Only 20 more minutes until the start of tonight’s big victory party for Dusty and Kristi. Keep an eye on this website, as I will try to give you updates as they come.
NAVIGATOR CO2, POET SIGN LETTER OF INTENT TO CAPTURE, TRANSPORT, AND STORE FIVE (5) MILLION TONS OF CO2 ANNUALLY
Navigator to provide CCUS services for POET’s facilities in Iowa, Nebraska, and South Dakota
DALLAS, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Navigator CO2 Ventures LLC (“Navigator”) announced today that they have signed a Letter of Intent to provide carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) services to POET, the world’s largest producer of biofuel and a global leader in sustainable bioproducts, on Navigator’s Heartland Greenway system.
The agreement outlines Navigator’s integrated CCUS services for approximately five (5) million metric tons of POET’s biogenic CO2 annually and establishes a collaborative path for the development of a central carbon offset marketplace and carbon use logistics platform. The system will phase in 18 of POET’s bioprocessing facilities across Iowa, Nebraska, and South Dakota, and is on schedule for operational in-service in 2025.
“We recognize that now is the time to take bold action to preserve our planet for future generations,” said Jeff Broin, POET Founder and CEO. “POET has been a leader in low-carbon biofuels and CO2 capture for commercial use for decades, and this project is another significant step in utilizing bioprocessing to accelerate our path to net-zero. We choose our partners carefully, and we believe Navigator has the expertise to deliver long-term value to rural America by further positioning agricultural commodities as a viable source of low-carbon liquid fuels to power our future.”
Both parties will leverage their respective expertise – relying on the unique breadth and scale of Navigator’s infrastructure development, construction, and operations and POET’s market-leading position in CO2 distribution, marketing, and logistics management. The joint efforts will create the largest combined distribution network for high-quality, biogenic CO2.
“This agreement is a testament to two industries coming together and using their resources to pave innovative pathways toward carbon neutrality and a more sustainable future. The breadth, scale, and technical acumen of each party’s platform is unmatched,” said Matt Vining, Chief Executive Officer of Navigator. “POET is an industry pioneer that has built a company on the pillars of safety, integrity, innovation, and being a good neighbor in the communities they call home, all of which align entirely with the culture and track record of Navigator. We look forward to this partnership with POET as we continue to fulfill our mission to provide sustainable carbon solutions to our communities, consumers, and customers.”
With the addition of POET to the platform, Navigator’s Heartland Greenway system will provide CCUS services for more than 30 industrial processors across the agriculture and food production value chains, representing over ten (10) million tons of annual CO2 emissions, including the two (2) largest bioethanol producers in the United States, in addition to highly efficient single-site production facilities. Navigator’s unique platform will now mobilize efforts to deliver up to 15 million tons annually of CCUS services through new pipeline laterals and parallel development of multiple storage sites.
In yesterday’s print edition of the Black Hills Pioneer, the newspaper published an unscientific survey of their readers on a number of races, including the top three on the ticket. The respondents came in pretty strongly, selecting US Senator John Thune over Bruce Whalen in a vote of 83-20, Dusty Johnson over Taffy Howard 77-41, and similarly Governor Kristi Noem blows the doors off of Steve Haugaard in the race to the second floor:Whoof. This might not be the night for the Haugaard consolation party to be a dry event.
Today’s election may go down as one of the wildest primaries in Republican annals with unprecedented levels of spending at the State Legislative level.
Sure, there were various factions in-state that pushed forward their own candidates. But what came as an utter shock was the level of money that out-of-state groups pumped into the State Legislative process. But one special interest group in particular dumped massive amounts of cash into the elections, and often on issues that had nothing to do with their issues, but with a goal in mind of ridding themselves of what they viewed as someone unsympathetic to their cause.
As one reader was kind enough to do the legwork, his research noted that the Convention of States made an unprecedented assault on the Republican Primary in order to try to buy their way into a legislature more pliable to their cause.
What did this mailer have to do with the convention of states? Nothing. Except they paid for it.
After a bit more digging into the funding of these various attacks, based on some filings of “Communications Statements” in South Dakota, and based on the data summarized below and in detail in the attached reports, I think we can safely say that the Convention of States Project, after being unsuccessful in swaying the Legislature in SD (their application failed 10 times in 9 years) through various lobbying efforts and marketing claims about their proposal for having a first-ever Convention process initiated for changing the US Constitution, has now resorted to and invested heavily in the “stick” approach to getting the votes they want to trigger such a convention. Namely, trying to eliminate their opponents politically. Plus they’re not very familiar with South Dakota.
What did this have to do with convention of states? Not a thing, except a dirty attack to try to take out a popular political figure.
