Gov. Rhoden Now Accepting Applications for Parole Board

PIERRE, S.D. – Governor Larry Rhoden is accepting applications to fill a vacancy on the Board of Pardons and Paroles (Parole Board).

The vacancy was created when Parole Board member Ken Albers of Canton announced he would be ending his service following the November 2025 meeting. His term was scheduled to expire in January 2026.

The Parole Board meets for one week each month to recommend pardons and commutations to the Governor, conduct parole hearings, and take action on offender applications for parole. The Parole Board consists of nine members. The Governor, the Attorney General, and the South Dakota Supreme Court each appoint three members. Parole Board members must be residents of South Dakota.

The standard duration of appointments to the Parole Board is four years. Members are eligible for re-appointment. Appointments require the advice and consent of the state Senate.

Those who would like to be considered for an appointment to the Parole Board should submit a resume, cover letter, and letter of recommendation to Katie Hruska, General Counsel for the Governor’s Office, at katie.hruska@state.sd.us. Applications should be submitted by Friday, November 21, 2025.

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In response to a Todd Epp story yesterday at the Dakota Scout story, where it was noted that the Sioux Falls School District reviewed the package of tax proposals being put forth by the legislature, House Majority Leader Scott Odenbach launched into a missive on social media which seems to indicate an agenda he may have planned for education during the next legislative session.

In the post, Odenbach ties property tax relief to an agenda which includes items such as consolidation of school districts, and the direct election of school superintendents:

Scott Odenbach for South Dakota House District 31

BECAUSE THAT’S WHERE ALL THE MONEY GETS SPENT
It’s time to tie proficiency test scores to incentives. (The test isn’t the problem.)
It’s time to reform capital outlay spending.
It’s time to look at consolidation of administration. And maybe direct election of superintendents, like sheriffs are.
It’s time to reform and/or automatically refer opt-out votes.
It’s time to disclose how much of your money is spent on status quo lobbyists like Large School Group, Associated School Boards of South Dakota, and others.
It’s time to break the money monopoly by giving parents more control with a good Education Savings Account program.
It’s time to better utilize virtual learning options for our rural families.
And more.
Do we want property tax relief or not?

Odenbach lays out an agenda which includes consolidation, electing school superintendents, learning by xbox (virtual learning), and measuring educators on the basis of their students.  It remains to be seen how many others in the Republican caucus will agree with the agenda being pushed by the majority leader.

Odenbach takes issue with how schools currently handle capital outlay. Not sure exactly what that entails? The South Dakota Department of Revenue created a white paper to explain what Capital Outlay funds are, and what they’re used for in July of this year:

Capital Outlay by Pat Powers

For the layman, this entails the funds for the purchase of real estate or equipment and is used for buying new or maintaining existing facilities, as well as for textbooks and costs to transport students.

It’s unclear what form “reform” would take, but it would likely entail cutting the use of capital outlay to pay for items such as textbooks. Which would leave schools having to look for the money elsewhere in their general funds.

Odenbach also notes items on his agenda such as going after school lobbyists, and one of his initiatives that had been quickly killed in the opening days of the last legislative session. If you recall, HB 1020 establishing education savings accounts, was opposed by Industry & Commerce, retailers, schools, school administrators, the Crow Creek tribe, homeschoolers, and a lot of others.  Yet, it appears that it’s on the agenda to come back.

In one of the biggest stretches he’s proposing, Odenbach strangely declares his agenda items of the “consolidation of administration” and “the direct election of superintendents.” Consolidation has been a fringe topic that has come up from time to time, but has been largely rejected by the South Dakota legislature.  But an even further stretch would be the direct election of school superintendents, despite the offices currently being filled by a board of local elected officials.

Scott should know who those people are, because Odenbach served on his local board, the Spearfish School Board from 2017 until 2021, where he was actively engaged in the system he proposes to replace; where superintendents are hired by local school boards after what in many cases are exhaustive searches for finding qualified and competent applicants to fill the positions. Unless he’s declaring that as a school board member, he was incapable or unqualified to do that job while he was on the board?

