SDGOP Congratulates Holien on win
From Facebook:
Watertown mayor’s race looking promising for SDGOP National Committeeman over, Ried Holien wins
With three of five wards in (A, B & C), the current vote is 1862 for Ried Holien, 783 for Incumbent Mayor Sarah Caron.
Kind of hard to overcome that kind of deficit.
Update..
Adding Ward D, now it’s at 2341 for Holien and 969 for Caron.
FINAL UPDATE
Holien with 3010 over Caron, who was turned out of office on a more than 2-1 vote, with 1237 votes
State Dems select new Executive Director Ehrmantraut. Seiler still says things are looking up. Ermergerd.
As they’ve gone from rebuilding in 2019 to rebuilding for the upcoming election, State Democrats are claiming (once again) that things are looking up for them. Again.
“Former U.S. Attorney Randy Seiler, who ran for attorney general in 2018 and now serves as the party’s chairman, said things are looking up for Democrats, with President Joe Biden and Democrats in control of both houses of Congress.“
Seiler still says things are looking up? Ermergerd. Which is kind of an ironic thing to say, since their new ED’s name is easily confused with the term. Yes, they’ve hired a new executive director to captain the Titanic… well, to run the South Dakota Democrat party by the name of Berk Ehrmantraut:
“It’s always great to bring a young person back to South Dakota. It is even better to bring back someone who is committed to advancing policies that help working families and building the Democratic party across the state,” said Randy Seiler, chairman of the state Democratic Party.
Ehrmantraut had previously worked in the House Minority office, as noted here where he was raising money from Lobbyists in the State Capitol during session:
Prior to working in the House Minority Office, he had also worked on the Billie Sutton campaign where he gave Sutton lists of people to call for money.
The South Dakota Democrat party needed a new Executive Director, so why not Ehmantraut?
With the SDGOP out-registering Democrats by nearly 124,000 voters, It’s not like they have anywhere to go but up.
Press Release: AT&T Invests Nearly $80 Million Over Three-Year Period to Connect Local Customers in South Dakota
AT&T Invests Nearly $80 Million Over Three-Year Period to Connect Local Customers in South Dakota
SIOUX FALLS, SD, June 10, 2021 – AT&T* is proud to connect customers across the country by continuing to grow the nation’s best network 1. From 2018-2020, we expanded coverage and improved connectivity in more communities by investing nearly $80 million in our wireless and wireline networks in South Dakota.
AT&T’s commitment to communities across the country continues and spans all layers of our network—from fiber to 5G to FirstNet®. These investments are essential to connecting our customers with their family, friends and colleagues by increasing the network’s speed, reliability, coverage and overall performance.
We recently announced that AT&T will invest $2 billion over the next 3 years to help address the digital divide nationwide. AT&T further improved critical communications for South Dakota’s first responders and improved public safety with FirstNet® – America’s public safety network.
“With the help of private sector entities like AT&T, we’re connecting South Dakotans across our state,” said South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem. “South Dakotans shouldn’t have to choose between connectivity and the way of life in their hometowns. AT&T’s investment in South Dakota will help eliminate the need for such a choice, and their efforts to improve critical communications with FirstNet® will make our communities safer for years to come.”
“From connecting family and loved ones to helping first responders during a crisis, AT&T is committed to investing in South Dakota to build state-of-the-art infrastructure that will keep people connected,” said AT&T South Dakota President Cheryl Riley. “By continuing to improve our network at the state and local levels, we are helping businesses grow in South Dakota and helping to ensure that our customers and communities stay connected throughout the country.”
More details about our wireless coverage in South Dakota, and anywhere in the U.S., can be found on the AT&T Coverage Viewer. For updates on the AT&T wireless network, please visit the AT&T network news page.
Rounds’ RESPECT Act Unanimously Passes Out of Senate
Rounds’ RESPECT Act Unanimously Passes Out of Senate
Bill would repeal 11 outdated laws, including law that allowed authorities to forcibly place Native children in cruel boarding schools
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Mike Rounds’ (R-S.D.) legislation to repeal discriminatory federal laws targeting Native Americans unanimously passed the Senate.
