While everyone has been distracted this week by Democrats finding out they screwed up their convention reporting, invalidating the results of the first one, and forcing them to hold another one, their platform was quietly released.

And now we know why it was done in silence. Because there are some points in there that are doozies.

2018 South Dakota Democratic Party Platform by Pat Powers on Scribd

Democrats released a platform which underlines Democrat support for state income taxes, a law allowing seniors to commit suicide, attacking fossil fuels, and coming down very strongly against South Dakota’s right to work laws demanding their repeal.

As noted in the platform under Human Rights:

The South Dakota Democratic Party supports:

• The addition of age, sexual orientation, veterans’ status, and gender identity as protected classes under state employment, and housing discrimination, and public accommodation laws.
• The repeal of the death penalty.
• Common sense gun safety solutions, consistent with our Second Amendment Rights.

As noted in the platform under Labor and Employment:

The South Dakota Democratic Party supports:

• The recognition that organized labor is essential to improving life in South Dakota. We affirm that “Right-to-Work” laws, which are used to weaken labor and have no real bearing on the right to obtain a job, must be repealed.
• The belief that non-dues paying bargaining unit members who benefit from union representation should pay a fair share for the cost of their representation.
• The proposition that anyone working more than 40 hours per week deserves time and one half regardless of employment status.

As noted in the platform under Natural Resources and Environment:

The South Dakota Democratic Party supports:

• Recognizing that the effects of human-caused climate change negatively impact South Dakota, and urge Federal, State, and local governments to enact policies that mitigate and reverse those effects.
• A commitment to United Nations Framework Convention’s on climate change new carbon standards for coal-fired power plants
• The opposition to development of large-scale fossil fuel pipelines, fracking, and uranium mining.
• The position that eminent domain shall not be allowed for transport, extraction or disposal of fossil fuels or fossil fuel products.

As noted in the platform under Seniors:

The South Dakota Democratic Party supports:

• The right to end-of-life decisions which includes a person’s right to die.

As noted in the platform under State and Local Government:

The South Dakota Democratic Party supports:

Taxation

• A tax system which taxes all income levels fairly as allowed by the South Dakota State Constitution.

I have the feeling there’s a reason they slipped this platform out quietly.

Since Democrats have to hold another convention, lets see if this platform holds up, or if they end up changing it after the criticism starts.

AFP-SD Thanks Sens. Rounds, Thune and Rep. Noem for Protecting South Dakota Agriculture

Recent tariffs and a trade war are harming South Dakota grassroots group says

PIERRE, S.D. – Americans for Prosperity-South Dakota (AFP-SD) on Thursday applauded U.S. Sens. Mike Rounds and John Thune and U.S. Rep. Kristi Noem for urging President Trump to protect U.S. agriculture products from existing and future tariffs.

With agriculture comprising a large sector of South Dakota’s economy, recent tariffs and retaliatory tariffs have threatened to severely harm South Dakota’s agriculture industry. Their worries are already hitting home – just recently, China retaliated against US tariffs and imposed a 25 percent tariff on U.S. soybeans and corn, and cancelled more than $100 million in soybean purchases.

“The recently imposed tariffs and retaliatory tariffs other countries have placed on U.S. products are already severely damaging South Dakotans and our state’s economy. Our chapter and the work of our activists have made it clear that South Dakota cannot afford trade barriers that result in less opportunity and economic success,” said Don Haggar, AFP-SD State Director. “We applaud Sens. Rounds, Thune, and Rep. Noem for listening to their constituents and taking a first step toward ending these harmful trade policies before they do further damage to our state.”

“AFP-SD urges our legislators to continue standing up for South Dakotans and support the Global Trade Accountability Act that restores Congress’ authority to review and approve tariffs,” Haggar continued. “Lawmakers need to ensure that our strong economy is not undermined by unilateral action imposing counter-productive trade barriers.”

AFP along with network partners Freedom Partners Chamber of Commerce and the LIBRE Initiative recently launched a multi-year, multi-million-dollar initiative championing the benefits of free and open trade.

To supplement this effort in South Dakota, AFP-SD launched a digital ad campaign aimed at educating citizens and encouraging them to contact their lawmakers and support pro-trade policies. You can view, and contact your lawmakers, here.

Additionally, AFP, Freedom Partners Chamber of Commerce and the LIBRE Initiative sent a letter to legislators urging support of the Global Trade Accountability Act (S. 177/H.R. 5281) that would restore congressional authority to review and approve tariffs. You can read the letter here.

Background: 

Don Haggar’s op-ed on trade, tariffs, and a possible trade war ran in the Capital Journal.

So. people are asking me about my 2018 Fish & Chips tour, and I guess that it really didn’t end up being much of a fish & chips tour as much as I’d wanted, simply because I had a lot of other things on my plate.  And as I found out quickly, not all fish & chips are made equal, and there’s plenty of other options that are more tempting as you’re getting blasted with 90 degree heat.

