US Senator John Thune’s Weekly Column: South Dakotans Know Best

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South Dakotans Know Best
By Sen. John Thune

In Washington, Democrats are doing everything they can to expand the power of the federal government – incremental steps toward achieving their broader goal of giving Washington, D.C., more power over South Dakota and our way of life. I know that the last thing South Dakotans want are more rules and regulations coming from out-of-touch Washington bureaucrats, and I don’t blame them.

This summer, Democrats held votes on legislation that would put the federal government – instead of states – in charge of our elections. Their so-called “For the People Act” would create a pathway for a massive federal takeover of our electoral systems by undermining state voter ID laws, spending taxpayer dollars on political campaigns, and imposing troubling new burdens on free speech. Fortunately, these votes failed, and I proudly opposed this federal power grab. Let me be clear: there is absolutely zero legitimate reason to have the federal government dictating states’ election policies.

The excuse Democrats are using to bully states and push their partisan federal election legislation is that they think it will strengthen their precarious hold on power and improve their chances of winning future elections. My message to them is that attempting to stack the deck will not work. And South Dakota election officials are doing just fine without having their every move dictated by Washington bureaucrats. South Dakota had the highest number of ballots cast in its history in the 2020 election. If anything, other states could learn a thing or two from the way we run our elections.

Unfortunately, the Democrats’ federal power grab doesn’t stop there. They are attempting to pass legislation that would preempt virtually all state restrictions on abortion. Their so-called Women’s Health Protection Act would eliminate just about any abortion restriction adopted by states across the country, including those in South Dakota. Throughout my time in public service, not once have I seen such a radical, anti-life piece of legislation that would make on-demand abortions part of the federal law.

These are just two examples of a very concerning pattern by Washington Democrats. They continue to assume the federal government can fashion a one-size-fits-all solution to any problem, real or perceived. Instead of focusing on issues like national security and border security – real problems that demand real solutions – they are simply trying to find more ways to give the federal government more power over individuals and states.

The federal government has too much power as it is, and the policies that Democrats are attempting to advance double down on a divisive, government-knows-best approach. It’s disappointing that rather than fulfilling their promise to unify the nation, Democrats continue to pursue a partisan agenda at the expense of states. As a conservative, I’ve always believed in a limited but effective federal government. Government that is closer to those who are governed is more responsive and more accountable. While Democrats clearly disagree, I’ll never stop fighting for the principles of freedom, personal responsibility, and hard work that define what it means to be a South Dakotan.

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Congressman Dusty Johnson’s Weekly Column: The Case of the MMIW

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The Case of the MMIW
By Rep. Dusty Johnson
September 24, 2021

If you turned on the news this week or scrolled through social media, it is likely that you came across the tragic story of 22-year-old Gabby Petito whose body was found in Wyoming this week. A little less than two weeks ago, Petito’s family filed a missing person’s report when her fiancé returned home to Florida from a cross-country road trip without her.

Unfortunately, Gabby’s tragic story is not unique. Thousands of people go missing each year, and many cases go unsolved, leaving grieving loved ones with unanswered questions, a lack of closure, and no justice.

Across our nation, a disproportionate number of indigenous women and girls go missing or are murdered. In South Dakota alone, 65% of missing persons are Native Americans despite making up only 9% of the population. Of the 103 persons currently missing in the state, one-third are indigenous women.

A growing movement marked by a red handprint is the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) movement, a group dedicated to spreading awareness, providing support to families, and demanding justice for these women and girls.

The statistics are startling. On some reservations, Native American women are murdered at a rate more than 10 times the national average. Many cases go unsolved due to a lack of resources, underreporting, poor data collection, and jurisdictional difficulties between tribal, local and state police.

Last year, I was proud to see the Savanna’s Act signed into law. It took years to get this legislation across the finish line and because of it, the Department of Justice is now required to assess and develop law enforcement and justice protocols to address cases involving missing or murdered indigenous people. The Savanna’s Act was named after Savanna LaFontaine-Greywind, a member of the Spirit Lake Sioux Tribe who was violently murdered in 2017.

Our nation is making strides but there’s more to be done. In 2019, President Trump signed an executive order to form The Task Force on Missing and Murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives. Earlier this year, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland, the first Native American to serve as a cabinet secretary, established a Missing and Murdered Unit, an interagency agency team aimed at collaboratively combating this tragic crisis.

As a Member of Congress, I am committed to supporting indigenous women and girls and working to end this horrible problem plaguing our indigenous communities.

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Special session for impeachment to move forward. Not that they’ll release the actual vote on it.

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According to the Argus Leader, the House of Representatives now has passed the minimum number of members needed to call a special session for purposes of impeachment:

Enough South Dakota House members have signed onto a petition to call a special session on Nov. 9 to consider the potential impeachment of Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg, Speaker of the House Spencer Gosch confirmed Saturday.

The House needed to reach a 47-member threshold to call a special election, and Gosch confirmed that threshold had been met. The names of lawmakers who signed the petition are not being made public.

Read that here.

Not that they’re going to release to the public who did and did not sign the petition. Ugh.

