Noem Releases Attorney General’s Report on Minnehaha State’s Attorney

PIERRE, S.D. – Governor Kristi Noem today released the summary of Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg’s investigation into Minnehaha State’s Attorney Aaron McGowan.

“Recent events involving Minnehaha State’s Attorney Aaron McGowan necessitated an investigation by our Attorney General,” said Noem. “That investigation is now complete, and I am making the summary provided to me available to the public for the sake of transparency. The facts that were uncovered are unsettling. The Attorney General concludes that there isn’t the evidence to pursue charges against McGowan. I will not be pursuing any further action at this time. I am thankful for the Attorney General and his team’s swift work on this matter.”

The Attorney General’s full report can be downloaded here.

McGowan Investigation Report by Pat Powers on Scribd

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Interesting article on Fox Business this AM about a new feature of Amazon’s Alexa that allows people to donate to a political campaign through the little internet connected smart speaker sitting on their kitchen counter.

I mean.. what could go wrong with that?

“With Alexa Political Contributions you can donate to participating 2020 U.S. presidential campaigns by simply saying “Alexa, I want to make a political contribution” or “Alexa, donate [amount] to [candidate name]”. Amazon Pay will process the donation using the information and default payment method stored in your Amazon account and will email you a receipt for your records,” the company wrote on its website to announce the program.

and…

And how can we know that Amazon – which spent more than $14 million on lobbying and over $13 million in political contributions in 2018 – won’t use all of that political spending data to shape its own political spending strategy the way the company uses sales data to shape its marketing and product development?

Even without a team of government-backed hackers on their side, foreign parties may be able to manipulate this new Alexa feature through basic steps to mask their location and true identity, creating multiple – even thousands – of Amazon accounts for the purposes of donating to a candidate and influencing elections. A Prime account only costs $12.99 a month, a pittance to a nation intent on meddling in our elections.

Read the entire story here.

What do you think?

I don’t know that technology in elections is a bad thing. But, I think it may be quickly drawing up to a line that we probably need to start questioning whether it should be crossed.

President Trump Approves Third South Dakota Disaster Request

PIERRE, S.D. – Governor Kristi Noem today announced that President Trump has approved the State’s request for a third Presidential Disaster Declaration, covering the damage done by severe storms, tornadoes, and flooding that occurred June 30-July 21. 

The declaration will allow federal money to be used to help local government entities recover from infrastructure damage in Butte, Gregory, Kingsbury, Lawrence, Meade, and Tripp counties, as well as the Cheyenne River and the Lower Brule Indian Reservations.  A preliminary assessment of the damage was estimated to be $2.5 million.

“Many counties have been plagued by heavy rainfall and flooding time and time again this year,” said Noem. “I appreciate that the President and FEMA continue to understand the impact these storms and heavy rains have had on South Dakota and are willing to help us recover.”

In her request for a disaster declaration, Noem told the President that many areas had experienced record rainfall which resulted in flooding of roads and other infrastructure. Confirmed tornadoes and high winds caused property damage in other areas. She said two of the state’s major industries, agricultural and tourism, have been impacted.

“As you can see, South Dakota has been battered by storm after storm that continue to further erode our valuable public infrastructure,” wrote the Governor.

This is the third federal disaster declaration for South Dakota this year. South Dakota received a federal disaster declaration in June for severe winter storms and flooding that occurred March 13-April 26 and that affected 58 counties and three reservations. A second disaster declaration for the period of May 26-June 7 was approved in September for flooding and storms that occurred in 25 counties and two reservations.

FEMA officials are now in South Dakota working on the first two federal disaster declarations and will continue to work on the third. More details on the process for the third disaster declaration will be announced at a later date.

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Prayers go out for the family of Tom Adam, Pierre attorney and long-time lobbyist for the South Dakota Banker’s Association, who passed away this last week on October 5th at the age of 82. Tom was well known to many in the state’s political community, as a very long serving member of the state’s legal and lobbying communities.

Tom was also as an extended member of the Mickelson family, as a son-in-law to Governor George T Mickelson, brother-in-law to Governor George S Mickelson, as well as an uncle to State Representative Mark Mickelson.

Tom is well remembered in an article today in the Pierre Capital Journal:

and…

Because Democrats in the midwest haven’t had much success in the last few years, those that used to be successful are on speaking tours to help Democrats understand how they can connect with voters, including former US Senator Heidi Heitkamp:

Hillary Clinton won just six total counties in all of Iowa in the 2016 presidential election. Trump took the other 93, often by large margins, including with 60% or 70% or more in many rural counties. In an effort to tamp down those lopsided margins in rural Iowa, One Country Project, an organization launched by former Democratic Senators Heidi Heitkamp and Joe Donnelly, has added J.D. Scholten to their team.

and…

“The way Democrats campaign is very urban; the field programs are very urban. But they need to be everywhere, and connect with anyone and have a message for not just agricultural folks, but everyone in rural areas,” Scholten explained. “And I wouldn’t say that Republicans are doing a great job of getting out there; just their messaging of lower taxes, and that’s it pretty much – or the simplification of their messages.”

Read the story here.

