INTRODUCTION

Lieutenant Governor Rhoden, Mr. Speaker, members of the House and Senate, Chief Justice Jensen, Supreme Court justices, constitutional officers, and my fellow South Dakotans:

The South Dakota state constitution requires the Governor to begin each legislative session by “[giving] the Legislature information concerning the affairs of the state and [recommending] the measures he considers necessary.” Notice I didn’t say “she.” The Constitution doesn’t say that. We’re going to fix that.

It’s also the perfect time for me to come before you to let you know that I have abrand new grandbaby. His name is Branch Bryon, named after his grandpa. He’s a healthy 8 pounds, 9 ounces.

South Dakota is growing. We are thriving. And we are strong.

Our state’s agriculture industry is now a $32 billion industry, and it’s responsible for 1 in 5 jobs in the state. We need to continue to preserve agriculture’s opportunity to thrive. Tourism, financial services, and other industries are continuing to grow, as well.

Today I am going to share with you how our state has become the number one state for individuals, families, and businesses to build the American Dream, how we have promoted and will continue to promote stronger families, and how we will secure South Dakota for now and into the future.

We are number one in the nation for personal income growth over the past several years. That is how South Dakotans build the American Dream by working hard and earning more than they have before. We have the fastest growth of housing developments in the entire country. We have the most family-owned businesses of any state. That’s part of how we make families stronger. We have the most registered hunters per-capita of any state. And we were recognized for making the best decisions by the American Legislative Exchange Council. And one more thing – The South Dakota State University Jackrabbits are the FCS National Champions in Football! GO JACKS!

I normally wait to honor our military for the end of the speech, but I want to highlight this now: we are the number one state in the nation to live and work as a soldier, an airman, and a veteran. That is how we make South Dakota safer and more secure for the future.

Both our Army and Air Guard units have led the nation, winning award after award for best units in the country. Just this past month, we deployed the 109^thRegional Support Group to the Middle East as part of Operation Inherent Resolve. But the National Guard stands ready here at home, too. When the winter snow and bitter cold hit our state just before Christmas, the men and women in uniform took time away from their families to help other families in need across the state, including all the tribal reservations that needed assistance. Would everyone who is a veteran or serves in the National Guard please rise to be recognized?

I believe South Dakota is the freest state in the nation. We fight to defend our constitutional rights. We ensure that every South Dakotan has the right to Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.

But here’s what I love about South Dakota – we never settle. We never sit back and say, “good enough.”

We turn the challenges we face into opportunities.

Together, I want all of us to take on the challenge of making South Dakota number one in: growth, tax climate, work ethic, and building – and supporting – strong families.

Our nation was built on Freedom – but our constitutional freedoms are under assault from Washington D.C.

America needs South Dakota’s example of how conservative policies and values make people’s lives better. These policies bring success and hope.

In the last four years, we made South Dakota the strongest state in America by making it the state to pursue the American Dream, a state for Stronger Families, and a Secure State. In the next four, we will prove that the best is yet to come.

BUILDING THE AMERICAN DREAM

Together, we must continue to build and advance the American Dream. And this legislative session, we will accomplish that.

We will accomplish it by cutting taxes for our people. We continue to have record surpluses. What should we do with our surplus? My answer is simple: Cut taxes and provide relief to South Dakotans.

I have been to a lot of grocery stores across the state over the past few months. Prices have increased so dramatically over the past two years that families are unprepared when they see the final bill in the checkout line. When I’ve been checking out groceries, about 1 in every 4 shoppers have had to put something back because they can’t pay for everything. Folks, South Dakotans need this relief.

Fair Market in Sioux Falls is a grocery store that provides a special service to those who need it. They offer groceries for about half the price that you see at a typical grocery store. Kristin Johnson recognized the need for affordable groceries in her community, so she opened Fair Market in early 2021. She’s had to relocate and expand multiple times as demand grew. And just last month, they opened a 2^nd location on the west side of Sioux Falls.

When I visited, I met customers who were so grateful for the opportunity that Fair Market provides. Because many of their groceries are “reclaimed,” meaning there may have been a branding change, maybe it’s a damaged can, maybe it’s a seasonal good, or maybe there’s a market surplus. So there’s always something new and unique – many customers enjoy hunting for those unique finds.