Congressman Dusty Johnson noted for connecting with youth vote in Argus Leader article

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Jonathan Ellis has an article in the Argus Leader today pointing out Congressman Dusty Johnson’s work with the youth vote as a result of many, many years cultivating an interest in politics from teenagers on up:

One of the rare exceptions of a politician who has managed to successfully court a youth contingent is South Dakota Rep. Dusty Johnson. That’s not to say young voters flock to vote for Johnson, but Johnson over the years has cultivated a loyal following among young activist Republican voters. That’s largely come though his years of work with the South Dakota Teenage Republicans.

and..

But his work with young Republicans has helped him create a brand that is unique. During his campaigns more than a decade ago for the Public Utilities Commission, it wasn’t uncommon to go to a parade and see throngs of young people marching for Johnson. For a PUC race. Those races typically only garner the attention of policy geeks.

and..

But whether through accident or by design, Johnson’s long work at engaging younger voters has given him a baked in advantage in politics. The now aging youths of the Reagan Revolution still reflect warmly on the man that inspired them into politics, and they would no doubt enthusiastically vote for him today if he were somehow miraculously risen from the grave.

Read it all here.

And Dusty Johnson still is a positive influence on getting young people involved in politics, as evidenced by the group walking for the Congressman in today’s DSU parade:

Interested in getting involved? Sign up for more information via facebook, or send in your information at https://www.dustyjohnson.com/volunteer

Governor Kristi Noem’s Weekly Column: Buffalo Roundup is a one-of-a-kind experience

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Buffalo Roundup is a one-of-a-kind experience
By Governor Kristi Noem
Sept. 24, 2021

The Buffalo Roundup is one of my favorite events to host as the governor. Once a year, tens of thousands of spectators gather on a hillside at Custer State Park to watch 60 cowboys and cowgirls (along with a dozen 4WD vehicles) round up almost 1,500 American Bison. It’s an amazing scene that brings our history and culture to life, and all for a good cause.

The annual event — this year is the 56th annual Buffalo Roundup — also includes a three-day Arts Festival. The roundup offers an opportunity to showcase three keystones of life in South Dakota: our beautiful landscapes, the iconic buffalo, and a long history of cowboy culture.

I’ve ridden in the Buffalo Roundup many times, and I still get excited when I feel the rumble of the herd running through the hills. Custer State Park is my favorite place to be in South Dakota. Adding the Roundup to it brings nostalgia for the great cowboys who have made their mark on our state.

James “Scotty” Philip, who is credited as “the man who saved the buffalo,” is a key figure in why the Buffalo Roundup is possible today. Philip served in the South Dakota State Senate. He was also a prolific rancher who was passionate about preserving the iconic symbol of the West, the American Buffalo. He purchased a herd and built the first-ever enclosed “Buffalo Park.”

Scotty was committed to returning herd numbers to what they once were. While we haven’t gotten there yet, the herd at Custer State Park is an example of how responsible management can ensure the buffalo remains an enduring symbol of the American West. The genetics of the buffalo in this herd can be traced back more than 100 years. That is worthy of our conservation efforts.

There also are cowboys like Bob Lantis who at 86 years old has ridden in the Roundup for almost 50 years. Bob has seen this event grow from a few cowboys to now dozens who participate annually and come from around the country. That includes his son and grandsons who rode with us in this year’s roundup. And Bob has no intention of quitting anytime soon.

Buffalo Roundup is a dramatic start to fall tourism following an already busy peak season for the western region of our state.

Mount Rushmore and the Badlands National Park both saw an uptick in visitors with a 17% and 25% increase, respectively. Badlands Park Superintendent Mike Pflaum recently reported that July was the busiest month ever at the park.

State parks, like Custer, are also seeing record increases, with an overall boost of 34% in visitors. Custer State Park, with its many camping grounds, trailheads, and wildlife loop road, saw a 23% increase in visitors.

About 20,000 people attend the Roundup each year. This event allows us to educate visitors about this historic herd – one of the oldest buffalo herds in the country.

Great care is taken to ensure the herd is both sustainable and healthy. To maintain our efforts, the Roundup is followed by an annual auction where bidders can purchase buffalo from this historic herd. I bought five buffalo last year that now live at my ranch near Watertown.

This year’s auction will feature about 370 buffalo for sale. The number of buffalo auctioned is chosen specifically to meet the goals of health and sustainability.

In the last five years, 1,689 buffalo have been sold at the auction, raising $3.02 million for the park fund. That money supports trail management, road maintenance, and other key features to keep the park in top working condition.

There are so many reasons to love the Buffalo Roundup. The most important part, though, is promoting Custer State Park as the best example of balancing habitat and access for visitors. South Dakota will always protect our parks and preserve our heritage. We must provide opportunities for future generations to experience and enjoy all that our great state has to offer.

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Amendment C postcards hitting mailboxes statewide

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Through member organization Americans for Prosperity group, South Dakotans Against Higher Taxes has sent a postcard statewide in favor of Amendment C, to put tax increasing measures on the same playing level at the ballot box as the hurdles that tax increases face in the South Dakota State legislature.

As noted by the Secretary of State, in a rare move, the statewide measure will be on the ballot next June:

 

Absentee voting for the measure begins April 22, 2022.

