With Senate leadership determined for both Republicans and Democrats, we’re down to the State House of Representatives to make their picks for who will be serving in Leadership roles in that body for the next two year cycle.

I’m hearing that on the Democrat side, the latest is that House Minority Leader is up for grabs between returning Sioux Falls District 10 Rep. Erin Healy who was the top vote recipient in her race by over 1000 votes, and District 28A Rep. Oren Lesmeister who barely squeaked out a win over his Republican competitor by 33 votes.  I’m sure they have people running for assistant minority leader and whip, but do you really need that many people to organize a caucus of six?

On the House Republican side, the people in the race largely remain the same, but there have been a couple of changes.

For Speaker of the House, State Representative Hugh Bartels from Watertown is the first name at the top of many lists, with Jess Olson of Rapid City still having her name in the hunt, as well as current Speaker Pro Tempore Jon Hansen of Dell Rapids. Greg Jamison had been looking at it, but word is that he’s out.  This could be a tight race, as there is definitely a desire to change direction after two disastrous terms under Steve Haugaard and Spencer Gosch as Speaker.  As Speaker Pro Tempore, Hansen would have typically been the next in line, but there’s a large appetite for change, and no indication that he would do anything but provide more of the same infighting we’ve had.

Anecdotally with Jon Hansen, in the last couple of weeks I got a chance to preview what we’d be in for with him in the Speaker’s position when he tried to “cancel” me in doing projects for the GOP, because he feels I may have had unkind words against a Republican on this website on occasion. Bad on me, I didn’t realize I was supposed to vet my stories through him. I’m not sure what that says about an elected official who feels the need to be insulated from those who may disagree. But I don’t think it says leadership. Anyway…

For House Speaker Pro Tempore, I’m still hearing Mike Stevens of Yankton is running without challenge at the moment. Stevens, a Yankton attorney, is experienced in his second run of being in the legislature and would be a respected, steady hand at the wheel.

For Republican House Majority Leader, Will Mortenson is still the name most are leading in the race for Majority Leader. Current Majority Whip Rebecca Reimer of Chamberlain is also campaigning for the spot, as well as Representative Scott Odenbach from Spearfish.

Assistant Republican Majority Leader still has Sioux Falls State Representative Taylor Rehfeldt campaigning for it, with State Representatives Randy Gross of Flandreau also with his name in the ring. Representative Kirk Chaffee of Whitewood had been running, but I’m told he has dropped out and thrown his support behind Taylor Rehfeldt.

And that’s what I know on Monday. House Leadership elections are Saturday this week, and I’m sure things will shift and change before then.

Bud Marty May of Kyle, SD, who just lost election for the District 27 House seat this last Tuesday, appears to have had an unresolved bench warrant out for his arrest because of a failure to appear during the final weeks of the campaign season according to court records.

Why are we finding this out now? Because of a far more serious nature, Pennington County Jail records show that Bud May was booked into the Pennington County Jail at 4am this morning for Rape in the 2nd Degree:

No details are available at this time, as this is less than 12 hours old, and he will likely make a first appearance in court this week.   May had come in last in a field of four in the District 27 House race.

May is a son to Republican State Representative Liz May, who was successful in her contest in the same district on November 8th, and had earlier campaigned for the election of conservative legislators in the primary election.  Interestingly, one of the attack postcards sent out by Liz May’s “Conservative Principles PAC” had attacked one legislator for voting against 2021’s House Bill 1150, redefining SDCL 22-22-1, which Bud may has been charged with.

Today South Dakota State Senate Republicans have completed leadership elections for the upcoming term. No surprises here, as leadership had solid numbers going into the meeting.

While the hard right had recruited Josh Klumb to challenge Lee Schoenbeck for Speaker, losses this week for their voting bloc including Maggie Sutton and Joel Koskan put a tenuous challenge even further out of reach.

Selected were:

Lee Schoenbeck – Senate President Pro Tempore
Casey Crabtree – Majority Leader
Mike Diedrich – Assistant Majority Leader
Helene Duhamel, Jack Kolbeck, David Wheeler and Ryan Maher were selected as whips.