The Repealing Existing Substandard Provisions Encouraging Conciliation with Tribes (RESPECT) Act would repeal 11 outdated federal laws, including laws that stripped Native American children from their families for the purpose of placing them in cruel “Indian reform schools” like the now infamous Carlisle Indian Industrial School.
A full list of laws the RESPECT Act would repeal is available HERE.
“We are one step closer to removing these immoral, discriminatory federal laws from our books,” said Rounds. “Throughout history, Native Americans have been subjected to unfair treatment from our federal government, including the forcible removal of their children from their homes. The fact that these laws are still in our federal code is appalling. I thank my Senate colleagues for agreeing with me and unanimously passing this legislation. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the House to get the RESPECT Act to the president’s desk.”
Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) are cosponsors of this legislation.
Companion legislation was introduced in the House on May 12 by Reps. Tom O’Halleran (D-Ariz.), Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) and Tom Cole (R-Okla.). The legislation now awaits action in the House before it can be signed into law by the president.
The RESPECT Act is supported by the Great Plains Tribal Chairmen’s Association (GPTCA) and the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI).
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Guest Column: Update on the Implementation of IM-26
Update on the Implementation of IM-26
by State Rep. Trish Ladner
Many have contacted me asking where we stand on the implementation of IM-26. As many of you know IM-26 passed with 70% approval by the voters. The measure is effective July 1, 2021 with a 120-day window to get dispensaries set up, finalize protocols and rules. Perhaps the most timely and informative report of the day came from the Kim Malsam-Rysdon, Secretary of Health and Jim Terwilliger, Secretary of Revenue regarding where we are in the process of establishing the protocols, requirements, and implementation of IM-26.
Here is what we learned. The South Dakota Department of Health (SDDOH) is the lead state agency to implement the medical marijuana program. Part of the extensive requirements IM-26 (per SDCL 34:20G) include:
- Registration of “establishments”, which includes cultivators, manufacturers, and dispensaries
- The development of criteria for applicants to qualify
- Determine and define the amount individuals can possess (the current law has minimum of three plants for home grown)
- Issuance of cards by SDDOH to qualified individuals (including patients and caregivers)
- Guidelines to allow non-residents to use medical marijuana in South Dakota
- Development of patient verification system for use by establishments and law enforcements (i.e., It is illegal to transport across state and tribal lines)
- Development of testing criteria
- Development of fees and sliding fee scale for patients
- Implementation of administrative rules for each of these areas.
According to the SDDOH report, the law will become effective July 1,2021. The projected date for cards to be issued to patients and caregivers is by November 18, 2021. South Dakotan grown marijuana crops are not likely to be available before the summer of 2022.
The process to qualify for a SDDOH issued card, seems pretty straight forward: 1) The patient has a medical complaint and schedules appointment with their physician for an in-person assessment (required) 2) The patient sees their physician and the physician determines whether the patient is likely to receive therapeutic benefit from the medical use of cannabis 3) Patient applies with the SD Department of Health for a medical certification 4) If application is approved, the patient shops at Dispensary. The card issued by the DOH is not a medical prescription. It does not detail dosage, frequency, etc. It is simply a medical certification. When the members of the Executive Board asked about monitoring and/or enforcing the regulation of frequency that a card holder can obtain medical marijuana, the Secretary of Health stated that they hope to have a tracking/verification system in place that tracks the amount purchased and notes an amount that cannot be exceeded within a specific timeframe. Much like the prescription renewal used by pharmacy’s today.
When implementing a new “industry”, the administrative rules that need to be in place are daunting to say the least. The list includes (but not limited to), outlining qualifying conditions, application renewal process, criteria to score establishment applications, establishment of oversight, security, manufacturing standards, taxing the product, health and safety requirements, transportation of product, employment and training requirements, packaging and labeling and more!