5-18-2022 (Mailers opposing Johnson, Schoenbeck, Duvall, and “Reid” –should be “Reed”) $27,191
5-5-2022 (Radio Ads opposing Johnson, Schoenbeck, Duvall and “Reid”) $40,848
5-6-2022 (Radio Ad production against Johnson, Schoenbeck, Duvall, and “Reid”) $3,225
5-20-2022 (Radio Production and Mailers supporting primary opponents of Johnson, Schoenbeck, Duvall and “Reid”, plus mailers, digital cable ads, polling, and video production to oppose Johnson, Schoenbeck, Duvall, and “Reid”) $121,701.25
5-24-2022 (Digital, TV, Radio, mailers opposing Johnson, Schoenbeck; Reed just gets attack mailers and Duvall gets attack radio and mailers) Note: $8,516.44 spent on mailers noted for supporting “Matt Windshitl” of SD-36 should indicate an unfamiliarity with South Dakota. There is no Dist. 36, and Windshitl –rather unfortunate name– is from Iowa. Total SD Legislator Spending: $87,742.79
Grand Total of “Communications” expenditures from Convention of States Political Fund: $317,062.04
That’s about $80,000 each to get rid of four State Senate candidates. And the ads seem to not even mention amending the US Constitution, which is what COS is about.
Add to that the $21,750 in Convention of States South Dakota PAC direct contributions to legislative candidates ($10K of which came from COS Action, and $10K from some guy in Texas) and you have Convention of States pouring in $338,812.04 –Over a third of a Million Dollars!– into a state of about 840K people with one congressional district to change the legislative districts’ representation to changed the US Constitution.
Plus, the reports note that Convention of States Political Fund is headquartered in DC 3 blocks from the US Capitol at 500 New Jersey Ave., NW, Washington, DC
–bypassing Congress? Who is funding “COS Political Fund?” Who designed the postcards? Why do super-wealthy people from out of state want to change the US Constitution. What do they anticipate as a return on their investment?
Note: this does not include the $27,191.42 US Term Limits spent on Postcards trying to influence legislative races to try and get more legislators in SD who would support the USTL application for an Article V Constitutional Convention. USTL is out of Florida.
And the return address to the mailers is at this other fancy office building below in Phoenix 4600 E Washington St, Ste. 300, Phoenix, AZ (return address of attack postcards)
But apparently the $1K check Mark Willadsen got for his campaign (and later returned after seeing the attack ads) came from Convention of States South Dakota PAC with a return address of 9365 Counselors Row, Ste. 200, Indianapolis, IN FYI, Mark Meckler, President, Co-Founder, and CEO of Convention of States Project, claims the organization is headquartered out of his house outside of Austin, TX. However, the address for COSP per the website is the office building below in Houston, TX. And, per IRS 990 forms from 2018-2020 filed by COS Action, Meckler and family brought in over $1.3 M to their household (about 7% of gross receipts) over those 3 years. Average major donation to COS Action for those years was over $81K, comprising 54% of total donations. Obviously not a “Mom and Pop” operation out of one’s living room, basement, or garage. Nor are most donations from what one would call “average-income” Americans.
Perhaps your readers will find some of this information valuable. It seems the whole dispute over whether to have a “Convention of States” AKA Article V Constitutional Convention, has been taken to a whole new level in South Dakota.
We will know by tonight’s results, but in many of the races, the activities of the Convention of States group are not likely to have the effect they’re hoping on the composition of the state legislature.
If anything, I suspect it may have the opposite.
In speaking with several legislators, they had previously looked at the groups’ lobbying efforts not much differently than any other lobbying groups’. But with their somewhat questionable tactics and massive amount of spending, they’ve managed to garner a whole new level of attention from the State Legislature. This next session, I’d look for a couple of things to come about.
First, there are already calls for more disclosure in campaign finance for out-of-state groups pouring money into the state, as a result of this group trying to buy their way to the legislature they wanted.
Second, and more importantly, as a result of their tactics I have the distinct impression that the Convention of States will not find a very friendly legislature this next session.
In fact, I suspect their legislation will be DOA in South Dakota for quite some time to come.
Had a few minutes from being miserable from my cold to post some of the postcards in the mail this weekend.
And I am freaking miserable, so I went in and got tested. It’s not covid. It’s not strep throat. It’s not the flu. It’s something “viral,” so this weekend has been a waste for me, aside from a few moments of energy where I’m getting up and posting. Ugh.
Anyway, postcards.. here’s what I’ve got..
Ron Moeller in D31 sent this over, noting his endorsement from General Michael Flynn. Not sure if that’s an ad or a card..
In this card from Dusty Johnson’s campaign, everyone is looking for Taffy Howard, because of her propensity to not show up in the Legislature 14% of the time. And she should very deservedly take a hit on this.
On a more positive note, Taylor Rehfeldt is out with a biographical piece about her background, her family, and her issues in a re-election appeal..
Bryan Breitling in District 23 Senate is out in a positive piece this weekend talking about issues..
