I’ve been crazy busy with work this week as I head towards a couple days away from my desk to take my son to his assignment aboard the USS Montana (look it up, very cool).  But in the midst of my prep. I did have a few moments to catch this article from the Mitchell Republic on impeachment.

It’s very interesting, as it mirrors much of what I’ve heard behind the scenes, that impeachment was not necessarily certain, but a few factors did drive the undecideds.

One factor was how the report of the committee spent way too much time dwelling on the Governor expressing her opinion, as opposed to doing the job they were actually there to do. Another, as cited in the article, was the letter from the Attorney General on the eve of impeachment:

While Koth said Ravnsborg’s letter was very well-written, he believes the attorney general should’ve taken the opportunity to speak to the House Select Committee, instead of waiting until the night before the vote to speak out.

“It was troubling to me that it was sent at that time, the night before we had special session,” Koth said. “It was troubling to me that he, for whatever reason, had chosen not to testify or talk with the committee. My understanding was he was invited to, not subpoenaed, so it troubled me that he didn’t put forth his side of the information prior to [the impeachment vote].”

Read the entire story here.

We’ve got another 60 days until the entire matter comes to a head at the Senate Impeachment trial. I’m sure we’re going to hear far more on the topic.

Bob Mercer of KELOland filed a story about candidates running for the State Legislature today, and extolled the absolute strength of the GOP, which I have no problem with. It’s when he got into the weeds about other things that the story turned to mush, and Bob wasn’t worried about things ..like accuracy.

Republicans currently have super-majorities in both chambers with 32 seats in the Senate and 62 seats in the House. Their success in fielding candidates for all 105 legislative seats this election has some calling for a clean sweep; Republicans already hold South Dakota’s 10 statewide and three congressional elected offices.

South Dakota voters haven’t elected a Libertarian to the Legislature and no candidate running as an independent has won in recent memory, if ever.

Read that here.

I don’t think anyone bothered to fact check, never-less define “recent memory,” because I know of three who had won running as an independent just off the top of my head shortly before/during my tenure in the political scene.

Mary Wagner served 12 years in the legislature as a Republican. But, she did have a hiccup during her first race in 1980, when her petitions were incorrect, and had to run twice as hard as an Independent. She was the top vote in a 4-way race for House with 4517 votes against/running with Sheldon Cotton (R 4468), leaving Bob Burns (D 4004) and Wayne Hauschild (D, 3784) behind.  Mary was a darned hard campaigner, and won as an Indy.

Democrat Chet Jones found himself in the same boat in 1994 with petitions completed in error. As related in the Argus Leader after the election in his race against a familiar candidate in this years’ elections..

And as for people running in even more recent memory, how about in 2010?  As written by the KELOland article author himself back in the Rapid City Journal ten years ago, what about someone who should be familiar to many Republicans still serving in the State Legislature…

She began as a Republican running as an independent in a difficult district for Republicans — and won. That was two elections ago, when Jenna Haggar of Sioux Falls was elected to the state House of Representatives in 2010.

Read that here.

There may be another one or two I’m missing, but you get the point. If a candidate works hard enough, even as an independent they can certainly be elected.

Why the big deal about mentioning Independents? There’s another one who you probably want to keep an eye on this election, who just opened up her campaign page on Facebook:

Former Cabinet Secretary for the South Dakota Department of Human Services, and recently retired President and CEO for Lutheran Social Services, Betty Oldenkamp is having her first campaign event this Wednesday, April 20th at Josiah’s (From 8-11 am) to collect signatures to get on the ballot as an independent in District 15 House, which currently has Democrats Kadyn Wittman and Linda Duba and Republicans Joni Tschetter and Matt Rosburg all competing for the same two seats.

Betty’s entrance into the race represents the second former cabinet member – joining Tim Reisch – to run for the State House of Representatives.

And running in District 15 as an independent puts her in a unique position where while it might not happen often, an independent has won before.

