Hot off the “QAnon conspiracy press” this AM.

Now that she’s irretrievably broken the South Dakota Constitution Party, former 1-term State Legislator Lora Hubbel has been looking for new challenges. And according to the “Primary John Thune in 2022” facebook group, it looks like Lora must be getting bored with vaccination conspiracy theories and is telling anyone interested that she’s contemplating bringing her brand of wackiness to the 2022 US Senate Race:

Actually, a Lora Hubbel race opens up all sorts of possibilities for the candidates to discuss things that are never spoken of in US Senate races.

Imagine a Senate race where the candidates wouldn’t talk about the federal deficit… but how pharmaceuticals are actually sorcery…

And instead of national defense, they can debate Lora’s belief that America should have aided Israel in bombing Auschwitz in WWII:

“Being that America did NOT support Israel when they asked for bombers to help them destroy Auschwitz and hence we suffered for ignoring them (the Bible says that as a nation does to Israel, so God will do to them, and we suffered in Vietnam that same amount of years as months that we ignored Israel – maybe a coinsidence but may be not)… and similarly Ron Paul would not actively support Israel, I can’t support him. And Ron Paul does not acknowledge that Pharmachia and sorcery are the same in the biblical languages of Hebrew and Greek and are WRONG (and i believe are a gateway to hell) I cannot support him… though he would be good as the Sec of Treasury!”  (Lora Hubbel Facebook 3/3/2012)

Read that here.

Nevermind that Israel didn’t exist at the time, but details like that have never bothered South Dakota’s queen of conspiracy theories.

And for people following the US Senate race, maybe we might want to know what the federal government is doing about brain eating nanobots being put in vaccines:

I can’t say that brain eating nanobots have ever come up in a US Senate debate, and maybe – just maybe – we need someone willing to take on the issues that we didn’t know we should be concerned about.

At the very least, I guarantee it would provide me with plenty of material to mock… er, write about.  Plenty of material to write about.

A Taxpayer-Funded Liberal Wish List
By Sen. John Thune

While Democrats have tried to sell their recently signed $1.9 trillion spending legislation as a COVID relief bill, the truth is it isn’t one. Just 1 percent of this bill actually goes to our top COVID priority – vaccinations – and less than 10 percent of this bill is directly related to combating the virus. There’s been a lot of talk about how this bill is a liberal wish list – which it is. But that’s almost being too generous.

A liberal wish list at least suggests some grand policy schemes. This bill is mostly just a collection of payoffs to Democrat interest groups and Democrat states. For the extreme abortion wing of the Democrat Party, this bill omits longstanding federal restrictions on using taxpayer dollars to pay for abortion. It makes labor unions eligible for loans designed to rescue Main Street small businesses. It bails out failing union pensions – a bailout even the New York Times described as having “nothing to do with the pandemic” and as an “almost unheard-of” use of taxpayer dollars.

It provides nearly $129 billion for K-12 schools – despite the fact that these schools have spent just $5 billion of the $68 billion already given to them – while keeping teachers’ unions happy by making sure funding isn’t tied to any requirement to actually get back to in-person instruction, which South Dakota teachers and schools have been doing all year.

Then there’s the money for states. The bill appropriates a staggering $350 billion for states – despite the fact that a majority of states already have the resources they need to weather the rest of the pandemic. On top of that, the distribution formula for that $350 billion is heavily weighted in favor of blue states – like California, which stands to see billions under this legislation despite the fact that California’s revenues are up by $15 billion. Imagine the outcry if Republicans were directing funding to states that voted Republican in the last election.

And lest anyone think any of this was unintentional, Democrats doubled down on the partisanship when it came to amendments. They rejected an amendment that would have protected Americans from having their tax dollars used to pay for abortions – even though multiple Democrats broke ranks with their party to support this amendment. They rejected an amendment to tie funding for schools to schools actually reopening and an amendment to ensure seamless support to non-public schools serving low-income students.

They rejected an amendment to stop labor unions from taking loan money intended for small businesses. They rejected an amendment to provide greater transparency on nursing home COVID deaths – presumably in an attempt to protect the Democrat governor of New York, who is under fire for seemingly deliberate attempts to obscure reporting of these deaths. In a nod to the far-left environmental wing of their party, they rejected an amendment to reverse the president’s cancellation of the Keystone XL Pipeline, which will cost thousands of American jobs.

Democrats passed an amendment that provides an incentive for some Americans to stay on unemployment by making more than $10,000 of their unemployment benefits non-taxable. Working Americans will still have to pay their taxes – even if they’re making less money than they would on unemployment. But a substantial amount of unemployment benefits will be tax-free. That doesn’t seem too fair. Not to mention that the last thing we should be doing right now is discouraging people from going back to work.

