatives of South Dakota Right to Life – the same group which is campaigning to prevent a ballot measure enshrining abortion rights in the constitution from being placed on the ballot.

In an article in the Sioux Falls Argus Leader today…

House Assistant Majority Leader Taylor Rehfeldt introduced a bill during the 2023 legislative session that would have redefined when physicians can intervene to end a pregnancy, hoping to clarify the issue for physicians. But she requested a committee table it because she didn’t believe there was enough support to pass the bill — mostly due to opposition from the anti-abortion group South Dakota Right to Life.

A second, last-minute attempt to clarify the definition by Sen. Erin Tobin, R-Winner, was also halted later in the session. She asked the group’s executive director, Dale Bartscher, during a committee hearing about clarifying the health of the mother exception in the future.

“Right to Life definitely will continue to collaborate with anyone on issues of protection of the mother and the baby in the mother’s womb,” Bartscher said.

“Wonderful,” Tobin responded. “It seems like it’s a very high priority in this statement. I’ll be expecting further work on that.”

Rehfeldt has vowed to bring the bill back to the Legislature in 2024 — which will likely be months before South Dakotans vote on whether to amend the state constitution to allow abortions in the first trimester.

Read the entire story here.

 

Whoof! During the public input tonight at the City Council meeting in Aberdeen, the first person on the agenda was Bob Braun, Superintendent of the Aberdeen Water Treatment plant since 2017.. and an employee there for the last 13 years.

And in a show of fireworks, he absolutely unloaded on the Aberdeen City Council, and as far as I could tell, especially the city Manager, expressing that the water treatment “plant is ready to fail,” among other problems.

From Hub City Radio, go to 3:10 in the video, and get ready to watch the show.

During the video, about at 5:30, he explains how in November of 2020 he caught an employee faking lab work. And after reporting it, he was not allowed to take any action. And as he claims, water tests have been faked to this day.

He also went through a litany of employee issues that he was not allowed to take any action on, as well as delays that increased costs for taxpayers, because they were held for no discernible reason.  He also explained how he was denied the ability to get surgery by his employer.

It culminated in his giving his notice to the city as a man fed up with his work situation.

It will be interesting to see what kind of ripples this sets off with the city residents, and whether anyone digs into it further.

Water tests have been faked since 2017? I wonder if Aberdeen will see a run on bottled water.

Gov. Noem Submits Public Comment Opposing Biden’s Proposed Changes to Title IX

PIERRE, S.D. – Today, Governor Kristi Noem and the South Dakota Department of Education submitted a public comment to U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona opposing the Biden Administration’s proposed rule changes regarding Title IX and the fairness of girls’ and women’s sports. You can read the statement here.

“The proposed rule in unacceptable,” wrote Governor Noem. “If not withdrawn, the Department’s flawed proposed rule will cause untold harm to women and girls in sports…To ensure that Title IX continues to protect the very group it was enacted to protect, and to preserve the sovereign interests of states like South Dakota that have stepped in to do the same, the proposed rule should be abandoned.”

Governor Noem signed the toughest bill in the nation to protect girls’ sports last year. She followed that action by leading a letter co-signed by 15 Republican governors urging the Biden Administration not to take this action. And Governor Noem and her Republican colleagues recently sent a joint letter to Secretary Cardona opposing Biden’s proposed changes to Title IX.

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South Dakota Democrat Bert K. Olson of Sioux Falls filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission late this last week to raise money for the purpose of running as a Democrat for Congress in the 202 election cycle.

If you recall,  Bert Olson attempted to run as an independent for the same office in 2022..

Bert Olson is running for Congress as an independent to represent South Dakotans in Washington!!!

He’s going to need your help to circulate a lot of petitions in order to get on the ballot!!!

If you would like to help circulate petitions let me know. pic.twitter.com/cOOafNRP9e

— Sawyer Van Horn (@sawyervanhorn18) April 1, 2022

And going back to the 2022 election, Bert was not happy about the amount of love that Dems gave him at the time.

Not to mention that Olson was said to have had some notoriety in the past..

..such as when as Deuel County State’s Attorney, he granted himself immunity for possession of illegal drugs. By writing it on the box of illegal drugs. He resigned after his arrest. (From the Argus Leader, May 4, 1993)

Launching himself as the Democrat candidate a year ahead of the primary season might give him a little more time to work the kinks out of his campaign. But until he gets on the ballot, I’m going to remain the skeptic.

Guest Column: Stalinist Altruism (Movie Review)
By Thomas E. Simmons

Ayn Rand’s fiction has never been successfully put to film. The Fountainhead miscast Gary Cooper as the uncompromising architect, Howard Roark. It is a failed adaptation of the novel of the same name. After Warner Brothers trimmed down Roark’s courtroom speech without obtaining her advance approval, Rand refused to option anything else for the silver screen for the rest of her life. She died in 1982.