Kristin, her husband Greg, and Denelle (who works with them) are here today. Would you all please stand? Thank you for everything that you do for the people of South Dakota.

Fair Market’s customers will greatly benefit from the elimination of the sales tax on groceries – but so will every South Dakota family, every person, every small business owner, even every homeowner. Our economy is the strongest it has ever been. Our revenues continue to grow. December revenues have us up another $10 million above legislative adopted estimates. Now is the time – let’s get it done.

South Dakota’s economy has been thriving over the past few years! But with that, we’ve experienced some growing pains. In 2022, our unemployment rate was the lowest it’s been in our state’s history. But we still have 23,000 open jobs in our state.

During my first year in office, I signed legislation that recognized occupational licenses for military spouses who moved to our state. Then, two years ago, in response to the challenge of filling healthcare jobs, I proposed legislation to recognize the healthcare licenses of folks moving here from other states. This legislation was expanded to other professions and helped us fill jobs. We have an opportunity now to finish the job and provide a path to recognize the licenses of just about every profession in the state.

When other states have done this, they have seen their workforces grow almost immediately. Arizona’s workforce has grown by about 5,000 workers since their law was implemented. Thousands more in the future are sure to come, as well. That’s the kind of drastic workforce boost that we need here in South Dakota.

We are constantly looking for opportunities to expand registered apprenticeships in South Dakota. Just last month, the Department of Labor & Regulation awarded four grants to create four apprenticeship pipelines for high schoolers across the state. The four recipients were Bear Butte Gardens for agriculture, Belle Fourche School District for healthcare, Harrisburg School District for agriculture, and Dakota State University for education. Later this week, they’ll announce even more awards.

More and more businesses are realizing the value of these apprenticeship programs. I want to highlight Lemmonmade Butcher Shop in Lemmon, which has incorporated an apprenticeship program to hire and train new staff. They initially hired an employee named Jesse who is now supervising more people going through the program, allowing the owner of the business to take his first ever vacation. That’s making the American dream come true. 

Howe Inc. in Sioux Falls has used apprenticeships to build their workforce for decades. When they gave me a tour of their apprenticeship classroom and program, I was impressed. It’s incredible. They already provide apprenticeships in plumbing, fire protection, and HVAC sheetmetal, and they recently worked with the Department of Labor and Regulation to add a mechatronics apprentice program. They are currently in the process of setting up another program for fire sprinkler fitters. Over the years, Howe has used their apprenticeship program to hire more than 60 employees. It has been a total game changer for their workforce. Other companies can seize this opportunity, too.

I want South Dakota businesses to continue to start apprenticeship programs. If you are interested in launching one at your business, reach out to us. And stay tuned for more news about how we’re expanding our apprenticeship program later this year.

South Dakota will continue to attract the careers of the future and address workforce challenges. In the last year, you worked with me to expand Dakota State University’s cyber research capabilities, which will bring 500 six-figure jobs to Sioux Falls. More importantly, it will give our kids and grandkids another reason to pursue the career of their dreams right here in South Dakota. I promised to bring the next big industry to South Dakota. This is it.

In the last year, we also broke ground on the largest economic development project in our state’s history. Gevo’s Net-Zero 1 Site in Lake Preston is the first ever billion-dollar investment in South Dakota. They will literally turn corn into jet fuel, as impossible as that sounds.

What we are doing in South Dakota is reverberating across this country and around the world. We would be growing even more if there weren’t federal mandates preventing companies from coming – and Biden just extended these mandates last week. We are in touch with a company in Canada that wants to move their business to the Black Hills. And I can’t share too many details yet, but we’re very excited.

They are buying property that they haven’t even seen in-person. This family and their business have suffered due to COVID restrictions and vaccine mandates in Canada. Their daughter was even expelled from her university for refusing the vaccine. They are ready to gain back their freedoms. They want to grow their business and improve their quality of life here in our state. The Biden Administration’s vaccine mandates are standing in their way.

We aren’t just bringing new businesses to South Dakota – our existing businesses are growing and thriving. Valley Queen in Milbank broke ground last year on a $200 million expansion that will create an additional 140 jobs for the community. South Dakota’s total milk production has risen 11% in the last year, and that will continue to increase once this facility is completed.

