Attorney General Jackley Announces Creation of Task Force To Review State’s Open Meetings Laws

PIERRE, S.D. –- South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley announces a newly established Advisory Task Force Committee on Open Meetings Laws will hold its first meeting Tuesday, Nov. 25, in Pierre.

The task force is different than the South Dakota Open Meetings Commission, consisting of five states attorneys, which was established in 2004 to review and address alleged violations of the state’s open meetings laws. Attorney General Jackley said this 15-member group will discuss possible legislative amendments to the state’s current Open Meetings Laws.

“Government, funded by the taxpayers, should be transparent,” said Attorney General Jackley. “I have formed this task force made up of the news media, private organizations, and local government officials to improve our State’s Open Meetings Laws and to increase government transparency within our State.”

Members of the new task force are:

• Michael Smith – Clay County State’s Attorney
• Austin Hoffman – McPherson County State’s Attorney
• Karla Engle – Chief Legal Counsel for the South Dakota Dept. of Transportation
• Kirsten Jasper – Chief Legal Counsel for the South Dakota Dept. of Revenue
• Tracey Kelley – Custer County State’s Attorney
• Dylan Kirchmeier – Roberts County State’s Attorney
• Dave Bordewyk – South Dakota News Media Association
• Steve Willard – South Dakota Broadcasters Association
• Shane Roth – DeSmet School District Board President and Associated School Boards of South Dakota President
• Garret Bischoff – Huron School District Board Vice-President and Associated School Boards of South Dakota Immediate Past President
• Gray Lobe – Clay County Commissioner
• Cole Heisey – Minnehaha County Commissioner
• Kellen Willert – City Attorney for the City of Belle Fourche
• Terry Sletten – South Dakota Association of Towns and Townships Executive Director
• Jim Urban – South Dakota Association of Towns and Townships Board of Director Member

Tuesday’s meeting starts at 10 a.m. CST, both in person and on TEAMs. The in-person session takes place at the George S. Mickelson Criminal Justice Training Center, 1302 E. Hwy 1889, Pierre, SD, in the DCI Conference Room (second floor).

The agenda for the meeting can be found here:

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If you hadn’t noticed the new banner ad that just went up on the website, Heath Shields has joined us on advertisers’ row in his campaign to become the next SD Treasurer. 

Please click on his ad, and visit his website.

Please help me welcome Heath, who joins Monae Johnson for Secretary of State,  US Senator John Thune, United States Senator Mike Rounds, the Dusty Johnson for Governor campaign, Emmett Reistroffer for District 35 House and others – including our friends at Dakota Town Hall, and my own Dakota Campaign Store.

Are you running for office in 2026 as it seems everyone is doing this year? (I hear it’s what all the cool kids are doing).  If you’re running, you should get in front of the thousands of readers we have a week.  The last 2 days were between 4000 – 5000 views each day.

I have a number of spots open, and questions on ad prices, ad positions, and ad commitments may be directed to the webmaster by clicking here. Lots of open space available at the moment, such as the #1 and the #2 positions on the right, as well as spots lower down on both sides of the page.

Ads run in their position through the site, meaning they are not rotated.  Advertising is available on a first-come first-served basis, and discounts are provided for extended commitments. Advertising on the Dakotwarcollege.com website is based on a first come, first serve basis for available positions.

Information on ad prices, ad positions, and ad commitments may be directed to the webmaster by clicking here.

State Representative Brandei Schaefbauer is on Facebook today claiming to not serve “any special interest.”

“South Dakota is my top priority before anything else. I don’t serve any special interest before I serve the people of South Dakota!” – District 3 State Rep. Brandei Schaefbauer.

Also Rep. Schaefbauer..

And also Rep. Schaefbauer..

Is it just me? Despite her protests, I notice that Rep. Schaefbauer spends a good percentage of her time using her office to directly advocate for her landlord Toby Doeden as much as she does anyone else.

Johnson Votes to Release Epstein Files

 Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representative Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) voted to release the Epstein files.

“Jeffrey Epstein committed heinous, evil crimes. I voted to release the Epstein files, which I’ve consistently supported for months,” said Johnson. “We all want transparency, and for any person found guilty to face the full force of justice. My heart goes out to the victims, and I hope proper action is taken to protect their identities.”

In September, Johnson voted to continue the House Oversight Committee’s investigation into Jeffrey Epstein.

The Oversight Committee’s investigation has:

• Released more than 65,000 documents.
• Released the transcript of Attorney General Bill Barr’s deposition in September 2025.
• Subpoenaed the Justice Department.
• Subpoenaed Bill and Hillary Clinton in August 2025.
• Subpoenaed the Epstein estate in August 2025.
• Subpoenaed Ghislane Maxwell in July 2025.

