Bluestem Prairie

After swift recovery from spinal surgery, Noem heads out for bright lights, big bucks in AZ & FL

Having friends and family members who have gone through back surgery, I wasn't pleased to read the September headline on the Dakota News Now article, Noem faces limited physical mobility for next several months due to back surgery.

As with the experience of back surgery faced by those in my circle, South Dakota's governor faced a time of healing:

Gov. Kristi Noem announced that she underwent a successful back surgery that is expected to limit her physical activity and travel for the next several months.

Her treating surgeon, Dr. Mohamad Bydon, said, “Governor Noem developed an acute condition impacting her lumbar spine. She underwent successful surgery and is well on her way to a full recovery. The Governor is in excellent health.”

Bydon works out of Rochester, Minnesota, which is where Noem underwent her procedure.

“Surgery was successful, and I am thankful that I am on the road to making a full recovery,” said Noem. “As part of that recovery, I have to abide by certain limitations on my activity in order to allow my back to heal properly. In the short term, this will include amount of standing I can do and the amount of travel that I can partake in around our great state. I am grateful for the doctors’ and nurses’ steady hands – and God’s grace – as I am now back home in Pierre and on the mend.” . . .

More recent headlines suggest a remarkable recovery. At the Rapid City Journal, Siandhara Bonnet placed Noem at the Aviation  Readiness Center on Saturday in South Dakota Army National Guard deploy on new mission. That mission?:

The Journal agreed to release limited information on the deployment due to security concerns and the nature of the mission.

In Noem Evidently Sending Guards to Border to Wage Political War Dakota Free Press noticed Noem shared the Guard members' destination via social media. 

But her travel once again extends beyond Rapid City and the rest of the fair state she governs.

On Tuesday, Keloland's Jacob Newton reported in Noem to campaign for election denier in Arizona:

On October 4, 2022, South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem is expected to be in Scottsdale, AZ, at the offices of Jetset Magazine (a publication which seeks to “define affluence with the best in luxury cars, travel, private jets, yachts, fine dining, fashion, and high-end living) for a campaign event for Arizona Republican gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake.

The event, Coffee with Kristi & Kari, will be held at 9:00 a.m. Guests must RSVP to the event, which is being hosted by Moms For Kari.

Some in South Dakota may be wondering, who is Kari Lake?

Lake, who won her primary with 46.8% of the vote, is perhaps best known for her advocacy of baseless election fraud conspiracy theories. She has called the 2020 presidential election unfair, and claimed that it was stolen; that Biden “lost the election and shouldn’t be in the White House.” She went on to claim that had she been governor at the time, she would not have certified Biden’s win in Arizona.

A Republican-funded audit of the election in Arizona, which took six-months to complete, found that Biden had in fact won the state, and in fact found that he had won by 360 more votes than had officially been reported.

Lake even claimed fraud in her primary race, stating without evidence that she’d overcome 41,000 fraudulent votes to win the race. No evidence of such fraud has been found, nor has Lake offered any. Lake began making the claims of fraud before the official results were in. “If we don’t win, there’s some cheating going on,” she claimed. This was despite polls in late July showing her trailing her Republican primary challenger, albeit in a vary narrow race. . . .

Did Noem survive the trip to Arizona?

Here's a tweet by Lake:

It was an honor taking the stage with Governor Noem at our @momsforkari event this morning!

America needs stronger Governors like @KristiNoem in office. As Governor, South Dakota will always have a strong partner in Arizona pic.twitter.com/8zKyjFErmZ

— Kari Lake (@KariLake) October 4, 2022

Was there a separate fundraiser for Noem while in Arizona?

We don't suppose the Guard members are headed to the Mexican-Arizona border. Last June, Reuters reported in Private donor funds South Dakota's National Guard deployment to U.S.-Mexico border that the Guard was on the Texas border. And the donor:

. . . Willis Johnson, a Tennessee-based Republican donor, made the donation to pay for the troops, Johnson told Politico. Reuters was unable to contact Johnson for comment.

