Well, she’s not so much a kid anymore, as the SDGOP released some news yesterday which makes this father proud of his #4 daughter:

Sydney Powers will be serving as the party’s Legislative Communications Director at session, which is familiar territory for someone who grew up volunteering for local and statewide Republican candidates through the Teenage Republicans, and beyond as the 2019-2020 SD College Republicans Chairwoman. Sydney spent the last election as the East River Director for Congressman Dusty Johnson’s re-election campaign, overseeing grassroots operations and partnering with legislative candidates.

In her free time, Sydney takes pride in mentoring the next generation of South Dakota’s conservative leaders through Teenage Republicans and SD ALA Girls State. Her future plans are to finish her undergraduate degree in December 2021 and “to see where the good Lord leads her.”  Sydney is in her last year at Augustana University, majoring in Government & International Affairs.

Read it all here.

I was skimming the morning news, and came across this story from KELOland, previewing the upcoming state of the state address, where they interviewed one of their own reporters, and a legislator:

What will Gov. Noem say during her first speech of 2021?

Both Senator Troy Heinert (D-Mission) and KELOLAND Capitol News Bureau Correspondent Bob Mercer said Noem’s speech likely won’t differ too much from her budget address one month ago.

and..

“The process should be open,” Heinert said about media availability and Gov. Noem’s office. “It’s been anything but.”

Heinert added Democratic leaders plan to continue with weekly end-of-week news conferences with members of the media.

Read that here.

The KELOland story consists of Mercer poking at the Governor with one of the three Democrats in the State Senate. And I can’t help but noticing that poking at the Governor seems to be the general editorial policy of KELOland news in recent months.

Aside from KELOland lashing out at the 2nd floor, what did Republican legislators have to say about the state of the state in the article…..

Nothing. They didn’t seem to bother to interview any.

Moving on to the next article about the legislative session, this one about COVID:

Heinert added he’s worried about the virus spreading during the session and if there’s enough precautions in place to protect staff, citizens and media.

“I’d like to finish in the session in person,” Heinert said. “I’m just not sure that’ll be the case.”

Read that here.

Again, if you look at the article, KELOland features Heinert, one of the three members of the minority in the Senate… and nothing from the Republican side of the aisle, despite it being an overwhelming majority in Pierre.

The reporting in these instances just doesn’t seem as if they remotely attempt to balance the story.

Just remember for future reference. It’s kind of hard for KELOland to claim that accusations of being biased are unfair when they don’t bother to attempt a balanced discussion.

CJ Foods USA to Build World-Class Asian Food Production Facility in South Dakota
Major project to bring 600-plus new, full-time jobs to Sioux Falls, S.D.

(Los Angeles, Calif. — Jan. 11, 2021)  CJ Foods USA Inc. (CJ Foods), a U.S.-based affiliate of global lifestyle company CJ CheilJedang (CJCJ), today announced its plans to build a new 700,000–square-foot Asian food production facility in Sioux Falls, S.D.

The new facility, planned for Foundation Park in Sioux Falls, will result in more than 600 new full-time jobs by 2025 and include automated state-of-the-art food production lines, a warehouse and distribution center, shipping and receiving docks, and office space. The project will represent an overall investment of several hundred million dollars over the course of construction and will be funded through operating cash flow. Further investments in the facility’s capabilities will be made as demand increases over the next several years.

All foods made at the production facility will be sold and distributed by CJ Foods and Schwan’s Company, a fellow U.S.-based affiliate of CJ Foods. Once complete, people working at the facility will focus on making a broad range of Asian-style meals, sides, snacks and appetizers in the shelf-stable and frozen categories. The new South Dakota facility will represent an expansion of CJCJ’s Asian food production capabilities in North America, with CJ Foods already operating five Asian-style food plants in California, Ohio, New York and New Jersey and Schwan’s Company operating two in Texas.

“This strategically important new investment represents an extremely exciting time for both CJ Foods and Schwan’s Company,” said Executive Chairman of CJCJ Food, Americas and Schwan’s Company CEO Dimitrios Smyrnios.  “Adding this world-class Asian food plant in South Dakota will help us lead the fast-growing Asian food category in North America and achieve our long-term growth plans. Ultimately, this plant will meet the increasing needs of our retail and food-service customers by creating significant production capacity, fueling Asian food category growth, and enabling future innovation.”