Atlas Shrugged, Rand’s fourth and final novel, describes a dystopian United States in which free enterprise is straining under government coercion. A relatively low-budget trilogy adaptation was released in 2011-14. Each bombed spectacularly. Rotten Tomatoes rates the three films, respectively, at 12%, 4%, and 0%. Granted, the films are flawed. But they’re worthwhile.

The premise of Atlas Shrugged is that in response to widespread unrest, the country veers left. Altruism is forcibly imposed by expanding anti-trust laws. Patents are nationalized. The right of employees to resign or change jobs is eliminated. Prices are controlled. Soon, it becomes illegal for an individual to own more than one business (think what this would do to Warren Buffet or Elon Musk!). In response, the most talented captains of industry begin to disappear.

They’re not being kidnapped or murdered – they’re reassembling a secret society devoted to free enterprise and individual achievement. Adopting the tactics of unhappy workers, management goes on strike. They withdraw. Predictably, their businesses falter and the economic crisis worsens. Free-thinking artists and inventors follow suit. Soon, economic instability threatens the tyrannical federal government itself, which was precisely the goal of the capitalist revolutionaries.

The title of the lengthy novel was originally The Strike. Rand changed it to Atlas Shrugged, suggesting how the productive giants of the world ought to respond to a left-leaning ideology bearing down on their shoulders. They should shrug. (Atlas is the Greek titan who carries the celestial sphere – the universe – on his back.)

The film trilogy comes off as flat and preachy. But that’s true to the novel. Rand discounted the role of emotions. Reason is sovereign. Individual excellence and human freedom are celebrated. Escapism and leisure are mostly without value. Objective truth reigns supreme (hence, the name attached to her philosophy: objectivism).

The most interesting aspect of the films is the interplay between technology and government. The federal science institutes malign a new steel alloy as unsafe, not because it poses safety risks, but because of bureaucratic ambitions to reallocate the value of the invention among the masses. No tyranny can abide scientific truths. In a socialist future, facts give way to ideology – an ideology which insists that no one can be better than anyone else – and that government has all the answers, even when those answers are lies.

Thomas E. Simmons
University of South Dakota Knudson School of Law
Vermilion, SD

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The opinions Professor Simmons expresses here on are his as an individual and do not reflect the views of the Board of Regents, the University of South Dakota, its Knudson School of Law, their employees, faculty, or administrators. The foregoing represents his views as a private citizen.

Every day, no matter the hour, there’s a police officer on duty. It’s not an easy job – we ask a lot of our law enforcement community. An ordinary day for the men and women in blue takes extraordinary character, courage, and commitment. During National Police Week, we honor their service and remember those officers who made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty.

Being a police officer isn’t just a job. It’s a calling. They run toward the unknown and confront threats on a daily basis. If you ask a cop, they usually tell you, “It’s just part of the job.” But this job entails an array of responsibilities, from catching criminals to keeping drivers safe to teaching kids about the dangers of drugs. There’s a great deal of character behind the badge, and I commend these public servants for answering the call to protect and serve their communities.

Policing has never been easy, but the men and women who choose it often do so despite the challenge and risks. Over the last few years, though, steady criticism and vilification of the police, which has sadly been amplified by far-left politicians, has taken a noticeable toll. Retirements and resignations are on the rise nationwide, without enough applicants to fill openings. Facing staffing shortages, many departments are stretching their resources extremely thin. Some have innovated, including the Sioux Falls Police Department, which recently partnered with Southeast Tech to create a pathway for individuals to explore a law enforcement career while earning a paycheck and college credit. I hope programs like this encourage more people to answer the call to serve their community in law enforcement.

Law enforcement agencies throughout the United States are also continuing to adapt to new threats to public safety, particularly those spawned by the crisis at our southern border. County sheriffs and police departments, which were already facing budget cuts, officer shortages, and rising crime, now find themselves assuming de facto national security duties. And drugs coming across the border are making their way around our country. South Dakota law enforcement traces the increased presence of drugs like fentanyl and meth in the state to the border crisis, which will only grow worse now that Title 42 has been lifted. Drug overdoses, which continue to trend upward, have taken too many lives, and confronting the flow of illegal drugs will continue to take a concerted law enforcement effort both at the border and in communities across the country.

There will always be challenges to maintaining law and order, but we can take comfort in knowing that there will always be men and women willing to keep watch, go after criminals, and protect the public. Police officers make sacrifices every day to protect and serve our communities. National Police Week provides an opportunity to be especially grateful for these brave men and women who put service above self to keep us safe.

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