Vermillion Schools sets course towards wide-ranging public battle over the transgendered bathroom/locker room issue.

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Uh oh.

You remember that issue over transgendered individuals participating in sports and using bathrooms opposite of their birth gender? It’s back. And it’s going to be badder than ever.

This past legislative session, there was more than a bit of a stink over it, but we managed to move past the issue, because there really wasn’t any need to get hot and bothered over the issue, because except for arguing, it wasn’t prescient. It was more hullabaloo at the state level than it was the local level.

Until this week. Because the issue has been simmering in one of our university communities, and it started to boil over last night. And the Vermillion School Board has put the issue front and center in policymakers crosshairs, and pitted parents who vehemently disagree with boys being in girls bathrooms and vice versa against those who don’t think it’s a problem.

And I’d guarantee that also means we’re going to see it in Pierre once again, except this time with a little more urgency, because there’s a real world example to point to:

The Vermillion School Board spent nearly two hours Wednesday evening receiving public comment on a passionate topic – the restroom gender policy for the district.

The issue became the focus of attention when Vermillion School Superintendent Damon Alvey told board members last month that from time to time, requests are received for students to be able to use bathrooms opposite of their birth gender.

Read (and listen to) the entire story here.

And in case you wanted to see what Vermillion parents are going to be fighting with each other over….

Vermillion School Transgendered Bathroom Sample Policies by Pat Powers on Scribd

Students will be allowed to use the restroom and locker room that corresponds to the gender identity they consistently assert at school. No student will be required to use facilities that conflict with his or her gender identity consistently asserted at school. A transgender student or any other student who has a need or desire for increased privacy may be given the option of using a separate or private restroom or changing area, such as a single stall restroom, if such is available. No student shall, on account of their transgender status, be required to use such separate facilities.

The determination of consistently asserted gender may be determined in collaboration of any the following –parent/guardian, counselor, and/or building administrator. This policy does not require a student to provide any documentation about a gender dysphoria diagnosis but does require that the identity be consistently asserted.

As I said. “Uh oh.”

I get the distinct feeling that there’s going to be a battle involving parents, school boards, politicians at all levels, the SDSHAA, and given that we have a Democrat President, very possibly the federal government thrown in for good measure. This issue promises to be hard fought on either side, and I’d guarantee that we’ll see more than one bill coming in January.

I was communicating with one parent tonight who expressed that a number of parents “are trying to figure out if we can homeschool our kids successfully with our busy schedules,” and they’re “trying to get the word out to state legislators to let them know” about what’s taking place.  Yeah, I can guarantee that legislators are going to know.

And the battle in Vermillion over kids being in the bathrooms opposite of their birth gender is going to be an issue that will be one of the major flashpoints for conflict this next legislative session.

South Dakota State Treasurer Josh Haeder Announces Re-election Bid   

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Haeder Announces Re-election Bid   

Huron, SD – South Dakota State Treasurer Josh Haeder formally announced today his intent to seek re-election to a second four-year term.

“Since 2019, my team at the Treasurer’s office has returned tens of millions of unclaimed property dollars back to the rightful owners in South Dakota. In my first full year in office we increased claims 185% in South Dakota (8,598 to 24,639).

We increased the number of claims filed each year by more than 10 percent, streamlined workflows and implemented more advanced technology. Throughout the pandemic we continued to engage with the public and increase unclaimed property awareness. Online engagement and interaction with constituents has increased by approximately 256 percent.  Additionally, over the past 12 months, our office has rejected more than 200 potentially fraudulent claims totaling $8.5 million for unclaimed property.

When I look at the accomplishments during my first term, it has been important to deliver on the promises I made to the people of South Dakota. My team works hard every single day to make a difference, keep South Dakota’s unclaimed property and tax dollars safe – not just pass the time.”

During his first two years in office, Haeder was selected by his peers as national chairman for the Financial Empowerment Committee for the National Association of State Treasurers (NAST). He was also recently elected Vice Chair for NAST, along with serving on the NAST executive board and legislative committee.

“As it relates to fiscal policy, it’s important that South Dakota has a seat at the table. The best way to help other states succeed and improve the conversation at the federal level is through showing good fiscal discipline in South Dakota. It’s an honor to work with leaders in South Dakota and across the country to promote sound fiscal decisions that will leave a better future for the next generation.

“When looking at a second term, there is much to be accomplished, continuing to increase awareness and returning more unclaimed property will continue to be a primary focus. Another critical area of focus as we move into a second term will be making financial education tools readily available for South Dakotans who desperately need them. Having access to the tools to gain solid fiscal discipline is needed now more than ever. The Treasurer works with money and in states across the nation, treasurers are looked to as a resource for financial education.”

Josh Haeder is a Huron native and has been married to his wife Amanda for 9 years. They have two daughters, Maggie (7) and Laikyn (5). Haeder is a partner in Haeder Organization LLC, a family real estate investment company and has experience in banking and credit counseling. Haeder holds a master’s degree in Intelligence and Global Security from Point Park University.

Haeder is set to pursue the Republican nomination for Treasurer at the party’s state convention in June of 2022.

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