The South Dakota Public School System was first established upon the State of South Dakota being first established in the year 1889. Upon adopting the South Dakota Constitution, it was agreed upon, and codified as part of Article 22, Section 4 of that constitution that:
That provision shall be made for the establishment and maintenance of systems of public schools, which shall be open to all the children of this state, and free from sectarian control.
With that codified act, the People of South Dakota agreed to establish it's public school system, and of which was to be free and clear of all "Sectarian Control". Meaning, the State's role in the matter would be the people's right to fund, manage, and control its public school system without any one faction of people burdening them with undue legislation, rules, or specific types of activities.
Sectarianism is a political or cultural conflict between two groups, often related to the form of government they live under. Prejudice, discrimination, or hatred can arise in these conflicts, depending on the political status quo and if one group holds more power within the government. Often, not all members of these groups are engaged in the conflict. But as tensions rise, political solutions require the participation of more people from either side within the country or polity where the conflict is happening. Common examples of these divisions are denominations of a religion, ethnic identity, class, or region for citizens of a state and factions of a political movement.
A uniform system of free public schools in order to provide for the stability of a republican form of government depending on the morality and intelligence of the people, it shall be the duty of the Legislature to establish and maintain a general and uniform system of public schools wherein tuition shall be without charge, and equally open to all; and to adopt all suitable means to secure to the people the advantages and opportunities of education.
So from day one, while the people have the right to manage and control their own public schools, the Legislature was tasked with ensuring the whole people that the proper maintenance, a uniform set of rules would shall govern the system, and the the fact that public education should be free for all to use, providing the citizens the opportunity to educate their children in subjects such as math, science, reading, writing, history, and literature.
From here, we must also hereby understand, that the Federal Government upon sectioning off lands between 1841 and 1904 - reserved specific lands to be used for public education, while most lands were claimed by Americans, and other lands become public lands held by the State in 1889, there were many sections of land reserved by the Federal Government with the intention of placing public schools throughout the territory.
In 1889, when we became the State of South Dakota we the people had agreed to create the Perpetual Trust Fund in order to deposit monies for the sole reason for the maintenance of public education.
All proceeds of the sale of public lands that have heretofore been or may hereafter be given by the United States for the use of public schools in the state; all such per centum as may be granted by the United States on the sales of public lands; the proceeds of all property that shall fall to the state by escheat; the proceeds of all gifts or donations to the state for public schools or not otherwise appropriated by the terms of the gift; and all property otherwise acquired for public schools, shall be and remain a perpetual fund for the maintenance of public schools in the state. It shall be deemed a trust fund held by the state. The principal shall never be diverted by legislative enactment for any other purpose, and may be increased; but, if any loss occurs through any unconstitutional act, the state shall make the loss good through a special appropriation. Article 8, Section 2
So we have established this public trust fund to be held by the people of South Dakota, to be managed as part of our State Treasury, to appropriate federal and state funds for the maintenance of public education.
Getting more into how the school districts shall be funded, we have to begin to dive into Article 13 of the state constitution itself - in its own words:
School district funds are all monies received by the school district or schools within said district or as a result of an activity carried on by the said school. Said funds come from the following sources: taxes, income from school property; school district borrowing through bonds or promissory notes; funds received from federal, state, or other political subdivisions; funds received from individuals or organizations through paid admission, payments for materials or services, gifts, or trusts; funds received from fines and penalties; and any other funds received by the school district or schools from any other source.
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So you can see, our school districts receive monies from several sources of revenues, and depending on the size of the district, the total residents within the district itself, the activities, and policies established by the governing bodies of the districts, a South Dakota School District can in fact create its own independent budget totally separate from the State government itself.
While as a State, we have placed the Legislature in charge of apportioning our more direct property taxes, whether by means of sales taxes or property taxes assessed to lands ceded to the state by the people, meaning whereas the citizens temporarily surrendered those land patents to the state in order to allow the state to temporarily take ownership of the land, giving the the state to assess property tax to your land. Keep in mind, one who temporarily surrenders their land patent, never truly gives up control of the land, they are in fact listed as 'rightful owners' of the land, but they have chosen to allow the land to be held in public interest of the "Whole People" aka the State of South Dakota in order to raise, collect, and remit public taxes for the sole purpose of funding and maintaining our public schools. More on land patents at a later date.
Property Taxes collected by the State of South Dakota to fund the maintenance of public schools are then deposited into the trust fund, to be proportioned equally or by an apportionment determined by the legislature. Today, the public school system receives about sixty-five (65) percent of this revenues, while counties and cities receive the balance.
Other sources of state funds include the profits created by Video Lottery, which by law the state must maintain a profit of as close to reasonable to 15% of the total receipts deposited into video lottery, depending on expenses, salaries, payouts, liabilities of the Video Lottery system, the public school trust fund shall grab the profits generated from the gaming industry, while the last source of state funds is a small percentage of Sales Tax Dollars as agreed upon when the people adopted the 0.50% tax rate increase in 2019 to help with teachers pay.
Mind you, that just cause the sales tax increase was adopted primarily to help increase teachers pay, the state government itself really has no authority given to it to force each individual school district to pay each teacher a set wage, it may only recommend, that we pay the full time teachers an average of $48,000 annually. At the end of day, each individual school district led by their governing bodies, the residents of the district have the independent right to manage all 'funds' that come into their local treasuries, whereas each school district must meet the guidelines set forth under SDCL 4-4-4 which read as follows:
Any accounting system used by any state agency or any component unit of state government shall be designed to meet the financial accounting and reporting requirements of generally accepted accounting principles
They must have an accounting system that meets the reporting requirements of generally accepted accounting principles, and it must be fair, transparent, and ethical. Meaning, the people have the right to, as any form of government agency, to inspect, aduit, and review the finances of their local district to determine the total amount of revenues received, and where those revenues derive from.
Depending on the size of the district, whether rural or urban, or a mixture of both - these independent school districts themselves have the full right to borrow money from bonds, from banks, they may accept federal and state grants, they may as well accept donations and gifts as mentioned earlier, but predominantly, many of their services are collected by the 'users' or the residents who participate in the district itself. Schools charge lunch meal fees, activity fees such as sports, after school curricular activities, and other necessary fees to provide specific services.
A general overview of the Sioux Falls Public School System shows that it a complete budget that compares heavily to the City of Sioux Falls - for the 2021 to 2022 school year, it has a $286,430,711 dollar budget, while 48% derives from property taxes; 38.5% derive from State revenues; 7.7% come from Federal revenues; 2.3% derive from other County and Local sources, while they receive another 2.9% from previous cash balances and transfers in.