The Governor’s Office of Economic Development facilitated $1.7 billion in new economic investments in South Dakota over the last year, creating 2,400 new jobs. In fact, in my first term, we delivered more economic investment in South Dakota than in the previous 10 years combined. That’s the kind of success you only see in a state where government is limited, personal responsibility is central to everything, and the private sector is unleashed.

Remember, we were the only state to reject the additional elevated unemployment benefits offered by the federal government. Our people kept working, our unemployment rate remained low, our economy remained strong, and new businesses moved here. Now, we have a very healthy unemployment trust fund balance – which gives us the opportunity to cut the unemployment tax for businesses. My Department of Labor will be bringing a bill to revise employer contribution rates to the unemployment trust fund. This will bring an estimated $18 million savings to South Dakota businesses over the next couple of years.

We’re continuing to break records for tourism. It’s no secret that folks have been visiting South Dakota by the millions, and that many of them first heard about us during the pandemic. In 2020, we broke the record for most visitors to South Dakota’s state parks. In 2021, we shattered that record – and broke the record for visitor spending, too.

We don’t have final data yet, but it looks like South Dakota set another record for visitor spending in 2022. Our airport arrivals increased by about 10% over last year. Even with nationwide inflation and increases in gas prices, visitors continue to choose South Dakota. And our economy is reaping the benefits. In fact, tourism revenue decreases the tax burden by $1,000 per South Dakota family. The tourism industry also supports about 57,000 jobs.

This year, the Department of Tourism will launch a dedicated Native American tourism marketing campaign. Beginning in 2023, bus tours will bring both domestic and international visitors to Pine Ridge, Rosebud, Standing Rock, and Milk’s Camp. We will continue to emphasize telling tribal stories. They are a key part of our state’s rich history and heritage, and I’m excited to share that with the world.

People who visit South Dakota also come to hunt and fish. Access to hunting opportunities has never been greater. Since I took office, more than 50,000 private acres have become available for public hunting. 15,000 new habitat acres have been added to promote strong wildlife numbers. Momentum continues to build – our most recent pheasant harvest shows more total birds and birds per-hunter than the 5-year average. And in 2022, we set a record for the most nonresident fishing licenses sold.

Every year, more and more South Dakota youth are participating in our Nest Predator Bounty Program. Youth participants jumped up to 32% of total program participants this year. These kids are discovering a passion for the great outdoors.

When tourists, hunters, and fishermen choose to come to South Dakota, they are not just pursuing big game wildlife or a catch of a lifetime. They are literally pursuing happiness – a break from their day to day lives. Moments with their families and the excitement of new adventures in the great outdoors. They are choosing South Dakota, and visiting us creates memories that will last a lifetime.

 

PROMOTING STRONGER FAMILIES

We will continue to build stronger families in South Dakota.

Three years ago, we worked together to pass legislation to provide paid family leave for state employees. This gave families the opportunity to bond with newborn and adopted children – and it put us in a better position to attract top talent to our state government. This year, I want to expand that opportunity.

Currently, the state provides paid family leave benefits at 60% of an employee’s salary for 8 weeks. I am proposing that we extend that benefit to 100% of salary for 12 weeks. And this new family leave policy won’t just cover new births or adoptions – it will also cover taking care of a child, spouse, or parent with a serious health condition, or a situation where a spouse is called to active-duty military service.

This will be a tremendous benefit for state employees – but it won’t stop with them. Private sector companies will have the opportunity to be a part of the state’s risk pool, as well. This will make it much cheaper for companies to offer this benefit to their employees. And the more people that buy in, the lower the cost will be for everyone. My budget provides $20 million in grants to incentivize private sector companies to participate for the first few years.

My budget also proposes $1.1 million to help give pregnancy and postpartum care for moms who are Medicaid recipients. Pregnant moms who are at risk of poor birth outcomes will receive intensive care management. This will help moms have a healthy pregnancy – and this care will extend after birth.

Moms who are involved in this program have babies who are less likely to be admitted to the NICU. And after birth, these moms will be able to join the Bright Start program, which you helped provide funding for last year. This proves our commitment to helping moms and families through whatever situations they may face. We will help them and their babies both before birth and after.

And we’ll also help families adopt children who are in need of a loving home. During my time as Governor, I have emphasized adoption as an area where we can improve as a state. And my Life.SD.gov website helps families find resources to help, whether they are adopting or giving a child up for adoption.

