Councilor Christine Erickson to run for re-election

Sioux Falls – Councilor Christine Erickson announced this week she will run for re-election to the Sioux Falls City Council. Erickson has served since 2012 and presently serves as the Council Vice Chair. She will seek the Council’s At-Large “B” position.

“Serving this great community has been an honor and privilege.  I would like to continue moving Sioux Falls in the right direction of progress and growth,” stated Erickson. “For the next term, I will focus on smart economic growth, public safety and maintaining the streets to the highest standard possible.”

Erickson has a proven track record for Sioux Falls. This track record includes:

1. Collaboration. Erickson has bridged the gap between Municipalities, Counties, and the State by working in a collaborative way. “We must continue to collaborate with the County and the State to ensure that Sioux Falls remains a leader in local and regional affairs and that our government works as efficiently as possible,” said Erickson.
2. Relationships. Erickson has a reputation of building strong, working relationships that benefit citizens through legislative and community outreach.
3. Confronting Drug Addiction. “Drug addiction is a growing problem – and we need to add prevention to our focus. I have continued to study the many aspects of addiction and am encouraging partnership with the County and State to create a plan to address this ever-growing problem.”
4. Economic growth. Consumer choice is important, and Erickson prides herself on being a leader on issues such as ride sharing and consumer choice in all forms of business development.
5. Erickson played an instrumental role in keeping pool passes affordable, helping which increase demand, resulting in great success of the indoor aquatic center.
6. Higher Paying Jobs. As a City Councilor, Erickson continued her previous work as a State Representative by securing funding for the USD Discovery District – a project that will continue to keep Sioux Falls on the cutting edge of producing high paying jobs and educational options for the residents of Sioux Falls.

Erickson, 39, spends time volunteering in her children’s school as well as operating a rental business she owns with her husband, Tony. They reside on the west side of Sioux Falls where they are busy raising their three boys, Anthony, Braylon and Charlie.

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The Argus Leader is covering a fireworks show this evening as former State Senator Gene Abdallah was asked about uncorroborated accusations of sexual harassment made by a former ACLU Lobbyist, with the former State Senator literally telling her “she can go to hell.”

Tiffany Campbell, a former lobbyist for the American Civil Liberties Union, sent emails to every member of the South Dakota Senate this month urging them to block the appointment of Gene Abdallah to the state’s Board of Pardons and Paroles.

The 41 year old said Abdallah asked her during the 2012 legislative session if he could accompany her to the restroom when the two were discussing legislation at Bob’s Bar, an after-hours extension of the Capitol for many lawmakers and lobbyists.

and…

Abdallah, a former U.S. Marshal and state highway superintendent, was representing Sioux Falls’ District 10 in the state House at the time. On Monday, he denied the allegation and said he never met Campbell.

“She can go to hell,” Abdallah said. “I’ll put my background of 37 years up against anything. If they believe her over me, I don’t want the appointment.”

and…

“I resent the fact that she’s using sleazy and gutter politics for some sort of personal gain,” Abdallah said in a phone interview Monday. “If she’d spent as much time trying to keep her family together maybe she’d still have them now.”

Read it all here.

The last comment was a bit harsh, but obviously Abdallah is fired up over the accusations being made… and has no intention of taking them lying down as Campbell is attacking his credibility and actively campaigning against his appointment to the board of pardons and paroles.

Your thoughts?

Here’s an interesting item you probably won’t hear elsewhere.  The word is out today that Aberdeen City Councilman Mark Remily (NE District), who ran as a Democrat in both the primary and the general election for District 3 State Senate in 2014 has recently switched political parties from being registered as a Democrat over to joining the SDGOP:

As late as last year, my voter records show Remily as being registered as a Democrat, so the change is a recent one.

(My source who pointed it out speculated that he’d heard it might be because Remily didn’t want to be associated with Aberdeen Democrat Cory Heidelberger. But that’s just speculation at this point. Not that I’d blame him.)

Regardless of his reasons, I’d like to take the opportunity to offer a warm handshake, and welcome another member to the big tent of the SDGOP.

US Senator John Thune, the 3rd ranked Republican in the US Senate noted yesterday that – contrary to what President Trump has noted – a victory by embattled Alabama Republican Roy Moore in the Alabama US Senate race would be just as bad as a loss by Republicans in the contest:

Many Republicans on Capitol Hill have called for Moore to step aside, but he has refused to do so. In a pair of tweets Sunday, Trump warned that electing Moore’s Democratic opponent, Doug Jones, “would be a disaster!” Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., issued his own warning, saying that a victory by Moore would hurt Republicans just as much as a loss.

“If Moore wins, there will immediately be an ethics investigation, and he will be working under a cloud. He is a distraction,” Thune, the No. 3 Republican in the Senate, said on “Fox News Sunday.” “I would like to see the president come out and do what we’ve done, saying Moore should step aside.”

Read the entire story here.

The Marty Jackley campaign made an appearance this past post-thanksgiving weekend at the parade of lights taking place in both Pierre and Rapid City. As noted on Facebook:

Republican Congressional Candidate Dusty Johnson was on Facebook late this evening providing specifics on his position on the always contentious issue of abortion in response to a potential voter’s inquiry.