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As you can see, the Sioux Falls School District generates revenue from several funding sources. As proposed by the 2023FY budget, that total is anticipated to reach $303,500,000 million in gross revenues, with an annual budget increasing 8 percent (for inflation) every year for the next ten years.
The question has been asked, can the Public School System survive on less property taxes - to best answer that question, one would have to monitor, inspect, and audit the total monies from other sources on a year to year basis. Just as your cities have to do each year, your school district must allow for independent periodic internal audits, providing the 'residents' of the district with a Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, otherwise known as the C.A.F.R.
Teacher salaries for the Sioux Falls School System make up 54.% of the total expenditures, while the likes of Capital Acquisition amounts to just 5.6% of the total expenditures for the year which amount to total $284,624,153 dollars. Capital Acquisitions can mean investments in land, buildings, infrastructure, sports facilities, vehicles, buses, or real property assets to be used in the future.
Here is an example of Capital Projects for FY-2022 as adopted by the Sioux Falls Public School System:
Capital Projects Fund – CIP (Capital Improvement Projects)
Lincoln High School, Washington High School, and Roosevelt High School – Expand multipurpose gym storage, expand training room and fitness areas, and provide exterior restrooms.
Cleveland Elementary School – Finish construction on the new gym and associated rooms, convert the old gym into multipurpose room, renovate early childhood classrooms and expand the playground.
Hayward Elementary School – Construct storage for gym, multipurpose room, and locker rooms.
Jane Addams Elementary School – Construct new parking lot on old playground area, obtain property east of school and build new playground, relocate dumpster area, and construct new music and band classrooms.
J.F. Kennedy Elementary School – Construct a new gym, convert old gym into multipurpose room, convert old multipurpose room into music room, and add a new parking lot and drop off area.
Central Services Center – Begin plans for expanding vehicle garages and renovations to early childhood screening areas.
Instructional Planning Center – Renovate lobby for security and conference room
Assessing the Total Property Tax Paid by Sioux Falls Homeowners- If we were to calculate the total 2023 Revenue Plan of the Sioux Falls Public School District, which as stated above is $286,430,711 million dollars; and if the total Sioux Falls area has approximately 78,437 homes or dwellings, according to www.townchart.com, the average homeowner is contributing roughly $3,651.73 dollars to their public school system. If you break that down to just property tax dollars, we are discussing $1,770.20 dollars per year, paid by Sioux Falls residents to for the Public School System. And remember, the district receives 48% of its total revenues from property taxes.
Just as I have spoke on the fact that I feel the City of Sioux Falls could very easily decrease the Second Penny Tax, let alone remove the tax completely and still fund the costs of the City, I believe we could effectively as a state, decrease the Residential Property Tax Rate on lands where those homes are located, by making a slight adjustment to commercial property tax rates, in order to help single family home owners keep more of their incomes 'free' and clear from property tax dollars. What if we were to decrease the "residential property tax rate" by at least 10%, while adjusting the "commercial property tax rate" by 5%, what would the net value be in terms of property tax dollars received by the Sioux Falls School District?
In closing, to better understand where the South Dakota Public School System gets their annual revenues, one has to fully understand What, Where, and How the Public Education System is managed within the borders of South Dakota itself. Once you determine that, then you can better understand how your school district operates, and where they choose to spend those dollars each year. In order to ensure a well operated, timely managed education system, the people themselves must remain in total control of the governing process at both the state and local level. In order to best maintain, and manage the over all checkbook, fiscal responsibility must begin with full transparency and voter control.
As we move forward to help govern, to maintain, and to manage our Sioux Falls Public Education System, let's remember the words of one of our founding fathers:
The Whole People must take upon themselves the Education of the Whole People and must be willing to bear the expenses of it. There should not be a district of one Mile Square without a school in it, not founded by a Charitable individual but maintained at the expense of the People themselves; they must be taught to reverence themselves instead of adorning their servants their Generals, Admirals, Bishops and Statesmen. - John Adams
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Much like his on-again, off-again friend Thomas Jefferson, and other founding fathers, Adams saw a clear link between a strong public education system and the health and strength of American democracy.
He also saw education as a vehicle for previous generations to empower future generations with the ability to learn and prosper, as he eloquently wrote in a letter to his wife, Abigail:
I must study Politics and War so that my sons may have liberty to study Mathematics and Philosophy. My sons ought to study Mathematics and Philosophy, Geography, natural History, Naval Architecture, navigation, Commerce and Agriculture, in order to give their Children a right to study Painting, Poetry, Musick, Architecture, Statuary, Tapestry and Porcelaine
Citations
South Dakota Constitution- https://sdlegislature.gov/Statutes/Constitution
SDCL 13-16 School District Funds and Accounts - https://sdlegislature.gov/Statutes/Codified_Laws/2041838
SDCL 4-4-4 Public Accounting System Statute - https://sdlegislature.gov/Statutes/Codified_Laws/2033754
Sioux Falls School District 49-5 2021-22 Annual Budget - https://core-docs.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/asset/uploaded_file/1729944/Overview.pdf
Town Charts Sioux Falls Housing Data - https://www.towncharts.com/South-Dakota/Housing/Sioux-Falls-city-SD-Housing-data.html
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--Mike Zitterich- Historian and Policy Columnist for The Dakota Leader
South Dakota’s approach to handling the COVID-19 pandemic has gained an almost legendary status amongst anti-lockdown activists. Due to this reputation, people moved to South Dakota at such rates that the media dubbed it “a mass exodus,” from blue states, which had the most severe restrictions. On the west and east coasts, U-Haul reported vehicle, and trailer shortages that made the headlines of local and national press.
In her CPAC speech in early 2021, Gov. Kristi Noem told the audience that, “South Dakota is the only state in America that never ordered a single business or church to close.” Over and over again, Noem flew cross country to tell Americans, “we never instituted a shelter in place order. We never mandated that people wear masks. We never even defined what an essential business is, because I don’t believe that governors have the authority to tell you that your business isn’t essential.” Despite having written Executive orders, diametrically opposed to her talking points, Noem managed to turn her limited authority to her advantage within the National press circuit.
Noem even called out Dr. Anthony Fauci directly, saying, “Dr. Fauci, he told me that on my worst day I’d have 10,000 patients in the hospital. On our worst day, we had a little over 600. Now, I don’t know if you agree with me, but Dr. Fauci is wrong a lot.”