Each state has its own laws about funding National Guard troops, National Guard Bureau spokesperson Wayne Hall said, referring questions to Noem's office.

But it's not just saying good-bye to the Guard or supporting other political candidates that's causing Noem to saddle up again.

Dakota News Now's Austin Goss tweeted on Monday:

Governor Noem is heading to another fundraiser in Florida later this month. pic.twitter.com/tQzppnhr8N

— Austin Goss (@AustinGossSD) October 3, 2022

Will Noem be at the fundraiser in person? At Dakota Free Press, Cory Allen Heidelberger looks at that gig in Palm Beach Car Dealers Host Noem Fundraiser at Glitzy Seaside Mansion October 14:

Part-time Governor, full-time campaigner Kristi Noem’s East Cost itinerary may be back on as well. Austin Goss finds a flyer for an October 14 fundraiser in Palm Beach, Florida, for one of Kristi Noem’s federal PACs .  . . .

Amanda and Charles Schumacher are big-wheel car dealers in Palm Beach. They will host Noem in their luxurious seaside Vita Serena mansion, which they bought through their revocable trust for $10 million and renovated for another $13.5 million. The poster does not clearly state that Noem herself will attend the event, but at $5,000 a head to get in the gate and $25,000 to be called “host”, attendees may rightly expect more than a Zoom call. . . .

Noem’s October 14 Palm Beach fundraiser takes place just a half-mile up South Ocean Boulevard from Donald Trump’s house at Mar-a-Lago.

What's up with the sacrifice and risk of a relapse? We suspect there might be a clue in Bob Mercer's analysis at Keloland, Noem taps national donors to boost SD re-election run:

 A joint fundraising committee that South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem started in 2021 to collect financial contributions from donors during her appearances at the national level has already transferred more than $1.8 million to other political committees she controls, including her re-election campaign.

The governor registered the Noem Victory Fund with the Federal Election Commission on May 17, 2021. Through June 30 of this year, receipts totaled $2,533,667.96, mostly from individual contributions by people living in other states where Noem speaks.

The largest amount of transfers from Noem Victory Fund went to her Kristi For Governor candidate committee at the state level, chaired by former Lieutenant Governor Steve Kirby. According to a KELOLAND News analysis, her re-election account received transfers totaling $1,139,810.86 from Noem Victory Fund.

Noem’s Kristi For Governor account reported $3,038,876.00 of income and $1,912,774.82 of expenses, with an ending balance of $7,762,901.57, for the pre-primary period of January 1 through May 18, 2022. Much of that money has come from individuals outside South Dakota. She defeated Representative Steve Haugaard 91,661 to 28,315 in the June 7 primary.

Her Democrat opponent, state Representative Jamie Smith, reported an income of $137,424.97 and expenses of $27,156.84, with a balance of $110,268.13, for the same period. He didn’t have a primary opponent.

According to Abby Wood, a professor of law, political science, and public policy at the University of Southern California school of law, the U.S. Supreme Court in a 2014 decision struck down aggregate limits on political contributions and opened the way for a joint fundraising committee to legally operate. . . . 

Mercer shares more about other committees where Noem's sharing that out-of-state cash. Go read it.

We're also concerned about the company the governor keeps, and we're not the only one, though we're not sure how cash is getting funneled to one campaign advisor.

At SD Standard, former Rapid City Republican state legislator Stanford Adelstein writes in Kristi Noem just can’t quit former Trump advisor Corey Lewandowski no matter what offensive things he keeps doing:

Disgraced and fired former President Donald Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski was spotted in Rapid City on Wednesday, Sept. 28, alongside Gov. Kristi Noem. They were in town trying to trick voters into believing she actually cares about them by repealing the sales tax on groceries. Convenient.

We’re not stupid, and we all know she is only bringing this up now to get votes in November. She’s never supported this, and all the spin in the world won’t convince us otherwise. Her poll numbers must be in the tank, and she’s desperate. Good.