Much of my culinary exploring was up and down the Old Town District in Alexandria where I was staying. Night one was when I thought I’d give it a try, so I dove right in at Murphy’s Grand Irish Pub in Old Town:

I thought their version of chips were good, but the fish was kind of run of the mill. My wife liked the peas, but because I’m 51 years old and I hate peas, If I don’t want to eat them, I don’t have to.

So, thumbs up on the chips, but I don’t think I’d return for the fish.

We continued down the street, and settled in at the Fish Market a few doors down, where my wife was happy to see they had an oyster bar, and a darned good one. We spent the rest of the evening hanging out and watching the Twins Game.

Saturday was “Caturday” at National’s Stadium, which was the big “event” item for us on the trip, having purchased the tickets a month or so ago. We signed up for home plate tickets as a treat, which entitled us to some nice perks, including dinner and drinks at the Diamond Club. My wife was quite pleased with herself that they were serving Mussels as part of the ballgame meal, whereas I was happy with the more traditional ballpark fare.

Sunday we hit “Meggrolls” for brunch (buffalo wing eggrolls were great) and after touring the Native American Museum, which was very interesting, especially for some of it’s South Dakota related artifacts, we opted for midday at the Dubliner. Since I hit that at the Fish & Chips tour in 2017, I went for a buffalo wing doubleheader.

By the time we hit Bierhaus Garten, neither one of us was very hungry. Especially after the giant 1-Liter german beer, so we called it after that.

Monday I reserved as my walking around day where I went from the National Archives, around the US Capital, and over by the Supreme Court, where the protest of the day didn’t exactly have people flocking over to find out more.

After all the walking around in the full Washington DC sun, I found myself quickly on the way to being a crispy critter, as I met up with my wife back in Alexandria, and revisited one of the tour stops from 2017, Eamonn’s Dublin Chipper, just to see if it was good as I remembered.

It was. Not a big piece of fish, but it was fresh, and just good. Eventually, we made our way down the street, and stayed out later than we should have, because we spent the next day on the Hill where I was able to meet up with Senator Mike Rounds (who will be running for re-election in 2020) and Senator John Thune:

Since that was our last night in the area, I made one last stop on the Fish & Chips Tour for 2018 after hitting the National Geographic Museum. We went back to Alexandria for Daniel O’Connell’s Irish Restaurant and Bar, where we had some of the best food on the trip. My wife opted for the Mussels, and I added a final stop on the tour:

This was the kind of ‘holy grail’ piece of fish I was seeking.. Blazing hot. Lightly breaded. Cooked well enough so there’s hardly a hint of grease, and a generous sized piece of fish to boot.

It was great fun exploring the Washington, DC Area and it has me looking forward to going again next year if the timing and opportunity arises! Nothing better than politics, history and haddock for an enjoyable destination!

The Aberdeen American News is announcing today that as of the end of September, they are closing their Pierre Bureau and ending Bob Mercer’s tenure at the Aberdeen American News due to financial reasons.

American News state government reporter Bob Mercer and sports reporter Shawn Werre were among those whose positions were eliminated.

and…

Bob Mercer’s situation is a little different. He is based in Pierre, and his work is sold by our company to other news outlets in South Dakota. Those subscriptions helped offset some of the cost, but not enough.

Rather than an immediate layoff, the Capitol Bureau in Pierre will remain open through the end of September.

and…

What else can be said? We had to make some hard decisions about our present, and about our future, and how our staff all fits together.

Ironically, they’re announcing it in an article behind a paywall.

That’s going to make a pretty big dent in South Dakota’s political reporting.

Rounds Joins Group of Senators in Introducing Resolution to Support ICE

WASHINGTON– U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) today joined a group of senators in introducing a resolution denouncing the radical calls for the dissolution of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

“U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agents play a vital role in the defense of our country,” said Rounds. “Not only do they work to safeguard our borders, they keep our communities safe and help rescue vulnerable children and human trafficking victims. Without the brave men and women of ICE, our borders would be essentially wide open for terrorists and other criminals who are intent on doing harm to Americans. Last year alone, ICE agents made approximately 5,000 gang arrests, seized nearly a million pounds of narcotics and rescued over 1,000 human trafficking victims and children subject to exploitation. I support our law enforcement officers at ICE who put themselves in danger every day to defend our borders and keep our communities safe.”

The resolution, led by Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), was also cosponsored by Sens. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), David Perdue (R-Ga.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), Roy Blunt (R- Mo.), Tom Tillis (R-N.C.) Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Steve Daines (R-Mont.) and Ron Johnson (R-Wis.).

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SDDP Chair Ann Tornberg’s response to her party’s blunder in certifying their candidates for election seems to fall a little short in this interview on KELO Land.