The common misconception has become that all Republicans and Conservatives are absolutely anti-lockdown, anti-mask, and anti-vaccine mandate, while all Democrats support mandates and restrictions. However, there are many cases in which this perception is inaccurate. For example feminist author Naomi Wolf, once considered “left-wing” for the vast majority of her career, has been speaking out against vaccine mandates and passports for over ten years now. Actor Russell Brand, once a featured speaker at Zuccotti Park, during Occupy Wall Street is now known for his videos in which he criticizes vaccine passports, social distancing, and the direction he sees society heading in, as a result of the pandemic.
Conversely, former President Donald Trump, who has been demonized by many in the left-leaning mainstream media, for deliberately killing people by not locking down the U.S. more, was actually booed at one of his rallies for encouraging the audience to get vaccinated. He was also instrumental in Operation Warp Speed, a private-public partnership to accelerate the development, manufacturing, and distribution of the COVID-19 vaccines. While Trump did not push for mandates in the same way that President Biden has, he set the stage and is an example of how Republicans and Democrats are more alike than many would like to believe.
According to Followthemoney.org, The American Hospital Association has funded both major political parties over the last 20 years, contributing over $5 million to Democrats, and over $3 million to Republicans. In South Dakota specifically, the AHA has contributed to certain Republican candidates through the South Dakota Association of Healthcare Organizations. South Dakota Association of Healthcare Organizations, run by former Representative Deb Peters, has been a large contributor to Gov. Noem, and along with Sanford Health’s legal team wrote Gov. Noem’s SB 211. Additionally, SDAHO has lobbied against every bill that would have provided protections against mandates, and this session even got involved with School Choice issues.
The American Hospital Association recently had their annual membership meeting in Washington DC, which featured Dr. Anthony Fauci as one of the keynote speakers, alongside others known for their pro-lockdown approaches to the pandemic.
The fact that the organization which is featuring Dr Fauci as an honored guest speaker at their annual conference, is also contributing to campaign funds on both sides of the aisle, should raise questions about how much of a difference there really is between Democrats and Republicans regarding medical freedom.
Since March of 2020, conditions surrounding the pandemic restrictions have fluctuated constantly. At times, gripping the population with tight limitations on their daily lives, and at other times, lulling people into a sense of almost-normalcy in which the apathetic population has let their guard down. Currently, both major parties are pushing for an overall feeling of normalcy– This letter has been circulating among Democrats, essentially explaining why they must soften their position on “COVID zero” to have any chance at winning the midterm elections.
A full list of which representatives have taken contributions from the South Dakota Association of Healthcare Organizations can be found HERE.
It is entirely possible, if these special interests have their way, that both parties will look nearly identical regarding COVID restrictions. An investigation into the largest donors and contributors in South Dakota politics, shows us that it was almost impossible for South Dakota to avoid the same totalitarian policies that have created long-term business closures, and vast swathes of metropolitan areas boarded up…But for the people of South Dakota, and a small group of lawmakers, who pushed back.
As recently as November, the South Dakota grass-roots were organizing to limit the scope of vaccine mandates in the private sector. Noem originally said that there would be no government mandate to get vaccinated against COVID-19, but that alone would not have prevented situations in which people were barred from entering businesses or earning a living due to their status. Regardless of the reputation Noem has built for herself as an anti-restriction governor, she is not entirely free from the influence of the very people who have supported heavy-handed government restrictions.
Steve Duffy has recently announced his bid to run for District 32 in South Dakota as a Republican, and his wife Helene Duhamel is currently a Republican in the State Senate. However, in 2007, Duhamel Broadcasting Ent donated funds to back Hilary Clinton’s campaign. Duffy is also being backed by Lee Schoenbeck, who has received campaign funds directly from Pfizer, among other organizations with a vested interest in continuing vaccine mandates and other restrictions. Pfizer has actually donated $3 million more to South Dakota Republicans, than it has donated to Democrats.
Vaccine mandates are directly related to full lock downs and business closures according to Dr Fauci, who directly stated, “you use lockdowns to get people vaccinated”. CNN medical analyst Leana Wen, asked rhetorically, “if everything is reopened, what’s the carrot going to be?”
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Receiving funds from the healthcare industry does not always mean being compliant with restrictive pandemic measures, however.
South Dakota State Representative Tony Randolph (R-Rapid City), has spoken out against pandemic mandates that did more harm than good to society. During the 2022 legislative session, Randolph co-sponsored a bill to make sure that families could visit elderly relatives in care homes. HCR 6012 fully acknowledges that the physical distancing restrictions placed on nursing home residents created social isolation, which caused depression, anxiety, and distress. The resulting isolation and chaos was especially upsetting for residents with cognitive impairments and other disabilities. HCR 6012 prevents such policies from ever being allowed to happen legally again in South Dakota, and urges South Dakota representatives to work with lawmakers in other states to make allowing visitors to healthcare facilities a broader policy in the US. House bill 1283, which he also sponsored, states that hospitals, nursing facilities, and assisted living facilities must post signage with the legal requirements to allow visitors. Representatives such as Tony Randolph are taking an active approach to preventing the travesties of the last two years from happening again, and they have strong support from voters going into 2022.
South Dakota certainly has a strong possibility of preventing future disruptions to the economy and social functioning of the state regardless of what might happen in the rest of the country, but voting for that future isn’t as simple as trusting all Republican representatives without question. The same way that Eric Adams used Republican talking points while running as a Democrat in New York City, some Republicans are running with the vested interest in supporting the same pharmaceutical industrial complex that Democrats have. A few Republicans who support mandates and restrictions in office could tip the balance towards more heavy-handed COVID-19 restrictions, while continued support for Representatives like Tony Randolph, can protect medical freedom in South Dakota.
Tonchi Weaver is the Executive Director of Citizens For Liberty. The grass-root organization creates legislative scorecards, ranking each member of the South Dakota House and Senate of issues of Liberty, over party. Weaver tells The Dakota Leader,
“everybody runs in South Dakota as a conservative, but voting records don’t lie. Many legislators are currently on the campaign trail, telling their conservative base that they’re being represented properly. Unfortunately, the meaning of any given bill changes drastically between amendments. We watched this happen with the CRT ban, and banning vaccine mandates this session. Both bills started out, and then ended with completely different meanings.”