Would South Dakota want to elect school superintendents to be in charge of our children?  Well, that proposal is just plain awful.  I would point out that parents would be placing the future of South Dakota in the hands of who was the best campaigner at a given time.

Imagine if some of the people in our state legislature – instead of proposing bills in Pierre – were in charge of educating our kids?  Would you hand the management of your School District over to “White History Month advocate” and aspiring Visine poisoner Travis Ismay?  How about entrusting handing your kids’ education over to “kooky, wrong and dangerous” dj entertainer Dylan Jordan …who may be living in his gramma’s house?

That proposal should cause parents and taxpayers to absolutely shudder.  I question if either can tie their shoes, much less be capable of being in charge of children.

And as referenced earlier, the “virtual learning” demand – I’m not sure why Scott thinks that would make things better in education.  Anyone remember COVID?  There are papers and studies and stories all confirming the fact that all in all – distance learning doesn’t work.

At the same time that schools are removing phones from students to improve instructional quality, why is the House Majority Leader declaring that somehow rural families are going to be better served by plopping kids in front of screens?

All in all, Rep. Odenbach’s attempt to tie tax reform to some very sketchy agenda items of his own for education is a recipe for disaster that South Dakotans should pay attention to – and reject thoroughly.

Katie Washnok Announces Candidacy for South Dakota Senate, District 3

Aberdeen, S.D. – Katie Washnok, 37, of Aberdeen, proudly announces her candidacy for the South Dakota Senate representing District 3. Washnok enters the race with a promise to bring a new voice, fresh perspective, and tangible results to the people of the greater Aberdeen area.

A lifelong South Dakotan and proven community leader, Washnok has built a strong record of service through her work in local organizations, business leadership, and civic engagement. She is committed to advancing policies that strengthen families, support small businesses, and protect the values that make Northeastern South Dakota a great place to live and work.

Having worked in both Washington, D.C. and Pierre early in her career, Washnok brings valuable insight into the policymaking process and the importance of effective, collaborative leadership. Her years of community involvement have provided her with a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing District 3 residents, from agriculture and education to workforce development and economic growth.

“Aberdeen and Northeastern South Dakota are ready for growth; we need leaders who are ready and able to advocate and make sure we are a priority in Pierre,” said Washnok. “I am focused on real results:infrastructure, more jobs, and opportunities that keep families right here in South Dakota. It’s time for less talk and more action, Aberdeen!”

Katie Washnok invites supporters to join her campaign by following “Katie Washnok for South Dakota Senate” on Facebook or visiting her website at www.katieforsd.com for updates and opportunities to get involved.

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Just a note from the editor – you can donate to Katie directly by clicking here. 

Dakota News Now has a story about the malcontents in the Minnehaha County Republican Party organization attempting to oust Minnehaha County Chairman Korry Petterson, and about how the (former 32-year Democrat) Chair Jim Eschenbaum ruled that it could not be done.

The South Dakota Republican Party said Minnehaha County GOP Chairman Korry Petterson will remain in office.

A vote to remove him on Monday was ruled invalid by the state’s executive board.

In a Facebook post, SD GOP Chairman Jim Eschenbaum said the bylaws don’t allow county members to oust elected officials without a state-level amendment.

Read and watch the story here.

But.. is it? Is it really over?  Because after Eschenbaum felt the need to publicize his pronouncement to the entire central committee and facebook. And there was an interesting reply. One important one in particular:

All,

I appreciate the openness of Chairman Eschenbaum and the executive board regarding letting us know their decision.  I respectfully disagree.  I don’t want to post this on Facebook, because it is an internal matter for the Party and not the general public, and not something that needs to be in social media. Therefore I am sending out an email.

I have no dog in the fight between the two factions and Minnehaha County.  I don’t take a position as to who should be chair, as I haven’t heard the evidence.  But, I do have an interest, as a member of the state central committee, in the state central committee retaining authority over membership disputes of the body when there is a dispute.