It’s deeply disappointing that Democrats have turned a bipartisan process into a totally partisan exercise. We could have passed a bill with overwhelming support from both parties, but that would have required Democrats to be willing to genuinely collaborate with Republicans. Unfortunately, it’s becoming clear that collaboration is not a part of the new way of doing business in the Democrat-led Senate. No matter the roadblocks, you can be sure I will continue fighting for South Dakota’s hardworking citizens and our priorities.

###

Wrapping up a Great Legislative Session

By: Governor Kristi Noem 
March 12, 2021

This week, the 2021 legislative session came to a close. In South Dakota, we keep things short; the session lasts a maximum of 40 legislative days. Every bill gets a hearing, its opportunity to be weighed and vetted by the 105 legislators that you elect to serve you in Pierre.

This year was unique in many ways. South Dakota’s legislative session was perhaps the most “normal” in the country, with legislators still voting in person. And South Dakota had record revenue numbers and huge amounts of one-time money to invest in the long-term future of our state.

I challenged the legislature that we wanted these dollars to fix problems for 20-30 years or longer into the future. And that’s what we’re doing.

We’re investing a combined $100 million to finish connecting the state to high-speed broadband. We’re putting $50 million into an endowment for the South Dakota Freedom Scholarship, which will help kids who need financial assistance get a college degree. We’re building the new Dakota Events CompleX to make Huron a destination for national and regional rodeo events. And there are so many more important projects to strengthen communities.

We’re also putting record dollars into savings and trust funds to strengthen the state budget for the future. South Dakota’s economy is strong right now, but we want to make sure we’re prepared for any future difficulties.

We improved healthcare for South Dakotans by making it more flexible and affordable. We recognized healthcare licenses for folks moving to South Dakota from other states. We provided greater transparency in healthcare costs by requiring that insurance companies show you what the cost of a procedure will be. And we’re allowing South Dakotans to have greater flexibility in their access to healthcare.

We also defended the rights and freedoms of South Dakotans.

We defended life. I signed legislation to protect babies who were born alive. And I’ll be signing a bill to ban abortions based on a diagnosis of Down syndrome very soon.

We defended liberty. We simplified youth hunting. We empowered parental choice in education. And we didn’t expand government control over our citizens lives like we’re seeing in other states.

And we defended property rights. We passed asset forfeiture reform with regards to conservation officers. We’re allowing landowners East River to hunt on their own lands. And we passed legislation to codify the Department of Game, Fish & Parks’ policy as it pertains to open fields.

All told, it was a fantastic legislative session. We had a lot to get done in a short amount of time, and I’m happy to report that we accomplished quite a bit to make South Dakota safer, stronger, and healthier for our kids and our grandkids.

###

South Dakota Delegation Slams Park Service Decision to Cancel Rushmore Fireworks

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representative Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.), Senator John Thune (R-S.D.), and Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) issued a statement after the National Parks Service denied South Dakota’s request to hold a national firework display at Mount Rushmore to celebrate Independence Day, citing “health and safety” and the opposition of tribal partners.

“Let’s be clear, this decision is political, not evidence-based,” said the members. “President Biden just said himself that Americans can safely gather by July 4 – what’s changed in a day? Last year millions watched the celebration in awe, and it’s a shame the administration is denying Americans that opportunity this year.”

##

In a email sent to members of the media this afternoon, Maggie Seidel, Senior Advisor & Policy Director for Governor Kristi Noem Is announcing her departure from the Governor’s staff.

Folks – It has been an incredible blessing to work with each of you over the last year and half. Despite the intense challenges that 2020 and 2021 brought, it is safe to say that I’ve enjoyed each and every moment of it. And I certainly have never had the privilege of working for such a tremendous leader like Governor Noem.

It is because of our team’s success that another incredible opportunity has presented itself, and I have accepted it.

My young family is incredibly grateful for the opportunity that was afforded us by Governor Noem, and we will forever be indebted to her for it.

Stay well,

Maggie

Maggie Seidel
Senior Advisor & Policy Director
Office of Governor Kristi Noem

Congratulations to Maggie on her new opportunity, and we sincerely wish her well.

If Governor Kristi Noem came out and said she was going to make an appointment to the circuit court or the state supreme court based in part on how loyal someone was to or active in the Republican Party, I can’t imagine the outrage that we’d be hearing on the 6pm news. But South Dakota Democrat Party Chairman Randy Seiler did just that, as he said that what he’s doing when it comes to any federal appointments that may be coming down on the Federal Judiciary:

Seiler said he and the party discussed potential recommendations with former South Dakota members of Congress, current state Democratic leaders and federal judges.

“The political aspects of this matter” in addition to how qualified and experienced they are for the job, Seiler said. He said he considered how engaged candidates have been with the Democratic Party and if they’ve ran for office.

Read that here.

From Facebook. (With at least one cardigan.)

Thune: Xavier Becerra is a Threat to Religious Liberty, Wrong Person to Lead Health Department

“Xavier Becerra is not a mainstream candidate. He is an extremist who has used the offices he has held to advance an aggressively pro-abortion agenda and to target religious liberty and freedom of conscience.”