Weaver says that South Dakota voters work hard, and are busy raising families. She says that most people don’t have the time to follow the progression of any given bill, and unfairly allows politicians to be misleading during elections.
“The issue is further compounded as everyone seems to know each other in South Dakota. We really want to believe that the person we went to school with, or our cousin's neighbor etc are telling us the truth during town halls. That’s why we create these score-cards, so voters can see for themselves if that person they think they know is being honest with them.”
The Dakota Leader challenges voters this election to follow the money, follow the votes, and stop thinking in terms of red v blue….
SIOUX FALLS, SD-This political season has brought a new, unexpected and growing list of candidates. From the senate to state delegates, to South Dakota’s State-wide offices—one local grass-roots organization is helping everyday citizens to connect with dozens of candidates this election.
The Patriot Ripple Effect, a Sioux Falls based grass-roots organization, is hosting Chit Chat- A Relaxed Evening with South Dakota Legislators and Candidates. The event will be held Thursday, April 28th from 6:00pm to 9:00pm at the South Dakota Heritage Military Alliance in Sioux Falls.
“Before this year, I was like many people. I did my duty and voted but didn’t really pay attention to how my Legislators and other elected officials voted in Pierre. I thought it was fine to trust the party label and take elected officials at their word," said Sioux Falls resident Chris David. “I have since learned that’s not the case, but I was intimidated to talk to my legislators. Now, I’m learning there are a lot of true South Dakota values people who are stepping up to run. Whether current or new to the election, many are my neighbors and I’m getting more comfortable reaching out to them."
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The Patriot Ripple Effect Chit Chat event is working to alleviate those fears and build a connection between voters and candidates. The grass-roots organization believes good, healthy conversations encourage a constitutionally strong, healthy, local government for the great state of South Dakota.
The Chit Chat event will be held from 6:00pm – 9:00pm at The Alliance in Sioux Falls and is open to the public.
The Primary Election is on Tuesday, June 7th 2022.
Sioux Falls residents are pushing back on the the exorbitant spending of their School Board this year, after the board voted for an 11.6 million dollar "Opt-Out," of the state's limitation to tax increases.
The Sioux Falls School Board released their 2023 budget proposal after voting to adopt it, last week. The total annual budget of 303.5 million dollars is nearly double that of the previous year's budget of 188.8 million. The budget is set to increase at a rate of 8 percent for the next ten years, in order to "keep up with inflation".
As stipulated, a majority of the funding is being allocated to new hires, and staffing for the new behavioral programs meant to "locate, identify, track and serve". New nurses and health based clinics will be added on campuses in order to develop the "social emotional needs of disproportionately impacted students".
The board voted to implement the new budget, and voted on its own to op-out of the taxation limits. Residents are now working to get enough signatures to refer the opt-out to voters this election. *Patriot Ripple Effect is a grass-roots organization based in Sioux Falls. The group says they are providing drive through signing events this week for voters who wish to defer the opt-out to the ballot.
"SIOUX FALLS SCHOOL DISTRICT TAXPAYERS, you have the right to vote on escalating school expenditures - but that will only happen if enough concerned citizens sign a petition to put it on the ballot.
...A local effort like this in 2017 amassed several thousand signatures in just FOUR days. We aim to do the same THIS WEEK."
Thursday, April 28, 4:30 pm - 6:30 pm — Sertoma Park, 4300 South Oxbow Avenue
Saturday, April 30, 10:00 am -12:00 pm — Laurel Oaks Park, 3301 East 49th Street, Sioux Falls
From the group's website- "We need signatures from REGISTERED voters who live in the Sioux Falls School District. (The Sioux Falls School District actually spans part of Minnehaha AND Lincoln County.) REMEMBER: BE HONEST – ONE REGISTERED VOTER, ONE SIGNATURE!
Submit petitions NO LATER THAN Monday, May 2."
The full Sioux Falls School District Budget can be found HERE
The Biden Administration's Title IV overhaul, applicable to all districts that have accepted federal funds, can be found HERE
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*Editor's Note- Patriot Ripple Effect has invited The Dakota Leader to speak at an up-coming event at the Capitol regarding ethical journalism. This is not a typical conflict of interest, but it is our policy to disclose and be fully transparent in everything that we do.
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--Breeauna Sagdal- Health and Policy Journalist for The Dakota Leader
The SD Primary elections are June 7, 2022. Please make sure you are registered to vote. Don’t just vote name recognition. Make sure you know who you are voting for.
South Dakota has two incumbents in DC, John Thune and Dusty Johnson. Ask yourself how much you know about their voting records. Do they represent SD constituents’? Did they support President Trump during his Presidency? Did they support a secure border wall? Did they support fair elections? Did they vote to decrease government spending, protect us from government debt and overreach?
Dusty voted against 2nd amendment rights, for national debt increases, against a southern border wall, and ignored evidence of election fraud. He sides with Democrats on key issues. He prides himself on being in a bipartisan group with Democrats controlled by Nancy Pelosi. It has also been said that Dusty supports the South Dakota Strong PAC , Directed by SD Senator Lee Schoenbeck (R-Watertown), who is openly targeting conservative Republicans like Tom Pischke with false information on flyers. South Dakota Republican party seems to be filled with Democrats who run as Republicans in order to get elected. Please research and know who you are really voting for.
John Thune talks the talk but does he walk the walk? As part of the DC elite, he is part of the swamp. Does he stand up for SD values as he whips the vote for Mitch McConnell? He helped approve Biden’s liberal cabinet members. He denies fraud took place in elections. He helped load our children and grandchildren with trillions in debt. Ask yourself if he follows SD values.
Republican voters have choices you may not know about.
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Taffy Howard is running against Dusty Johnson to represent SD in the US House. She is a fiscally conservative SD legislator, Air force veteran, patriot, SDSU graduate, and reflects our core SD values. You will find her voting record in the SD legislature is sound, conservative, and holds government accountable. She is not afraid to speak up and speak out. Her record shows this. Give her a look, and give her your vote.
Bruce Whalen is running against incumbent John Thune for US Senate. While Thune has name recognition Bruce has SD values. Bruce believes under God the People rule. He will fight to secure our individual and state’s rights. He believes all people are created equal, defends our freedom of speech, religion, 2nd amendment, right to life, fair trade, supports law enforcement, first responders, and a parents’ right to choose how their children will be educated. Bruce is a patriot, served in the Army National Guard, has a Bachelor of Science degree, real life experience in business, Tribal procurement and financial management. He knows what it means to be Domestic Dependents of the Federal Government. He recognizes the slippery slope we are on toward becoming domestic dependents. He believes in States Rights and individual’s rights not dependency on Washington DC. Take a look at Bruce, see what he stands for and give him your vote.