Give thanks this month… that Taffy Howard was not our Congressional Candidate.

Whether you’re lacing up for a state tournament, bundling up for a late-season high school football game, or setting up for the start of winter, the fall season is a great time of year for sports in South Dakota. As I travel throughout our state, it’s great to see so many young South Dakota athletes giving it their all, working as a team, and achieving the goals they set out to accomplish together.

Like many South Dakotans, I grew up in a small town where everyone knows each other, looks out for each other, and supports the local sports teams with a passion. I consider myself lucky to have been raised in a town like Murdo – shout-out to the Jones County Coyotes – where South Dakota values like a strong work ethic, a firm belief in personal responsibility, and a sense of responsibility to the broader community run deep.

I’ve long since hung-up my jersey, trading my spots on the field and on the court for a spot in the stands, but I’m still proud that South Dakota’s student athletes continue to embody these core values, excel as a team, and inspire the next generation of athletes to get in the game. They can be proud of the hard work and dedication they have given to their sport, and I’m confident our teams will continue to impress communities in every corner of our state.

Growing up in Murdo, playing and watching sports were important parts of my upbringing. In addition to being a World War II hero, my dad was a Big Ten basketball star, and he later served as a coach and the athletic director at our high school. His lessons about sports and life continue to guide me, and they serve as an important foundation for my work in the Senate.

My dad always emphasized humility and service – that your job is to make the team, not yourself, perform as well as possible. Dad didn’t have much patience for ball hogs or players who were in it for personal glory. To him, as a member of a team, you should both help to make your teammates stronger and be humble enough to let your teammates make you stronger. I can practically hear my dad saying, “You should always make the extra pass.” I’ve tried to carry these lessons with me throughout my life.

In many ways, experiences, relationships, and lessons from sports have also shaped other areas of my personal and professional life. One experience in particular sparked my interest in politics. After a basketball game my freshman year of high school, in which I had made five out of six free throws, one spectator greeted me and said, “You missed one.” That spectator was then-U.S. Rep. Jim Abdnor, and this was the beginning of my long friendship with him. I could never have imagined that one day I would represent our state in the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate, as he did.

I am humbled to have been entrusted to represent South Dakotans for another term in the Senate, and, much as I learned that night in high school, there’s always more work to be done. In sports, as in life, we can always accomplish more when we work together for the good of the team. I look forward to continuing to work for our state and with the people who call South Dakota home. You make our state all that it is.

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Throughout our nation’s history, more than 41 million servicemen and women have vowed to make the ultimate sacrifice for your freedom and mine. Veterans Day is a day to stop and remember those who have chosen service and sacrifice to protect their families, towns, states, and our country.

You and I, as citizens of the greatest country on earth, are privileged to have many freedoms granted to us. Yet without defenders of these freedoms, they could be lost. America’s servicemembers work year-round to protect our country at home and abroad. Domestically they train and learn, provide safety within our borders and abroad, protecting American interests and our allies.

Just some of the rights we are granted as Americans are the freedom of speech, religion, and the right to vote—which we had the opportunity to participate in this week. Because of the dedication these servicemembers have shown, you and I had the opportunity to vote in our democratic republic—a government chosen by the people, for the people.

Throughout my time in Congress, I’ve had the opportunity to honor over 565 Vietnam Veterans through commemorative pinning ceremonies. Vietnam Veterans didn’t get a proper welcome home after the war—while this welcome home is overdue, it’s never too late to honor and say thank you to our veterans. I’ve also met and honored more than 300 veterans during their Honor Flights to D.C. The opportunity for veterans to travel to Washington, D.C. to see memorials dedicated to the wars in which they served that honor their service and their friends lost in battle is very special experience for all.

Another opportunity I have as a Member of Congress is nominating hardworking youth to attend a U.S. military service academy. These academies train and prep the best of the best to continue the great service, leadership, and dedication of our servicemembers from generations past.

America’s freedoms and values are worth defending. Thank you for your service!

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Just saw this voter guide that was put out by the “Health Freedom” group during the election dated October 12th.