I am also recommending up to $25,000 for state employees to cover the cost of adopting a child domestically. Today, we have several state employees with us who have adopted children into their homes. Would you all please stand and be recognized? Thank you for your service to our state – and thank you for providing a loving home for these kids.

Another way to help kids grow up in a loving home is foster care. Two years ago, I launched the “Stronger Families Together” initiative. Before this initiative, we were recruiting fewer than 200 new foster families every year. Now, we’re recruiting more than 300 foster families a year to help. We met our target in year one, and our recruitment contacts are up for year 2! But our foster children face educational challenges as a result of their circumstances.

Today, I am announcing the “Stronger Families Scholarships” proposal, which I will be working with you on to provide a new education opportunity for these kids. Any child in the foster care system will have the opportunity to receive up to $4,000 in a scholarship to help them achieve their full potential, from kindergarten through 12^th grade. This money can be used to pay tuition at a private school, pay for tutoring or teaching services, purchase curriculum, pay for standardized tests or AP exams, and more.

There is always more that we can do. Today, more than 100 businesses across the state provide targeted discounts to foster families and children. I love that! And I’d love to see more businesses take up that challenge, too.

I know that one of the biggest challenges that families in South Dakota face today is access to childcare. Families might have to go on a wait list for months. One parent may have to stop working for the time being.

In the coming days, we will be completing an overhaul of our childcare rules and regulations. We’ve been working closely with childcare providers to rewrite these rules in a way that makes sense – while prioritizing the safety of our kids.

We will have also be releasing nearly $40M in federal grants for childcare providers. We held several meetings with providers so that these grants will target exactly what they need – from new technology to startup funds to quality initiatives.

We also heard about their workforce challenges. We are going to help tackle this by making it more attractive to work in the childcare field. Currently, childcare providers struggle to give benefits to their employees. So we will be partnering with the South Dakota Farm Bureau to fix this. Today, we have with us some of the leadership team from Farm Bureau who is helping us make these health benefits possible. Would you please stand and be recognized?

Through all of these efforts, we are making clear that South Dakota prioritizes stronger families.

 

SECURING SOUTH DAKOTA

We live in the strongest and greatest nation in the history of the world. With that greatness comes unique challenges. But we aren’t afraid of challenges. As President Harry S. Truman famously said, “America was not built on fear. America was built on courage, on imagination, and an unbeatable determination to do the job at hand.”

Perhaps the greatest external challenge facing the United States is the Chinese Communist Party. They are using a popular app called TikTok to gather data on the American people. It’s possible they could be using the app to gather users’ keystrokes – which means the Chinese Communist Party could have access to the financial information of tens of millions of Americans. This is an unacceptable security threat coming from a nation that hates America.

A little over a month ago, I signed an executive order banning TikTok for state government. And in doing so, South Dakota began an important movement. More than 20 states have since taken action. Congress recently passed legislation to reflect this policy for the federal government, too. They all followed our lead. That’s the power of the example that South Dakota is setting for the nation. That’s the responsibility that we all need to take seriously.

Our efforts to combat Communist China didn’t stop there. We are also looking for ways to ensure taxpayer dollars aren’t benefitting Chinese companies or the Chinese Communist Party. And I am working with Senator Tobin and Representative Cammack on legislation to block purchases of South Dakota ag land from nations that hate us.

This legislation will create a board called the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States – South Dakota, or CFIUS-SD. This new board will include ag experts, national and state security experts, and legal counsel. It will review any purchase, lease, or transfer of South Dakota agriculture land by a foreign person, company, or entity and make its recommendation to the Governor whether the purchase should be approved.

That’s the kind of decisive action that we need. We all saw what happened to our neighbors to the north – where a Chinese affiliate purchased land near critical infrastructure to our nation’s security – we cannot allow that to happen here. We cannot allow Chinese interests to purchase any South Dakota ag land, much less land near any military base or critical state infrastructure. South Dakota will set the example here, too. Other states are already looking at our legislation with plans to replicate it. I look forward to working with you to get it done and keep our people safe.

We are committed to securing our state, and we are committed to honoring the men and women in uniform who make that possible. South Dakota respects law enforcement. We’ve proven that in our actions – not just in our words. We recruited out-of-state law enforcement officers to move to a state where they are respected.

