This past week the budgeting process began to move to center stage. The Governor
proposes a budget each December, but final budgeting authority rests with the
legislature. The Joint Committee on Appropriations (JCA) that I serve on leads that
process.
This past week, the Bureau of Finance and Management, from the executive branch,
and the fiscal staff of the Legislative Research Council, from the legislative branch, each
provided a detailed revenue forecast to the committee. The committee listened,
reviewed the data they provided and asked lots questions. Then a subcommittee met
again, asked further questions and decided what to recommend. For our current fiscal
year, which ends June 30, 2023, the sub-committee recommended and the full
committee adopted a revised revenue target of roughly $2.3 Billion.
Because that revised revenue target exceeds our original budget, and because of other
savings, there is more than $300 Million available for one time spending. These dollars
are limited for use on one-time capital projects. Projects likely to be financed with one-time
money this year include
a new prison for women in Rapid City,
a land purchase and design to replace the prison for men in Sioux Falls,
a major upgrade to the accounting system for state government and
a variety of smaller projects.
We will be able to do many good things because of the surplus.
Using all of the financial data provided, the JCA also set the revenue target for the next
fiscal year (FY’24) at $2.389 Billion, anticipating conservative growth of $3.8 percent above the
previous year. With this revenue target, we have roughly $320 Million available to
increase funding for our on-going needs. The new budget will be able to provide
welcome increases in support for our schools, improve compensation for state
employees, and consider several overdue funding adjustments to ensure that people
are cared for and vital state work continues.
Strong revenues also provide the confidence that a tax cut is possible.
Three tax cut ideas are actively under consideration. For the remaining three weeks of the session, a tax cut will be decided, the budget details will be discussed and debated, and the final pieces of the puzzle will be put in place.
There are many other bills being debated. It is a busy time in Pierre. I hope you are
staying tuned-in.
To share your views with me please use my state email- John.Mills@sdlegislature.gov
“I have read this bill, I don’t suggest that you do,†Brett Koenecke advised lawmakers.
PIERRE, SD- HB 1193 recently passed the House and will be heard in the Senate Energy and Commerce Committee this week, with little understood about the new amendments the bill proposes to the Uniform Commercial Code. In fact, during the committee hearing on HB 1193, lobbyist for the South Dakota Bankers Association, Brett Koenecke, advised lawmakers that he "doesn't suggest," reading the 117 page document. Fortunately, Rep. Scott Odenbach (R-Spearfish) and Rep. Jon Hanson (R-Sioux Falls) did read the bill and have subsequently brought to light some very serious issues.
The bill seeks to bring South Dakota "into code compliance," with the "long anticipated," 2022 amendments to the Uniform Commercial Code, according to prime sponsor Rep. Mike Stevens (R-Yanton).
In order for the proposed amendments to take effect, all 50 states would need to agree to the new terms ahead of the projected July 1, 2025 implementation date.
As outlined in the bill, the amendments and additions to article 12 would completely alter key definitions such as "money," and "electronic," while creating the legal framework for CER (Controllable Electronic Records), and incorporate a Central Bank Digital Currency into today and tomorrow's retail economies. Although the prototypical CER is bitcoin and other cryptocurrency, the new UCC Article 12 has been designed to work for technologies that have yet to be developed, providing rules intended to apply to various (currently known or unknown) intangible digital assets. Which leads us to the new definition of "Electronic" for example.
(16A) "Electronic" means "relating to technology having electrical, digital, magnetic, wireless, optical, electromagnetic, or similar capabilities." Per the commissioners who have authored the amended UCC, this language has been placed to incorporate future unknowns like A.I, bio-security and things we haven't even considered yet.
Likewise, the definition of "money," if passed, may have very broad implications for privacy, surveillance, and control.
(24) "Money" means "a medium of exchange that is currently authorized or adopted by a domestic or foreign government. The term includes a monetary unit of account established by an intergovernmental organization or by agreement between two or more countries. The term does not include an electronic record that is a medium of exchange recorded and transferable in a system that existed and operated for the medium of exchange before the medium of exchange was authorized or adopted by the government."
According to Edwin Smith, the Chair of the ULC (Uniform Law Commission), who currently serves as a U.S. delegate to the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL), the new amendments are needed to incorporate Central Bank Digital Currency, and have been intentionally left broad to account for future and unknown technologies. Under these new definitions things like decentralized crypto currencies could no longer constitute a medium of exchange. As concerning as it may sound to lose money due to government intervention, another more pressing concern exists for the centralization of power under the Bank for International Settlements (the global central bank).
The BIS is the policy creation hub and central bank of all central banks. According to a survey from the Bank for International Settlements, more than 85% of central banks worldwide are researching, piloting, or in advanced stages of development of CBDCs. What's more, the BIS just announced its own CBDC with the successful trial of the global retail stablecoin known as the Aurum project, piloted in Hong Kong.
Similarly, the U.S Central Bank (Federal Reserve) has just launched its own pilot program for FedCoin, a central bank direct currency where the money would be a liability of the Fed. However, it is unclear how CBDC bank accounts would work, given that central banks like the Fed, do not house personal bank accounts. Essentially this means all money would be in digital form, and therefore alleviate the need for third party processors like PayPal e.g.
