Am I really reading that South Dakota Democrat State Representative Kadyn Wittman trying to intimate in a passive-aggressive manner that she is worried over being attacked by a Republican?
Wow.
Gov. Noem Signs Executive Order Blocking State Business with “Evil Foreign Governments”
PIERRE, S.D. – Today, Governor Kristi Noem signed Executive Order 2023-02, which blocks the State of South Dakota from doing business with certain telecommunications companies owned or controlled by “evil foreign governments.” The order also requires that every state contract include a clause certifying the contractor is not owned, influenced, or affiliated with these countries.
“It is critical that we protect South Dakotans from evil foreign governments,” said Governor Noem. “This order ensures that these countries cannot leverage telecommunications or state contract procurements to gain access to crucial state infrastructure and data.”
The order blocks business with companies associated with the governments of China, Iran, North Korea, Russia, Cuba, and Venezuela.
Two months ago, Governor Noem signed an Executive Order banning TikTok for South Dakota state government. Since then, dozens of states have taken action to ban TikTok, as has Congress.
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Gov. Noem Urges Investigations into Leak of Social Security Numbers
PIERRE, S.D. – Yesterday, Governor Kristi Noem urged investigations into the leaking of nearly 2,000 Social Security numbers by the January 6th Committee. She pushed Attorney General Merrick Garland to investigate the apparent violation of federal law. She also requested that the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability and the House Ethics Committee investigate the breach.
The leaked Social Security numbers included those of Governor Noem, Bryon Noem, Kassidy Peters, Kyle Peters, Kennedy Noem, and Booker Noem.
“This callous, unacceptable handling of our most sensitive information could have permanent, widespread damage to the lives of my kids and my grandkids, as well as the families of the many other individuals impacted,” Governor Noem writes in both letters.
The leak of these Social Security numbers is a violation of the Privacy Act of 1974, which provides that “[no] agency shall disclose any record which is contained in a system of records by any means of communication to any person, or to another agency, except pursuant to a written request by, or with the prior written consent of, the individual to whom the record pertains[.]” 5 U.S.C. § 552a(b).
The leak impacted several public figures, including Governor Greg Abbott, Governor Henry McMaster, former U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Ben Carson, and former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar.
“I am glad of your recent decision to appoint a Special Counsel to probe the apparent mishandling of confidential information by President Joseph R. Biden. This action indicates an increased willingness to investigate violations of law, regardless of the political affiliation of the lawbreaker. I hope that you will do the right thing and investigate this apparent violation of federal law,”Governor Noem concluded in her letter to Attorney General Garland.
You can find the letter to Attorney General Garland here. You can find the letter to the House of Representatives here.
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Try not to throw up when you read this.
After claiming to be independent, Larry Pressler now wants to pretend to be Republican again, and wrote an editorial in the Dakota Scout declaring he wants to reclaim the Republican Party.
My response to earlier iterations of this fiasco was to briefly leave the Republican Party. However, I have learned that to drop out of the party is to leave it to those least suited to govern. In the interest of promoting effective policy, serious Republicans have an obligation not to jump ship.
and..
So, to my fellow disaffected Republicans, I hope you will rejoin me in a new effort to reclaim the Republican Party from those more interested in creating sound bites than in governing.
You can read that of page 4 of the print edition of the Dakota Scout.
Let me offer the following in rebuttal:
1/28/2008, Former GOP senator, vet backs Obama
Former Sen. Larry Pressler (R-S.D.), who was the first Vietnam veteran to serve in the United States Senate, is the latest Republican to back Sen. Barack Obama’s presidential campaign, Politico learned Sunday.
7/27/16, Former Republican Senator Pressler at Democratic Convention
Former Republican South Dakota Senator Larry Pressler — causing a stir last month –when he announced his support for Hillary Clinton.
Pressler is attending the Democratic National Convention tonight.
and..
It’s been almost 20 years since Pressler held political office. He says in the years since, both parties have gone to the extremes. He thinks it’s time for a new, centrist, moderate party.
and this..
2020, Former South Dakota Sen. Larry Pressler crosses partisan line again, endorses ‘close friend’ Joe Biden for president
Former Sen. Larry Pressler has endorsed former Vice President Joe Biden for president.
“As a former Republican U.S. Senator who sat adjacent to Joe Biden for 22 years on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, I became a close friend of Joe and am now enthusiastically supporting him for President.”