And I had to do a double take, because they didn’t do a very good job on actually noting who was running.

In District 1, they endorsed “Logan Manhart.”  The problem with that is that Logan Manhart hasn’t been in the race since June 8th. He was replaced with Joe Donnell shortly thereafter. (Somebody might want to let them know that Joe won. )

And in District 28B, they endorsed Thomas Brunner.  While I’m sure Tom appreciates the vote of confidence, he lost in the June primary, and Neal Pinnow was actually the candidate for 28B. He won pretty handily, BTW.

It just brings up a good point. If the research they do is that sloppy, and they can’t get basic information right.. I wonder what else they’re incorrect on?

Childhood vaccinations, perhaps?

I am proud to be Governor of the best state in America to live, work, and retire as a veteran. That’s important – the state that sets the gold standard for Freedom should also lead the way in honoring those who defend our Freedoms. In the last four years, we found new ways to honor our veterans. In my second term, we will continue to build on those successes and honor the men and women who served us.

Remember, every veteran is a man or a woman who stood up, raised their right hand, and swore an oath to defend our homeland, our people, and our Constitutional Freedoms. They risk life and limb in that service, and their family loses valuable time with the ones they love. In return, we make a promise to support them when they finally leave military service. South Dakota lives up to that promise.

In South Dakota, we don’t just talk the talk. We don’t just say that we support our veterans. We take a top to bottom approach in state government to back those words up with action. Across our many departments and state agencies, we advocate for veterans. We help them start businesses, purchase the home of their dreams, go to college, or get help through our crisis hotline.

Our Department of Veteran’s Affairs provides those services directly to our veterans and helps connect them with the folks who can get them the help they need. The Department also operates our State Veteran’s Home in Hot Springs, which helps care for our heroes when the time comes for them to need long-term care.

These are not one-time actions. These are daily routines in which we find ways to promote our veterans.

Truth be told, South Dakota has a lot to celebrate when it comes to our men and women in uniform. We also have both the best Army National Guard and Air National Guard units in America. And that’s not just their biased Commander in Chief saying that – national honors and recognition have been bestowed on South Dakota guardsmen time and time again. They serve with excellence, no matter what mission we send them on.

A friend of mine recently came to visit South Dakota for a pheasant hunting trip and to help salute our veterans – Marine Staff Sergeant Johnny “Joey” Jones. Sergeant Jones was a bomb technician who lost his legs in an IED explosion in Afghanistan, and since then he has committed his life to advocating for veterans. His organization, Boot Campaign, works directly with veterans to treat the invisible wounds of war, like posttraumatic stress. And he travels the country raising awareness for the issues that veterans face in their daily lives.

It should not take losing our legs in war to motivate us to fight for our veterans. They answered the call to serve and gave everything for us – we must give what we can in return. We would not be able to enjoy the Freedoms we hold so dear but for their courage. We would not have this nation that we love but for their sacrifice.

This Veteran’s Day, thank a veteran. But do more than that – think of what you can do to give back and to make a meaningful difference in a veteran’s life. They deserve no less.

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Governor Noem Congratulates Victorious Candidates

PIERRE, SOUTH DAKOTA – Today, Governor Kristi Noem congratulated the victorious candidates supported by KRISTI Pac.

“Republicans won races nationwide by running on a simple message: less government, more Freedom,” said Governor Kristi Noem. “The American people cannot afford Washington’s wasteful spending and record inflation. Their families do not want crime-ridden streets and an open border. And these newly elected senators and representatives will get to work doing the business of the American people.”

Victorious candidates supported by KRISTI Pac:

• Senator Mike Lee – UT
• Senator Ron Johnson – WI
• Senator-elect Ted Budd – NC
• Senator-elect Adam Laxalt – NV
• Senator-elect JD Vance – OH
• Congresswoman-elect Anna Paulina Luna – FL
• Congresswoman-elect Laurel Lee – FL
• Congresswoman-elect Julia Letlow – LA
• Congressman-elect John James – MI
• Congresswoman-elect Monica De La Cruz – TX

Governor Noem also congratulated Herschel Walker on his advancement to an apparent runoff election.

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