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From Facebook:

Protect South Dakota From the Pain of Federal Interference
By: Dr. Bill Cohen

As a physician who has spent decades at the American Pain Relief Institute, I’ve seen how harm affects people in ways that go beyond the physical. My work has taught me how easily poorly regulated systems can create stress, financial strain, and emotional pain for families. That’s why South Dakota’s approach to government matters to me: when the rules are strong and locally guided, we protect people from risks they may never see coming. Safeguarding our state sovereignty is a key part of that, because decisions made close to home reflect the needs and values of the people who live here.

When South Dakota voters approved sports betting in 2020, we did it the right way—our way. We built a system rooted in accountability, local control, and common-sense responsibility. Our Gaming Commission and Deadwood casinos ensure that legal wagers follow strict rules, protect consumers, and support the state programs and communities that make South Dakota special. That’s how it should be: South Dakotans regulating South Dakota issues.

And the proof is in the results.

Our state-regulated market is working exactly as intended. Sportsbooks must be licensed, vetted, and regularly audited. Regulators know the operators personally, understand the local landscape, and hold them to the same high standards we expect across all gaming activities in the state. That level of oversight simply isn’t possible from a federal agency thousands of miles away. Because our regulators know our people and our priorities, problems are identified quickly, rules are enforced consistently, and consumer protections are actually meaningful.

Most importantly, the revenue generated stays here. Over the years, in my clinical work and research, I’ve met countless South Dakotans whose well-being depends on clear rules and fair systems, which is why I pay close attention to how new state regulations are handled. Tax dollars from sports wagering support responsible gaming programs, fund tourism and economic development, and help maintain the quality of life South Dakotans value. We built a system that strengthens our local communities while keeping betting activity transparent, accountable, and safe.

But now, a federal agency in Washington is threatening to upend that balance. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission, or CFTC, has begun allowing a new form of online wagering called “prediction markets.” These platforms let people place bets on the outcomes of sports and other real-world events—but they label them “financial contracts” to dodge state gaming laws. If you’re putting money on the outcome of a football game, that’s not a financial hedge. That is sports betting, plain and simple.

And unlike our licensed sportsbooks, prediction market platforms don’t follow our rules. They operate under federal approval, completely outside South Dakota’s regulatory framework. They don’t pay taxes that fund our state programs. They don’t support addiction treatment or responsible gaming efforts. They don’t contribute to tourism or community development. They don’t even answer to our regulators.

That’s not just unfair—it’s dangerous. It undermines the businesses playing by the rules and puts consumers at risk by allowing unregulated operators to skirt the safeguards that South Dakota intentionally built.

The CFTC was never meant to be a gambling regulator. Its job is to oversee commodities like wheat, corn, and cattle—things that matter deeply to South Dakota producers and our economy. That’s where its focus should stay. The last thing we need is Washington bureaucrats deciding how our state handles sports betting.

At the end of the day, South Dakota doesn’t wait for Washington to tell us what’s right, and we never have. We built this system ourselves, with our values in mind, and it’s serving our people well. If Washington wants to help, it can start by staying out of the way.

Because here in South Dakota, we don’t need someone else calling the shots. We’ve got this covered.

—

Dr. Bill Cohen is the former medical director at American Pain Relief Institute.

From Facebook:

From KELOland, Governor Rhoden has apparently announced this afternoon that he’s running:

Dan Santella: So, you’re running to stay governor in ’26.
Larry Rhoden: That’s right.

and..

Asked which issues will be the biggest on the campaign trail, the governor quotes Tom Hanks as Forrest Gump and his famous line that life is like a box of chocolates: we never quite know what we’re going to get. But here Rhoden pivots to a quality that’s less sweet than sour.

“Part of what makes me feel the best equipped to be governor as such a time as this is some of the, just the times we live in and kind of the toxic environment that seems to want to keep boiling up and even in the legislature,” Rhoden said.

Read the entire story here at KELOland.

Well, what do you think?

From Toby Doeden on November 14:

Today, I want to make something absolutely crystal clear: there is no room for hate, vitriol, or personal attacks from people supporting our campaign.

 – Toby Doeden for Governor
Facebook Post, November 14, 2025

Also Toby Doeden:

It’s going to become abundantly clear that there are two choices in June: light versus dark, good versus evil. I’m light; I’m good. Dusty’s dark; Dusty’s evil. Those are going to be the two choices.

 – Toby Doeden
KELOland News, July 16, 2025

So when Toby claims that there’s no room for personal attacks from people supporting his campaign, did someone suggest he go to the doctor to get checked for early onset Alzheimers?  Because it seems like he’s completely forgotten how he’s been running his campaign from the beginning, which has largely consisted of hate, vitriol and personal attacks.

Or is he only referring specifically to the people supporting his campaign, and not himself? Because it sure seems like a case of do as I say, and not as I do.

At the very least, he should see a proctologist. Because when he makes this statement, everyone else out there recognizes that he’s completely full of sh*t.

From my e-mail box, it appears that Larry Rhoden is making his announcement in Rapid City, with a secondary announcement in Sioux Falls on Thursday November 20th: