Jackley Announces Education Initiative

PIERRE, SD: Pledging to be a collaborative governor who works side-by-side with educators, administrators, parents, school boards, and students, Attorney General Marty Jackley today announced his vision for the future of South Dakota education.

“Education is close to my heart,” Jackley said. “My mother was my accounting teacher, my father taught college courses, my sister is an assistant high school principal, and I’m the proud parent of two children—Michael and Isabella—who are public school students in Pierre. If elected to be your governor, I promise to fight for the best possible education for my children and yours.”

Nearly a quarter of our citizens are involved in the education community in some form or another. They teach, lead, support or attend our K-12 schools, technical institutes and universities. In many of our small, rural communities, the school is the heart of the community.

Jackley’s Education Initiative is the result of the input he has received from the many communities he’s visited during his Hometown South Dakota Tour.

In the plan, Jackley proposes the following:

• Bring educators, administrators, parents, school boards, and students to the table so their voices are heard. Jackley’s primary opponent has announced opposition to volunteer, collaborative task forces, whereas Jackley believes they bring expertise to government.
• Equip South Dakota educators and institutions with adequate funding to ensure competitive salaries and safe, secure learning environments—without raising taxes.
• Expand South Dakota’s K-12 system to include adequate early childhood educational opportunities for the most under-resourced communities.
• Provide equitable educational experiences for Native American students.
• Engage our entire pre-kindergarten to graduate-level education community to create a pipeline of opportunity that propels our citizens toward increased economic opportunities.
• Empower our institutions with public-private partnerships that capitalize on our strong South Dakota work ethic and can-do nature.
• Create incentives that encourage in-state placement.
• Reduce barriers to teacher innovation and reduce the negative impact of ineffective mandated programs that don’t work well for rural states.
• Defend the rights of homeschool parents to educate their children on an even playing field.
• Partner with local law enforcement to keep our schools safe.

Read the Jackley Education Initiative in its entirety here.

Jackson County States Attorney Daniel Van Gorp Endorses Ravnsborg for Attorney General

KADOKA, SD: Jackson County States Attorney Daniel Van Gorp endorses Attorney General Candidate Jason Ravnsborg.

“Jason has all of the skills necessary to do the job from his extensive leadership experience and his tremendous experience as a skilled attorney,” Van Gorp said. “Jason puts together the two important aspects of being an Attorney General, by having skills beyond just being an attorney.”

“I was especially impressed by Jason taking the time to visit with me in person at my office in Kadoka to discuss prosecution issues that concern Jackson County,” Van Gorp continued. “This showed me Jason’s commitment to interact with even the most rural counties in South Dakota.”

“Jason is the candidate with ideas and solutions that will help our state and I believe that will assist me in my capacity as State’s Attorney and serving the people of Jackson County and our state,” Van Gorp stated. “I look forward to working with Jason as our next Attorney General, he has my full endorsement. I will be voting for him at the convention and I encourage everyone to do the same.”

Van Gorp has a private practice in, and also resides in Kadoka, South Dakota. He has been the Jackson County State’s Attorney since 2009.

You can reach Jason’s campaign via www.JasonforSouthDakota.com

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While I was at the concert in Sioux Falls, Americans for Prosperity held a Congressional Candidates Forum last night in Rapid City. And they have it on video so us Eastern South Dakotans can watch the action:

A somewhat odd hit piece emerged today in Aberdeen mailboxes from a newly registered Political Action Committee:

After being organized on May 7th, Political Action Committee “Shining Light PAC” is registered to former point man for the South Dakota Gun Owners group Jordan Mason:

Jordan Mason seems to be continuing the attack mail started by South Dakota Gun Owners against current Sheriff Mark Milbrandt.  Except that now the attack seems to be criticizing Milbrandt for having cross-party appeal?

Really? Milbrandt having supporters across the political spectrum is now a liability?  Are Republicans in Brown County so polarized to the impossibly hard-right that having Democrats want to support them in an election a negative?

That would be like expecting Republicans who are married to Democrats to get a divorce, because “that damn liberal should know better, and now she just needs to leave.”  You really don’t hear of people that extreme. Which is how this postcard comes off.

People with blinders on might think this made a difference, but I think a vast majority of Republicans are going to recognize this as a negative attack that seems to be flailing a bit.  Elections are won by addition, not subtraction.  And all the piece tries to accomplish is subtraction by association.

This was a misguided and expensive missile that missed the target.

And we’ll see how it all turns out on June 5th.

Thune Statement on Confirmation of Gina Haspel for CIA Director

“With more than 30 years of experience serving in posts overseas and in CIA leadership, Gina Haspel is an outstanding choice for CIA director.”

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today issued the following statement regarding the Senate confirmation of Gina Haspel to be the director of the CIA:

“With more than 30 years of experience serving in posts overseas and in CIA leadership, Gina Haspel is an outstanding choice for CIA director. Her long and distinguished record of service speaks for itself. Her confirmation is also a historic moment for our country, as Haspel becomes the first woman to lead the CIA in its 70-year history.

It’s unfortunate that, at a time when our country faces a wide array of threats, Democrats chose to play unnecessary politics with this nomination. But now that the Republican-led Senate has confirmed her, I look forward to the good work she and the agency will continue to do to keep Americans safe.”

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I think I picked a good seat for Shania Twain!

 Thune-Rounds-Enzi Bill to Double Size of Black Hills Veterans Cemetery Heads to President
Years-Long Project Is One Step Closer to Completion

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), and Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.) issued the following statements after the U.S. House of Representatives passed their bill, the Black Hills National Cemetery Boundary Expansion Act (S. 35), legislation that will facilitate a permanent land transfer of approximately 200 acres of Bureau of Land Management land to expand the Black Hills National Cemetery outside of Sturgis, South Dakota. The bill, which the senators reintroduced during the first week of the 115^th Congress, passed the Senate by voice vote in December 2017. Their bill now heads to the president for his signature.

“Our veterans deserve a resting place as majestic and solemn as the Black Hills National Cemetery, and I’m glad this important, years-long initiative that will help to continue honoring our heroes – now and for generations to come – is finally nearing the finish line,” said Thune. “It’s a small yet meaningful gesture for the men and women who gave far more than we’ll ever be able to repay.”

“It’s important that South Dakota’s veterans know there will be space for them to rest peacefully at the Black Hills National Cemetery,” said Rounds. “I am pleased that our commonsense legislation to expand the Black Hills National Cemetery passed the House today, and will now head to the president’s desk to be signed into law.”

“Wyoming is one of the few states without a VA National Cemetery, so I am glad that Congress was able to pass this legislation to ensure we are working to provide a resting place for Wyoming’s veterans,” said Enzi. “Veterans and their families deserve to know that there will always be a place where their families can honor their legacy for generations to come. I look forward to President Trump signing this legislation into law soon.”

Under current law, the Federal Land Policy and Management Act limits transfers like this one to a lifespan of 20 years. The Black Hills National Cemetery Boundary Expansion Act will make this particular transfer permanent.

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Tapio Calls for Immediate End of Mueller Probe, Pledges Support for Hillary Prosecution 

(Wednesday, May 16, 2018) South Dakota GOP Congressional candidate Neal Tapio today issued harsh criticism against former FBI Director Robert Mueller, calling for an immediate end of the Mueller-Rosenstein investigation of the Trump White House that is now entering its second year. Tapio today promised that if elected, he will strongly support an end to the ‘Russian Collusion,’ investigation that he says is a proven political assassination plot against the President and also promised that he would fully support a Congressional investigation into the actions of Hillary Clinton and Clinton loyalists who have been proven as the origins of the Mueller probe against Trump.

“What the American people are watching is nothing less than a litigation Coup d’tat against a sitting President of the United States. This is what happens when the criminal machinery of Washington D.C. fights back against an outsider hired by the American people to fix a broken government,” Tapio said.

“For more than a year and at millions of dollars of taxpayer expense, the powers of the Department of Justice are being used to punish a duly elected President for disrupting their game and their agenda of tearing down the American nation on the road to a globalist system,” Tapio said.

Tapio  also expressed hope that revelations contained in the famous ‘Nunes Memo,’ and an emerging  chain of evidence suggesting fraudulent origins of the infamous Steele Dossier used to begin the investigation of Donald Trump would eventually lead to full fledged prosecution of a host of players involved in the plot to unseat Donald Trump and overturn the results of the 2016 election. Tapio says it’s clear that Democrats are planning to impeach Trump if they gain control of Congress in the 2018    election.

“It should send shivers up the spine of every American citizen that on the basis of fraudulent and phony documents, police-state surveillance under the orders of Hillary Clinton loyalists can be used against an anti-establishment candidate for higher office, in a deliberate attempt not only to defeat Donald Trump politically, but to ruin him publicly, financially and personally for having the gall to take on the Washington machine,” Tapio said.

“Nothing less than the Presidency is at stake in the 2018 election,” Tapio said. “That’s why it’s important not only that Republicans maintain control of both houses of Congress, but that we choose people who will stand strongly with President Trump in the face of this onslaught,” Tapio said

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Yankton Attorney Steve Huff Endorses Ravnsborg for Attorney General

YANKTON, SD: Yankton Attorney Steve Huff endorses Attorney General Candidate Jason Ravnsborg.

“I believe, from my experiences with Jason, he is fair, direct, to the point and follows up on key issues and so, for that reason, I certainly think he has the best temperament for the practice side of the Attorney General’s job.” Steve said. “Additionally, because of his substantial military experience, I believe Jason is also best suited for the administrative aspects of Attorney General.”

Steve stated “For all of those reasons I strongly support his candidacy and I would urge you to support Jason moving forward as the next state Attorney General.”

Steve has been an attorney since 1999 and is currently a partner with the law firm of Marlow, Woodward & Huff Prof. LLC in Yankton, South Dakota.

This endorsement letter was in Mailboxes today from the mayor of Edgemont to Republican Delegates today urging their support of Lance Russell for Attorney General: