As the 2023 legislative session comes to a close, I want to take a moment to look back at what the legislature and I were able to accomplish working together for the people of South Dakota. We advanced the American Dream. We provided opportunities for families to grow even stronger. And we have further guaranteed the safety of our people. Altogether, we made life better for South Dakotans.

First off, our daughters can accomplish anything they set their minds to. To send them that message, I opened my State of the State Address with a promise: to fix our state laws and Constitution so that they reflect that both men and women can hold office. I proudly signed legislation to change references to state officeholders in statute, and a constitutional amendment will be on the ballot in 2024.

As big an accomplishment as this is, we have done even more for the people of South Dakota this legislative session. Together, we are continuing to build and advance the American Dream. We’re addressing our workforce “growing pains” head-on by accepting out-of-state licenses for nearly every profession. Over 3,000 jobs will be needed every year through 2030 in professions affected by this legislation – this bill will help us fill them. It will allow Freedom-loving people from every corner of the country to move to South Dakota, join our record-breaking economy, and pursue their American Dream.

We also delivered more than $100 million in tax relief to the people of South Dakota. Although the legislature only published a temporary tax holiday, I am glad they agreed that such tax relief is necessary. And I will continue to work with them to deliver a permanent tax cut for the people.

I also worked with legislators to preserve South Dakota’s number one industry: agriculture. Our farmers are the heart and soul of this state, and they literally feed the world. They should not have to face frivolous claims that delay development and spike the cost of production. This legislation will protect the future of South Dakota ag and ensure that we can pass this thriving industry down to our kids and grandkids.

We are continuing to build stronger families in South Dakota. Now, our state laws will guarantee that it is the responsibility of both the mother and father to equally pay expenses related to pregnancy. The gift of a child is a beautiful thing, but too often mothers are faced with financial burden. They should never have to face that alone. Just as life begins at conception, so should financial support.

States have the responsibility to secure their own people. South Dakota is drawing the blueprint for state-led foreign policy. Early this session, I signed an Executive Order to restrict state and local governments from contracting with six “Evil Foreign Governments,” China, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Russia, and Venezuela. The legislature then passed a bill to codify that Executive Order. This legislation protects our taxpayers’ dollars from becoming revenue streams for evil foreign governments, and it ensures that South Dakota will continue to be a beacon of Freedom for the rest of the nation.

South Dakota is the greatest state in America. It’s the best state to live, work, and raise a family. The best state to pursue the American Dream. I can see it, South Dakotans can see it, and Americans all over the country can see it. But there are always opportunities to do better. There were even more accomplishments than these. I am proud that this legislative session we improved the lives of South Dakotans.

Our state motto is “Under God, the People Rule.” There is not a doubt in my mind that, as long as we continue to listen to the people of South Dakota, we will always be the best state in the nation.

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Thune Leads Effort to Permanently Repeal the Death Tax  

“I will continue to do everything in my power to remove these roadblocks for family businesses and repeal the death tax once and for all.”

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), ranking member of the Subcommittee on Taxation and Internal Revenue Service Oversight, today led 40 of his Senate colleagues, including Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee, in reintroducing legislation to permanently repeal the federal estate tax, more commonly known as the death tax. The Death Tax Repeal Act would end this purely punitive tax that has the potential to hit family-run farms, ranches, and businesses as the result of the owner’s death.

“Agriculture is the backbone of South Dakota’s economy,” said Thune. “For years I have fought to protect farm and ranch families from the onerous and unfair death tax. Family-owned farms and ranches often bear the brunt of this tax, which makes it difficult and costly to pass these businesses down to future generations. I will continue to do everything in my power to remove these roadblocks for family businesses and repeal the death tax once and for all.”

“For far too long, the death tax has wreaked havoc on farm families and small businesses across Kentucky. The burden of this unfair and punitive tax can be devastating for families who only want to pass down their hard-earned livelihoods to the next generation. Washington Democrats need to recognize the economic damage they’ve inflicted and join Republicans in ending this harmful tax,” said McConnell. “I’m proud to stand with Senator Thune for repealing the death tax for good. Kentuckians must be allowed to build upon the legacies of their family farms without fear of financial ruin.”

