Our kids and our grandkids will be the next generation of leaders, business owners, and entrepreneurs. They will also be the leaders of the future of our great American republic. They deserve an honest and factual classroom teaching that will prepare them to engage in our civil society for the rest of their lives.

In South Dakota, our students will be taught the best social studies standards in the country.

In the last century, the education movement has pushed to remove history and social studies in favor of what they deem “more practical pursuits.” And more recently, the No Child Left Behind initiative and its counterparts have all but eliminated history and civics instruction in elementary schools in favor of focusing the entire day on reading and math.

This has resulted in a severe decline in the teaching of social studies in this nation. A growing majority of Americans lack a fundamental understand of this country’s government structure and our history. In fact, more than half of natural-born American citizens could not pass a citizenship test.

Our kids and grandkids have not been learning the basic founding principles upon which their country was built. They do not know about the ideals and the vision of our Founding Fathers. And without this knowledge, they do not see how lucky they truly are to live in the greatest nation in the history of the world.

That is unacceptable – but we are taking steps to fix it.

In South Dakota, we have just passed new social studies standards that raise the bar for high-quality civic education in America. They are clearly written, rich in context, address the full story of our nation’s past, and incorporate South Dakota topics throughout all grade levels. These standards have the largest emphasis on Native American history of any proposed standards to date, as well.

America’s kids are struggling with civic literacy and uncivil discourse. A change in the approach to how we prepare our future citizens is far overdue. Our new social studies standards implement crucial changes to help our kids and grandkids. They are clear, concise, and transparent. Parents deserve to know what their children are being taught in the classroom.

The standards also integrate civics into all American history classes at every grade level and creates “spiraled sequencing.” This means that students will study world history four times and American history and civics five times over the course of their years of education. With each class, students will build upon what they have already learned, deepen their understanding, and acquire knowledge that will endure long after their high school graduation.

In South Dakota, we are finally giving our students the kind of education they deserve. We are equipping them with the necessary knowledge and experiences to become active members of our society. And we are preparing them to grow up and continue the legacy of this great nation.

It is my sincere hope that other states will follow in our footsteps and raise our kids to know and understand the importance and the significance of the history of the United States of America. Because the history of our nation is a history worth learning.

This originally printed as an op-ed on FoxNews.com.

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The Brookings/Moody County Lincoln Day Dinner was this past weekend. It has been a few years sine I’ve gone, so I actually attended. I had a nice invitation to join a friends’ table, and I didn’t have COVID, or any out of town trips.. I think I missed two of those because of Florida one year, and driving my son to go to the navy last year..  So, everything old was new again as I listened to the speakers, and said “Hi” to many people I don’t get to see because I never leave my basement office.

I also took in some of the things that struck me as odd, because it’s a Lincoln Day Dinner, and there’s always those unscripted things and interactions.

I think the winner of the night were the College Republicans, who had a great raffle. I wanted the SDSU planter, and I completely missed the meat bundles. Agh. I should have bought more tickets.

Otherwise a nice program. The highlights for the speakers were Senator and Chairman of the SDGOP John Wiik as the Master of Ceremonies and main speaker was Congressman Dusty Johnson.

Dusty largely hit on the budget deficit, and upcoming battle over funding the budget in light of deficit spending..

Dusty had to head out, so he actually spoke before legislators..

From where I was sitting, most of my photos ended up with people getting a microphone in their face..  This one of State Rep. Roger DeGroot was ok…

And this one of Senator Tim Reed was borderline sort-of ok, but it went downhill from here as none of the rest of the pictures were worth a darn, and everyone ended up with “microphone face.”  Sorry. I was just at a bad angle.

Lots of nice speeches from the Legislators from District 7 and 8 representing Brookings County, explaining what they did during session, and how new legislation and projects would benefit the area.  Shout out to newly minted Truman Scholar Caleb Weiland who substituted for Senator Casey Crabtree who had a conflict for an event he had to attend to his wife. (“Happy wife, happy life,” or so as my wife claims.)

For Moody County, the legislators for District 25 spoke. Randy Gross offered his comments, and encouraged everyone to partake in the ice cream he arranged to be donated, which was much appreciated.

District 25 State Rep. Jon Hansen used his time not to tell constituents about what he did during session, but to shill for his ballot committee.  And surprisingly, Senator Tom Pischke tried to address what he did during session, but kind of skipped over his voting to keep convicted rapists in classrooms, or about trying to have his fellow Republican Senators arrested for their Frye-Mueller vote. He also chose to omit his dis-invitation to the Senate Republican Caucus.

Speaking of deplorables, one of the things that got a little chatter during the evening was that outgoing Brookings School Superintendent Klint Willert attended the dinner. This comes after his “resign or be fired” ultimatum from the Brookings School Board, which the District’s attorney detailed point by point. Interestingly, the soon-to-be ex-superintendent shared a table with the aforementioned Senator Pischke, Representative Hansen, and unsuccessful legislative candidate Cole Heisey of Sioux Falls.

I’ll just stop there.

I did notice an ad in the program for a new group that drew my attention..