The bylaws are very clear that Robert’s Rules of Order apply to County Central Committees in Section III.3.D., which states: “The rules contained in the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised shall govern the County Central Committee in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with these bylaws and any special rules of order the County Central Committee may adopt; however, unless any member objects, the committee may act informally at the discretion of the county chairman.”   As recognized in the statement by the Chairman, there are no bylaw provisions regarding removal, which means there isn’t anything inconsistent. Therefore, Robert’s Rules is the gap filler and plainly governs under the bylaws. There is language about events causing a vacancy, but that language is not competitive or mutually exclusive to language authorizing removal by a body for cause or otherwise.

Moreover, as a prior member of the bylaws committee (though quite some time ago) and prior parliamentarian for the state party at several times in the past, the bylaws were written in a way to allow removal of officers by a county central committee. Section III.3 states the term of county officers is “shall hold their offices for a term of two years or until their successors have been elected.”   The language “or until their successors have been elected” has significance under Roberts Rules to specifically allow for removal.  That choice was deliberate and was made knowingly and discussed in the past. 

…

Lastly, I don’t think the executive board has jurisdiction to make a final decision on this matter, except in an interim fashion until the next central committee hearing. Under Section I.2, the State Central Committee has this authority. It also, of course, has the authority to do this in determining its own membership.  I have no intention to bring a motion on this issue, but it is my opinion that this issue is ripe for resolution by the Central Committee rather than the Executive Board.

So, in Stanley County, we will follow State law, the State GOP Bylaws, and Robert’s Rules, in that order.  If the Stanley County central committee chooses to throw me out, so be it. I would encourage other counties to do the same.

Justin Bell
Stanley County GOP Chair

Why is this an important footnote to pay attention to?  If you’ve not been paying attention, Justin Bell had recently been doing double duty as the SDGOP Treasurer and the Republican Party’s attorney in just about every election matter for the last decade. Justin is a darn good attorney, and his win/loss record has been tremendous in fighting for the party.

Justin is the one who kept Lora Hubbel off the ballot when she was trying to run for Governor with the Constitution party – in a year where Governor Noem won by 11,458 votes.  And had she been on the ballot, she would have stolen those votes from Kristi, not Billie.  And it would be a much different South Dakota political scene.

So when Justin gives you free legal advice, and tells you that you may be in error, you should probably listen.

Of course not everyone agreed.

Since you have no information I disagree with you. The State board took care of the situation and there you have it. They ruled after careful consideration and consultations. Thank you for not giving your option social media.

Amy Wagner
(Pennington County GOP Chair)

Which goes to show you that there’s a place for the hopelessly low-information & clueless in the SDGOP.

Speaking of hopelessly low-information, the SDGOP’s highest ranking Obama voter, Chairman Jim Eschenbaum did reply that party leadership will do what they seem to be focused on most lately, exclusive of fundraising, candidate recruitment or being a functional political party – they’ll have more meetings on it:

I am making it a priority to pass a removal process in February, even if we have to make amendments to the proposed amendment, it needs to be done. I just don’t like where we are right now relying on a process of attempting to read between the lines, or argue about the meaning of a word. Also, I am hoping to find reasonable thresholds for notice of meeting, possibly 30 days, work with accused on meeting date, charges included in the agenda, a good quorum of the full body, (State or County) and a 2/3rds vote for removal. Conflict like this further strengthens our bylaws and brings clarity to operations of the party, so it’s not all bad. But just to be clear, removal from office is not regular business, and shouldn’t be handled as such.

Just another day of chaos in the Republican party.

Remember when the SDGOP came out with this directive about county parties endorsing candidates back in May?

So why then is the McPherson County GOP choosing sides in Gubernatorial race, as they promote the candidate in the Gubernatorial race currently disliked by 90% of Republicans?

Pretty sure co-hosting events with campaigns are covered by the whole “don’t endorse candidates” thing.   Someone should have a word with the McPherson Central Committee..

McPherson County	Chair	Michael	Klipfel
McPherson County	Vice-Chair	Linda	Schauer
McPherson County	Committeeman	Melvin	Kallas
McPherson County	Committeewoman	Marian	Kallas

Moving on….