“High federal taxes should not prevent farmers, entrepreneurs and savers – who have worked a lifetime to leave something to the next generation – from passing their business to their children,” said Crapo. “We need to permanently repeal this punitive tax, and I thank Senator Thune for leading this years-long effort.”

“No cattle producer should ever be forced to sell their family’s farm or ranch to pay a tax bill due to the death of a family member,” said Todd Wilkinson, president of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and South Dakota cattle producer. “Repealing the death tax is a commonsense way to keep the farm or ranch in the family. As a land-based, capital-intensive industry, most cattle producing families are asset-rich and cash-poor, with few options to pay off tax liabilities. It is unacceptable that some families are forced to sell off land, farm equipment, parts of the operation, or the entire ranch to pay the estate tax. We need a tax code that promotes the continuation of family-owned businesses instead of breaking them up.”

The legislation is cosponsored by U.S. Sens. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Mike Braun (R-Ind.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Lindsay Graham (R-S.C.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), John Kennedy (R-La.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.).

Thune led the Senate’s attempt to repeal the estate tax while Congress considered the Tax Cuts of Jobs Act (TCJA) in 2017. Although the final version of the TCJA did not repeal the death tax, the law effectively doubled the individual estate and gift tax exclusion to $10 million ($12.9 million in 2023 dollars) through 2025, which prevents more families and generationally-owned businesses from being affected by this tax. The increased exclusion expires at the end of 2025, which increases uncertainty and planning costs for family-owned businesses, farms, and ranches.

Thune’s bill is supported by more than 150 members of the Family Business Coalition and 111 members of the Family Business Estate Tax Coalition, which includes the American Farm Bureau Federation, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, the National Federation of Independent Business, the Associated General Contractors of America, the Policy and Taxation Group, the National Association of Home Builders, the National Association of Manufacturers, and many others. Read further quotes of support for the Death Tax Repeal Act here.

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Attorney General Jackley Releases Final Explanation for Proposed One Subject Constitutional Amendment

PIERRE, S.D. – South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley has released the final ballot explanation for a proposed constitutional amendment that would remove the provision that a proposed constitutional amendment can cover only one subject.

Language for the constitutional amendment can be found here. The constitutional amendment will be placed on the 2024 general ballot if the required 35,017 valid signatures are gathered and are approved by the South Dakota Secretary of State’s Office. A majority of the votes cast in the general election will be needed to pass the measure.

The Attorney General’s explanation was drafted after a review of all the comments received during the proposed amendment’s 10-day comment period. A total of seven comments were received.

State law requires the Attorney General to draft a title and explanation for each initiated measure, initiated constitutional amendment, constitutional amendment proposed by the Legislature, or referred measure that may appear on an election ballot. The Attorney General does not take a position on any such proposal.

Quincy Hanzen of Sioux Falls, S.D. was the prime sponsor of this proposed amendment.

For more information regarding ballot measures, please visit the Secretary of State’s website.

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The South Dakota Board of Regents has given first reading to a Minors on Campus policy which in in response to last years’ advertising of a “family friendly” drag show on the South Dakota State University campus.

As noted in the document, “The proposed Minors on Campus Policy will provide consistent protocol and process across the system for events bringing minors to campus,” and “to university sponsored programs, as well as externally sponsored programs occurring on campus, involving the presence of minors, providing certain baseline requirements in areas such as: prohibited conduct; appropriate supervision of non-student minors; background checks; duty to report inappropriate conduct; and sanctions for noncompliance.”

You can read it here:

6_D_BOR0323 by Pat Powers on Scribd

Thoughts?  I think they actually did a more than reasonable job.

If you ever take a moment to read the bylaws of the South Dakota Republican Party, it’s clear that the success of the organization has been based on a well-organized structure, and the ability of the group to keep their eye on the ball of electing Republicans.

The very first item the bylaws lay out succinctly is what the organization is there as a group to do:

1. Purpose: The purpose of the State Central Committee shall be to coordinate the activities of the South Dakota Republican Party, to promote the establishment of Republican principles and policies and to give effective assistance in the conduct of national, state and local elections.