Never let it be said I fail to give credit where credit where credit is due.

After I pointed out in March that the Pennington County Republican Party seemed to have an advertising impediment when it came to mentioning that Governor Kristi Noem is the keynote speaker at their Lincoln Day Dinner, about a week ago, they seem to have finally gotten their act together to acknowledge that the most popular Republican among Republican voters in the state is going to be headlining at their dinner in May:

Unfortunately, there are candidates out there who keep giving me material to highlight their foibles, and for some reason, Steve Haugaard just keeps giving us material to illustrate that he’s not ready for prime time.  Today’s lesson appears to be the possibly abandoned “Steve Haugaard for Governor website News page.”

Because apparently Steve hasn’t had any news for anyone interested in finding out about his campaign for Governor since February 16th. That’s about 60 days, or half of the time he had left between February and June to get people to vote for him.

I kind of get the feeling he isn’t serious about this whole Governor thing.

 Inflation hit 8.5 percent in March, the highest it’s been since 1981, and it’s hitting families where it hurts. From utilities and other monthly bills to beef and eggs to cars and airline fares – folks are paying more for just about everything right now. 

One of the price hikes hitting Americans the hardest is the increase in the price of gas. 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 has been over $4, and for working families, these rising costs could mean reprioritizing their spending and adding more stress when it comes to making rent and filling the tank.

Our country is in an energy crisis. If you ask the Biden administration, it will point to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as the primary cause for sky-rocketing prices in an attempt to deflect from its long-standing assault on domestic energy production. American families and small businesses know better, though – they’ve been coping with soaring energy bills since last fall.

President Biden made his attitude toward conventional energy production clear on day one when he cancelled the Keystone XL pipeline, and since then, his administration has tried to make it more expensive and more difficult to tap into America’s abundant energy resources. Rather than embracing homegrown energy, the president has pursued an agenda that is hostile to it. Instead of prioritizing American energy independence, he has focused almost exclusively on alternative energy technologies, including what seems to be an obsession with electric vehicles, which his administration has clearly picked as its preferred winner in the clean-energy stakes.

The fact of the matter is, our nation is not going to magically transition to a 100 percent zero-emission energy fleet overnight, no matter how much the administration would like it to. From technological advancements and supplying critical minerals to upgrading our electric grid and energy storage, this is going to take time, and liquid fuels aren’t going away in the near term. Right now, consumers need affordable and reliable energy supplies to power their homes and businesses and low-cost fuel options to fill their vehicles.

For months, I have been calling on the Biden administration to leverage American biofuels as one way to reduce the pain at the pump. In March, I led a bipartisan letter with Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) urging President Biden to unleash American biofuels and permit the year-round sale of E15 fuel in order to reduce the United States’ reliance on foreign sources of energy. I’m glad to announce that he finally listened to my repeated calls and extended E15 sales this summer. This is a step in the right direction toward providing some near-term relief for consumers while also utilizing American agriculture as an energy and environmental solution. This is important progress, but at the end of the day, we need an all-of-the-above energy strategy to ensure long-term independence, and we need the president and his administration to join us.

High gas prices and other energy costs directly contribute to many price increases throughout the supply chain. For example, manufacturers who face higher transportation costs are forced to pass at least some of those increased fuel costs on to consumers in the form of higher prices for goods. On top of record-high inflation, which has outstripped wage growth, resulting in a de facto pay cut for many Americans, families across South Dakota are having to dig deep into their pocketbooks to make ends meet. 

I will continue supporting policies that would put our country back on track to once again achieving complete energy independence and provide relief to consumers by lowering gas prices. I hope that the shocking inflation and energy crises that Americans continue to face will resonate with Democrats and help redirect their attention to issues that are impacting Americans the most.

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As we move past winter storms (hopefully) and signs of spring begin to pop up, this time of year is often associated with “spring cleaning.”