Who is Lewandowski? He is filth at the highest level. While he’s smirking next to Noem in Rapid City, another news story was making national headlines about him making a deal with prosecutors over charges of misdemeanor battery from 2021.

Lewandowski is a predator who was charged after he made unwanted sexual advances to a woman in Las Vegas in September 2021.  . . .

Yeah, that guy. Perhaps this why we're hearing rumors that internal polling by both Noem and Smith campaigns hint that this race is closer than money can buy.

Related posts

• Positive pants on fire: Noem fibs about policy, keeps Corey Lewandowski at her side in DC
• A tale of two states, two sales taxes: Jensen and Noem share very different campaign promises
• What the hell was that? Governor Kristi Noem butt of Saturday Night Live cold opening schtick
• Jamie Smith will focus on South Dakota and shake hands with your dog while he's at it.

Image: Via Dakota Free Press, “The Kari Lake” campaign FB post, 2022.09.29.

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MNGOP gubernatorial candidate Scott Jensen repeats Draz & Tim Miller's school furry logic

Like a faithful tomcat, it's back, as Scott Jensen repeats the school litter box furries legend beloved of state representatives Steve Drazkowski and Tim Miller.

Minnesota Republican gubernatorial candidate Scott Jensen has embraced one of the silliest culture war memes, Andrew Kaczynski, reports in Minnesota GOP nominee for governor claimed kids are using litter boxes in schools – it’s an internet hoax:

The Republican candidate for governor of Minnesota repeated last week a bizarre hoax claim which has been debunked that children are being told they can identify as anthropomorphic cats and are being allowed to use litter boxes to urinate in schools.

Scott Jensen, the Republican candidate and a former state lawmaker, made the comments while speaking to supporters, according to a video of the event posted on Facebook.

“But what about education?” Jensen said. “What are we doing to our kids? Why are we telling elementary kids that they get to choose their gender this week? Why do we have litter boxes in some of the school districts so kids can pee in them, because they identify as a furry? We’ve lost our minds. We’ve lost our minds.”

Furries are a subculture that sometimes involves people dressing up as anthropomorphic animal characters and attending conventions.

The unfounded internet rumor has been repeatedly denied by various school officials who have had to continuously dispute the false claims. Republican officials across the country have continued to cite it, most recently in Colorado by the Republican nominee for governor.

The claim reportedly originated from a community member at a local school board meeting last year and has since spread across the internet. They have been repeatedly shot down by fact-checkers from major news outlets as false. The bizarre conspiracy has spread so much that it even has its own dedicated Wikipedia page.

Jensen did not respond to CNN’s request for comment. . . .

Kaczynski tweeted a video clip that includes Jensen's remarks:

At an event last week, the GOP candidate for governor of Minnesota there are, "litter boxes in some of the school districts so kids can pee in them, because they identify as a furry..."

It's a persistent and bizarre Internet hoax.https://t.co/CJfOoh8Gux pic.twitter.com/VCreOvjhh9

— andrew kaczynski (@KFILE) October 3, 2022

It's only been a few weeks since Radio Willmar reported School officials getting calls about "Litter Box Challenge.

We wondered in Did Tim Miller's House floor remarks on litter boxes for school kids inspire BOLD prank?:

Reading around Greater Minnesota media this afternoon, I came across JP Cola's report School officials getting calls about "Litter Box Challenge" at Willmar Radio. . .

Now where have I heard this before? 

Oh yes: on the floor of the Minnesota House last April. And one of the people asserting this "silly notion"? Retiring state representative Tim Miller, R-Prinsburg, who serves most of Renville County, home to many of the community residents who send their kids to the Bird Island-Olivia-Lake Lillian School District. 

Bluestem reported last April 28  MNHouse Republicans falsely claim schools are providing litter boxes for kids identifying as cats.

Go read Minnesota Reformer's late April news brief by Rilyn Eischens who captured the moment in a news brief Republicans falsely claim schools are providing litter boxes for students identifying as cats.

