PIERRE,SD- The South Dakota Medical Association's paid lobbyist Justin Bell shocked observers in a recent committee hearing when he admitted that "vaccines cannot prevent Covid transmission." The paid lobbyist's words echoed those of proponents for HB 1235, who expressed concerns that vaccine mandates ignore science.
The Health and Human Services Committee passed HB 1235 on a slim margin of 7-6 this morning, after some rather unusual debate. The bill to "provide a conscience exemption from a COVID-19 vaccination," now moves to the House floor.
The bill passed by one vote, despite heavy opposition from nine lobbyists, including the father-son-duo, Mitch and Tim Rave. Testimony became lively on both sides of the debate, with one doctor getting cut off due to derogatory remarks.
While those in favor of the bill included prominent doctors and scientists, the opponent testimony came solely from registered lobbyists whose arguments centered primarily upon the idea of social obligations. Most noticeably absent from opponent testimony was any type of scientific study, or clinical based evidence to support the COVID vaccinations.
According to a recently published study by Dr Anthony Fauci, mRNA based herd immunity has largely been debunked and "needs to be re-imagined," as the Covid-19 vaccines have not been found to prevent the transmission of the Sars-Cov-2 virus.
South Dakota State Medical Association's lobbyist Justin Bell, who has also lobbied against early treatment protocols, told committee members that "it's true the vaccines cannot prevent COVID transmission." "Prevent, that's the key word there, prevent," Bell said. "That's true, and that's true with almost every vaccine," Bell said. Bell went on to argue that the point of public health is to decrease statistics, to which he added that the vaccines are "safe and effective."
Deb Fischer-Clemens, a lobbyist for Avera Health, gave an emotional finger-pointing testimony in which she asked committee members to consider a hypothetical question about healthcare staff, prior to the vaccine's availability.
"You know when beds were full, beds were full in this state, what if, what if every healthcare worker was suddenly COVID positive," Fischer asked. "And there wasn't a healthcare worker available to take care of the people in those beds, what would have happened? What would have happened?"
Perhaps most interesting, however, was the testimony given by Doug Abraham, registered lobbyist for the South Dakota Retailer's Association. Abraham argued in favor of mandates, "Basically anyone who wishes to be exempted on the claim of conscience could. There's no way to disprove that here," Abraham said.
According to Mitch Rave, registered lobbyist for Sanford Health, the bill is unnecessary due to the fact that medical and religious exemptions are "widely accepted today." It is currently estimated that Sanford and Avera Health have lost between 6-8,000 staff members combined, as their exemptions were not accepted. A point that now seems moot, as a recent amendment was added to the bill that would exempt many of the largest healthcare facilities in the state.
Rep. Brandei Schaefbauer (R-Aberdeen), who sits on the committee, shared that the bill impacts far more than just the thirteen districts represented by those on the committee. Schaefbauer asked colleagues to send the bill to the House floor in order to allow broader representation of the state.
As Schaefbauer correctly notes, conscience exemptions and the right to exercise them would apply to most South Dakotans. The bill now goes before the House for debate and a floor vote. The bill and the floor vote can be followed at the SDLeg website, or by following Associate Correspondent Matthew Monfore HERE.
PIERRE-In an unprecedented move, the South Dakota State Senate has expelled Sen. Julie Frye-Mueller pending an investigation for allegations unknown. On the morning of Thursday Jan. 26, 2023 Senator Frye-Mueller introduced SB 125, "An Act to prohibit the imposition of additional immunization requirements on children."
According to sources, Senator Frye-Mueller stopped into the LRC (Legislative Research Council) office that morning, in order to make revisions to her bill. Allegedly, a conversation took place at that time where the senator was asked for advice by a female staff member she considered to be a friend. What was stated during this conversation is said to have been germane to the topic of childhood vaccines, a topic that Frye-Mueller is very vocal about.
By that afternoon Senate President Pro-Tem Lee Schoenbeck (R-Watertown) made a motion to suspend the senate's rules and have Frye-Mueller relieved of her legislative authority, vote, and even her email access. Citing a 2006 sexual harassment case, Schoenbeck argued that Frye-Mueller’s comment was considered misconduct, and therefore leadership has the authority to handle the case like an internal HR matter.