Give effective assistance in the conduct of national, state and local elections.  Boom. There’s the secret to the sauce. TO GET PEOPLE ELECTED. That philosophy has been working pretty well for decades, especially over the past one.

I bring it up as there is continued talk surrounding a group calling themselves the Coalition of Counties, continuing efforts to be “a shadow party” within the hierarchy of the South Dakota Republican Party Organization, sucking away time and resources – that should be devoted to the organizational mission – instead in the pursuit of their own agenda.

So far, their main activity has been to send resolutions to the Attorney General on ballot issues.. as opposed to bringing those things to the State GOP as an organization, so the party can weigh in as one voice.   Take for example one of the larger counties belonging to the shadow group:

Someone please explain to me what on earth that a debate over “controllable electronic records” has to do with providing “effective assistance in the conduct of national, state and local elections.”

Keep in mind that under the banner of the Minnehaha County Republican Party organization, they supposedly directed this message to all Republican South Dakota State Representatives, and not just those in Minnehaha County, as if the Representatives from Pierre or Butte county are somehow beholding to them.

And then we get into their mission creep. Where they shift gears from it having to do anything with getting people elected, and are trying to “impact policies and elected officials.”

They point out that “The South Dakota Coalition of Counties is a group of like-minded county Republican Party officials across the state whose objective is to positively impact policies and elected officials in the State of South Dakota at the federal, state, and local levels consistent with the US Constitution, South Dakota Constitution, and South Dakota Republican Party Platform. The Coalition is comprised of counties that together represent over half the population of the state.”

While the Counties may represent some major population areas of the state, somehow I doubt they represent much more than a very narrow cross section of hard-line party members who seek to berate those who don’t fit into their narrow area of the Republican Party tent.  Really, can someone point out where in the South Dakota Republican Party bylaws they give Minnehaha and other county organizations the ability to form a shadow party group?

It gets even better, as one attendee relates what was discussed at the local Minnehaha Republican Party Central Committee meeting held last weekend.

Search for speaker for Lincoln Day Dinner to be fall of 2023, and other events throughout the year is among other things, a goal.

Schedule Campaign events to encourage more members of the public to involve and participate in events..

And that sounds pretty normal…. and then we run off the rails.

Discussed the fact that there are more than 50 Counties that are forming a coalition to take a stand vs the S.D Legislatire (sic) on many topics, with the goal to organize the voters as one group.

Wait, what?  How is “forming a coalition to take a stand vs the S.D Legislatire (sic)” consistent with the Republican Party’s organizational goal of giving “effective assistance in the conduct of national, state and local elections?”

Because if anything, it would be the compete opposite.

Referring to the SDGOP bylaws concerning County Officers…

5. Duties of Officers:

1. 1. County Chairman: The county chairman, as head of the Republican Party in the county, has the following duties:

1. 1. 1. Direct county Republican Party affairs as well as to conduct the political campaign in the county.
      2. Attend and serve as a voting member at meetings of the State Central Committee.
      3. Carry out the annual plan of party goals and objectives of the state chairman.
      4. Seek to obtain a full Republican slate for all county and legislative positions, including precinct committeemen and precinct committeewomen, in the primary election.
      5. Appoint a county finance director who works with the state finance director as well as the county chairman.
      6. Preside over meetings of the County Central Committee and County Executive Board.
      7. Direct the activities of the precinct committeemen and precinct committeewomen.
      8. Serve on the County Executive Board.

I don’t see anything in those duties about forming a shadow organization to act contrary to, or without the permission of, the State Republican Central Committee. I don’t see anything in that list about taking “a stand vs the S.D Legislatire (sic) on many topics,” either.

I’ve been involved for a lot of years now.. and somehow, I don’t see this ending well.

In recent years the political environment has given rise to a number of groups who have organized to be separate entities from the SDGOP. But they generally don’t run as independents. They still desperately run their candidates as Republicans.

But these groups aren’t interesting in being contributing members of a whole, as opposed to wanting to enforce their dogma. There’s really not any interest in being part of a broad-based political party who holds the majority in the State.  These groups are somewhat inbred in terms of their beliefs in insisting that they are right, echo the worst parts of social media, and often have a false impression that everyone believes in their point of view. They want everyone to fit within the confines of a very small dogmatic box.