Click here or on the picture above to watch Thune’s speech.

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), a member of the Senate Finance Committee, which has jurisdiction over the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), today expressed his strong opposition to Xavier Becerra, President Biden’s nominee to be HHS secretary. Thune acknowledged that Becerra does not represent the views of the majority of Americans on abortion, but rather the views of the radical, pro-abortion wing of the Democrat Party. Becerra supports abortion without restriction and holds an aggressively pro-abortion agenda. Thune urged his colleagues to join him in opposing Becerra’s nomination.

Thune Joins Colleagues in Introducing Legislation to Block Taxpayer-Funded Gun Registries

Lawmakers Offer ‘GRIP Act’ in Continued Effort to Protect Gun Owners’ Privacy Rights

WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today joined Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) and U.S. Rep. Paul A. Gosar, D.D.S. (R-Ariz.) in introducing the Gun-owner Registration Information Protection Act (GRIP Act) to prohibit states, localities, or any other organization from using federal funding to maintain gun registries.

The GRIP Act would clarify existing law that prohibits the use of any federal funding by states or local entities to store or list sensitive, personal information related to the legal ownership or possession of firearms. The legislation is in response to states that in recent years enacted statutes requiring gun owners to register their handguns.

“Federal funds should not be spent to violate the privacy of law-abiding firearm owners,” said Thune. “This bill would help defend against the firearm registries and gun owner databases that have been proposed among other infringements against the Second Amendment.”

“The fight to protect Second Amendment rights is unending,” said Hyde-Smith. “The GRIP Act would protect the rights and personal information of law-abiding citizens who own or purchase firearms legally.  It would require adherence to the law that specifically says federal monies cannot be used to track or hassle gun owners.”

“Another year, another swipe at the American people’s second amendment right,” said Gosar. “This week, Speaker Pelosi plans on ramming through Congress two overreaching gun control bills. Egregiously, these bills would create a firearm registry database that could be made available to the public creating the likelihood for discrimination against gun owners. In contrast, this week I was proud to work with Senator Hyde-Smith to introduce the Gun-owner Registration Information Protection (GRIP) Act. Supported by the National Rifle Association, the GRIP Act prohibits the use of federal funding of firearm registry databases that list gunowners who lawfully own or possess firearms.”

Current law prevents the federal government from storing information acquired during the firearms background process. The GRIP Act would ensure the federal government does not support, either intentionally or otherwise, state or local efforts to collect and store personally identifiable information related to legal firearm purchases and ownership.

This legislation further clarifies that states and local entities cannot use federal grant funds from programs, such as the National Criminal Histories Improvement Program, NICS Amendment Records Improvement Program, or the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program, to create or maintain full or partial gun registries.

The measure does not include any limitations related to state recordkeeping for permitting, law enforcement-issued firearms, or lost or stolen firearms.

The National Rifle Association (NRA) has endorsed the bill.

“On behalf of our more than 5 million members, the National Rifle Association thanks Senator Hyde-Smith and Congressman Gosar for introducing this important piece of legislation to prevent the use of federal funds to create a national gun owner registry,” said Jason Ouimet, executive director, NRA Institute for Legislative Action. “Biden-Pelosi-Schumer and their gun control cohorts have longed for the disarming of America, and a national gun registry is a dangerous step towards reaching that goal.”

Thune was joined in cosponsoring Senate measure by Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Mike Braun (R-Ind.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.).

Original cosponsors of the House measure include Reps.Brian Babin (R-Texas), Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.), Mo Brooks (R-Ala.), Ken Buck (R-Colo.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Jerry Carl (R-Ala.), Madison Cawthorn (R-N.C.), Rick Crawford (R-Ark.), Scott DesJarlais (R-Tenn.), Jeff Duncan (R-S.C.), Michelle Fischbach (R-Minn.), Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), Bob Gibbs (R-Ohio), Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), Louie Gohmert (R-Texas), Glenn Grothman (R-Wisc.), Michael Guest (R-Miss.), Jim Hagedorn (R-Minn.), Jody Hice (R-Ga.) Yvette Herrell (R-N.M.), Ronny Jackson (R-Texas), Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), Fred Keller (R-Pa.), Mike Kelly (R-Pa.), Doug LaMalfa (R-Calif.), Doug Lamborn (R-Colo.), Tracy Mann (R-Kan.), Tom McClintock (R-Calif.), Carol Miller (R-W.Va.), Alex Mooney (R-W.Va), Ralph Norman (R-S.C.), Gary Palmer (R-Ala.), Scott Perry (R-Pa.), Tom Reed (R-N.Y.), Matt Rosendale (R-Mont.), David Schweikert (R-Ariz.), Greg Steube (R-Fla.), Chris Stewart (R-Utah), Claudia Tenney (R-N.Y.), Ann Wagner (R-Mo.), and Randy Weber (R-Texas).

A one-page summary of the GRIP Act is available here.

A copy of the legislation is available here.

 

###