In February of 2006, an eighteen-year-old senate page accused Senator Dan Sutton of making unwanted sexual advances towards him at a motel. Sen. Sutton was not removed from his seat, nor was he expelled, as the senate lacked the authority to do so. However, in the case of Sen. Frye-Mueller, she has been removed indefinitely without due process or a formal allegation of wrong-doing.
Per South Dakota Codified Law, a bill must be sponsored by a member of the legislature in order to advance, meaning Sen. Frye-Mueller’s medical freedom bill (SB 125) is also expelled, along with the voice of her entire district.
Given that South Dakota’s media apparatus has been swiftly and entirely bought-out over the last year-and-a-half, it might come as a shock for some to learn that this is only the most recent debacle in a battle that began during the pandemic.
Boiling Frogs
As previously reported by The Dakota Leader, Governor Kristi Noem used taxpayer dollars to fly to various events, including CPAC, where she told cheering crowds that she “listened to her people, trusted them to do the right thing, and kept South Dakota open.â€
During that same time-frame, Health Freedom South Dakota was making headlines for a bill that would have made vaccine mandates illegal. In a state run by “the most conservative governor,†who values personal choice, one might imagine that a bill to prohibit mandates would have sailed through both chambers and now be law. So what happened?
On March 30, 2020, a slim majority of 29 lawmakers, led by Speaker Steve Haugaard, actually kept South Dakota open by killing various bills that would have closed businesses and schools during the pandemic. Over the next three years, these 29 members would be targeted and eliminated from office, one-by-one.
Gov. Noem and Sen. Schoenbeck worked together to create a "hit-list," of lawmakers they wanted removed from office. These actions have sparked a deep fracture and feud within the South Dakota Republican Party. Adding fuel to the feud, frustrated SDGOP members altered the power structure during convention this year—nominating Monae Johnson for Secretary of State and nearly removing Lt. Gov. Larry Rhoden, and A.G Marty Jackley.
Since that time, Sen. Schoenbeck et al, known colloquially as "the boy's club," have made their intentions to eradicate the state of "wack-a-doodles," very clear. Legislation has even been proposed this session to eliminate Precinct Committee People from voting in future conventions.
Sen. Lee Schoenbeck, who helped to fund Frye-Mueller's primary opponents in the last two elections, has made no secret of his hatred and desire to see her gone. Schoenbeck's lack of decorum has ranged from publicly ridiculing advocates of medical freedom on the floor, in social media posts, and in mailers.
In 2020, Schoenbeck and Pat Powers of Dakota War College created a campaign that targeted and attacked the sponsors of Health Freedom South Dakota’s bill that would have made vaccine mandates illegal. The mailers were funded by Dana Dykhouse, the President of First Premier Bank, owned by Billionaire Denny Sanford. Sanford Health, the largest healthcare provider in South Dakota named after Denny Sanford, also donated to these efforts via Pac-N-Heat, and SDAHO (South Dakota Association of Healthcare Organizations). In the end, Frye-Mueller was the only lawmaker to have sponsored that bill and still won her re-election bid.
In an interview with SDBP, Schoenbeck called Frye-Mueller and anyone who believes in medical freedom "crazy." During a town hall meeting, Schoenbeck referred to Frye-Mueller as a "wack-a-doodle," whom, "you wouldn't want taking care of your dog."
During a recent podcast hosted by “boys club†members Jake Schoenbeck (Sen. Schoenbeck’s son), political newcomer Noah Greble, and Pat Powers (Dakota War College), it’s clear that a personal vendetta exists, in addition to a power struggle for the future of the state. Less than three weeks into the 2023 session, over 80 bills deal with public-private partnership agreements for land trusts, banning puberty blockers in minors, abortion, vaccine mandates, housing, infrastructure, eminent domain, stripping away the rights of PCP’s at convention, Medicaid and more.
The Senate Committee on Discipline and Expulsion meets tonight at 5:30pm central time. To learn more about the nine-member committee selected by Schoenbeck, use the search feature in the top right-hand-corner of our website to access our article archives.
Editor's Note: a former version of this article mistakenly shared Noah Greble was an intern for Tim Goodwin.
The Dakota Leader has dedicated the last year to investigating and uncovering these stories. We need your help to continue our efforts
Press Release and Resolution from the South Dakota Federation of Republican Women
Our Founding Fathers created a government of three branches, each checking the other two, each
checked by the other two. The Legislative was tasked with creating law, the Executive with executing law,
the Judicial with interpreting law.