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With so much being said about Amendment C and the reason why we have chosen to place it on the South Dakota June Primary Public Election - I wanted to provide my thoughts, opinions, and assessment of the amendment itself, let alone the exact wording within the body of text.
The founding principle of drafting such an amendment, which by the way, would revise the South Dakota Constitution, by adding a 16th Section to Article 11 Revenue and Finance - is grounded in your "sovereign right' to be free from a tyrannical governmental process, by enforcing upon the government, rules as to restrict the power of taxation as it relates to your right to life, liberty, property, pursuit to happiness.
In fact, the S.D Constitution Article 6, Section 1 says it best:
Inherent rights - All men are born equally free and independent, and have certain inherent rights, among which are those of enjoying and defending life and liberty, of acquiring and protecting property and the pursuit of happiness. To secure these rights governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.
In fact, that first Bill of Right adopted by the "people" of South Dakota, is well grounded in American philosophy. It is a central cornerstone in the Declaration of Independence, written more than two-hundred years ago. This occurred as the American Colonies began the quest to fight the British for the independent right to self govern, free and clear from some foreign power.
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."..."That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed"...."That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government"...."laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness." - From the Declaration of Independence
One of the big key principles by the Americans was to hold the ruling class accountable, and to avoid allowing such a ruling class to impose taxes beyond the 'consent of the governed'.
How do we define the terminology - "The Consent of the Governed":
In political philosophy, the phrase consent of the governed refers to the idea that a government's legitimacy and moral right to use state power is justified and lawful only when consented to by the people or society over which that political power is exercised. This theory of consent is historically contrasted to the divine right of kings and had often been invoked against the legitimacy of colonialism. Article 21 of the United Nations' 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that "The will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government".
What this means is that the "Sovereign" has the right to impose rules, laws, and codes on himself, and prior to 1776, that sovereign was the King of England. That all changed when the Americans became their own free country of 'freemen' - for the first time, the people as a whole became the sovereign, and by that, "We The People of South Dakota" meaning the greater majority of citizens making up the State, shall agree by consent to be governed in such manner, that we allow the government to govern all matters of public interest - Public Buildings, Lands, Things, Properties.
We do not necessarily rule by the majority of voters, no. But as we head to the polls to cast a ballot on what laws to adopt, whom to elect to represent us in our districts, we vote to provide a public opinion of what the majority of the people may, or may not want, while at the same time, the very people have the right to provide a second opinion by virtue referring by petition a second vote, or petitioning the courts to request a second opinion on whether or not the law is constitutional or not as it relates to our state constitution.
The goal should be to make it as difficult as can be, on the total nature of adopting new taxes, or to raise current tax and fees, meaning, if the people so choose to create public policy that will directly affect our right to life, liberty, property, pursuit to happiness, then we shall want a rule put in place that makes it very difficult to impose such tax or tax increase to be put into place.
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Back to the Declaration of Independence for a second - remember, we adopted a founding principle that the citizen shall have the "natural right" to come and go freely, to barter and trade his labor in order to create for himself - an income in order to purchase property, to conduct his life providing food, clothing, and all the things that come with surviving on this earth. Nature's law allow you do do all those things, so long as they do not restrict another persons right to do the same, so long as you do not rob, rape, or murder. The three crimes that go against nature itself.
Natural law is a system of law based on a close observation of human nature, and based on values intrinsic to human nature that can be deduced and applied independently of positive law (the enacted laws of a state or society). According to natural law theory, all people have inherent rights, conferred not by act of legislation but by "God, nature, or reason." Natural law theory can also refer to "theories of ethics, theories of politics, theories of civil law, and theories of religious morality.
When placed in this perspective, natural law takes full precedence as it relates to statutory law, which is rules placed on government in order to restrict it to such responsibilities of managing the public buildings, things, lands, properties, and services adopted by the people, in order to manage those public things. We agree to adopt public taxes in order to manage that public cause, while we adopt 'common law codes' in order to regulate our natural rights, protecting you from another, in order to safeguard those natural rights to life, liberty, property, pursuit to happiness.
Now, what why do I feel Amendment C needs to be adopted by the people, cause if we truly want to safeguard our natural right to all those rights given to you by your creator, we then should imply a super majority vote on the voters, to whom are then asked to adopt such legislation which will increase our public spending by more than $10,000,000 a year during the first five years after the measure is adopted.
Any initiated constitutional amendment, initiated measure, constitutional amendment proposed and submitted to the people by the Legislature, or measure referred to the people by the Legislature that imposes or increases taxes or fees, and any initiated constitutional amendment, initiated measure, constitutional amendment proposed and submitted to the people by the Legislature, or measure referred to the people by the Legislature that obligates the state to appropriate funds of ten million dollars or more in any of the first five fiscal years after enactment, to be annually adjusted for inflation as determined by the Legislature, shall become part of the Constitution or statute only if approved by three-fifths of the votes cast thereon. - Amendent C
What it really is saying is this - IF, if the people, either by means of their legislature, or by means of a public vote, hereby wish to impose directly on the people appropriations of $10,000,000 million a year, which will affect the first five years of our governmental process of obligating the "State" (or the people) directly to spend a huge sum of money, which effects the taxes and fees as they relate to the spending plan, we wish to impose onto the voters a 60% supermajority vote in order to safeguard, our protected right to life, liberty, property, pursuit to happiness from being forced to pay a tax we wish not to pay.
Truth is, because the vast majority of the citizens of South Dakota have chosen to elect very conservative minded people to their legislature, whom of course must also obtain a 2/3 majority vote in both chambers to adopt spending bills of the same value, there are some people outside the State of South Dakota who wish to place on public ballots, the so called 'hot topics' which can easily gain support of a simple majority of voters by means of by-passing the legislative process of adopting new laws, appropriate our public taxes, to adopting new age ideals onto the majority of people, all cause they want to manipulate our process of governing our state.
If, this outside faction of people wish to come into our State to force upon, adopt these expensive programs, measures, or enact new taxes and fees to spend money as they want us to do, then we should by all means have the authority as a free people to impose a rule on them, to obtain a large majority of support to prove to us, that a vast majority have have the opinion that the measure may or may not be good for us. Especially where they fail to gain the support of the very people 'we' elect to represent us in our State Capitol.
The City of Sioux Falls has more than enough residents residing in its incorporated territory, that a simple majority of 51% or just 200,000 voters could easily impose such tax increases on the majority of state citizens. We must protect ourselves from such a mob-rule type mentality, if we are to remain a free, independent, and sovereign people, who have the right to life, liberty, property, and the pursuit to happiness.
The overall ECONOMIC WEALTH OF STATES, shall be free from the Federal Government and any foreign lobby. By enforcing our sovereignty as a free state and people, we should not be forced to pay taxes outside our state, or be forced by outside lobbies to pay higher than expected taxes and fees. Preserving such right, so leads to a sense of strong economic prosperity.
The State of South Dakota is in a great place due to the ability of its own citizens to remain free from a tyrannical form of government, and from those who wish to impose their will on us.
We do not have to, nor are we forced to pay federal taxes outside our state borders. We owe no tax but to our state and local governments who provide to us a combination of state and local roads, public utilities, parks, police, fire, rescue, public education, and other public services. It should be a CHOICE on whether to enter into a contract with the Federal Government, or to act in foreign commerce where we pay federal excise taxes, or to use s federal service paying federal duties, or to transact business with foriegn persons outside our state electing to pay federal imposition fees such as tariffs, transaction fees, patents, business license, permits, federal income tax, etc.
Unless we enter into such an arrangement, we claim our American Citizenship of our State, protecting our sovereign right to be free from the powers of the Federal Government, or any such foreign lobby who wish to impose on us unjust appropriations of public taxes.
Always invest in yourself first, your state second, and your city third. That provides us the extreme economic prosperity to pay for the things we choose to support in South Dakota.
You have the ultimate authority over your life, your liberty, your property, your pursuit to happiness, you must protect that with all your heart, and not allow a small faction of people to come between you and your state, as we go about our daily business of governing our public buildings, places, things, and public services.
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Economic wealth is the total value of the resources you have to meet your physical or material needs. Money is the currency of economic wealth. So all of these resources can be inter-converted through money. These resources include the value of your assets (home, car, bank accounts, other material possessions, etc.) and income from your job or other sources. If you have borrowed monetary resources (loans) then you have to subtract those. Total net economic wealth is calculated by totaling the value of your resources and subtracting from that the total of your debts.
Ongoing fulfillment of physical necessities such as food, shelter, clothing, health, etc. These physical necessities arise from biological systems within your brain and body that are responsible for the physical well being and survival of the body. These systems make you seek food when you are hungry, water when you are thirsty, shelter when you are cold or hot and so on. When you feel that these necessities are being met to a comfortable level, then the first main purpose of economic wealth is met.
Providing a sense of security and confidence in your future ability to fulfill the physical necessities. This is the main reason for accumulating wealth. The accumulated wealth allows you to have less anxiety and more confidence, and so improves how you live your life.
My overall assessment of Amendment C, is as such, it will help us ensure to all the population of the State, that we the people shall remain every bit, a part of the governing process of managing our State, and by imposing this rule on the governing process of adopting new appropriation bills, we are in fact restricting the ability of all of us from imposing new and increased tax rates on the citizens of this state. I urge you to vote Yes on Amendment C on June 7, 2022 - by doing so, you will have played a huge part in your own economic means of enjoying your right to all the inherent rights you have as a free, independent, person living in the State of South Dakota. The power to tax, shall not be taken lightly, with it comes a grave danger to our freedoms. If you value your liberty, you must vote in favor of Amendment C.
Steve Duffy is running for South Dakota's House District 32 as a Republican, against Incumbent Becky Drury (R-Rapid City). His wife, Helene Duhamel (R-Rapid City) is a current South Dakota State Senator and long time public broadcaster.
However, the Rapid City businessman was a registered Democrat, running for public office multiple times on the Democratic ticket prior to changing party affiliation this election cycle. Additionally, The Dakota Leader has uncovered sizable donations from Duffy to Democratic party candidate, Hillary Clinton.
Sources have told The Dakota Leader that an effort exists within the South Dakota Republican party to replace currently elected office holders, seen as being problematic to the established status quo.
Tensions reached a boiling point this legislative session, as factions within the party fought over critical policies. Most notably, were the conservative policies proposed by Gov. Kristi Noem, later killed in the Senate by President Pro Tempore, Lee Schoenbeck.
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It now appears that Schoenbeck is leading the charge via his South Dakota Strong PAC, which Duffy’s wife, Sen. Duhamel, recently donated to. Schoenbeck's efforts are also being funded, yet again, by Dana Dykehouse, the CEO of First Premier Bank, owned by billionaire Denny Sanford. BNSF Railroad, owned by Warren Buffett is another notable financial contributor to Schoenbeck's PAC.
Schoenbeck, listed as the Director of the South Dakota Strong PAC, launched a similar mailer attack campaign this week, as he did during the last election. In the last South Dakota election, Schoenbeck partnered with Deb Peters (also of First Premier Bank) to replace six of the legislature's most conservative lawmakers, with Sanford backed candidates, like Sen. Erin Tobin (R-Winner) and Rep. Taylor Rehfeldt (R-Sioux Falls).
Billboards that popped up around Sioux Falls during the impeachment review of Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg, targeted some of the same individuals that are now being attacked by Schoenbeck's latest mailer attacks.
Representatives Tom Pischke (R-Dell Rapids) and Spencer Gosch (R-Mobridge) found mailers had been sent to the voters of their districts this week, falsely claiming they had voted to raise taxes. The mailers were paid for by the same South Dakota Strong PAC, funded by Senator Duhamel, Dana Dykehouse, and Warren Buffett according to campaign filing reports.
The PAC currently shows a balance of $32,000, and will most likely be used to help support Duffy’s campaign for House District 32. Schoenbeck has been very outspoken regarding plans to replace the remaining five to six votes standing in his way.
However, the current Secretary of State, Steve Barnett does not require campaign filers to update their finance reports in real-time.
Voters will find out after primary if Duffy will receive the $2,500 dollars his wife has donated to the South Dakota Strong PAC. What is clear for now, is that the Republican establishment is recruiting Democrats to run for office.
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Help Support Independent Journalism, Donate Today!
--Breeauna Sagdal- Health and Policy Journalist for The Dakota Leader
Last election cycle Schoenbeck teamed up with former Representative Deb Peters and ran attack mailers. He told SDPB that he had spent $15,000 dollars personally to remove six conservative republicans from office, now he's at it again.