“We thank state and local officials in South Dakota for helping to bring this project to Sioux Falls. We look forward to building a long-lasting relationship that will be mutually beneficial for CJCJ’s family of businesses and the residents of South Dakota,” added Smyrnios.

Investing in Asian Food Marketplace Growth

CJ Foods is investing in the new Asian-food facility to support it and Schwan’s Company’s growth initiatives in the retail and food-service markets in North America. The two companies offer several Asian-style brands in both the food-service and retail sectors, including Bibigo®, Pagoda®, Kahiki®, Minh® and Annie Chun’s® foods.

Asian food is extraordinarily popular in the United States alone, representing a more than $38 billion industry across retail stores and food-service venues, which includes 70,000 Asian-style restaurants. Worldwide, the cuisine’s popularity is growing rapidly as consumers increasingly embrace more global flavors. In a recent study by Technomic®, a leading consulting and research firm, 23 percent of global food consumers say they are preparing more global flavors at home than two years ago. This rate was at 39 percent with millennials, according to the study.

“The growth and popularity of Asian cuisine is something we expect to continue unabated over the coming years, especially as consumers have the opportunity to increasingly experience high-quality, authentic global foods when dining out or preparing meals at home,” said Smyrnios. “We are excited to work with our retail and food-service customers to expand the Asian food category and create great consumer experiences.”

Working with South Dakota Public Officials

To help facilitate the project, company leaders from CJ Foods and Schwan’s Company worked with state and local public agencies and officials in South Dakota, including: Gov. Kristi Noem; Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED) Commissioner Steve Westra; Sioux Falls Development Foundation CEO & President Bob Mundt; and Sioux Falls Mayor Paul TenHaken.

“South Dakota is open for business, and we’re excited for this tremendous investment in our state. The Sioux Falls community will benefit greatly from the new full-time jobs that this facility will provide,” said South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem. “I want to thank Dimitrios and everyone at CJ Foods and Schwan’s who worked with us to make this happen.”

Groundbreaking Event in Sioux Falls Planned for Spring 2021

More details about the specific products and brands that will be made at the facility, as well as renderings and more specific construction timelines, are expected to be shared at an event at the Sioux Falls site of the future plant in the spring. Event attendees will include CJ Foods and Schwan’s Company leaders as well as South Dakota public officials.

About CJ Foods
CJ Foods USA Inc. is a U.S. affiliate of global lifestyle company CJ CheilJedang. Since its opening in 1978, CJ Foods has quickly become a major manufacturer and distributor of Asian food products with a focus on Korean food. Through brands like Bibigo® and Annie Chun’s®, the company offers an extensive range of packaged food products, including dumplings, noodles and sauces. Backed by a global company with more than 60 years of experience in the food industry, CJ Foods’ mission is to drive awareness of Asian food, especially Korean food, and provide only the best quality products to U.S. households across the nation. To learn more about CJ Foods, visit www.cjfoods.com.

About Schwan’s Company
Based in Minnesota, Schwan’s Company is a leading U.S.-based manufacturer and marketer of quality foods offered through retail-grocery and food-service channels. Its many popular brands include Red Baron®, Tony’s®, Big Daddy’s®, Villa Prima™ and Freschetta® pizza, Mrs. Smith’s® and Edwards® desserts andPagoda® Asian-style snacks. The company is an affiliate of global lifestyle company, CJ CheilJedang. To learn more about Schwan’s Company, visit www.schwanscompany.com.

About CJ CheilJedang
CJ CheilJedang is the core subsidiary in charge of the food and bio business sectors of the CJ Group. It has led the development of the Korean food industry for the past 60 years and contributed to the development of the bio industry as the nation’s top food company. Launched in 1953 as a food ingredient company, CJ CheilJedang has expanded its business to processed foods. CJ CheilJedang has achieved outstanding growth, quantitatively and qualitatively, in food processing and food ingredients in the food business sector, as well as in the bio business sector. The company is striving to go beyond being the No. 1 in Korea to becoming a global leader in each business sector. CJ CheilJedang will continue to grow and evolve in the food & bio sectors by practicing the spirit of OnlyOne and develop into a global lifestyle company. To learn more about CJCheilJedang, visitwww.cj.co.kr.

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Gunderson, Palmer, Nelson & Ashmore, LLP Welcomes New Associate Attorney Jason A. Glodt

Current South Dakota Lobbyist set to join law firm in January 2021

Pierre, South Dakota: The law firm of Gunderson, Palmer, Nelson, & Ashmore LLP is pleased to announce that Jason Glodt has joined the firm as an associate attorney.  Glodt has over 20 years of legal experience.  He served as an Assistant Attorney General for Attorneys General Mark Barnett and Larry Long. He also served as a Senior Advisor and lawyer for Governors Rounds and Daugaard and Attorney General Marty Jackley.

