Associated School Boards thank Gov. Noem for proposed 6% increase to State Aid to Education

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From the Associated School Boards website comes praise for Governor Noem’s teacher pay increase proposal:

Schools received a nearly unprecedented state aid increase proposal from Gov. Kristi Noem for the 2022-23 school year.

At Gov. Noem’s budget address this month she proposed a 6 percent increase in state aid for the 2022-23 school year. The 6 percent increase brings $41 million in new, ongoing funding to state aid.

and..

“We’re incredibly thankful to Gov. Noem for the proposed increase,” ASBSD Executive Director Wade Pogany said.

“It’s a much needed increase as schools are trying to keep in teacher pay with regional states, attract classified staff members and face increasing costs with high inflation.”

Read the entire article here.

Democrats facing being washed away by massive red wave in 2022

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A red wave across this country portends to wash out Democrats in Congress after dismal polling results for President Biden:

“I’ve been telling Democrats, especially Democrats in targeted seats, enjoy the holidays, and you got a decision to make: retire or lose next fall,” Rep. Tom Emmer (R-Minn.), the chair of the National Republican Congressional Committee, told The Hill.

Emmer cautioned that a GOP House majority is not guaranteed, though he asserted that as many as 70 Democrats could lose their seats in a possible wave, warning “in this environment, no Democrat is safe.”

and..

That confluence of factors is leading Democrats to privately — and in some cases publicly — concede that their grip on the House is tenuous.

“The environment is particularly dour, both because of rising prices, economic anxiety, frustration about feeling stagnant when it comes to COVID, that it is not behind us despite the fact that we’ve been living with it for two years,” Democratic pollster Molly Murphy said. “If this environment holds, it’s going to be pretty damning.”

Read the entire article here.

Aberdeen Republican Rachel Dix files paperwork to form campaign committee for District 3 Senate.

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Today, Rachel Dix of Aberdeen filed paperwork with the Secretary of State’s office to form a campaign committee to run for the State Senate in District 3:

This sets up a potential primary for the State Senate seat currently held by former majority whip and current Senator Al Novstrup, who has represented Aberdeen in the State House or the State Senate since 2003.

In a quick review of records, I don’t note that Senator Novstrup has ever faced a primary election in any of his races for the State Legislature.

Novstrup’s latest term of office in the Senate has had him either unopposed, or facing (now Nebraska resident) Cory Heidelberger, whom he defeated by a minimum of 1500 votes in each of their two head-to-head battles. 

That’s not how I heard it was going to be.. Kristi Noem reminds President ‘I told you so’

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and..

Democrats tell Argus Leader that ‘announcement’ on Gov’s race ‘is near.’

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From the Argus Leader this morning comes some light humor from Democrats on their hunt for a standard bearer to take on Governor Kristi Noem:

Noem this fall formally announced her candidacy in the November election. And while the 50-year-old Republican doesn’t yet have a declared Democratic challenger, state party officials say an announcement is near.

Read it here.

Ten months ago, and again more recently, SDDP Chair Randy Seiler was talking about being ‘optimistic’ about the future, and was talking about having candidates for US Senate, Governor, and Congress.

Fast forward, and they have a life-long Indy as their US Senate Candidate who talks about making states raise taxes, no candidate for Governor on the horizon, and they’ve outsourced their search for a Congressional candidate.

Try not to hold your breath waiting for those promised candidates. They’ve been saying the same thing for nearly a year now, and not surprisingly, have yet to produce.

Argus Leader reporter takes issue with Speaker of the House Spencer Gosch

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Argus Leader reporter Joe Sneve doesn’t mince many words when it comes to South Dakota Speaker of the House Spencer Gosch, as he takes a hard aim against him for a lack of transparency in the impeachment proceedings on Twitter:

New GOP candidate for D26 Senate, setting up primary for that seat

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Republican candidate Christian Skunk has filed paperwork to set up a campaign committee for District 26 State Senate:

It’s especially interesting, as Joel Koskan, who had been a candidate for the D26 seat before, is also said to be running for the Senate. This sets up a primary contest among Republicans for the legislative district’s Senate Seat (generally, as it has been reconfigured in redistricting) held by Troy Heinert who is ineligible to run for the Senate due to Term Limits.

If you are a new candidate running or know of a new candidate jumping in, drop me a note, and I’ll add them to my list. 

Conservative House member supports Gov’s plan to expand Child Care funding

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While her primary opponent as well as at least one member of House Leadership is casting aspersions at the priorities expressed in the Governor’s budget address, at least one member of the conservative bloc of the State House of Representatives is noting his support for Governor Kristi Noem’s plan to expand child care funding.