Today, constituents of Dell Rapids and Mobridge received mailers from Lee Schoenbeck's South Dakota Strong PAC, telling them to "Drain The Swamp". The Trump era messaging seems to be a deliberate effort to confuse conservative voters on HB 1053.
referred any tax increase to the voters, requiring 60% voter approval rather than the current 50+1 to pass.
reduced the property tax burden by allowing counties to increase a sales tax by half a cent.
would have created a five year “cool-off period” in-between tax increases.
Representative Tom Pischke (R-Dell Rapids) tells The Dakota Leader that the mailers are a false attack, and completely inaccurate. Pischke released the following video to The Dakota Leader and to Social Media,
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"Lee Schoenbeck, the Liberal leader of the Senate, is purposely and falsely misrepresenting my record on taxes because he’s desperate to stay in power."
Political consultant Nick Graff also believes that Sen. Schoenbeck is feeling desperate,
"Lee will do anything to remain in power at this point, and remove barriers to his progressive agenda. Sending postcards to other districts, playing dirty politics, while virtue signaling—it all feels pretty desperate," Graff tells The Dakota Leader.
Colin Paulsen is running against Lee Schoenbeck this election, and told The Dakota Leader, this type of behavior and half truths are exactly why he's decided to primary Schoenbeck.
"I'm not alone in my frustrations with Schoenbeck attacking our most conservative representatives, and using inaccurate information to do so, while he pushes a liberal agenda."
Help Support Independent Journalism, Donate Today!
--Breeauna Sagdal- Health and Policy Journalist for The Dakota Leader
Doug Post Announces Candidacy for District 7 Representative
Doug Post is running for South Dakota House of Representatives in District 7. Returning to Legislature, Post believes his previous experience serving on the Appropriations Committee will allow him to hit the ground running and aid in his effectiveness in the next term. In the past two years he has remained engaged with the state legislature and has helped move Pro-life issues forward as a state board member of SD Right to Life.
Doug and his wife, Ginger, have 5 children ranging from college at SDSU to kindergarten. The family has been blessed to be foster parents, which resulted in them having an opportunity to grow their family through adoption. They continue to farm and Ginger retails quality home raised beef to many in the community.
Being active in two business endeavors, Doug recognizes the strain taxes and regulation put on our small businesses and will work to lessen the burden of both. As a father he is deeply concerned with the direction society is taking in many aspects of education, sports, protection of the unborn and parental rights.
Doug would appreciate your vote in the Republican Primary June 7th
--Doug Post For HD 7
On Tuesday, April 12, 2022 history was made in Pierre. For the first time in South Dakota, the House of Representatives impeached an elected official. The vote to impeach was as close as it could have been, passing the threshold to reach a majority by only one vote.
Impeachment, as we have learned from watching national news is a political event. I wish that were not true in SD, but unfortunately, it is. It is also a serious act, one that neither legislator nor citizen should take lightly. I write today to offer you an inside view from one legislator who voted not to impeach.
In November, The House Select Committee on Investigation was formed to consider whether or not Attorney General Ravnsborg had committed an impeachable offense in the unfortunate death of Joe Boever. The committee makeup was solid, both Republican and Democrat. It consisted of 8 legislators; 4 who are seasoned lawyers, the leader of both political parties (2) and 2 more with extensive experience in law enforcement. The Speaker of the House chaired the committee, but was not a voting member. To a person, these legislators are seasoned, thoughtful individuals of good character. They were chosen because of their knowledge of the Constitution, the law and their reasoned approach to decision making. After days of testimony and untold hours reviewing documents and facts, their conclusion was that “Attorney General Ravnsborg did not commit an impeachable offense”.
In private, to their colleagues on Tuesday, Republican members of the Select Committee indicated they searched carefully for any fact or reason to impeach, but acknowledged they found nothing. That is why all Republicans on the committee, the committee who knew the facts best, voted not to recommend impeachment.
On Tuesday, the vote of the 8 Democrats in the House was expected. They had an opportunity to dish on a top Republican, and took it. Their vote was political. 28 Republicans joined them in voting for impeachment. Why, I don’t know.
Certainly everyone knows where the Governor stands. In spite of the fact that our Constitution clearly holds impeachment as a responsibility only of the legislature, the governor held press conferences, issued statements and constantly called for a resignation and then an impeachment. There were reports of hundreds of robocalls and even billboards directed at, and intended to squeeze the committee members to vote to impeach. While the Governor may not have ordered these attacks, they were not rebuffed either. There was even a tweet from the Governor commending the House for doing “the right thing” as soon as the vote to impeach was final. Why does the Governor feel so strongly about this?
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If you want to be more informed, I hope you will read the report of the House Select Committee. It is 15 pages long and can be found at sdlegislature.gov in a maroon colored box labeled “HOUSE SELECT COMMITTEE ON INVESTIGATION”. At the end of their report is a 4 page ADDENDUM the committee issued that describes the Governor’s interference in detail. I encourage you to read that as well.
An attorney friend of mine, who is not a legislator, read the report and the ADDENDUM and said the information in the ADDENDUM was “very disturbing”. I agree. It is unsettling how the Department of Public Safety (DPS) was influenced by the Governor to inappropriately insert itself, first pushing for harsher action by a state’s attorney and then dogging the House Select Committee. I would describe their actions and those of the Governor as relentless, disruptive, misleading and unethical. Together, the Governor and the DPS were told by a judge, a states attorney and the select committee to stand down, but did not. Unfortunately, it all seems to have worked. I find that chilling. When a Governor controls the state police force (Highway Patrol) down to the level of manipulation for politics, shouldn’t we all be concerned?
Now, the outcome of an impeachment trial rests with the Senate. Lets all pray for truth and a just outcome.
In service to God and you,
John Mills, Representative, District 4 mills4sd@gmail.com OR John.Mills@sdlegislature.gov
As activist groups partner up with the University of Sioux Falls this summer, in order to teach "anti-racism", South Dakota will soon find out if Gov. Kristi Noem's policies are effective.
This re-focus of public education curriculum away from academics, has occurred gradually under the umbrella of anti-discrimination policies, Social Emotional Learning, Comprehensive Sexual Education and now Critical Race Theory.
Concerned parents, across the political spectrum and educators alike have banned together in an effort to draft legislative intervention. These efforts have prompted various state lawmakers to pass child grooming bans, and policies to prevent "divisive content" in public education.