“Gunderson, Palmer, Nelson & Ashmore, LLP is an exceptional law firm with some of the brightest legal minds in the state,” said Glodt, “I am honored to be part of their team and I look forward to getting back into the court room to help people.”

Glodt will work in the Pierre, South Dakota branch of the firm where he will focus his practice on Business Law, Estate Planning, Governmental Law, Environmental Law, Litigation, Lobbying and Issue Advocacy.

Jason grew up in Webster and Wessington Springs before moving to Spearfish where he graduated high school. He went on to earn a B.S. degree in Political Science from Black Hills State University before earning his Juris Doctorate degree in Law from The University of South Dakota School of Law.

Glodt has lived in Pierre for 20 years where he served six years as a Pierre City Commissioner and has been active in numerous community organizations, including the Exchange Club, Boy Scouts and the Masonic Lodge.  Glodt has served as on the City Library Board, the Discovery Center Board and as the City Police Commissioner.  He has also renovated numerous historic buildings on upper Pierre Street and lives in the Grand Opera House with his wife, Michelle, and their two children.

Marty Jackley, current partner at the law firm stated, “Our clients are very fortunate to have the talent and experience Jason brings to our team to assist them through their legal challenges.  The reason so many South Dakota Governors and Attorney Generals have sought and relied upon Jason’s advice is his ability to listen, understand complex issues, and deliver results.”

With over 45 years of providing a full range of legal services, Gunderson, Palmer, Nelson & Ashmore, LLP is one of South Dakota’s largest law firms in a multi-state region. Located in the historic Hyde Building in Pierre and the historic Elks Building in Rapid City, South Dakota, the firm has lawyers providing service in South Dakota, North Dakota, Nebraska, Wyoming and Montana. More information about the Gunderson, Palmer, Nelson & Ashmore, LLP may be found on www.gpna.com

My Oath
By Sen. John Thune

January 6 was a horrifying day. Violent protesters stormed the Capitol, attacking law enforcement and endangering everyone working inside, from senators’ staffers to maintenance workers. Peaceful protest is a hallmark of our country. The right of assembly is a sacred American right. What happened at the Capitol was not a peaceful protest. It was violent, unlawful, and fundamentally un-American.

Thanks to the heroic efforts of Capitol Police officers, who put their lives on the line to protect us, and thanks to law enforcement officers from across the Capitol region, the Capitol was secured. Undeterred, members and staff returned to the building to carry out the business of the day. We followed the law, counted the votes, and certified the election.

The oath I swear as senator for South Dakota is not to any one person, but to the U.S. Constitution:

I do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter: So help me God.

Article II, Section 1 of the Constitution and the 12th Amendment make clear that the Senate’s role in presidential elections is limited to counting the electoral ballots certified by the states. The applicable federal law, enacted in 1887, further clarifies the limited role of Congress. It provides that Congress must accept all electoral ballots that are lawfully certified by the submitting state so long as there are not competing submissions. Otherwise, Congress has no authority to overturn the results of this or any other presidential election.

As is the case with any election, Americans should not tolerate a single fraudulent vote. I believe any credible accusation, now or in the future, should be investigated, and those who have violated our nation’s trust should be held to account, period. I will also support relevant efforts to examine and strengthen the integrity of our federal elections.

As a senator, my guideposts are the Constitution and the rule of law, and I have striven to perform the duties they require of me. Under our constitutional system, in which I have tremendous faith, the results of this election could not be undone by Congress.

I will continue to fight every day for conservative principles. During my time in Congress, I have worked with multiple presidential administrations. There have been areas where I have agreed and areas where I have disagreed with presidents of both parties. No matter what, you can be sure that whatever the circumstance, I will strive to uphold my oath of office and I will always stand up for South Dakotans.

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Governor Kristi Noem has an op-ed on the Federalist website in which she lays out her vision on what the Republican Party needs to do moving forward:

Republicans got our butts kicked in Georgia on Tuesday. A 33-year-old with no accomplishments and a smooth-talking preacher wiped the floor with us. The idea that Georgia, of all places, could elect two communists to the United States Senate was ridiculous.