This year, the list might look something like this:

• Scrub the shower
• Clean out the closets
• De-clutter the drawers
• Part ways with old COVID-19 policies

Over the past several months, I’ve heard from many South Dakotans frustrated with out-of-date one-size-fits-all COVID policies. From the continued extension of masks on planes to the USDA Farm Service Agency and Social Security Administration offices that are still working remote—these policies don’t follow the science.

COVID-19 infection numbers are low nationwide, but there are agencies within the federal government that are still following “work from home” policies that were implemented over 26 months ago – that’s unacceptable.

These COVID-19 policies have affected so many of you—making it more difficult to contact an agency to get help with forms, loans, and taxes. As we approach the Tax Day deadline on Monday, it serves as a reminder of the immense backlog at the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

As of January 28, 2022, there were 23.7 million unprocessed tax returns and correspondence filed in 2021 and 2022. The IRS remote work has made it virtually impossible for taxpayers to talk to a representative on the phone, or they experience long wait times if the call is even connected. If you’re facing an issue with the IRS, please connect with a caseworker in my Sioux Falls, Rapid City, or Aberdeen office.

There is a light at the end of the tunnel. The IRS recently announced they will be fully back in the office by the end of June. Last week, the Social Security Administration offices resumed in-person services for 98% of its offices for the first time since March 2020. I’m sure we are all relieved to see some agencies part ways with COVID-19 policies and return to the office, as these programs and services are best rendered in-person.

However, if you call USDA FSA offices you get a voicemail that says they are not accepting visitors because of COVID-19. I don’t think our South Dakota FSA offices want to be operating at a limited capacity – many of these policies come from the top in Washington. The primary job of an FSA office is to serve our farmers – how can they do so effectively if they are closed? Every day on the farm is different, and the unexpected will always come up. South Dakotans deserve better. These old COVID-19 policies have got to go.

Everywhere we turn, we see symbols of renewal and rebirth. Spring snows blanket Custer State Park while buffalo calves are being born on the prairie. Elsewhere, the snow has turned to rain showers — a blessing to all, especially our farmers preparing the fields for spring planting.

This Easter weekend, regardless of the weather, churches across our great state will be filled with celebrations for Jesus’ resurrection. We celebrate his sacrifice for our sins so that one day we all may enjoy the promise of everlasting life. Unfortunately, the promise of life on Earth is not so simple.

The Founders of this great nation understood that God endowed us all with certain rights that cannot be taken or given away. Risking their own lives in defiance of King George, 56 patriots boldly declared the unalienable rights to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” Thomas Jefferson, who wrote those words, also said “the care of human life and happiness, and not their destruction, is the first and only object of good government.”

And yet across this country, many hold up abortion as an essential right, ignoring the inherent right to life of those unborn children. Those voices, though present, don’t echo as loudly here. South Dakota is a Pro-Life state.

It’s one of the few issues where there have been unanimous, bipartisan victories in the legislature on this issue. In 2021, lawmakers banned selective abortions on the basis of a Down syndrome prenatal test. That was a heartwarming moment for me as governor and as a mother. That same year, I signed the Born-Alive Protection Act to ensure that every baby, regardless of the circumstances of their birth, receives the same life-saving treatment when they are brought into this world.

In the last four years, I have signed more than a dozen new laws protecting life in South Dakota. I was the first governor in the nation to appoint an Unborn Child Advocate in my office. Since then, we’ve defined abortion in statute, criminalized causing an abortion against a mother’s will, and strengthened reporting requirements. This year, we passed the strongest law in the country banning abortion via telemedicine. We’ve also continued the fight against abortion in federal court.

Last year, I was the lead signee on an important amicus brief in the Dobbs v Jackson case. In that brief, I joined 240 female scholars, professionals, and others in pushing back on the Roe v Wade narrative that women cannot be both mothers and successful career women. Meanwhile, South Dakota continues to protect its pro-life standing, and the lives of mothers and children, in the decade-long legal battle in the case known as Planned Parenthood v Noem.