Emmer warns that "CBDCs that fail to adhere to these three basic principles could enable an entity like the Federal Reserve to mobilize itself into a retail bank, collect personally identifiable information on users, and track their transactions indefinitely,†Emmer said. “Not only would this CBDC model centralize Americans’ financial information, leaving it vulnerable to attack, but it could also be used as a surveillance tool that Americans should never tolerate from their own government.â€
“Requiring users to open up an account at the Fed to access a U.S. CBDC would put the Fed on an insidious path akin to China’s digital authoritarianism,†Emmer said. “It is important to note that the Fed does not, and should not, have the authority to offer retail bank accounts. Regardless, any CBDC implemented by the Fed must be open, permissionless, and private. This means that any digital dollar must be accessible to all, transact on a blockchain that is transparent to all, and maintain the privacy elements of cash.â€
In light of the heated arguments and policy concerns outlined, the Fed has publicly stated it would await authorizing law and language prior to launching a retail coin.
“We would not proceed with [a digital dollar] without support from Congress, and I think that would ideally come in the form of an authorizing law, rather than us trying to interpret our law to enable this,†Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said. However, that hasn't stopped the Fed from launching two pilot programs to test the technology and market viability of digital dollars like "FedNow," which the Fed is calling upon financial institutions, service providers, and software companies to adopt by next spring.
According to ULC Chair Smith, the UCC amendments are specifically required to support emerging technologies known and unknown, and the infrastructure for intangible central bank digital currency. In other words, it would appear that the Federal Reserve has found its authorizing laws and language, assuming that all 50 states agree.
With more questions about privacy, liberty and surveillance than answers, and a new UCC that essentially authorizes a monopolized or centralized digital currency without clear oversight mechanisms, several organizations in South Dakota are sounding the alarm and calling upon Gov. Kristi Noem to intervene. The South Dakota Freedom Caucus first launched a petition last week calling attention to the issue, and the potential for misuse. That petition has since been followed by a press release by Citizens for Liberty, outlining further concerns with the amendments.
Editor's note- a previous version of this article contained a typo in the implementation date (July 01, 2024) and has since been updated to reflect the correct projection date of July 01, 2025.
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RAPID CITY, SD- SD Citizens For Liberty, a statewide grassroots organization based in Rapid City, is announcing NON-CONSENT to the proposed amendments and redefinitions to the Uniform Commercial Code, believed to have been created in less-than good faith, and without full disclosure. HB 1193 is rapidly moving through the South Dakota State Legislature and is expected to have its first reading in the Senate this week, despite concerns raised during committee by Rep. Scott Odenbach (R-Spearfish), and Rep. Jon Hanson (R-Sioux Falls).
At issue are the following amendments to section 12 of the Uniform Commercial Code, which must be agreed to by all 50 states, before it can go into effect on July 1, 2024.
Section 1-24: seeks to redefine “money,†to EXCLUDE; “an electronic record that is a medium of exchange recorded and transferable in a system that existed and operated for the medium of exchange before the medium of exchange was adopted and authorized by the government.â€
Section 57A-1-201 subsection 16(A) seeks to redefine the term “electronic,†to mean; “relating to technology having electrical, digital, magnetic, wireless, optical, electromagnetic, or similar capabilities.â€
Given these new definitions, our understanding if passed, is that this legislation would enter the State of South Dakota into a binding agreement for contract and commerce that centralizes future currency and assets into an electronic system [meaning optical, wireless, magnetic, electromagnetic, or similar capabilities] adopted and authorized by the government. Given the added context of the Federal Reserve Coin, and the Executive Order From President Biden authorizing the use of a Central Bank Digital Currency, we have grave concerns for the potential use or misuse of a digital currency system.
We the people of South Dakota constitute a free and sovereign state, where we must be given full and honest disclosure, and have the right to negotiate or decline the terms of any contract. The terms set forth in the U.C.C creates an agreement for contracting and commerce that all 50 states must agree to prior to becoming uniform.
We hereby register our non-consent, as these terms are neither transparent nor are they agreed to, as we believe they have been negotiated in less than good faith. We urge our elected representatives to recognize and register our non-consent on the floor of the Senate. And, we urge our Governor, Kristi Noem, to take a stand against tacit agreements which have the potential for digital totalitarianism.
Pierre, S.D. (Feb. 16, 2023) – The South Dakota Freedom Caucus launched an online petition today to stop House Bill 1193, which they are claiming helps create a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC), in hopes to draw awareness to an issue they say could be fatal to our economy.
CBDC has been a highly debated topic over the last year, since the U.S. Federal Reserve released its discussions on the matter. The main concern from opponents to the currency comes from a government’s ability to control people’s purchasing, as described by International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Bo Li this last September, when he stated, “programming CBDC, that money can be precisely targeted for what kind of people can own [CBDC] and for what kind of use this money can be utilized, for example for food.â€
“The ability of a free people to determine the means of exchange and which transactions they engage in is what makes them free,†said Vice Chair Representative Tony Randolph, “and without it, you don’t have a free people.â€
The issue over the creation of CBDC in HB 1193 was first raised by District 31 Representative Scott Odenbach during debate over the bill in House Judiciary last Wednesday. Rep. Odenbach pointed to an area in the bill where it establishes“an electronic record that is a medium of exchange recorded and transferable in a system … authorized or adopted by the government.†Even with Rep. Odenbach’s opposition, and three other committee members, HB 1193 passed committee by a vote of 7 to 4 and that following Monday, passed the House by a vote of 49-17.
“We just can’t afford to let something of this magnitude pass unchecked,†said Freedom Caucus Treasurer Representative Tina Mulally, explaining why the Freedom Caucus’s sudden push against the legislation.
The bill is now set to appear before the nine-member Senate Commerce and Energy Committee, chaired by Sen. David Wheeler. With growing opposition, groups like the Freedom Caucus are hoping to round up five votes in that committee to kill the legislation. No date has been set for the hearing of this legislation in the committee.
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�
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--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.
In order for the proposed amendments to take effect, all 50 states would need to agree to the new terms ahead of the projected July 1, 2025 implementation date.
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.