Our country has changed. We have failed to educate generations of our children about what makes America unique. Few, if any of them, have been taught the history of our decades-long fight to defeat communism. Meanwhile, the left’s indoctrination takes place every day with kids all across America from the time they walk into a school at age 5 to the time they graduate college at 22.

Read it all here.

Governor Noem Signs Executive Order

PIERRE, S.D. – Today, Governor Kristi Noem signed an executive order pertaining to the Amendment A litigation.

Executive Order 2021-02 ratifies the ongoing litigation regarding Amendment A, brought by plaintiffs Colonel Rick Miller, Superintendent of the South Dakota Highway Patrol, and Kevin Thom, Pennington County Sherriff.

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2021-02 executive order from Gov Kristi Noem by Pat Powers on Scribd

Several lawmakers were identified as participating in the protests at the US Capitol, with at least one breaching the building:

From Facebook:

What’s your opinion?

A Lambasting by Liberals
by Thomas E. Simmons

Released in November, The Reagans is a four-part documentary produced by Showtime. It is comprised of film clips of President Reagan and others close to him along with an assortment of journalists, activists, biographers, and former Reagan aides. The President’s son Ron Reagan Jr., journalist Lesley Stahl, and attorney Maya Wiley get the most screen time. They heap blistering and often unfair criticism upon President Reagan. Other interviewees, such as George Will, James Baker, and Robert McFarland receive less screen time, but also contribute their perspectives.

The younger followers of Dakota War College (by which I mean the under-40 crowd) who do not recognize names like Don Regan, Robert McFarlane, Ed Rollins, and George Shultz (all Reagan appointees or advisors) will be enriched by studying this film. It’s a slick production, accessible, and addictively binge-worthy, clocking in at under four hours in total running time.

Make no mistake. This is a thoroughly biased production which sets out to paint a very unflattering portrait of Ronald and Nancy Reagan. A number of the film’s jabs do land solid punches on the deficiencies of Reagan’s legacy. One would be surprised if any human being who served two terms as Governor and two as President didn’t commit a few blunders. Some of them serious.

Within the first three minutes of the first episode (“The Hollywood Myth Machine”), we hear three different interview subjects proclaiming (1) that Reagan acknowledged that “if you cannot be a good actor, you cannot be a good president,” (2) that Reagan “was kind of a strange fellow to be President of the United States,” and (3) that his own cabinet had to “protect him from himself.” The last of those three quotes comes from General Colin Powell. So, do not expect a nuanced assessment of Reagan’s accomplishments. At least the film broadcasts its intentions right from the start.

Still, I recommend this film – even to those who hold Reagan in high regard. It’s instructive to see where the liberal attacks can score a few points and where they’re simply clawing at air. There is, for example, an unsupported assertion ribboning through the quartet of episodes that the claim that “government is part of the problem and not part of the solution” is not only a falsehood in whatever context it might appear within, but a fantastic myth – an unadulterated lie. There is another dishonest assertion that every time a conservative makes reference to local empowerment or state’s rights, it is simply code for diluting civil rights protections (i.e., “dog whistle politics”).

The film’s structure also contains a dishonesty of its own. In the first half or so, it portrays Nancy Reagan as shrewd and caring, an essential and positive component of Reagan’s political achievements – indeed, of Reagan himself. In the second half or so, the supplied narrative turns on her. It viciously vilifies her for relative trivialities like her loaned designer dresses and her selection of expensive White House place settings. The allegations of governance by astrology horoscopes, however, are more serious. If you’re unfamiliar with these allegations, then this documentary is a decent starting point.

Although the film is upsetting in several respects, it’s refreshing to see the kind of serious emphasis that was once placed on fiscal conservatism. It’s inspiring to see Reagan speaking honestly about the proper role of government. But ultimately, the film’s agenda renders its narrative incomplete and misleading.

Still, for the documentary viewer with his or her thinking cap firmly in place, The Reagans presents an opportunity to consider, in a condensed format, a summary of Reagan’s alleged shortcomings. Even within a framework which lambasts Ronald Reagan, the man’s warmth, empathy, and genuine love for his country are infectious. It’s a productive enterprise to reflect on what he accomplished for the United States.

Thomas E. Simmons
University of South Dakota School of Law
Vermillion, SD

All of the views and opinions Professor Simmons expresses here on are his as an individual and do not reflect the views of the Board of Regents, the University of South Dakota, its School of Law, their employees, faculty or administrators. The foregoing editorial represents only his views as a private citizen.