With Heitkamp out promoting hard democrat messaging and the election of her party’s candidates, who would want to promote her and provide a big soapbox for her views in South Dakota? The Noon Democrat Forum in Sioux Falls? A big Democrat state party dinner?

Of course not. Don’t be silly. With her views, Heitkamp is speaking at the USD Law School.

Happy October and happy Dakota Days! United States Senator @HeidiHeitkamp joins us in the courtroom in 6 days! We look forward to welcoming her. pic.twitter.com/25N3i242K4

— USDLaw (@USDLawSD) October 1, 2019

Ok @HeidiHeitkamp even I’m breaking out some UND green for your visit today! Hope folks can be in @USDLawSD Courtroom at 3 pm today for the Thurgood Marshall Lecture. pic.twitter.com/uv4drROSxU

— Neil Fulton (@NeilFultonSD) October 7, 2019

I’ll be curious to see when the school brings in a conservative speaker – and particularly one actively engaged in trying to elect Republicans as Heitkamp is doing for Democrats –  to address the group.

Apparently the pot petitioners are going anywhere they think they can.

Yesterday, at Howard Wood Field, Fieldworks pot petitioners “Andrew” and someone who looks to be named Sarah were at Howard Wood Field in Sioux Falls at the High School Band Competition trolling band competition attendees to sign pot legalization petitions.

I’ve heard they’re pretty aggressive, which I’m sure their handlers tell them to be, but is it unseemly for petitioners to be gathering signatures at a facility that a high school related group has rented? Especially when it’s a petition for the purpose of legalizing drugs?  Or is it no big deal?

What do you think?

You know, You’d think you had seen it all when it comes to how whacked out some ultra-liberal Democrats are. But former Aberdeen State Senate Democrat candidate Cory Heidelberger just launched a repulsive and racially charged attack against Congressman Dusty Johnson.

Why? Because Johnson received a compliment from an African-American Congressional colleague, Congressman Will Hurd citing Dusty as “trying to make the (Republican) party more diverse and inclusive.”  And apparently, making efforts at broadening the GOP’s appeal isn’t palatable for the extreme left, triggering them because of the color of Dusty’s skin:

Read it here.

When Congressman Dusty Johnson works to broaden the base of the Republican Party and is complimented for it, Democrats such as Cory Heidelberger are left frothing at the mouth, pointing fingers and quivering but you’re ‘very white’ and have ‘white privilege’ and orange man bad! 

This is why Democrats will continue to lose elections, especially in the midwest.  They want to divide people up into classes and categories. When to just about everyone else, the yardstick of progress is far more mundane, when we simply consider people neighbors and co-workers and ignore categories.

Dusty, keep on showing the world that the Republican Party is a big tent welcoming to all who seek freedom, believe in free enterprise, and value American exceptionalism.

And we’ll continue to leave the haters and racists in the dustbin of history.

“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”

– Martin Luther King Jr., 28 August 1963

Celebrating Native American Day
By Sen. John Thune

While much of the United States celebrates Columbus Day on the second Monday in October, South Dakotans instead proudly recognize Native American Day, honoring the rich heritage and tribal people of our state. A tradition that began in 1989 when Gov. George Mickelson proclaimed 1990 as the “Year of Reconciliation,” we’ve continued to celebrate Native American Day in lieu of Columbus Day. The South Dakota legislature formally recognized this day by unanimously passing legislation, and we have been honoring the day for nearly thirty years.

Native American culture can be found in every corner of our state. One way to experience this culture is by attending a powwow. Powwows are still very prevalent in South Dakota today, and they provide an opportunity to participate in traditions that are passed on by the Native American people through things like traditional music and dancing. These events take place nearly every month from May to October, and I encourage all South Dakotans to attend these unique celebrations.

Oral storytelling is another important tradition, allowing tribes to pass down their religions, history, and origin stories from one generation to the next. Oral storytelling is an art that is still practiced by tribes across the state, and it remains an important part of tribal people’s connection to their past.

One of my favorite stories shared in the Lakota language is of the importance of the “tatanka,” or buffalo. Although the term “buffalo” is now scientifically classified as a “bison,” the word buffalo is more frequently used in Native American cultures throughout the Midwest. Aside from being the basis of the Lakota diet and an integral part of their way of life – from providing hide for shelter to the bones for tools – the bison is also a large part of their spirituality. Because the tatanka provided the Lakota people with clothing, shelter, and food, among many other things, it was a sacred animal to the people. For example, the tatanka skull was used in many spiritual rituals.

The tatanka skull is featured in the center of the Lakota Sioux Medicine Wheel, representing the circle of life and the four cardinal directions, a beautiful symbol that has endured throughout time, much like the culture of the Sioux people. Though they have faced many challenges, they have continued to maintain their spirit through the guidance of community leaders today and warriors of the past.  Warriors like Crazy Horse – a Lakota man who led a band of warriors and defeated General Custer at the Battle of Little Big Horn. Crazy Horse will forever be memorialized in the granite of the Black Hills, on display for folks not just in South Dakota, but throughout the world to see and learn about.