Related posts

• MNHouse Republicans falsely claim schools are providing litter boxes for kids identifying as cats
• Did Tim Miller's House floor remarks on litter boxes for school kids inspire BOLD prank?

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A tale of two states, two sales taxes: Jensen and Noem share very different campaign promises

Not for the first time have I experienced a sense of Republican cognitive dissonance as I write about Minnesota and South Dakota politics.

Take campaign pitches about sales taxes by Republican gubernatorial candidates in the North Star and Rushmore States.

Buried in Jessie Van Berkel's  excellent profile for the Star Tribune, Scott Jensen runs on ‘core convictions’ in turbulent bid for Minnesota governor, there's this:

.  . .  And, over eight years, he'd eliminate the state income tax.

That tax generates about $15 billion a year for state government, about half of the state's annual general fund revenue. After Jensen spoke in Hibbing, Markus Hoche, a state IT specialist, asked him something Hoche's colleagues worry about: Would they have a job?

"You're going to get a raise. You're going to have a job," Jensen said.

Minnesota can do both by using the state's surplus, freezing state hiring, cutting "waste, fraud and abuse" in government and creating a "sizzling" economy, Jensen said. And he said he would look into adding sales tax for some food or clothing [emphasis added].

Jensen's tax proposal "would do real damage to Minnesotans' quality of life," said Nan Madden, director of the nonpartisan Minnesota Budget Project. She added, "He hasn't done the work to identify and be honest with people about where he'd cut."

Cross the border into sunny South Dakota, where Governor Kristi Noem suddenly sprang the oppose pitch last week.

On Friday at the Sioux Falls Argus Leader, Annie Todd reported in "A desperate poltical stunt': Lawmakers slam Noem's proposed grocery tax cut:

Lawmakers across the aisle are slamming Gov. Kristi Noem's proposed cut on the state's sales tax of food items, saying there had been broad support months ago to provide relief to South Dakotan families hit by the tax at the supermarket during a rise in prices with ongoing inflation.

"My first reaction is that this is a desperate political stunt on the part of a political campaign who sees it's about ready to lose what many thought was a slam dunk race," Sen. Reynold Nesiba (D-Sioux Falls) said.

Nesiba had authored legislation in January to repeal the sales tax on food and has been a consistent advocate for the tax cut. That legislation did not pass.

Noem's Wednesday announcement at Dakota Butcher in Rapid City comes less than six weeks before South Dakotans head to the polls to vote for a number of races, including whether Noem should return for a second term. Noem faces Democratic challenger Jamie Smith, who has served six years in the state House of Representatives.

Smith has supported the repeal of the sales tax on food for the entire time he's been in the legislature, he said over the phone Wednesday.

"We were able to work in the house in a bipartisan fashion to get this passed, but it was killed promptly upon its receipt in the Senate," Smith said. "Our governor has not supported this nor did she support tax cuts in general throughout the last session.

"I think our governor's afraid of losing an election, and she's going to do anything she can to ensure that election," Smith added. . . .

Read both articles at the Star Tribune and the Argus Leader.

As I noted in SD lawmakers (like Dem gubernatorial contender Smith) tried cutting grocery sales tax before, I'd welcome the elimination of the food sales tax. In the local shopper, a grocery store in Ortonville advertises the lack of sales tax on food over in Minnesota. 

But there's no reason to vote for Noem because of this campaign pitch, when unlike the sitting governor, Smith has long supported the repeal of the sales tax on food.

We're not sure what our Minnesota friends will think of taxes on food and clothing, but they are now surprised to learn we pay them. 

Whatevre the case: what is Republican tax policy?