Unfortunately, the lines between branches have become muddled at times. The Supreme Court has
legislated from the bench – going beyond merely interpreting laws to actually creating them.
Consequently, politicos began seeking to control the Court’s makeup and thereby to control the Court
itself.
After three justices were appointed during President Trump’s term, the Democrat Party screamed for an
increase in the Supreme Court’s membership. By appointing a slew of Left-leaning justices, Democrats
intended to dilute conservative votes and force rulings that further a liberal agenda.
On January 17, 2023, protesting such manipulation and gross distortion of our system of government, the
South Dakota Federation of Republican Women’s executive committee passed a unanimous resolution
asking Congress to maintain the size of the Supreme Court at nine justices.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T
A D V E R T I S E M E N T
On January 17, 2023, the South Dakota Federation of Republican Women (SDFRW) Executive
Committee unanimously adopted a resolution supporting a constitutional amendment to keep the
Supreme Court at nine justices.
It reads:
WHEREAS, An independent United States Supreme Court is an essential element of
America's system of checks and balances that protects our Constitutional rights; and,
WHEREAS, The United States Supreme Court has been composed of nine Justices for
more than 150 years; and,
WHEREAS, The United States President and Congress should be prohibited from
undermining the independence of the Supreme Court by changing the number of Justices
on the Court; and,
WHEREAS, The practice of “packing the Court†for political advantage greatly decreases
confidence that the Supreme Court exists as an essential element of America’s system of
checks and balances, which guarantees and protects a citizen’s constitutional rights; and,
WHEREAS, A number of former state attorneys general oppose “packing the court,†and
recent polls have shown that voters support a “Keep Nine Amendment†by more than a
three-to-one margin;
RESOLVED, That the South Dakota Federation of Republican Women joins the National
Federation of Republican Women and the Republican National Committee to urge
Congress to adopt the "Keep Nine Amendment" to the U.S. Constitution that states: "The
Supreme Court of the United States shall be composed of nine Justices;†and,
RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution be sent to South Dakota U.S. Representative
Dusty Johnson to encourage him and his bill co-sponsors in their fight to “Keep Nine,â€
copies of this resolution be sent to South Dakota U.S. Senators John Thune and Mike
Rounds as a show of our support for their efforts to “Keep Nine,†and that a copy of this
resolution be sent to the National Federation of Republican Women to underline their call
to action to “Keep Nineâ€.
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The Elephant in the EV sales room that no one wants to talk about is the limited amount of electricity available to charge EV batteries.
JAN. 19, 2023 - OPINION - By Ronald Stein
One of the best-known quotes was "where’s the beef?" from Clara Peller who was a manicurist
and American character actress who, at the age of 81, starred in the 1984 advertising campaign
for the Wendy's fast food restaurant chain.
Today, the huge dark cloud over EV projected sales, is the availability of electricity to charge
batteries which leads us to the quote for the foreseeable future, Where’s the electricity?
The Elephant in the EV sales room that no one wants to talk about is the limited amount of
electricity available to charge the EV batteries.
Of this huge global fleet, only 12 million were electric vehicles (EV) in 2021. Thus, less than
one percent of the worldwide road vehicle fleet were EVs, and more than 99-percent of the
global fleet was “yet to be replacedâ€.
After over 15 years to large subsidies and increasing regulatory requirements seeking to promote
EVs, less than one percent of the world’s road vehicles are fully electric. Today, even with less
than one percent of the vehicles on the roads being EV’s, there is a limited amount of electricity:
During a California heat wave in September, 2022, Governor Newsom, the same guy that
wants to ban the sale of gasoline cars after 2035, asked owners not to charge their EV
batteries.
The UK is ahead of most of the world, protecting its electrical grid with Smart
Chargers, and setting up Separate Meters for the EV charging users to pay for a new
grid!