As popped up in my facebook feed in response to a plethora of issues, Johnson focused on on abortion:

In his response, Johnson noted he considers himself to be a pro-life candidate, and states that “taxpayer dollars should not fund abortion.”

In response to the wide-ranging question, Johnson also promised to respond on other topics over the next few days, including on second amendment rights, school choice, immigration, same-sex marriage, etcetera.

While both Johnson and his current opponent fellow Republican Shantel Krebs have campaigned for office in the past and have taken stances on various issues, it seems to mark one of the earliest occasions in the 2018 congressional campaign where one of them have gotten specific in laying out positions in writing on some of the hot button issues or ‘laundry list’ issues that many Republicans tick off as they assess how conservative they consider the candidates.

Stay tuned, as things in the congressional race might be changing up a bit from being about meeting the candidates, into more how they serve up the meat and potato issues.

From The Hill:

The deputy director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) on Sunday night sued President Trump and Office of Management Budget Director Mick Mulvaney for control of the agency.

And…

English’s complaint claims that she is the rightful acting director of the CFPB, and that the court should bar Mulvaney from taking the post. English claims that the provisions of the Dodd-Frank Act that lay out the CFPB’s line of succession supersedes the Federal Vacancies Act, which Trump used to nominate Mulvaney.

Read it here.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Agency Deputy Director is suing the President, claiming that he doesn’t have the right to appoint a new director upon vacancy.

In case you were wondering if the agency was out of control, and trying to set itself up as an unelected fourth branch of government…

From the Aberdeen American News, the hyperpartisan liberal Democrat Susan Wismer offers an observation:

“The reason South Dakota is in the shape it is, is because Republicans have maintained a stranglehold on the process.”
-Susan Wismer

From the Tax Foundation:

2018 State Business Tax Climate Index

The Tax Foundation’s State Business Tax Climate Index enables business leaders, government policymakers, and taxpayers to gauge how their states’ tax systems compare. While there are many ways to show how much is collected in taxes by state governments, the Index is designed to show how well states structure their tax systems, and provides a roadmap for improvement.

The 10 best states in this year’s Index are:

1. Wyoming
2. South Dakota

Read that here.

And here’s an expanded List from GOED:

Subject	Rank	Year	Source	Link
Tax Revenue – Least Volatility	1	2017	Pew Charitable Trusts	pewtrusts.org
Best States For Business – Business Costs	1	2016	Forbes Magazine	forbes.com
Enterprising States – Business Climate	1	2015	US Chamber of Commerce Foundation	uschamberfoundation.org
American Dream Composite Index	1	2017	Xavier University	americandreamcompositeindex.com
America’s Top States for Business – Business Friendliness	2	2016	CNBC	cnbc.com
Small Business Policy Index	3	2017	Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council	sbecouncil.org
Gallup-Healthways   Well-Being Index	3	2016	Gallup-Healthways	healthways.com
Tax Freedom Day	4	2016	Tax Foundation	taxfoundation.org
Camelot Index	6	2016	State Policy Reports, FFIS	ffis.org
Entrepreneurial Activity Among Small States	9	2016	Kauffman Foundation	kauffman.org

Thanks Republicans!

State Rep. Craig Tieszen Dies;
Gov. Daugaard Requests Flags At Half-Staff

PIERRE, S.D. – State Rep. Craig Tieszen of Rapid City passed away on Nov. 22, 2017, in a drowning accident in the Cook Islands, where Tieszen, 68, was attending a family wedding. The Cook Islands are located in the South Pacific, approximately 3,000 miles south of Hawaii. Tieszen’s brother-in-law, Brent Moline, 61, of Rapid City, also died in the accident.

Tieszen was in his first term representing District 34 in the State House of Representatives, after having served in the State Senate from 2009-16. Prior to his legislative service, Tieszen spent 32 years in law enforcement, retiring as Rapid City Chief of Police.

“Craig Tieszen was a good man and a dedicated public servant, and his loss is very sad,” said Gov. Dennis Daugaard. “Craig Tieszen spent his life serving the public. He was a thoughtful and conscientious legislator, and a leader on criminal justice issues. More importantly, he was a true gentleman who was respected by all who knew him. Linda and I offer our deepest sympathies to the Tieszen and Moline families during this difficult time.”

Gov. Daugaard will order flags to fly at half-staff statewide in honor of Rep. Tieszen on the day of his funeral, which has yet to be determined.

-30-

He will be missed. https://t.co/I3lGsvXsHB

— Don Haggar (@donhaggar) November 23, 2017

Craig Tieszen was a good man and a dedicated public servant, and his loss is very sad. He was a thoughtful and conscientious legislator. More importantly, Craig was a true gentleman who was respected by all who knew him. Linda and I offer our deepest sympathies.

— Gov. Dennis Daugaard (@SDGovDaugaard) November 23, 2017

So sad. Craig didn’t set aside his dedication to protecting those in harm’s way the day he took off his badge. https://t.co/qASK92ioc9

— Dusty Johnson (@DustyJohnson) November 23, 2017

When I was a brand new lobbyist, Craig Tieszen met with me before the start of the session. He treated me as a professional, with respect and kindness, even though most would assume he and I would be political opposites. He was a kind and decent man to the very core.

— Libby Skarin (@Libby_ACLUSD) November 23, 2017