And let’s not forget he also endorsed Billie Sutton for Governor in 2018:
Billie Sutton had one of his weakest pressers of the campaign this afternoon announcing “Republicans for Sutton.”
After previously endorsing Obama & Hillary for president, and taking part in ‘crowning’ Reverend Sun Myung Moon, Larry Pressler came back to town to read off of a script and to try to gain attention and spoke about endorsing Billie Sutton.
Who exactly does he want to reclaim the Republican Party for? The Democrats he’s been hanging around with for the past few decades?
In response to his “new effort to reclaim the Republican Party” Larry deserves a salute from the GOP for his actions.
The kind of salute that cab drivers in New York offer to drivers that cut them off. That might be the most appropriate one to offer him.
State Representative Mike Weisgram has introduced House Bill 1099, one of my favorite measures so far this session. An Act to permit the display of campaign signage in municipalities prior to the beginning of absentee voting, which actually standardizes the ridiculous patchwork of county and municipal ordinances that sometimes go so far as to be of questionable legality when it comes to when and how you can display campaign signs. Weisgram proposes a standard set of rules in House Bill 1099:
An Act to permit the display of campaign signage in municipalities prior to the beginning of absentee voting.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of South Dakota:
Section 1. That chapter 9-30 be amended with a NEW SECTION:
A campaign sign that is less than four square feet in area may be placed on private property in a residential zone adjacent to a transportation right-of-way by or with the permission of the property owner no more than forty-five days prior to the beginning of absentee voting in a primary or general election and may continue to be displayed through election day. A municipality shall determine the time after a primary or general election when campaign signs must be removed.
A campaign sign that is less than thirty-two square feet in area may placed on private property in a business, commercial, or industrial zone adjacent to a transportation right-of-way by or with the permission of the property owner no more than forty-five days prior to the beginning of absentee voting in a primary or general election and may continue to be displayed through election day. A municipality shall determine the time after a primary or general election when campaign signs must be removed.
A campaign sign may not be placed in a right-of-way and may not be placed in such a way as to obstruct or impede the visibility of the right-of-way. A municipality may impose reasonable regulations on the illumination of the sign or sound emanating from or in proximity to the sign to protect the safety of those who use a right-of-way against any encroachment by a campaign sign.
Advertising billboards, electronic signage, murals, or other larger permanent structures are exempt from the provisions of this section.
For the purposes of this section, the term, campaign sign, means a sign identifying and urging voter support or opposition for a particular election issue, political party, ballot question, or advocating a candidate for public office.
Now, I’l also be the first to point out that technically, if this would be passed, I think this law might be able to be fought on the basis of constitutionality, just as most all city ordinances could, because of the ruling in Reed v Town of Gilbert…
Government regulation of speech is content based if a law applies to particular speech because of the topic discussed or the idea or message expressed. This commonsense meaning of the phrase “content based” requires a court to consider whether a regulation of speech “on its face” draws distinctions based on the message a speaker conveys. Supreme Court precedents have also recognized a separate and additional category of laws that are considered content-based regulations of speech: laws that cannot be justified without reference to the content of the regulated speech. Those laws must also satisfy strict scrutiny.
Read it here. Another good analysis is here..
Temporary yard signs are springing up all around town. Town council wants to reduce the clutter, but also wants to respect the free speech rights of the community. Council is considering new rules that will allow campaign signs during election season, event signs within a day of the event, and ideological signs anytime. It seems like a reasonable balance—allowing the signs but limiting them to a relevant time-frame. Can the town’s regulations distinguish among signs this way?
A recent U.S. Supreme Court decision says no. Such distinctions are unconstitutional content-based regulation of speech.
Of course, someone has to spend the money to litigate it if you really want a governing entity (whether it’s the city or the state) to budge on the rules.
But that doesn’t mean that I can’t like the legislation just for the fact that it applies some consistency to an utter mish-mash of regulations we have across the state.
Gov. Noem Gives Flexibility for Fuel Delivery
PIERRE, S.D. – Today, in response to the winter storms across South Dakota, Governor Kristi Noem signed Executive Order 2023-01, which declares a state of emergency in South Dakota and exempts deliveries of propane from the United States Department of Transportation’s Motor Carrier Safety Regulations.
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From Twitter:
Mt. Rushmore has been the target of political attacks to change or forget our history. We’re not perfect, but erasing our past won’t make us better.