Related posts

• SD lawmakers (like Dem gubernatorial contender Smith) tried cutting grocery sales tax before
• What the hell was that? Governor Kristi Noem butt of Saturday Night Live cold opening schtick
• Was the family wedding cancelled? After bailing on Alexandria anti-vaxxfest, Jensen attended Gophers' homecoming
• South Dakota man wants his image taken out of Governor Noem's latest divisive attack ad
• Jamie Smith will focus on South Dakota and shake hands with your dog while he's at it
•  SD Dem gubernatorial candidate Smith picks Eden lawmaker Jennifer Keintz as running mate
• While South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem looks for a job, Minnesota unemployment rate drops
• Fake state economy news: Noem for Governor digital ad marketed in Iowa, NH, & SC:
• Pants on fire at CPAC: Governor Kristi Noem claims "We kept kids in the classroom
• South Dakota ethics: Will lawmakers resolve Governor Noem's closed-door meeting with daughter violated public trust?
• SD Gov Noem blames Soros' money for pipeline protests; cuts tribes out of anti-protest bills talk 

Photo: Noem's announcement was made during a stop shown above in an image from South Dakota Public Broadcasting. Via The South Dakota Standard. Funny how she was against cutting or eliminating sales taxes on food until her second term--when she could have worked with the legislature to cut these taxes before.

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What the hell was that? Governor Kristi Noem butt of Saturday Night Live cold opening schtick

Last night, Saturday Night Live included a parody of Governor Kristi Noem. At Raw Story, Bob Brigham reports in Jon Hamm returns to SNL as show imagines Trump at Mar-a-Lago during Hurricane Ian:

The opening skit featured Peyton Manning and brother Eli Manning analyzing the show's "cold open" as if it were a football game.

After an appearance by Kristi Noem discussing abortion, Eli Manning asked, "What the hell was that."

"The governor of South Dakota, a political cast impression that no one asked for," Peyton Manning said. "What about a fun impression like Anthony Fauci or Lindsey Graham or Rudy Giuliani?" . . .

Here's the sketch on SNL's YouTube channel:

Noem's Democratic opponent Jamie Smith tweeted an important observation:

Accurate.

I’d laugh if it weren’t so deadly serious. pic.twitter.com/zp2jX07qaD

— Jamie Smith for SD Governor (@RepJamieSmith) October 2, 2022

it's not the first time Noem and other South Dakota politicians have been the subject of SBL sketch comedy--or the hosts of the show. 

At South Dakota Standard, Tom Lawrence commented in South Dakota And Its Anti-Meth Campaign? SNL Is On It:

 . ..I wonder if Sen. John Thune or Gov. Kristi Noem, both known for their Hollywood good looks, are ready for their moment in the "Saturday Night Live" spotlight?

Maybe Gov. Noem will end up like another female Republican governor, Sarah Palin, and the meth gag could become a running joke on “Saturday Night Live.”

But I think it’s about run its course, although it may well resurface in the 2022 gubernatorial campaign, and that wouldn’t be a laughing matter for Noem.

We're sure she'll be able to find some way to blame the latest sketch on Joe Biden.

Photo: Our provider continues to experience technical difficulties. We'll add a still of Heidi Gardner as Kristi Noem when things are fixed.

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Was the family wedding cancelled? After bailing on Alexandria anti-vaxxfest, Jensen attended Gophers' homecoming

Back in August, Bluestem had first reported Scott Jensen to speak--again--at "vaccine awareness" Global Health Freedom Summit.

But as Bring Me The News first reported around September 3, and we noted, Scott Jensen claimed to be skipping today's annual anti-vaxx event in sunny Alexandria in order to attend a family wedding.

Apparently, the wedding's not on, since Jensen notes on Facebook today that he's at the Gophers' Homecoming.

At least that's better than the anti-vaxx group.

We can't beat this friend's tweet for wit:

MNGOP gubernatorial challenger Scott Jensen was booked to speak at a major anti-vax event today. Probably realizing how controversial that could be, he backed out, citing a family wedding. Today he posted photos from Gopher homecoming. Can this man keep even one story straight? pic.twitter.com/gZ7JbUCpUr

— hodel in the streets, chava in the sheets (@mrotzie) October 1, 2022

Related posts:

• Scott Jensen to speak--again--at "vaccine awareness" Global Health Freedom Summit
• Minnesota anti-mandate effort promotes national anti-vaxxer at September 26 state capitol rally
• The headlines keep coming for MN vaccine skeptic gubernatorial candidate Scott Jensen
• Small town MN freedom fighting restaurateur's anti-vaxx pals make us pause about her savvy
• Minnesota, kiss your herd immunity good-bye: Senator Scott Jensen cuddles up to anti-vaxxers

If you appreciate Bluestem Prairie, you can mail contributions (payable to Sally Jo Sorensen, 600 Maple Street, Summit SD 57266) or use the paypal button in the upper right hand corner of this post.