1. Smart Chargers:Â As of May 30, 2022, in the UK, new home and workplace
chargers being installed must be “smart†chargersâ€Â connected to the internet and
able to employ pre-sets limiting their ability to function from 8 am to 11 am and 4 pm
to 10 pm. In addition to the nine hours a day of downtime, authorities will be able to
impose a “randomized delay†of 30 minutes on individual chargers in certain areas to
prevent grid spikes at other times.Â
2. Separately Metered: The UK Electric Vehicles (Smart Charge Points) Regulations 2021 came into force on 30th June 2022. All home installed electric
vehicle chargers are required to be separately metered and send information to the
Smart meter data communications network. Potentially this legislation allows the
electricity used for charging EVs to be charged and taxed at a higher rate than
domestic electricity. The technology enacted also enables the rationing of electricity
for EV charging because the government can decide when and if an EV can be
charges, plus it also allows the EV battery to be drained into the grid if required.
As the â€net zero†efforts move forward to reduce emissions at any cost with closures of coal,
natural gas, and nuclear power plants in favor of massive building plans for unreliable wind and
solar facilities utilizing breezes and sunshine for intermittent electricity, the dark cloud Elephant
in the Room may be getting darker in the years ahead.
The intermittency of electricity generated from breezes and sunshine has resulted in the
“nameplate†generating capacity of wind turbines and solar panels being a “farce†capacity to
replace continuous uninterruptible electricity generation from coal, natural gas, and nuclear.
Subsidies for wind and solar power plants are based on “nameplate ratingsâ€, thus they should be
penalized when they cannot deliver what they have been permitted for.
As more EV’s, the other 99 percent of the 1.446 billion global fleet that have “yet to be
replacedâ€, will be attempting to get a charge from electrical grids around the world that are
incapable of meeting growing demands for electricity, the proverbial question will be “where’s
the electricity�
The Dakota Leader is now limited to Tuesdays and Thursdays due to budget shortfalls. If you would like to see more, please donate here.
--By Ronald Stein Pulitzer Prize nominated author, and Policy advisor for The Heartland Institute on Energy
HB 1080 is a bill that would provide legal remedy, and prevent the transition of minors in South Dakota
Jan. 17, 2023 by Breeauna Sagdal
PIERRE, SD- Rep. Bethany Soye (R-Sioux Falls) hosted a joint press conference (video) with Norman Woods of the Family Heritage Alliance in the capitol rotunda this morning to announce the introduction of the "Help Not Harm Act." House bill 1080, if passed, would prevent cross-sex hormones and surgery for minors, in addition to providing legal remedy. Similar to a prior version of the bill introduced in 2020, which was killed by Sanford Health lobbyists and activist groups, the bill would allow individuals to sue for damages after receipt of puberty blockers, hormone replacement, or surgery.
“Healthcare providers in South Dakota are becoming increasingly bold about the experimental
treatments and sterilizing procedures being performed on children in our state. Now is the time to
protect our youth," Rep. Soye said.
The bill announcement follows the highly controversial Gender Identity Summit, hosted over the weekend in Sioux Falls. The event gained the attention of national media, after Nate Hochman broke a story detailing Gov. Kristi Noem's ties to mega-donor Denny Sanford of Sanford Health.
As previously reported by the The Dakota Leader, The 3rd Annual Gender Identity Summit was hosted by The Transformation Project and Sanford Health. The Transformation Project was instrumental in lobbying against the 2020 bill, which has gained the non-profit funding from major Hollywood donors like FOX, LionsGate, NBC, and more.
More than one hundred and fifty people protested the Gender Identity Summit, despite negative temperatures outside. One protestor, who asked to remain anonymous, told TDL that Sanford Health has slowly used the Department of Education as a pipeline for gender ideology and surgery.
“It’s time for us to stop experimenting on kid’s bodies," Norman Woods of the Family Heritage Alliance said.
"We have been perpetuating the dangerous lie that through medical intervention, we can change a person’s sex. This harmful
idea, and the industry profiting from it, are leaving a trail of broken bodies in their wake.â€
According to Global Market Insights, sexual reassignment surgery is valued at $623 million dollars this year, and is expected to net 1.9 billion by 2032.
"We care deeply about children struggling with their identities and want to provide
them with true meaningful help and healing, not permanent bodily harm. That’s why I am introducing
the Help Not Harm Act,†Rep. Soye said.
The Dakota Leader is South Dakota's #1 Source for Conservative News.
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Executive Director of the South Dakota Family Heritage Alliance, Norman Woods, gives an update on the opening and first week of the 2023 legislative session. To follow legislation and conservative efforts in South Dakota, make sure to hit the subscribe button on YouTube (below), or click here.