It isn’t just our law enforcement officers who go above and beyond the call of duty. I hear story after story of incredible South Dakotans who step up every day.

Stories like the staff at the Avera Avantara nursing home in Salem who brought residents into an inner room when the Derecho hit last spring. They had to physically hold the doors shut with their bare hands to keep them from being ripped off their hinges. And when the storm abated, everything on the other side of that door was gone. Those nursing home employees may have felt like they were just doing their job – but they saved so many lives that day. The staff of this nursing home is here today. Would you all please stand, and remain standing for just a moment.

I want to tell one last story of heroism today. Mark Kock works in construction. He has a wife and 5 kids. One day, he was driving through a torrential downpour when he saw a car flipped on its side in the median. He pulled over, climbed into the flipped vehicle, and found a woman who was in shock from the crash. The car was filling up with water. The woman was hanging by her seatbelt. Mark cut her loose, held her out of the water, calmed her down, and held the car door open above his head until emergency responders could arrive.

Mark is a hero. He was a hero that day. He’s also a hero in uniform. Mark is a Staff Sergeant in the South Dakota Air Guard, and he was driving on his way to drill when he stopped and helped that woman, potentially saving her life. His job in the Guard is to keep our nation safe and protect our Freedoms – but he could have just kept driving that day. He didn’t. He pulled over. He stepped up. Staff Sergeant Kock and his family are here today – would you please stand?

Today, I want to honor both the staff at Avera Avantara in Salem AND Staff Sergeant Mark Kock with the Governor’s Award for Heroism.

Our state is safer because of men and women who answer the call of duty without being asked. I’m proud to be a South Dakotan because of people like all of you. Thank you for setting an example.

CONCLUSION

Ladies and gentlemen: that is the State of our State. For four years we have made South Dakota the state where anyone can build their American Dream. We have strengthened families. And we have secured the state. What we have built here over the last four years is exactly what our Founding Fathers envisioned when they created our nation – and the founders of our state who enshrined the phrase, “Under God the People Rule.” And we’re just getting started.

In 1790, less than one year after taking office as the first President of the United States, George Washington delivered the first State of the Union Address. Some people think it was the best State of the Union ever delivered. It was the shortest. President Washington delivered an important point that I think we should all remember today: “The welfare of our country is the great object to which our cares and efforts ought to be directed. I shall derive great satisfaction from a cooperation with you in the pleasing – though arduous – task of ensuring to our fellow citizens the blessings which they have a right to expect from a free, efficient, and equal government.”

That is still our task today: to ensure a free, efficient, and equal government for the people of South Dakota. I look forward to working with all of you to get it done.

God bless you all. And may God continue to bless the great state of South Dakota.

###

 

One of the barriers that South Dakota found itself facing in the run up to the impeachment of Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg as a result of what took place in September of 2020 is that South Dakota had never impeached a state official before, so much of it was made up as they went along.

In fact, they found that there was little guidance from impeachment which had happened in other states, making it a further outlier.

In an effort to provide both background and guidance for others in the future should the need arise, State Senator and Senate President Pro Tempore Lee Schoenbeck has submitted an article for publication to the South Dakota Law Review with the Knudson School of Law at USD, which has been accepted.

After getting clearance to share the article, as it is in the publication process and will be appearing shortly, Senator Schoenbeck was gracious enough to share it with SDWC readers.

(If you’re quoting the embedded article, please give attribution to the South Dakota Law Review).

There was some rebellion from the floor of the South Dakota State House as it gaveled into session today, and a diminished group of legislators protested the elections held this last November, similar to what we saw in the US House of Representatives for the same race in the US House.

Except the group in South Dakota can’t count. Because they had nowhere near the numbers to affect the race, except to symbolically stand against the Majority.

Who voted no on electing Bartels? Aaron Aylwayd, Randy Gross, Phil Jensen, Chris Karr, Karla Lems, (Hillary Clinton Donor) Liz May, John Mills, Tina Mulally, Marty Overweg, Sue Peterson, Sue Peterson, Tony Randolph, John Sjaarda, Bethany Soye, and the defeated opponent for the speakership, Jon Hansen, all voted against seating Hugh Bartels, and came up on the losing end of the 53-14 vote.