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South Dakota man wants his image taken out of Governor Noem's latest divisive attack ad

We saw the latest Kristi Noem black-with-red-lettering attack television ad earlier this week on Keloland's morning news and just laughed outloud. So melodramatic. We could only imagine what the guys at the bar might have to say.

But Vaney Hariri, Sioux Falls entrepreneur and co-founder of Think 3D Solutions whose image is used to attack Democratic candidate Jamie Smith, isn't laughing, Keloland's Eric Mayer reports in Sioux Falls man requests his image be removed from Noem’s latest attack ad.

Here's the Facebook post that spurred Mayer's coverage:

Hariri's full statement on the Facebook post :

I feel comfortable saying this because I genuinely believe that most of you know my heart for the work I put into this community. I have never had a substantive conversation with the governor, though. One would think we would have crossed paths, given our work. I say that because I don't want to give off the impression that I know her as a person because I don't. I have to go off what I see; almost everything is harmful speech, negative tone, negative leadership style, negative policy positions, and negative campaign style. Below is an ad for the governor that was just released, and it contains an image of me standing next to Jamie at a rally that took place post the death of George Floyd. If anyone attended this event (not to be conflated with what happened at the mall later that night), you would understand why it was one of the most beautiful things I've laid my eyes on. People came together from all backgrounds, saying we would not accept these things in our community. We're not going to take the mistrust. We're not going to buy the division.

 

Thousands of people were there peacefully, along with police officers, to keep us safe. Police officers that we are in league with and that we work with to help better our community. Jamie Smith was standing with people like me who have often felt like no one heard their voice or was there for them. He was there standing next to me, and the idea that somebody who wanted to represent me was standing next to me, willing to participate to show that they cared about me and loved me along with everyone else. The idea someone would take that image and make it harmful. That someone would take that image to diminish it and intentionally take that image and misrepresent what that moment was about saddened me and disappointed me. This post is not about Our governor. What this is about is the type of country we want, the kind of state we want, and the type of leaders we want, and I don't want leaders that engage in this kind of toxicity. I've requested that they remove my image from this ad. Honestly, I don't know if they will, but I have to say it's as clear as I can. We have to say no to this.

 

You can disagree. You cannot like someone's policies, but I don't want to be at odds with my neighbors. I don't want to make everyone who doesn't agree with me an enemy, and I don't want a leader that wants to do that, either. The sad part about it is I know that the governor might not have even seen this ad yet. She's likely using a firm that isn't even in the state. The most challenging part is that someone who probably isn't even from this state may have paid to take one of its children, take one of its citizens and try to vilify them in an attempt to vilify another citizen of the state. Whatever you feel about the governor, whatever you feel about Jamie Smith. I think we can all agree. We don't want any more of this. Stop accepting it. Then maybe we can stop expecting it.

 

I'm not staying for the comments because more work is needed, and I prefer to spend my time doing that.

In Sioux Falls man requests his image be removed from Noem’s latest attack ad, Mayer reports:

In Noem’s “Extreme Jamie Smith: Endangering Families” ad against Smith, the Sioux Falls lawmaker and Democratic candidate for governor, Smith’s photo with Hariri is used with the text “Jamie Smith. Marching with Black Lives Matter.” . . . 

The voice on the ad says “While crime’s skyrocketing, Smith’s marching with BLM and backing Biden’s open border agenda.”    