(Update – Let’s not forget that this isn’t the first time that the Chairman Klipfel could be said to be abusing his position for his own personal agenda. )

Rounds Issues Statement Following Senate’s Passage of Continuing Resolution, Appropriations Package

Rounds secured $21.9 million in funding for projects in South Dakota

 WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) issued a statement following the Senate’s passage of a continuing resolution (CR) combined with three of the Senate’s appropriations bills for FY2026:

“After 41 long days in a government shutdown, the Senate finally passed a CR to reopen the government. This CR continues current levels of government funding until January 30, 2026 and includes three of our appropriations bills in a package known as a ‘minibus.’ It now heads to the House of Representatives for final passage before being signed into law by the President.

“I’m pleased that the final deal to end the shutdown included three of our twelve regular order appropriations bills: Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies (MilCon-VA); Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies (Agriculture); and Legislative Branch. These bills have been conferenced with the House of Representatives and are ready to be signed into law as soon as they pass the House. These bipartisan, regular order appropriations bills represent exactly how the Senate should work. I’m particularly pleased to have secured $21.9 million in projects for South Dakota in these bills, $17.7 million of which is for construction to support the bed down of the B-21 at Ellsworth. We now have until January 30 to work through the remaining nine bills. Five of these have already been passed by the Senate Appropriations Committee.

“It’s now time to move forward and continue working on our regular order appropriations process, but we can’t ignore the devastating effect that six weeks of a government shutdown has had on our nation. This purely political shutdown was disastrous for the American people and should not have happened in the first place. Thousands of federal workers have gone without pay, millions of families have had the federal benefits they use to feed their children put at risk and our air travel system has been thrown into complete chaos. It’s my hope that these families who have suffered real damaging effects can move forward with their lives. We must work hard in the Senate to prevent a shutdown like this from happening again.”

Rounds has served on the Senate Committee on Appropriations since January 2025. He serves on the Subcommittees for all three of the bills that passed the Senate on Monday night. Read a list of Rounds’ wins in the MilCon-VA and Agriculture appropriations bills below:

MilCon-VA:

• Includes five of Rounds’ Congressionally Designated Spending (CDS) requests totaling $19.4 million:
  • $4.8 million for planning and design for the Weapons Generation Facility Dormitory on Ellsworth Air Force Base (B-21 infrastructure).
  • $3.5 million for planning and design of the Communications Center on Ellsworth Air Force Base (B-21 infrastructure).
  • $4 million for (11) new munitions storage magazines on Ellsworth Air Force Base (supports Global Strike Command mission requirements and B-21 infrastructure).
  • $5.4 million for (2) munitions storage magazines on Ellsworth Air Force Base (supports Global Strike Command mission requirements and B-21 infrastructure).
  • $1.7 million for aircraft maintenance hangar on Joe Foss Field in Sioux Falls.
• Fully funds South Dakota military projects at Ellsworth and in Watertown authorized by the FY2026 National Defense Authorization Act:
  • $63 million for B-21 ADD Flight Simulator 2
  • $71 million for B-21 Alert Facility
  • $88 million for B-21 Environmental Protection Shelters 80 Row
  • $75 million for B-21 South Environmental Protection Shelters 60 Row
  • $81 million for B-21 West Alert Apron Environmental Protection Shelters
  • $28 million for Watertown Army National Guard Vehicle Maintenance Shop
• Includes language from Rounds’ Honest Operations for National Cemetery Reporting (HONOR) Act to create a more transparent process for veterans’ burial ceremonies.

Agriculture:

• Includes two of Rounds’ CDS requests totaling $2.5 million:
  • $2 million for SDSU’s Cottonwood Field Station Renovation and Expansion.
  • $500,000 for SDSU’s Transient Animal Research Support Facility.
• Includes language from Rounds’ Promoting Agriculture Safeguards and Security (PASS) Act to add the Secretary of Agriculture to the Committee on Foreign Investments in the United States (CFIUS) for ag related cases and requires the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to refer potential purchases of ag land that could be a national security risk to CFIUS.
• Includes report language to address issues with Paraguayan beef imports.
• Includes language from Rounds’ Rural Housing Service Reform Act which provides USDA with the same authorities as the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) under the Multifamily Foreclosure Act of 1981.
• Supports efforts by USDA to prevent and control New World Screwworm infestations – including to construct a new facility in the US to provide the sterile insects necessary to prevent and control New World Screwworm.