In order to get current information and updates to interested parties in a timely manner, the SD Department of Health has launched a new webpage for easy access to information and updates as well as answers to frequently asked questions that promises to be very helpful. Please visit https://doh.sd.gov/news/MedicalMarijuana.aspx for more information.
The more I study IM-26, the more I realize the immense task ahead of us with a very short amount of time to accomplish it. This new “industry” being created within our state is definitely a multi-faceted issue with many, many moving and interlocking parts. I am so impressed with the hard work being done by those in the South Dakota Department of Health and Department of Revenue, as well as the excellent job that our summer study committee is doing to help create, establish and implement this new Medical Marijuana Program. Thank you for all your hard work on our behalf!
Remember … always, “Be someone you look up to!” Emily N. Kansas
Rep. Trish Ladner, District 30
trish.ladner@sdlegislature.gov
Added some new political ribbons to my collection today! Pettigrew and Kittridge for Senate!
It was a long day helping to sort political buttons today, but I managed to obtain these phenomenal ribbons for my collection. They are absolutely great:
Four Pettigrew for Senator Ribbons and a great Taft for President/Kittredge for Senator Piece, along with another Taft Ribbon.
The State Convention ribbon puts it at about 1890 with August 28th date, so I’m still chasing an elusive ribbon for the first state GOP State Convention to add to my set of ribbons for the 2nd-7th conventions.. but I’m sure there’s something out there somewhere!
SDGOP Hosting Luncheon with US Senators Tom Cotton & John Thune
The South Dakota Republican Party went live yesterday with a link to join them for Lunch with US Senators John Thune and Tom Cotton in little more than 2 weeks. So get your tickets while they’re hot.
Lunch with Senator Tom Cotton and John Thune
WHEN
June 29th at Noon
WHERE
The Military Alliance
1600 W Russell Street
Sioux Falls, SD 57104
CONTACT
Dan Lederman, dan@sdgop.com
Maggie Sutton, maggie.igwt@gmail.com
Join the South Dakota GOP and the Minnehaha County Republicans as we welcome Senator Tom Cotton and Senator John Thune for a discussion on what is happening in Washington DC.
Senator Cotton will speak and take questions from the audience. Everyone who attends will also be given a lifetime membership to the South Dakota Military Heritage Alliance Club as part of the price of admission.
Lunch provided and a Host Roundtable will follow the event.
Space is limited for both the lunch and roundtable so get your tickets today and don’t miss your chance to hear from Senator Cotton!
Congressman Dusty Johnson’s Weekly Column: Say No to WOTUS, POTUS
Say No to WOTUS, POTUS
By Rep. Dusty Johnson
June 11, 2021
On Monday, I sat down with the South Dakota Corn & South Dakota Soybean Associations in Valley Springs. For over an hour, I heard directly from producers on concerns they have, the challenges of the last four years, as well as the emerging opportunities. From workforce to trade to farm programs, there was a common goal amongst both groups: greater predictability.
Every two to four years, power can shift in Washington – that constant changing of the guard can cause problems for these producers. Farm programs and regulations change, and often, those changes aren’t for the better.
This week the Biden Administration’s Environmental Protection Agency announced they will be revisiting the Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule dictating which bodies of water are subject to EPA regulation. For those unfamiliar, the Obama-era WOTUS rule granted the federal government regulatory control over any “body” of water on private land. Basically, if there’s a dry ditch, ephemeral stream or certain converted farmland, the federal government would have the power to regulate your property.
This rule was confusing and poorly written – it created a lot of uncertainty in farm country. I was proud to work with the Trump Administration to get the WOTUS rule repealed and replaced with a more practical approach. Farmers and ranchers should not need a team of engineers, lawyers, and consultants each time they want to manage their property. We need to protect our waters and be good stewards of our land but regulating ditches and puddles didn’t meet that goal.