District 7 Republican House hopeful Roger DeGroot hits on a few issues in his pursuit of the office..
And for the same office, South Dakota Strong takes another run at D7 House hopeful Doug Post’s record in the legislature.
Rising Temperatures, Rising Prices By Sen. John Thune
I think it’s fair to say that in South Dakota, the unofficial start of summer begins when the temperature hits – and stays – over 65 degrees … give or take. It’s been another long winter and spring, and I think we are all looking forward to some warmer, sunnier days. Few things can top summers in South Dakota, and some of my fondest childhood memories are from our summer road trips to the Black Hills. We’re blessed to call South Dakota home, and South Dakotans quickly win the hearts of all who travel to the state. We are home to the Corn Palace, the Missouri River, the Badlands, Wall Drug, the Black Hills, the Crazy Horse Memorial, Mount Rushmore, and more. As they say, there is something for everyone.
With the school year officially wrapped up, families are not only starting to fine-tune their summer schedules, but they’re having to revisit their budgets, too. Everything from sports camps, summer school, carpool duty, road trips, and nearly everything else in between – whatever keeps the kids busy – may cost more this summer due to rising gas prices and soaring inflation. For lots of folks, a summer road trip is a no-brainer, but the price hikes hitting Americans threaten to shorten plans or keep travelers home altogether. As I travel throughout the state, I continue to hear from South Dakotans who tell me about the tremendous toll these high fuel costs have on their household budgets.
The national average for a gallon of gas leapt over $4 in May and seems to climb higher each day. In fact, the national average for a gallon of gas is double what it was the day President Biden took his oath of office in January 2021. Heading into peak travel season, this means families are reprioritizing their spending and having to make tough decisions on whether or not they can afford to spend the day driving through the Badlands or having enough groceries to get through the week.
I am frequently asked what can be done to lower these egregious fuel costs. The short answer: an all-of-the-above energy strategy. Since taking office, President Biden has pursued a radical agenda that is hostile to conventional energy. The president cancelled the Keystone XL pipeline on his first day in office and he almost immediately froze new oil and gas leases on federal lands – sending a clear signal to oil and gas producers that his administration would be reluctant to work with them to increase American energy production. As we are seeing now, the only effect of curbing conventional energy production is to either force Americans to pay more for their energy or rely more on foreign sources for oil, like the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries. The more we rely on energy from abroad, the more vulnerable Americans are to energy price spikes and global shortages.
The ongoing energy crisis hasn’t spurred the Biden administration to take action beyond raiding our Strategic Petroleum Reserve, which only minimally stunted rising prices. However, I am pleased that the administration recently permitted the summertime sale of E15 fuel, which went into effect on June 1. I have long advocated for the year-round sale of E15 as a way to offer American drivers a more affordable and cleaner option at the gas pump. Earlier this year, I led a bipartisan letter to the president calling for this very policy. It’s a step in the right direction, but President Biden needs to get serious about leveraging all American energy solutions. Failure to take meaningful action to reverse rising energy prices will cast a long shadow over the summer and our economy.
As families all across the country have to dig deeper into their pocketbooks in order to fill up their tanks and make ends meet, I will continue to press the administration to abandon its failed energy policies and put our country back on track to restore our energy security.
It Tolls for Thee By Rep. Dusty Johnson June 3, 2022
On Monday, I was honored to provide some remarks at the Sioux Falls Memorial Day commemoration. Memorial Day rightfully honors those who have died in service to their country, acknowledging their tremendous sacrifice.
But as I thought about those who have died, I reflected upon those they left behind. Each of them had families, friends, and neighbors. Death imposed a terrible price on the patriots who died, but not just on them.
“For Whom the Bell Tolls,” the 1940 novel by Ernest Hemingway, popularized the phrase “Ask not for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.” That line is often interpreted to mean that sooner or later death comes for us all. That’s true, but it isn’t what Hemingway meant. Instead, Hemingway was reminding us that because we are interconnected to one another, the death of any of us harms all of us.
The death of each of our soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines leaves a hole that lasts for decades. There are Little League players they’ll never get to coach, church choirs they’ll never sing with, the girl or boy next door they’ll never marry, and the new hire at the office or factory they’ll never take under their wing. There are thousands of contributions, large and small, that their death denies to them, and to us.
The fallen men and women in uniform weren’t just war fighters or leaders-in-theater. They were also to be the leaders of so many neighborhoods here at home.
On Monday, when “Taps” played at the ceremony, I let it call to mind those who gave the ultimate sacrifice. But I also let it call to mind the countless families, worksites, churches, and communities diminished by those deaths. Our nation was made stronger by the service of those who died, but their absence leaves gaps that are hard to fill.
Ask not for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for all of us.
Whoof. This might not be the night for the Haugaard consolation party to be a dry event.