I introduced the Mt. Rushmore Protection Act to preserve this monument of our nation’s founding & unity. https://t.co/nO8wDRB6bU
— Rep. Dusty Johnson (@RepDustyJohnson) January 19, 2023
As we’re rolling on the new year, it’s an opportunity for a note that that South Dakota War College has a few limited advertising opportunities available for reaching South Dakota’s opinion leaders as the 2022 election season moves along and candidates start campaigning.
In addition to regular advertising spots, our #2 and #3 advertising positions are open available to promote your business, organization, or cause. If you want to get your group in front of our audience, South Dakota War College is a consistent must-read for South Dakota’s elected officials, and most all who actively participate in the political process in the state.
If someone is following the ballot measures, making laws, or keeping up on the issues or promoting legislation, they’re stopping here to check the temperature on South Dakota’s political climate.
South Dakota War College provides candidates, companies, and organizations a unique opportunity to direct a targeted message at South Dakota’s elected officials, the state’s politically active, and community opinion leaders. In addition to the politically active who read us on a daily basis, traffic is also driven to our website through organic searches, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and we’ve recently added Reddit as one of our regular crossposting areas.
Advertising on the Dakotwarcollege.com website is based on a first come, first serve basis for available positions. Advertising slots on the right are 300 px wide up to 400 px tall, and may be either static image, animated .gif, or other, as long as the file size is within acceptable file parameters, does not impede the loading of the website, or interfere with existing code. All ads run through-site, and are not rotated in their positions.
And if If you hadn’t noticed, Summit Carbon Solutions on advertisers row has updated their ad to point out how they’re moving towards participation by landowners along the route. If you’re not familiar with the major midwest pipeline project, Summit Carbon Solutions proposed carbon capture and storage project will create jobs, generate new property tax revenue for local communities, support local suppliers, and strengthen the regional economy. Please click on the ad, and visit their website as they work with South Dakota’s Ethanol producers and generate new revenues for our local communities.
And don’t forget to check out advertisers including Governor Kristi Noem, US Senator John Thune, Dusty Johnson for US Congress, and the South Dakota Republican Party!
Augustana University just announced a program that my wife has been working on, where Augustana is rolling out an opportunity for students with disabilities to visit the campus to see first-hand a post-secondary educational setting, and to get a taste if attending the University would work for them:
“The camp is going to look a lot like that first freshman orientation week,” Lamb continued. “They’re going to get exposed to a crash course in ‘What is college?’ and ‘Is inclusive post-secondary education right for you?’”
The idea for the camp came from Dr. Michelle Powers, AU assistant professor of special education, as she scrolled through social media one day and saw an advertisement for camps being offered for students with developmental disabilities who plan to attend traditional universities.
“It got me thinking about Augie Access and all the Augustana events I’ve been part of where we welcome juniors and seniors to campus to really get the full experience,” Powers said. “And, I thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be great if we had an experience like that for students who might be thinking about Augie Access or another inclusive post-secondary program?’
“I’m also the parent of a child with a developmental disability,” Powers continued. “Thinking about taking my daughter and putting her in a campus environment — I want to know that it’s the right fit.”
and..
After this year’s camp, Powers and Lamb will present their assessment results to the council, which are based on the outcomes of the Augie Access Program — academics, employment, independent living and socialization. The grant supports 10 campers this year, but Powers and Lamb hope to expand the camp in the future.
South Dakota Republican Party Selects Madison Sheahan as Executive Director
PIERRE, SOUTH DAKOTA – Today, Chairman John Wiik and the SDGOP Executive Board announced Madison Sheahan as Executive Director of the South Dakota Republican Party.
Madison will be taking over the day to day operation of the party, she will be tasked with growing the party into a professional and modern organization. She will be managing communications, grassroots and fundraising efforts for the party.
“I am excited for Madison to join our leadership team at the State Party.” said Chairman John Wiik “She played an instrumental role in the 2022 election cycle on Governor Kristi Noem’s team and will bring a new perspective as we begin to rebuild the party.”
“It is an honor to be selected as the Executive Director of the South Dakota Republican Party.” said Madison Sheahan “I look forward to building a party that sets an example to the nation.”
Madison has previously worked as a State Director for Donald J. Trump for President in 2020, and has worked with the NRSC, RNC and Ohio Republican Party. Madison has a degree in Agribusiness, Public Management, Leadership and Policy with a specialty in leadership development from The Ohio State University, where she competed as a Varsity Athlete on the Women’s Rowing team.
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