Anyone inspired by Ann’s leadership ability and competence in this video?

Didn’t think so.

Delegation Urges President to Prioritize U.S. Agriculture During Trade Negotiations

“As you continue to pursue trade negotiations to address unfair trade practices and other trade barriers, we strongly urge you to make U.S. agricultural exports a priority of those negotiations and to negotiate with our trading partners to protect agriculture products from all existing and future tariffs.” 

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.) and Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and U.S. Rep. Kristi Noem (R-S.D.) today strongly urged President Trump to make U.S. agriculture exports a priority with our trading partners around the world. Recent market uncertainty has already cost South Dakota producers hundreds of millions of dollars, and the delegation hopes this letter serves as a reminder to the president that this industry cannot afford to be further entangled in global trade disputes.

“We appreciate and support your administration’s efforts to address a broad spectrum of trade inequities,” Thune, Rounds, and Noem wrote. “We do not support, however, making agriculture exports, which have been the exception to such trade inequities, bear the brunt of retaliatory actions in response to current U.S. trade policies … As you continue to pursue trade negotiations to address unfair trade practices and other trade barriers, we strongly urge you to make U.S. agricultural exports a priority of those negotiations and to negotiate with our trading partners to protect agriculture products from all existing and future tariffs.”

Full text of the letter is below:

The Honorable Donald J. Trump

President of the United States

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20500

Dear President Trump:

Over the past several months, we have expressed serious concern that the steep drop in commodity and livestock prices linked to current U.S. trade policies and recently effectuated sanctions could push an alarming number of our state’s farms, ranches, and rural areas to the brink of economic collapse.

According to a recent CoBank news release, “uncertainty around trade presents escalating concern to U.S. agriculture. Seventy percent of U.S. agriculture exports are to destinations that are in current negotiation or trade disputes, according to the most recent Rural Economic Review from CoBank’s Knowledge Exchange Division.” Further, a July 2, 2018, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Economic Research Service (ERS) report provides, “Lower commodity prices in the near future could likely further reduce farm receipts, making it more difficult for some farmers to meet their loan obligations and pay for production expenses.”

Against this backdrop, the 2018 winter wheat harvest has begun in South Dakota, with other crop harvests to continue over the next four to five months. Harvest typically marks the beginning of a very critical period of economic uncertainty for farmers and ranchers in a normal year, as operating loans and production and harvest expenses are coming due before year’s end. Unfortunately, this uncertainty is now unnecessarily exacerbated by U.S. trade policies.

Agriculture is South Dakota’s number one industry and the cornerstone of its economy. South Dakota ranks in the top ten states in producing cattle, hogs, corn, wheat, and soybeans with more than 11 million acres of these three crops planted in 2018. Because of our state’s dependency on agriculture exports, our producers can no longer continue to “wait and see” what happens with U.S. trade in the global arena. Trade uncertainty over just the past few months has cost South Dakota farmers and ranchers hundreds of millions of dollars they could not afford to lose.

We appreciate and support your administration’s efforts to address a broad spectrum of trade inequities. We do not support, however, making agriculture exports, which have been the exception to such trade inequities, bear the brunt of retaliatory actions in response to current U.S. trade policies.

Although you have stated that the agriculture sector will be taken care of through some form of USDA assistance, please keep in mind that U.S. export market share is diminishing daily at an alarming rate, and history has proven that once lost, export markets can take years, even decades to recapture. Given the already difficult market conditions for farmers and ranchers over the past several years, long-term damage to agricultural export opportunities is the last thing the industry needs.

As you continue to pursue trade negotiations to address unfair trade practices and other trade barriers, we strongly urge you to make U.S. agricultural exports a priority of those negotiations and to negotiate with our trading partners to protect agriculture products from all existing and future tariffs.

Sincerely,

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From South Dakota Political Memes on Facebook:

As South Dakota Democrats admit they screwed up their paperwork and violated state law in reporting their convention results, they also are admitting they have to conduct a full convention, and the candidates could change:

They will again have three days to submit the candidate list to the Secretary of State’s Office to be certified. And this time, they’ll drive the list to Pierre rather than leaving it up to the postal service, Parkinson said.

And..

Parkinson said the convention would be largely a formality to nominate candidates selected last month.

“Our candidates who were selected in June are still out there campaigning,” Parkinson said. “I expect them to be the nominees once again.”

Read it here.

While dem officials are praying they can talk everyone into it again, they’re admitting the slate could change.

It also likely means that the mysterious disappearing South Dakota Democrat party platform that they’ve been hiding & never filed could also change to remove the nutty parts they don’t want to have see the light of day.

Kind of like when Hillary’s people were in charge of the Democratic Party, and pushed out the Bernie faction.

As long as it goes their way, they’ll put on a happy face for the press in late August.

Until then, they are left without candidates certified for the ballot.