It was an ad for the “Save Brookings” political action committee, with the ad letting everyone know that they are going to be endorsing candidates that support the Republican platform. At least the platform according to them.

I hadn’t heard of this group before, so who is behind it?

According to the Secretary of State, apparently this group was set up by Rick Weible of Elkton earlier this month to “support conservative issues and candidates in Brookings South Dakota.”  We’ll see how long this lasts. Maybe someone can explain why we need a recent Minnesota transplant to Elkton to save Brookings?  Or, why would I send money to Elkton to save Brookings?

Have you been to Elkton? I’ve been to Elkton. I think Elkton could use a little saving before the home of the State’s largest university does.  But that’s just me.

As my daughter Sydney would say, “Peace out” until the next Lincoln Day Dinner comes around.

The Argus Leader is reporting today that after spending most of the last two months on probation for it’s accreditation status, the Brookings School District has finally gotten their act together.

But not until after they put their Superintendent on notice that he needed to go find work elsewhere:

Brookings’ accreditation status was still listed as “on probation” on the DOE’s website as of last week, despite having taken steps to reinstate it through a plan of action approved by its school board last month. However, as of Friday, their accreditation is back.

and..

“Despite some delays due to circumstances outside of our control, including the technological challenges with the state certification website, every effort was made to complete these items as quickly as possible,” Willert stated.

Read it all here.

I’m not sure “circumstances outside of our control” is completely accurate.  There were a couple of computer issues with the state’s system reported, but that was not all of it.

If you recall, this problem comes after the Brookings School Board had already identified serious problems with the performance of Brookings School Superintendent Klint Willert. But when it came to their attention, they did not let it pass without making note of it, as was related in detail in the letter from the Brookings School Board’s attorney:

Willert Ultimatum by Pat Powers on Scribd

Thankfully, we’re approaching the end of the School Year, and maybe the Board can start to get things back on track.

Remember when the backers of the “open primary” measure were in the news claiming only the most extreme reaches of the political party would oppose their measure?

State Senator and South Dakota Republican Party Chairman John Wiik is in SouthDakotaSearchlight.com today declaring the state GOP’s opposition to the Jungle Primary measure:

Wiik hopes the measure doesn’t make it onto the ballot at all, and would like to see it defeated handily if it does.

“We are 110% opposed to the idea,” Wiik said. “It is our job in the Republican Party to put out the best candidates and decide who’s going to represent us on the general election ballot.”

and..

“I don’t think downtown Sioux Falls should be deciding who we should have on our general election ballot,” Wiik said. “It’s an old adage of mine: Pick a side and stick with it. If you run in the middle of the road, you’re bound to get run over.”

Read the entire story here.

With Wiik representing the entire Republican party, I think the backers of the radical measure to shut out a lot of people from the November election should get the message that they represent the radical fringe, and not the rest of the SDGOP.

That’s why you don’t want to even think of it.

Now, this man is a convicted felon for voting twice.

South Dakota loves it’s governor and US Senators, according to the Morning Consult website, based on polling done between January 1 and March 31 of this year.

NEW: America’s Most Popular Governors:

Scott (R-VT): 78%
Gordon (R-WY): 67%
Sununu (R-NH): 66%
Justice (R-WV): 66%
Beshear (D-KY): 63%
Green (D-HI): 62%
Sanders (R-AR): 61%
Ivey (R-AL): 61%
Lamont (D-CT): 61%
Noem (R-SD): 61%
*Jan. 1-Mar. 31, 2023https://t.co/q8klQ5ilPc pic.twitter.com/OVrgAFEDHx

— Morning Consult (@MorningConsult) April 20, 2023

NEW: America’s Most Popular Senators:

Schatz (D-HI): 65%
Sanders (I-VT): 64%
Barrasso (R-WY): 63%
Thune (R-SD): 63%
Welch (D-VT): 62%
Lummis (R-WY): 61%
Rounds (R-SD): 61%
Hirono (D-HI): 60%
Tester (D-MT): 58%
King (I-ME): 57%
*Jan. 1-Mar. 31, 2023https://t.co/q8klQ5ilPc pic.twitter.com/leK3YGS2wV

— Morning Consult (@MorningConsult) April 20, 2023

That’s Republican Leadership showing the way!

From KELOland, the proponents of a jungle primary, which has either been rejected by voters or failed to achieve the ballot THREE TIMES NOW, are back running it again.

And along with the commencement of circulating their measure, representatives are lying to voters about the level of opposition to the measure which no one wants, and no one has asked for:

Joe Kirby, a lawyer and well-known retired Sioux Falls businessman, is the main sponsor behind the ballot measure to start a top-two primary election in South Dakota. Kirby told KELOLAND News in December 2022 he wants to let all voters vote.

and..

Kirby said he hasn’t heard of any opposition to the Constitutional Amendment but said he could see opposition from the “radical sides of both parties.” 

and..

Democrat Rep. Linda Duba was in attendance at the news conference. The Sioux Falls lawmaker said she is supporting South Dakota Open Primaries because it is the right thing to do. She said she’s not concerned if Democrat candidates would be left off November ballots with the top-two primary system.

Read the entire story here.