I am grateful for the rich heritage of the South Dakota tribes. Their history is woven deep within the fabric of our state. This Native American Day, take time to reflect on and honor the courageous warriors that continue to make our state the best in the country.

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October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month
By U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.)

National Cybersecurity Awareness Month takes place every October. It is a good opportunity to review our online security habits on both our personal devices and at work. We are more connected than ever, and while it is nice to have quick and easy access to the Internet, it also means we are putting more information into cyberspace that can be used against us by bad actors.

The Department of Homeland Security has announced this year’s Cybersecurity Awareness Month theme is “Own IT. Secure IT. Protect IT.” More Americans are online than ever before. It’s important we take a look at our own cyber practices to make sure we are protecting ourselves from cyberattacks.

If you use any smart devices, take special precautions to secure your information. This can include making separate passwords for each device, checking the apps tied to each device on your smartphone to manually manage how much information you share with each device, secure your home Wi-Fi network with a strong password to prevent outsiders from accessing your devices and make sure to keep up with security and software updates. Keep in mind, whenever you purchase any kind of smart device for your home or vehicle, the company you buy it from will have access to sensitive information about you.

Best practices for online cybersecurity include creating separate strong passwords for every account you open. Turning on multi-factor authentication for all accounts is another good habit. It can stop hackers from accessing your information by creating another obstacle to get through if they’ve already found out your password. Don’t connect to public Wi-Fi to check your online bank account or shop online, as it is easier for hackers to access your bank account or credit card information more easily on a public network. Lastly, be cautious about opening emails or social media messages from people you do not know and don’t click on hyperlinks unless you can confirm the message came from a safe source. The overwhelming majority of security compromises are a result of human error – opening an attachment or link sent from an attacker.

Finally, we should remember that poor cyber hygiene cannot only have very negative consequences for individuals. As chairman of the Cybersecurity Subcommittee of the Senate Armed Services Committee, I am deeply concerned about how poor cyber hygiene in our defense industrial base can enable bad actors to access critical military information.

For example, this year, the Department of the Navy released a report showing it had weak cyber defenses (to include in some cases poor cyber hygiene), which could allow hackers to access intellectual property and other sensitive military information. While the report is concerning, I’m glad the Navy recognized the need to increase security. The other branches of the military should follow suit with the same type of self-assessment, as it is unlikely these challenges are limited to just the Navy. When the report came out, I spoke with Secretary of the Navy, Richard Spencer, to commend him for being forthright about their findings. It’s never easy to admit shortcomings, but identifying them and finding solutions to them is what will make our country stronger. Among the issues that Secretary Spencer is working hard to address is poor cyber hygiene, which even if limited to a small number of people, can have devastating consequences for the Navy’s defense industrial base.

We are relying on technology to make our lives more convenient and support our national security, but with that reliance come risks to our privacy and security. This month, I encourage you to review your cybersecurity habits and make necessary changes to protect yourself and your family from harmful cyberattacks. Additionally, I encourage the Department of Defense to make a top priority of improving the cyber hygiene of the defense industrial base. For more information about National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, visit www.dhs.gov.

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Leading the Charge
By Rep. Dusty Johnson

When you read “Nationally Recognized by the National Security Agency (NSA) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS),” do you think of South Dakota? Well, you should. In Madison, South Dakota, you’ll find one of the nation’s top-ranked cybersecurity programs within the walls of Dakota State University (DSU).

South Dakota is blessed with several top-tier universities, but DSU is unique. Dakota State currently has three Centers of Academic Excellence designations from the NSA and DHS and is one of eight resource centers for the NSA. We live in an ever-growing digital world, with that comes cybersecurity risks and a need for individuals with the skills to protect our technology. DSU and the NSA have partnered together to streamline military personnel’s ability to obtain a degree in the cyber arena. Senator Rounds and I also introduced legislation to make it easier for the Department of Defense to partner with universities on complex cybersecurity issues. Demand for cybersecurity expertise continues to grow and by 2021 there may be as many as 3.5 million cybersecurity job openings – we need to be preparing people for these jobs as soon as possible.

DSU continues to invest and lead the charge in ensuring that our nation’s and our government’s technology is secure. This week I had the opportunity to attend the grand opening of the Madison Cyber Labs or “MadLabs.” MadLabs is a state-of-the-art, 38,500 square foot facility with the capacity to host nearly 300 researchers. It will also have a Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility or SCIF to conduct classified research, and DSU is already working to secure contracts with the NSA to conduct research at the new facility.

Many universities throughout the country are seeing a decline in enrollment, but Dakota State isn’t tracking with the norm. DSU reported increased enrollment in 2019 and welcomed their largest freshman class this year. The investment in MadLabs and DSU’s continued innovation will continue to encourage this trend.

South Dakota’s state leaders and generous donors worked hard to ensure the dream of MadLabs became a reality—and because of this effort, South Dakota will educate some of the world’s best and brightest who will go on to be leaders in government, military, and the private security sector. Because of the excellent leadership of DSU President Griffiths and the support of several of our state’s past and present leadership, DSU has excelled as an institution. I look forward to continuing to watch Dakota State University and its students lead our nation in cybersecurity.

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