It wasn’t just a little lopsided.  When you’re starting out session with what might be the single dumbest act of the year, which did nothing but to set this group on record as opponents to the majority for opposition’s sake, you’re left scratching your head. Even if they had been able to woo, and gain the support of every Democrat in the House, they would have fallen short. So why go through the exercise at all?

Quoting Kenny Rogers, “you’ve got to know when to hold them, know when to fold them, know when to walk away...”  All they’ve really done is point out how their numbers have diminished since the last session in one act.

If I have any critique for the Majority Leadership in all of this, it would be that they really need to quit seeking reconciliation with the group.  Because as demonstrated today, they’re not going to stop being pains in the majority’s chamber.  This past November, those that won in leadership made a point to seek unity and work together, which today was thrown back in their face.  And look what that got them?

Honestly, why the majority is putting up with these guys?  They tried the carrot. It just might just be time for the stick.

Had a call on this one a short time ago.. supposedly, the Legislative chatter tonight is that someone may make an effort to nominate Jon Hansen in as speaker tomorrow, despite his defeat in House caucus elections this past November.

I’m hearing text messages are flying on the topic, so we’ll see what comes of it.

Nobody is ‘fessing up on who is trying to be the “Matt Gaetz” of the South Dakota Legislature. But as one Legislator quipped to me, “It’s a fools errand and they’ll look stupid.”

Whomever is plotting might be betting on Democrat support to upset the result of the Republican Caucus elections. But with Hansen leading an effort against a Democrat-led abortion related ballot measure, I somehow doubt Democrats would want to raise his profile.

We’ll see if it goes any further tomorrow. But that’s what I’m hearing tonight.

**Update**

I’m hearing further that, supposedly, 2 House members approached Democrats and as anticipated, they were denied. As was pointed out, they have absolutely no chance of turning out Speaker Hugh Bartels, and it should be noted that they didn’t know if Hansen was even in on it.

With the GOP State Chairmanship race this weekend fluidly changing as challengers figure out they just don’t have the votes, this is just another failed trial balloon from the extreme hard right trying to be in charge as they are denied at every turn.

Had someone send this over to me, as I’d never heard of this gentleman, but it’s reported that a former Democrat Legislator passed away this last week in Pennsylvania and had served 11 years in Pierre:

David S. Laustsen, Esq. of Doylestown, PA died peacefully in his home surrounded by his loving and devoted family on Friday, January 6, 2023. He was 75.

and..

Dave built/managed two successful radio stations; KKAA-AM and KQ95-FM. At 29 years old, Dave was elected to the South Dakota State House serving from 1977-1984. During that time, Jean gave birth to their two children; Sacha and Darren. Dave later was elected to the South Dakota State Senate serving from 1985-1987. He left office after being accepted to Temple Law School, which brought the Laustsen family to Doylestown, PA.

Read that here.

Fiegen elected to lead South Dakota Public Utilities Commission

PIERRE, S.D. – Commissioner Kristie Fiegen was elected chairperson of the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission by her fellow commissioners at the PUC’s regular meeting in Pierre on Jan. 5, 2023. Commissioner Gary Hanson was elected vice chairman. The third member of the panel is Commissioner Chris Nelson.

Fiegen was appointed to the PUC in August 2011 by Gov. Dennis Daugaard to fill a vacancy. She was elected to a six-year term in November 2012 and re-elected to a second term in November 2018.

In his nominating remarks, Nelson praised Fiegen’s national leadership and described how those efforts benefit the people of South Dakota. “Commissioner Fiegen is committed to not only leadership within the state, but also to leadership within her fellow commissioners’ group within the Southwest Power Pool regional transmission organization. Over the last few years she has spent an immense amount of time focusing on the reliability of the electric grid. As the grid changes, reliability becomes more of a question and becomes more of a focus for this commission as well. Having Commissioner Fiegen at the helm while we work in this area is very appropriate,” said Nelson

Fiegen’s involvement in SPP includes serving as the immediate past president of the Regional State Committee and current chairperson the Regional Allocation Review Task Force, the Improved Resource Availability Task Force, and the RSC Nominating Committee. She is a member of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners’ Committee on Gas and Subcommittee on Pipeline Safety and provides guidance related to the interests of the public and gas consumers to the Gas Technology Institute as a member of the GTI’s Public Interest Advisory Committee.