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In case you missed the other item that the SDGOP has been pushing hard this week, where they want everyone to know about some goofy program the Freedumb caucus is putting on in the chairman’s home of Miller SD..

Of course, they go so far as to put a “disclaimer” on the item they’ve pushed hard on facebook noting “Disclaimer: Sharing this information does not constitute an endorsement by the organization or its leadership. It is being shared for informational purposes only.”   Despite the fact that the head of the Freedumb Caucus is married to the SDGOP Vice-chair. And the Treasurer of that group is the Treasurer of the State GOP.

Yet they claim it’s not “an endorsement by the organization or its leadership.”   Suuuuure it’s not an endorsement.

It would be a breath of fresh air if the SDGOP would decide to stop attacking it’s top officeholders, and do their job; raising money and actually promoting the party’s candidates.

Not spending their time playing kissy-face with self-interested fringe groups who have nothing to do with the party’s mission.

I know I’d mentioned a time or two that the Minnehaha County malcontents who tried to remove Chairman Korry Petterson have no authority under party bylaws to do so.   And it appears that (once again) I’ve been proven right, as the State Republican Party Executive Board had to concede the fact in a facebook post last night.

If you have forgotten, on October 28th, the Vice Chair Marsha Symens had sent out an e-mail to members noting in part:

Included in this correspondence is the official censure of Chairman Petterson.  As a result of this action, the Minnehaha County Central Committee has voted to remove Chairman Petterson from his position, effective immediately. In accordance with our bylaws, Vice Chairman Symens will assume the role of Chair.

Despite the fact there’s nothing that says they can do that. It’s my understanding per reports I’d heard that the Minnehaha people were then pigeonholing some of the executive board to uphold their position.

And guess what? By a majority vote, that didn’t happen.

An Executive Board meeting of the South Dakota Republican Party was held the evening of November 10th, 2025, with 11 of 12 members attending, to address the recent vote in Minnehaha County to remove their Chairman.

It was the majority voice of the Executive Board that our bylaws do not allow for the removal of duly elected officers by going to Roberts Rules of Order for guidance in the matter.

If the South Dakota Republican Party is to have a process for removing officers, it will require a bylaws amendment to be passed by a properly convened body of the State Central Committee.

Read that here.  For some reason they had to wait to announce it until they could make a graphic featuring the former 32-year Democrat & Obama supporter currently in charge of the SDGOP.

As noted, they made this decision by a majority vote. Although, if I were a betting man, I’m guessing Tom Pischke was a dissenting vote, since the people who are no longer in charge after their brief insurrection ended were his allies.

And it looks like the Minnehaha County Republican organization can get back to their business of being completely useless and dysfunctional, save for entertainment purposes.

(When exactly was that Minnehaha County Republican Lincoln Day Dinner this year?)

Thune: The Schumer Shutdown Is Almost Over

“[A]fter 41 days, I’m grateful to be able to say that we are close to getting the government reopened.”

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) today delivered the following remarks on the Senate floor:

Click here to watch the video.

SECRETARY MONAE JOHNSON ANNOUNCES WINNER OF THE 2025 JOHN LEWIS YOUTH LEADERSHIP AWARD

 PIERRE, S.D. — Secretary of State Monae L. Johnson today announced Ayden Calvert as the recipient of South Dakota’s 2025 John Lewis Youth Leadership Award, an honor recognizing a young leader who has demonstrated a commitment to civic engagement, community service, and integrity. The John Lewis Youth Leadership Award, established by the National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS), celebrates the legacy of Congressman John Lewis by honoring exceptional youth who show dedication to advancing positive change in their communities through leadership and public service.

“Ayden Calvert embodies the spirit of service, courage, and civic responsibility that Congressman Lewis represented,” said Secretary Johnson. “Ayden’s leadership reflects the values of perseverance, kindness, and participation that strengthen our communities and our democracy. We are proud to recognize his achievements and contributions to South Dakota.”

Secretary Johnson will formally recognize Calvert during an upcoming meeting at the South Dakota State Capitol in Pierre.