South Dakota is closer than it has ever been to banning abortion — but the work doesn’t end there.

Since taking office, I have worked hard to support mothers and build stronger families. Two initiatives have seen great success in improving outcomes. This year, I was successful in funding the Bright Start program statewide so we can bring this life-changing program to more communities.

Bright Start helps pregnant mothers, their babies, and their fathers build a stronger family by offering training and services to teach young families how to raise their children in healthy homes and build a strong foundation for their futures.

Another way we are strengthening families is through our Stronger Families Together initiative. This program is making strong progress to reach its goal of enrolling 300 new foster families around the state. We are seeing tremendous success rates for reuniting families that were once in crisis. But there is always more work that can be done.

When we have finally secured the rights to life and liberty, all that is left is the pursuit of happiness. Springtime is a great reminder of how we can all get a fresh start on that pursuit — that includes helping others on their journey.

God bless you all and Happy Easter!

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District 14 State House Candidate is hosting a fundraiser in Sioux Falls on Tuesday, April 19 at the Barrel House in Sioux Falls from 4:30-6:30. They’re bringing in a particularly noteworthy guest of honor, as well as a number of others pitching in for our next State Representative:

With special guest of honor US Senator Mike Rounds, also co-hosting are former First Lady Linda and former Governor Dennis Daugaard. State Treasurer Josh Haeder is on the list, as is Sioux Falls City Councilor Alex Jensen, State Rep. and Tyler’s mom Tamara St. John, Representative Sue Peterson, Senator Maggie Sutton, and former Legislators Mark Mickelson and Deb Soholt.

Check it out!

Senate President Pro Tempore Lee Schoenbeck issued a statement this morning with regards to the process that the State Senate will be following with regards to the guidelines the Senate is following for the impeachment process, and how they intend to do everything in the light of day:

I try and answer all media requests within the bounds that they are appropriate and that I have the time. Hopefully this will assist your readers.

The good news is that South Dakota has no history of impeachment, like Arizona or Illinois, so we don’t have the established rules that they do. The bad news is, that we don’t have established rules like they do. Last year when this first arose, I asked Senator Wheeler to study other states’ rules  and work on a draft. He enlisted retired judges, current Senators, Rusch and Johns to assist him.  This week we took that draft and created a version that we think will work to provide South Dakota with a fair and expedient process. The LRC staff is currently reviewing that work product. When it is in final draft form I will distribute to the entire senate, and make it available to the public. The proposed rules will be reviewed by the Legislative Procedures Committee on April 26^th and the full senate will act on that committee’s work the same day.

I have added both the majority and minority leaders to this email. It is our intent to have this process very transparent. I envision documents posted on line for senators and the public to review in advance. When the rules are “done” (its only a draft until whatever form is adopted by the senate), they will explain it all. 

Lee

What do you think?

As I’ve noted several times, Taffy Howard missed almost 15% of all floor votes during the legislative session during the first quarter of the year. So where was she?

We still have no idea, because by the looks of her FEC report, she certainly wasn’t fundraising.

Taffy Howard 2022 1q FEC by Pat Powers on Scribd

With the primary election less than 60 days away, this was the financial quarter that State Representative Taffy Howard needed to put up some big numbers if she wanted to be taken seriously in her challenge against incumbent Congressman Dusty Johnson.

And she managed to maintain her status in the cheap seats, throwing peanuts at the main attraction hoping to gain his attention. To no avail.

With a burn rate of 52%, Taffy raised $83,954.44 but spent $44,178.75, leaving her with cash on hand of $153,714.97.

Which might give her a mailing, a week or so of commercials on the evening news, and to keep her consultants employed. But little else.

I did see in the report that Carl Perry gave her $100..

..and Stace Nelson donated a trailer worth $1400 for hauling signs, but those pickings are looking kind of slim, especially when she’s running her campaign into the homestretch like a car on half-inflated tires.

She might get down the road a bit, but you know things are definitely going to fail.