Fiegen nominated Hanson for the role of vice chairman and expressed her gratitude for the experience he brings to the PUC. “Commissioner Hanson brings a wealth of knowledge and wisdom to this commission. He is passionate about serving the public and it is an honor to work beside him every single day,” stated Fiegen.

Hanson is currently serving his fourth, six-year term on the commission. South Dakota voters first elected him to the PUC in 2002 and re-elected the Sioux Falls native in 2008, 2014, and 2020. Hanson represents South Dakota on the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners’ Committee on Electricity, is a board member of the Organization of MISO States and has held many additional leadership positions with other utility organizations.

“It is a privilege to be a part of this group. I think all three PUC commissioners enjoy serving the public and I’m look forward to continuing to serve South Dakotans alongside Commissioners Fiegen and Nelson,” Hanson commented.

Nelson was also appointed to the PUC in 2011 by Gov. Dennis Daugaard. He was elected to complete the remaining four years of that term in November 2012. He was re-elected to a full, six-year term in November 2016 and was again re-elected in 2022. He also represents South Dakota’s interests on the Board of Directors for the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners and the Natural Regulatory Research Institute, as chairman of NARUC’s Broadband Expansion Task Force, co-chair of NARUC’s Washington Action Program and has been appointed to the Federal-State Joint Board on Universal Service by the Federal Communications Commission.

Prior to joining the PUC, all three commissioners had a long history of public service. Fiegen was president of Junior Achievement of South Dakota for 17 years and served four terms in the South Dakota House of Representatives. Hanson served two terms as mayor of Sioux Falls from 1994 to 2002 and served as a South Dakota state senator for three terms. Nelson held the position of state election supervisor for 13 years and uniform commercial code supervisor for two years within South Dakota’s secretary of state office before being elected to serve as South Dakota’s secretary of state from 2003 to 2011.

View full biographies of Commissioners Fiegen, Hanson and Nelson on the PUC website, https://puc.sd.gov

-30-

South Dakota AG Marty Jackley Elected Chairman of National Attorney General Alliance

PIERRE.S.D.  — South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley has been elected to a one-year term as chairman of the National Attorney General Alliance (AGA).

Jackley, who was sworn in as Attorney General Saturday, will serve a one-year term as chairman beginning today (Monday, Jan. 9). He said the chairmanship allows him to work with an organization dedicated to helping attorneys general address common issues.

“While there are different challenges for each state, we have a common interest in working together to protect our states,” Jackley said. “The common sense solutions we use in South Dakota will serve me well in this leadership position.”

The AGA mission is to create educational opportunities for its 48-member Attorney General offices and to collaborate on emerging, complex issues in law and public policy. Karen White, executive director of the AGA, said Attorney General Jackley’s experience will benefit the organization this year.

“Attorney General Jackley has a distinguished record – as a U.S. Attorney for South Dakota and South Dakota Attorney General – and we are thrilled to welcome him as our chairman,” she said.  “He will be critical to guiding our agenda in 2023, tackling issues such as financial regulation and data privacy.”

In 2006, Attorney General Jackley was appointed as U.S. Attorney for South Dakota. He was the recipient of the Prosecutor of the Year for 2008 for outstanding prosecutorial service. Jacked served as South Dakota’s Attorney General from 2009-2019. In 2015, he served as Chairman of the National Association of Attorneys General and also as a past Chairman of the Western Attorneys General. In 2016, Jackley received the National Attorney General of the Year award from his fellow Attorneys General. He was elected to a third term as South Dakota Attorney General in 2022.

###

I get the feeling that Kevin Jensen saw the handwriting on the wall and got out while the getting was good.

From Dakota News Now, Austin Goss is reporting that Kevin Jensen has dropped out of the race for State GOP Chair, and is now endorsing Tom Brunner for the job:

After a brief stint in the race, Kevin Jensen is dropping out of the running for the chair of the South Dakota Republican Party, and being replaced by a former state lawmaker.

and..

“The voters in my district elected me to represent them as their state representative. I believe that is where my focus should be,” Jensen wrote. “Becoming the chair of the party would be a distraction and dilute my time from what I was elected to do.”

and..

In his announcement, Jensen says that he would endorse former state lawmaker Tom Brunner for the spot.

Read the entire story here.