If Linda Duba wants to make sure no one turns out for Democrats in the fall ever again, that’s her business if she wants to further wreck her party. But the line that Joe Kirby is feeding people is a load of fertilizer.  The measure’s main sponsor, Joe Kirby claims “he hasn’t heard of any opposition to the Constitutional Amendment but said he could see opposition from the “radical sides of both parties?”

Well,  let’s try the State Republican Party Chairman John Wiik for one..  John Wiik campaigned to be chair of the SDGOP in part telling groups that the party fundraising needs to be robust “to fight off attempts to establish a “Jungle Primary” system in South Dakota.” That’s straight out of the Clay County GOP January minutes.  Chairman Wiik is anything but the “radical” side of the party, which is a much different story than this group is claiming.

The State Republican Central Committee has had pretty strong words in opposition of other measures monkeying with the ballot system, and I suspect they will quickly let their opinions be known on this latest attempt to monkey with our ballots.

So I got a press release this afternoon… 

Freedom Caucus Calls for State Beer Divestment

Rapid City, S.D. (April 19, 2023) – The South Dakota Freedom Caucus is condemning the recent actions of Anheuser-Busch’s use of Dylan Mulvaney and calling on Governor Kristi Noem to immediately divest in the state’s holdings in the company, totaling thousands of shares of stock in the Anheuser-Busch company according to a Securities Exchange Commission report from December 2022.

and..

“South Dakota needs to put our money where our values are,” said Tony Randolph, Vice-Chair of the South Dakota Freedom Caucus. “We cannot continue to invest in a company that promotes values that are contrary to those of South Dakotans.”

and..

“Men imitating as women is offensive,” said Tina Mulally, Treasurer of the South Dakota Freedom Caucus. “South Dakota should be investing in companies that respect our values, not promoting those that undermine them.”

(Yes, the graphic is my parody, but the words are not..).

So, yeah. I’m not sure what you can do with that except mock it.

Why do I expect the two dimmest bulbs in the House of Representatives to introduce a bill next session outlawing Rainbow Brite, and expunging any mention of the Reading Rainbow series from PBS?

You know, if you don’t want to support the company by not drinking their product, be a good consumer and do so.

But the Freedumb coalition wants to try to force the investment council to remove a company from their portfolio because a company sent commemorative beer to a dude who dresses in a way that many find odd?

Well.. dayam…That’s actually kind of ironic coming from Tina Mullaly.

Johnson Questions EPA Administrator Regan on Biofuels

 Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representative Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) questioned Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael Regan on year-round E15 sales.

Johnson and 16 of his colleagues sent a letter to Administrator Regan this week, urging the EPA to increase supply of biofuels and advanced biofuels blends. Increasing the use of biofuels is the most effective way to achieve lower emissions with our current transportation system.

“The reality is that E15 has a lower Reid Vapor Pressure rating than E10, so making E15 more broadly available doesn’t do anything to hurt smog,” said Johnson. “Quite to the contrary, it would help both from a carbon perspective and a smog perspective, and so I would ask the Administration to lean into this incredible opportunity for our country related to biofuels a bit more than it seems like you are today.”

View Johnson’s remarks from the House Ag Committee hearing here or click the image below.

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Uh oh. Someone is in trouble.

The South Dakota State University Association President was arrested for underage possession as well as a fake ID (and was suspected of having consumed said alcohol) after apparently having a bit too much fun this last weekend. From the SDSU Collegian:

Newly elected Students’ Association President Nicholas Grote said Tuesday he will not step down from his position after his arrest last weekend.

and..

Grote was arrested at 1:38 a.m. early Sunday morning on charges of possession of a fictitious license and underage purchase or possession of alcoholic beverages, according to an email from Brookings Police Department Detective Adam Smith sent to The Collegian. The arrest took place on the 300 block of 3rd Street at the 24-hour parking lot.

Detective Smith told The Collegian Grote smelled of alcohol and had bloodshot eyes.

and..

Grote said he does not think law enforcement had a good reason to stop him, and said that there is not enough evidence for his charges.

Read that here.

Interestingly, during the campaign for Student Association President last month, the perp (Grote) had heavily criticized the ethics of his opponent in terms of his conduct, expressly citing that violating the Student Association code of ethics is grounds for removal.

According to the SA code of ethics, members of the Students’ Association must “perform duties in accordance with institutional, local, state and federal rules and law..”

and..

Grote said during the debate last month: “We (The Students Association) have an entire list of things you do not violate when you are a senator. I’m sure, Hunter, you know, you violated five …  seven of those codes of ethics when talking about [vice presidential candidate Trinity Peterson or myself]. That is something that we will not tolerate in any way, shape or form. That is grounds for removal and that can be really, really bad.”

 Grote is scheduled to appear in court at 9 a.m. May 15 . The Collegian plans to  continue following this story.

Read the entire story here.

I guess he must have drawn a line through that part or added an exception for “falsifying government documents.”  Because this seems like a case of do as I say, not as I do.

When I read “The Collegian plans to continue following this story,” I have the feeling they are rubbing their hands together and going mwaaahahaha, because he comes off as more than a bit self-righteous, and might need to be taken down a peg.