But, it doesn’t work that way. And the risk they run in making that assumption is losing elections.

Some time ago I had a discussion with Senator Thune on this very topic. And he noted as I know to be true, that you need different kinds of Republicans in different areas. The kind of Republican who gets elected in Hot Springs isn’t necessarily the kind who can get elected in Brookings. The kind of Republican who gets elected in Box Elder might not be the kind who can get elected in Sioux Falls.

Good candidates are reflective and representative of their communities, not beholding to a special interest group’s checklist.  And that’s something the people at the grassroots who are trying to “take a stand vs the S.D Legislatire (sic)” need to get through their heads before the Republican Party starts suffering catastrophic losses at the ballot box.

It’s not about them. It’s not about their issues. It’s about what all Republicans are seeking in their representation…  And once past a primary, then they need to go sell it in the general election   It’s not about groups taking over local county party groups, and then deciding they aren’t going to stay in their lane because they have a special interest mission.

The Republican party needs to stay on task – getting Republicans elected to serve South Dakota. They need to recognize that’s their primary goal. And it has nothing to do with fronting for special interest groups.

From Linked in, just a month on from the election of a new chair, it looks like Berk Ermergerd… er.. Ehrmantraut is heading out the door as Democrats look for a new direction as they do most years.

Maybe not completely shocking, after democrats were largely shut out again, but this one had slipped under the radar until now.

Chairman Wiik Joins Governor Noem in Banning Rank Choice Voting in South Dakota 

PIERRE, SOUTH DAKOTA – Chairman John Wiik, Vice Chairman Mary Fitzgerald and Representative Kirk Chaffee (R-29) joined Governor Kristi Noem as she signed Senate Bill 55. SB 55 is a bill to prohibit rank choice voting in South Dakota.

“I am grateful for Governor Noem’s leadership on this bill” said Chairman John Wiik “The South Dakota Republican Party is proud to have played an important role in preventing rank choice voting in our state.”

The bill was officially signed into law on Tuesday March 21, 2023 along with 12 other election bills.

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Johnson Responds to Misinformation by Ranking Member Scott

 Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representative Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) defended his bill to enforce work requirements forable-bodied adults without young dependents that receive SNAP benefits. His remarks were made during the House Agriculture Committee hearing with U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Vilsack.

Members on the Democratic side of the Committee were vocal in their opposition to Johnson’s America Works Act, calling it “extreme.” Work requirements historically have bipartisan support, and Johnson quoted then-Senator Joe Biden speaking in support on them on the Senate Floor, saying, “The culture of welfare must be replaced with the culture of work.”

Johnson highlighted states that have seen positive results from returning to work requirements—states such as Florida and Arkansas. In Arkansas, the return to work resulted in able-bodied adults without dependents enrollment dropped by 70 percent, and the income of those leaving the program tripled within just a few years of employment.

Listen to Johnson’s remarks here or click the video below.

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The Argus has an article on the Brookings School District’s accreditation debacle with some interesting points on how serious the issue of accreditation is.

Despite one school board member calling it sensationalized, there was a lot more to it than that. It is so serious that the district could have been dissolved, and the school lands subject to reassignment:

A public school district that has not regained its state-accredited status will become ineligible to receive state aid to education at the beginning of the next school fiscal year on July 1, according to state law.

If the Secretary of Education determines there’s no plan of action, they must alert county commissioners that the district is subject to loss of authority and the lands are subject to reassignment, according to state law.

In other words, if the Brookings School District and board hadn’t come up with a plan of action as they did by Monday night, the schools could’ve lost state aid, the city would’ve lost its public schools and the public schools would’ve become something else.

Read the story here.

I knew they’d lose state aid to education, but what they could have been facing could have been so much worse, had we kept down this path.

It’s shocking to think the Brookings School District was on track for being turned over to the County Commission and faced being dissolved, and the schools being reassigned.

One of the (formerly) top school districts in the state being dissolved and carved up among Deubrook, Sioux Valley and the Flandreau School Districts?

It might be far-fetched, but this is way more serious than has been downplayed by school leadership.