Are you passionate about protecting family values?
The morning will include a light breakfast, a briefing on legislation that is currently being considered, optional guided tours, and a chance to meet your legislators or watch a committee hearing.
The afternoon will include lunch in the rotunda with legislators and a presentation on how we as Christians can have an impact on public policy in our state!
--Norman Woods is the Executive Director of the SD Family Heritage Alliance
This past June the SD Republican Party held their state convention and precinct people from across the state elected our constitutional officers, Lt. Governor, and Attorney General,- all Republican candidates for the general election in November.
What was so unsettling to the establishment republicans was the fact that conservative republicans (the ones that vote in line with our Republican Party Platform as well as our state and US constitution) dared to vote for real conservative leadership and not just the same old establishment monopoly.
But what do you expect after a dozen conservative candidates were targeted by Gov. Noem and Lee Schoenbeck, President Pro Tem of the Senate just weeks earlier in the primary election. Sen. Schoenbeck is the senator that encouraged the Republican Senate Caucus to cover-up the Drunkfest party of 2020 that involved the top three in senate leadership.
The conservative grassroots had mobilized and had enough votes to take out the sitting Secretary of State, Steve Barnett, replacing him with Monae Johnson, the conservative candidate who had worked in that office for eight years and is bringing some great ideas to improve the office.Â
Steve Haugaard, former Speaker of the House, came within a few percentage points of taking out Lt. Gov. Larry Rhoden, who participated in the 2020 Drunkfest fiasco while functioning in the role of Lt. Governor…on the clock.
Charlie Kirk, with Turning Point USA, recently stated at Americafest 2022 that “the backbone of the Republican Party is the precinct committee personâ€.
We have elections coming up tomorrow in Pierre (Saturday January 14, 2023) to determine who will be the new state chairman and vice-chairman of the state party.
Gov. Noem has allegedly hand picked Sen. John Wiik to be Chairman (a well known boot-licker for the Governor) who also voted NOT to form a committee to immediately investigate Drunkfest 2020, and later conspired to cover it all up. Rep. Mary Fitzgerald is her pick for Vice-chairman, who incidentally was very vocal at the June GOP Convention encouraging suppressing of the vote of the little people and concentrating the power in the hands of the Politburo.
Rep. Fitzgerald also called Rep. Liz May’s county chair and told him that Sen. Wiik was running unopposed, an outright lie. How many others has she lied to?
So, there we have it, quite a cast of characters who desire to completely control the SDGOP!
Ben Franklin once said “a person when given new information can change their mind, a fool never doesâ€. If you are a precinct committee person and have committed to voting for the Wiik/Fitzgerald team, it’s OK to change your mind.
No concessions made, but a “massage†has been sent
Editorial Note- "Massage" is not a typo, but a placeholder for a future conversation on capitol culture and inappropriate behavior. As a publication owned and ran by women, The Dakota Leader is on your side Editor@DakotaLeader.com.
PIERRE, SD- In a move that echoed that of Congressional Republicans, fourteen South Dakota State Representatives withheld their vote for Speaker of the House, Hugh Bartels (R-Watertown), this morning. Meanwhile, three female legislators were noticeably excused from that vote.
The 98th South Dakota legislative session opened Tuesday Jan. 10, 2022, with a vote for house and senate leadership. That vote was an utter embarrassment for Bartels, who somehow supplanted Rep. Jon Hanson, favored for the role. Although the holdout had no impact upon the outcome, it was certainly a statement made by the remaining conservatives in the house that sent a clear message to the republican establishment.
Following that first joint session was the governor's state of the state address where Noem clearly announced a plan for bigger government, along with the expansion of foster care, state regulated day cares, and adoption services. Noem also announced that South Dakota will be creating a committee to review land purchases from foreign entities to prevent the "CCP from buying land near critical infrastructure." Perhaps most perplexing however, is Gov. Noem's plan to increase PTO (Paid Time Off) payments to 100 percent, for up to twelve weeks, while simultaneously reducing the unemployment burden for employers.
Last session, things became tense between the executive and legislative branches after Gov. Noem accepted, then allocated, millions in federal aid dollars without legislative oversight. How the rest of that money is to be spent this session is a primary concern for many conservatives in the state, amid leadership changes.