South Dakota's HB 1012, which originally passed the House as a K-12 CRT ban, but quickly dismantled in the Senate, ended up on Gov. Noem's desk as an unenforceable virtue signal, according to critics. After the Senate removed the teeth from HB 1012, Governor Kristi Noem signed Executive Order 2021-011. The E.O has drawn criticism from conservatives, and liberals alike. Some say the order violates Title IX, while others have stated the order is more political theater without teeth.
Starting this summer, South Dakota will find out if Noem's policies are worth the paper they're written on. The South Dakota chapter of the NEA, the SDEA (South Dakota Education Association), is partnering with former Sioux Falls Mayoral candidate, Taneeza Islam, through her group South Dakota Voices For Peace, and Wyoming Safe and Just Schools Cadre, to teach current South Dakota educators how to effectively lobby through "strategic messaging," ahead of next year's legislative session.
Highlighted break-out sessions are eligible for Grad credits or CEU (Continuing Education Units), despite recently passed and signed legislation to the contrary. Highlighted sessions include a documentary film sponsored by the NEA, called "Teacher of The Year". The film depicts 42 year old North Carolina teacher Angie Scioli, attending political rallies, and "activating" her students to become politically involved.
Another highlighted luncheon session is "Title IX: A fresh look at underutilized tools in your belt". The session will be taught by Dirk Andrews (one of the first same sex men to marry his partner in the state of Wyoming), and Jeny Gardner (the first female head football coach in Wyoming). The pair, representing Wyoming Safe and Just Schools Cadre, are also teaching a highlighted break-out session on LGBTQ Rights, with a focus on using title IX as a legal basis for pushing back on state laws.
Title IX states: “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.”
Under executive order 2021-011, Governor Kristi Noem declared that;
"All state Department of Education Officials will refrain from applying for any federal grants in history or civics until after the 2022 South Dakota legislative session."
The SDEA is apparently undeterred, as multiple higher education and continuing education classes are scheduled for the summer of 2022. The goal is to teach the 5,000 South Dakota members of the NEA, how to effectively "message" to their students, and lawmakers about "hate networks in South Dakota", in order to "counter bigotry".
From the event; "Research-Based Strategies & Messaging Training: From this foundation, students will learn from students about their experiences in schools, hate networks in South Dakota and across the country, strategies to effectively counter bigotry and messaging to promote truth-telling and effective media relationships."
According to Psychology Today's
Jim Taylor Ph.D., "Children who lack self-respect simply don't care about themselves or anyone else." Taylor asserts, as many experts do, that the behavior of children starts at home.
Executive Director of Parents’ Rights In Education, Suzanne Gallagher tells The Dakota Leader that if the goal is to actually end racism, bias or bigotry the NEA, and other anti-racism activist groups would create family based classes.
"The issue is not necessarily the idea of ending bias, or bigotry, that's something we all want and can agree with. The issue is that ideology of any kind, doesn't belong in our public education system. Public education is paid for by everyone and must be equitably focused on academics solely. The role of the familial unit is to impart values and morals, religious beliefs, whatever they may be, or not. Children do not belong to the State, and children are not the public educator's responsibility to raise. If activists want to make a lasting impact without politicizing our public education system, they need to shift their focus to strong families rather than the destruction of the nuclear family."
As E.A Bucchianeri famously wrote,
"There are times when wisdom cannot be found in the chambers of parliament or the halls of academia but at the unpretentious setting of the kitchen table."
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Help Support Independent Journalism, Donate Today!
--Breeauna Sagdal- Health and Policy Journalist for The Dakota Leader
South Dakota State Representative Tony Randolph (R-Rapid City), has spoken out against pandemic mandates that did more harm than good to society. During the 2022 legislative session, Randolph co-sponsored a bill to make sure that families could visit elderly relatives in care homes. HCR 6012 fully acknowledges that the physical distancing restrictions placed on nursing home residents created social isolation, which caused depression, anxiety, and distress. The resulting isolation and chaos was especially upsetting for residents with cognitive impairments and other disabilities. HCR 6012 prevents such policies from ever being allowed to happen legally again in South Dakota, and urges South Dakota representatives to work with lawmakers in other states to make allowing visitors to healthcare facilities a broader policy in the US. House bill 1283, which he also sponsored, states that hospitals, nursing facilities, and assisted living facilities must post signage with the legal requirements to allow visitors. Representatives such as Tony Randolph are taking an active approach to preventing the travesties of the last two years from happening again, and they have strong support from voters going into 2022.
Tonchi Weaver is the Executive Director of Citizens For Liberty. The grass-root organization creates legislative scorecards, ranking each member of the South Dakota House and Senate of issues of Liberty, over party. Weaver tells The Dakota Leader,
“I think it’s critically important that traditional conservative Republicans are the voice of our party and not these unusual fringe people,” Schoenbeck told the Argus Leader Friday morning, though he declined to say how much his PAC spent on this round of attack ads and how many incumbent lawmakers are being targeted. “This is an election that’s gonna have a lot to say about it” [Joe Sneve, “The Start of Early Voting in South Dakota Is Marked with Republican In-Fighting,” Sioux Falls Argus Leader, 2022.04.22].
However, the current Secretary of State, Steve Barnett does not require campaign filers to update their finance reports in real-time.
Voters will find out after primary if Duffy will receive the $2,500 dollars his wife has donated to the South Dakota Strong PAC. What is clear for now, is that the Republican establishment is recruiting Democrats to run for office.
Starting this summer, South Dakota will find out if Noem's policies are worth the paper they're written on. The South Dakota chapter of the NEA, the SDEA (South Dakota Education Association), is partnering with former Sioux Falls Mayoral candidate, Taneeza Islam, through her group South Dakota Voices For Peace, and Wyoming Safe and Just Schools Cadre, to teach current South Dakota educators how to effectively lobby through "strategic messaging," ahead of next year's legislative session.
Another highlighted luncheon session is "Title IX: A fresh look at underutilized tools in your belt". The session will be taught by Dirk Andrews (one of the first same sex men to marry his partner in the state of Wyoming), and Jeny Gardner (the first female head football coach in Wyoming). The pair, representing Wyoming Safe and Just Schools Cadre, are also teaching a highlighted break-out session on LGBTQ Rights, with a focus on using title IX as a legal basis for pushing back on state laws.
From the event; "Research-Based Strategies & Messaging Training: From this foundation, students will learn from students about their experiences in schools, hate networks in South Dakota and across the country, strategies to effectively counter bigotry and messaging to promote truth-telling and effective media relationships."