Under President Trump, the EPA replaced WOTUS with the Navigable Waters Protection Rule – this policy protected our larger navigable waters from pollution rather than placed unnecessary burdens on farmers potholes.
If you’ve spent much time with farmers and ranchers, you’ll know they care about preserving our waters and lands more than most – they are diligent stewards of the land. Why the Biden Administration is set on taking every page from Obama’s playbook despite knowing the WOTUS rule was a giant flop is a mystery to me.
It’s possible to be environmentally conscious without harming producers – I hope the Biden Administration remembers that as they explore this out of touch WOTUS rule.
Rep. Johnson meets with South Dakota Corn and South Dakota Soybean Associations.
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US Senator John Thune’s Weekly Column: Winning the Long Game
Winning the Long Game
By Sen. John Thune
In the era of the 24-hour news cycle and instant gratification, it’s important to remember that some good things still take time. On June 9, South Dakota scored a historic, once-in-a-generation win when the U.S. Air Force signed a record of decision to formally designate Ellsworth Air Force Base in Box Elder as Main Operating Base 1—the first home of the B-21 stealth bomber. I couldn’t be prouder to welcome this mission in the years ahead and am eager to start the transformation of the base to prepare for the formal training unit and the first operational squadron for the Raider.
The record of decision will set off a flurry of activity at the base over the next several years to build high-end maintenance facilities for the B-21’s stealth coating, training and operations buildings, and a secure weapons facility to support the nuclear mission. Hundreds of millions of dollars of military construction will be invested in Ellsworth in anticipation of the mission, which will preserve America’s global military reach in the high-end fight, and it will support a projected 7,700 airmen, spouses, and dependents at Ellsworth, with a total end-state increase of 3,147 individuals. We are fortunate the nation has entrusted South Dakota to host this mission.
This consequential decision for the Air Force and the state of South Dakota is all the more momentous when you consider how close we came to not having an Air Force base West River at all. Ellsworth was on the ropes 16 years ago. The base was placed on the Department of Defense’s Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) list just months after I arrived to the Senate in 2005. When the bad news broke that May, I immediately went to work, joined by the community and other elected officials. We dug in, put up a fight, and convinced the BRAC commission that Ellsworth was a vital national security asset and that moving the B-1 fleet from Ellsworth would actually cost money. We also made the case that the U.S. military shouldn’t put all its eggs in one basket—that it shouldn’t consolidate all of its strategic assets in one location. By August, Ellsworth was removed from the closure list, and it’s fair to say we kept our sleeves rolled up ever since, seeking every opportunity to strengthen Ellsworth’s role in our national security with the aim of getting this very news.
One of the most transformative steps taken was the decades-long effort to quadruple the local training airspace, the Powder River Training Complex (PRTC). The PRTC is now the largest training air space in the continental United States and can be used for large force exercises that draw combat aircraft from across the country. Advanced aircraft need larger training space, and the PRTC gave us an edge in winning the B-21 mission.
Ellsworth went from imminent closure to now being on the cutting edge of America’s national security and strategic deterrence. It’s been a team effort, from the local communities in Box Elder and Rapid City, to state partners like the Ellsworth Development Authority, and strong relationships with the base and Air Force leaders. And it couldn’t have happened without keeping an unwavering focus on it for 16 years – an almost unthinkable time horizon by today’s standards.
But sometimes you have to play the long game. And in being patient and strategic, we’ve shared some great wins together: saving the historic Hot Springs VA to preserve regional care for America’s veterans; securing a future for the former Homestake gold mine as a state-of-the-art physics lab in Lead; and connecting rural communities across the state with broadband and the Lewis & Clark Regional Water System. And now, cementing Ellsworth Air Force Base’s legacy in our national security and South Dakota’s economy for decades to come.
I’m grateful to the Air Force for this decision and the hard work by so many to get us to today. I remain steadfast in my support for the mission and the men and women of the 28th Bomb Wing, who have put Ellsworth on the map, and I am thrilled for this B-21 announcement, which will keep it there.
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