A growing concern also exists over the consolidation of power from the Watertown, SD area. Watertown is home to Speaker Bartels, Gov. Noem, and former Senate Pro-Tem Lee Schoenbeck. Sen. John Wiik, who will face-off against west-river's former lawmaker Thomas Brunner on Saturday for SDGOP Chair, is also from Watertown. If Wiik wins the vote for SDGOP chair, some say they are worried that the old money, east-river-establishment will become unstoppable. As we have witnessed in Washington, D.C. with the democratic party, the ability to allocate funding is often rewarded with larger donations and re-election.
Watertown is already growing rapidly after receiving large sums of money last session, earmarked for workforce housing and infrastructure. In fact, the Governor's Office of Economic Development confidently announced new construction projects like The Plains, a 216 unit apartment building that began breaking ground before financial disbursements were even released from the treasury. With 216 new units, young professionals and families will ultimately move to the area, just ahead of the next redistricting process.
With money on the table, pork in the water and conservatives effectively hobbled, this legislative session is already off to a rocky start for the "limited government" state.Â
A special thank you to our friend Pat for making this article possible.
--Breeauna Sagdal
ESG- a global social scoring system, is said to have major national security implications
PIERRE, S.D. Dec. 8, 2022 – The South Dakota Freedom Caucus is praising Governor Noem's efforts today, after Noem ordered a full review of state investments.
According to a statement released today, The Freedom Caucus agrees with the governor's risk assessment related to threats the Chinese Communist Party potential poses on national security.
State Representative and Freedom Caucus Treasurer, Tina Mulally (R-Rapid City) said the governor's efforts are commendable.
“Governor Noem’s conscious effort to protect our financial sector is to be commended,†Mulally said. “Good money, to bad people, makes bad policy and we’re encouraged to see good policy being implemented here.â€
In addition, members of the Freedom Caucus have indicated an intent to bring forward legislation during the 2023 session, in order to address "bad actors" within the financial sector and E.S.G. Scores (Environmental Social Governance). Also referred to as "stakeholder capitalism," ESG policies have been created by the World Economic forum, as a social scoring tool to assess risk in lending according to their stated goals for The Great Reset.
According to Justin Haskins, Senior Research Fellow at the Heartland Institute, ESG is an arbitrary set of financial policies that allow for discrimination, inequality and unfair practices in the marketplace. Further concerns have been cited related to the centralized power that ESGs would give to the world's wealthiest corporations to dictate national policy.
Nearly half the states in the U.S. are currently working to create policies that would block the implementation of ESGs for businesses, and social scoring systems like MyLife for citizens.
“It’s great to see the Governor acknowledging the impact of foreign interference and how it can impact our financial markets,†Mulally said. Mulally also noted that the Governor’s recent actions are timely and necessary in light of recent news.
Last month, The Hill published the Op-Ed of Bryan Bashur, the federal affairs manager at Americans for Tax Reform and executive director of the Shareholder Advocacy Forum.
Bashur wrote "environmental, social and governance ratings, coupled with the Biden administration’s subsidization of electric vehicles, are facilitating the misallocation of capital toward firms controlled by the Chinese Communist Party. ESG ratings are encouraging the politicization of retirees’ life savings and bolstering China’s stranglehold on the global energy sector."
According to Mulally, this has been an issue of concern for sometime and she is looking forward to working on policies that will help protect South Dakotans from foreign countries that are currently working to purchase critical food supply resources.
Chair of the Freedom Caucus, Representative Aaron Aylward (R-Sioux Falls) said “the governor is right in framing this as a national security issue, this is economic warfare and we are fighting an enemy within.â€
“There’s more at stake here than most people know,†said Freedom Caucus Vice Chair Representative Tony Randolph “and now is the time to act, before it’s too late to do so.â€
The 2023 South Dakota legislative session begins this January 10th.
The Transformation Project, a Sioux Falls based 501(c)(3) working to educate, support and empower trans youth and their families, was just given a $145,000 grant after being "found and vetted" by the San Fransisco based non-profit, wayOUT. The grant, funded by a Hollywood Gala, came on the heels of HB 1057, which The Transformation Project lobbied against during the 2020 legislation session. While the bill failed to pass, it managed to gain national attention, and according to the Washington Post made South Dakota "the unlikely epicenter of a transgender uprising on the American Great Plains."