That was quick. And No. That’s an awful choice.  Nothing against Tom personally, but after serving in the state legislature off and on over 14 years of serving, after all that time in front of the voters, with the name ID and all that experience, when he ran in the primary in 2022 his neighbors decided they would prefer someone else in the State House and sent Neal Pinnow instead.

Not exactly a ringing endorsement to move him forward to being the leader of the South Dakota Republican Party.

Governor Kristi Noem’s new Secretary of Education has an interview in the Argus Leader that’s worth reading, pointing out how it’s not the school’s place to hide things from parents:

Q: On social media, there’s been circulation of a letter you wrote to Mitchell School District employees in August 2021 with policies on using transgender students’ chosen names and pronouns and letting them access certain facilities such as the bathroom or locker room, but also recommending that staff out trans students to their parents. Is that still your belief?

A: We absolutely need to let parents know. This is a very significant, emotional and stressful situation for kids. We need to let parents know when students are experiencing this kind of issue. To me, that’s bedrock. I don’t think educators have any business stepping above the parents and saying, “No, I know better. We’re not going to tell this parent.”

I know people disagree with me on that, but I don’t know how suddenly, we’ve come up with a new category in which we can effectively hide things from parents. It’s wrong, and it’s very much out of step with the traditions of American education. The only exemption we have (for not telling parents about an issue with their child) is when we suspect child abuse. We call that right into the Department of Social Services or other authorities.

Parents need to feel secure that they know what’s going on in their child’s education at school. They need to be a full partner in that. In fact, they need to be the primary partner in that.

Read the entire story here in the Argus Leader.

Making sure parents are in the loop is a positive development from our Dept of Ed.

A group of legislators is proposing a significant overhaul to how we choose Circuit Court Judges in South Dakota.

As led by Senator Lee Schoenbeck, Senate Joint Resolution 501 proposes a few skillfully placed overstrikes in Article V, Section 7 of the State Constitution to change Circuit Court Judges from having to openly compete for their seats every few years to only being subject to a retention election the same as Supreme Court Justices are:

A JOINT RESOLUTION, Proposing and submitting to the electors at the next general election an amendment to the Constitution of the State of South Dakota, providing for the retention elections of circuit court judges.

Be it resolved by the Senate of the State of South Dakota, the House of Representatives concurring therein:

Section 1. That at the next general election held in the state, the following amendment to Article V of the Constitution of the State of South Dakota, as set forth in section 2 of this Joint Resolution, which is hereby agreed to, shall be submitted to the electors of the state for approval.

Section 2. That Article V, § 7 of the Constitution of the State of South Dakota, be AMENDED:

§ 7. Circuit court judges shall be elected in a nonpolitical election by the electorate of the circuit each represents for an eight‑year term.

A vacancy, as defined by law, in the office of a Supreme Court justice or circuit court judge, shall be filled by appointment of the Governor from one of two or more persons nominated by the judicial qualifications commission. The appointment to fill a vacancy of a circuit court judge shall be for the balance of the unexpired term; and the appointment to fill a vacancy of a Supreme Court justice or a circuit court judge shall be subject to approval or rejection as hereinafter set forth.

Retention of each Supreme Court justice or circuit court judge shall, in the manner provided by law, be subject to approval or rejection on a nonpolitical ballot at the first general election following the expiration of three years from the date of his appointment. Thereafter, each Supreme Court justice and circuit court judge shall be subject to approval or rejection in like manner every eighth year. All incumbent Supreme Court justices and circuit court judges at the time of the effective date of this amendment shall be subject to a retention election in the general election in the year in which their respective existing terms expire. Each Supreme Court justice shall be subject to a statewide retention election and each circuit court judge shall be subject to a retention election by the electorate of the circuit the judge represents.

Follow the measure here.

As it’s a proposed constitutional change, the measure would be subject to approval by the voters of South Dakota on the next election ballot in 2024.

The concept is not so outlandish, as in reality, I am hard pressed to point out a Circuit Court Judge who has been defeated at the ballot box over the last several decades. Probably fewer than you have fingers on your right hand.  But, it does remove the competition and politicization for those seats, as all voters would have voice on is whether they affirm or reject the Governor’s selection for the bench three years after the appointment, and then every eighth year thereafter.

What do you think? Does it remove the spirit of competing for the offices, or a lot of unnecessary campaigning for offices that are almost never unseated?