The Gala and auction, hosted by Billy Eichner in Los Angeles, CA on Nov. 12, 2022, was made possible through significant Hollywood buy-ins. Items were donated from Legendary Entertainment's Executive Gesumino Rulli, along with FOX, Lionsgate Entertainment, MarVista Studios, NBC Universal and even the Kellie Clarkson Show.
Additional partners included Fiji Water, Amazon, Facebook, In-N-Out Burger, Hasbro Games, and donations from the Travel Industry. Jet Blue, Lyft and various Hoteliers partnered to provide vacation packages for the auction.
According to Alexander Moore, National Marketing Chair of the wayOUT, they specifically look for, and closely vet LGBTQ+ organizations within conservative areas and states to fund-raise for.
In total, a check for $145,000 was presented to The Transformation Project's Founder, Susan Ann Bill.
Ironically, Bill is a registered republican in the State of South Dakota. A former Mary Kay salesperson, Bill began getting politically involved after her ten-year-old wrote her an eight page letter, explaining that he felt trapped in the wrong body.
Similarly, HB 1057 failed to pass due to republican-led opposition, even drawing criticism from Gov. Kristi Noem. Democrats in South Dakota have failed to gain momentum, until recently, but currently do not have the numbers to stop or pass legislation like HB 1057. Clearly republican does not equal conservative in South Dakota, and yet, wayOUT still decided to aim their sights on the "conservative state."
State Sen. Casey Crabtree (R-Madison), recently elected to senate leadership, told talk radio host Bill Zortman that the media needs to pay close attention this session because the abortion debate will be coming up. "South Dakota's voters are not as conservative as the legislature," Crabtree said.
With national attention attracting out-of-state donations, large healthcare lobbies and teachers unions funding progressive lawmakers, and special interest groups currently funding an abortion measure on the ballot, the matter of South Dakota's "conservatism" is apparently up for debate. Meanwhile, the state is on the radar and in the cross-hairs of powerful donors, who want to see change, and are willing to put their money where their mouth is.
“COVID-19 Vaccines- What They Are, How They Work and Possible Causes of Injuriesâ€
WASHINGTON D.C.- U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson leads a round-table discussion, COVID-19 Vaccines: What They Are, How They Work, and Possible Causes of Injuries, to shed light on the current state of knowledge surrounding the vaccine and the path forward. Medical experts and doctors who specialize in COVID-19 vaccine research and treatment join Sen. Johnson at the table.
Deb Fischer-Clemens, a lobbyist for Avera Health, gave an emotional finger-pointing testimony in which she asked committee members to consider a hypothetical question about healthcare staff, prior to the vaccine's availability.
Since that time, Sen. Schoenbeck et al, known colloquially as "the boy's club," have made their intentions to eradicate the state of "wack-a-doodles," very clear. Legislation has even been proposed this session to eliminate Precinct Committee People from voting in future conventions.
In 2020, Schoenbeck and Pat Powers of Dakota War College created a campaign that targeted and attacked the sponsors of Health Freedom South Dakota’s bill that would have made vaccine mandates illegal. The mailers were funded by Dana Dykhouse, the President of First Premier Bank, owned by Billionaire Denny Sanford. Sanford Health, the largest healthcare provider in South Dakota named after Denny Sanford, also donated to these efforts via Pac-N-Heat, and SDAHO (South Dakota Association of Healthcare Organizations). In the end, Frye-Mueller was the only lawmaker to have sponsored that bill and still won her re-election bid.
We have elections coming up tomorrow in Pierre (Saturday January 14, 2023) to determine who will be the new state chairman and vice-chairman of the state party.
Watertown is already growing rapidly after receiving large sums of money last session, earmarked for workforce housing and infrastructure. In fact, the Governor's Office of Economic Development confidently announced new construction projects like The Plains, a 216 unit apartment building that began breaking ground before financial disbursements were even released from the treasury. With 216 new units, young professionals and families will ultimately move to the area, just ahead of the next redistricting process.
Ironically, Bill is a registered republican in the State of South Dakota. A former Mary Kay salesperson, Bill began getting politically involved after her ten-year-old wrote her an eight page letter, explaining that he felt trapped in the wrong body.