Hariri told KELOLAND News he reached out to the Noem campaign at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday. Hariri said he contacted Chris Hupke, Noem’s deputy campaign manager, and Hupke told him he’d get back to him. More than three days later, Hariri said he hasn’t heard back.  

KELOLAND News reached out to the Noem campaign to confirm if they received Hariri’s request and if the photo will be removed from the ad. Any response from Gov. Noem’s campaign will be added to this story.  

Hariri said his post is not about Noem and is about “the type of country we want, the kind of state we want, and the type of leaders we want.  . . .

Mayer noted Smith's reply on twitter:

In running for governor, I knew lies and mischaracterizations about me were coming.

But no constituent deserves this treatment. Governors must respect the people they work for. https://t.co/SyuFiNd7xT

— Jamie Smith for SD Governor (@RepJamieSmith) September 30, 2022

We agree with Hariri and Smith.

Related posts

• SD lawmakers (like Dem gubernatorial contender Smith) tried cutting grocery sales tax before
• Jamie Smith will focus on South Dakota and shake hands with your dog while he's at it
•  SD Dem gubernatorial candidate Smith picks Eden lawmaker Jennifer Keintz as running mate
• While South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem looks for a job, Minnesota unemployment rate drops
• Fake state economy news: Noem for Governor digital ad marketed in Iowa, NH, & SC:
•  Pants on fire at CPAC: Governor Kristi Noem claims "We kept kids in the classroom
• South Dakota ethics: Will lawmakers resolve Governor Noem's closed-door meeting with daughter violated public trust?
• SD Gov Noem blames Soros' money for pipeline protests; cuts tribes out of anti-protest bills talk 

Still: In a Smith ad, a couple of guys critique an earlier Noem ad.

If you appreciate Bluestem Prairie, you can mail contributions (payable to Sally Jo Sorensen, 600 Maple Street, Summit SD 57266) or use the paypal button in the upper right hand corner of this post.

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"Not done yet" in MN9: Fergus Falls Journal covers Nathan Miller write-in candidacy

Bluestem's been following Nathan Miller's write-in campaign for Minnesota Senate District 9 for the last two weeks, from our September 13 entry, After losing primary, has Miller launched write-in campaign, attacking "establishment GOP"? through Pelican Rapids Press examines challenges facing Nathan Miller's write-in campaign for MN9 seat.

Now the Fergus Fall Journal has posted a lively article, Not done yet: Senate District 9 candidate becomes write-in. Bluestem's favorite passage in the James Allen report:

. . . Miller said he is adamant that he only wants to represent the people and not the Republican party.

“He’s (Rasmusson) out there touting now or has been, that (Sen.) Bill Ingebrigtsen said I would fit in really well down there you know. Jeff Backer, Bud Nornes, all these other people that claim he’s (Rasmusson) a conservative or a Republican or whatever he is. Those people, although we might be coming from the same party, we may be coming from different wings of it and I know those people fall in line down there and that is not my intention with the party. My intention is to always be speaking about truth, transparency and integrity, as well as standing up for our constitutional freedoms. That doesn’t go well with party politics,” said Miller.

Miller discussed how a supporter in Stillwater, on a previous weekend, at a campaign event for a person running for senate down there told the Miller supporter that they didn’t want that Miller guy down there.

“They don’t like the cowboy hat, they don’t like the shirt, they don’t like the gun, they don’t like any of that stuff. That’s too much. No, no. It’s literally coming down to appearances and what it is that I look like or dare I contend to take on the party bosses or the powers that be,” said Miller. . . .

Read the entire article at the Journal. Bluestem recommends subscribing to newspapers to support on-the-ground coverage of local and regional communities.

Related posts

• MN9: Yep, Miller is running a write-in campaign, area conservatives organize against Rasmusson
• After losing primary, has Miller launched write-in campaign, attacking "establishment GOP"?
• Will Westrom family support for Rasmusson primary challenger ruffle MNSenate GOP unity?
• Rocks and Cows' Facebook post author Carol Hexum walks back anti-LGBTQ rally frame
•  Fergus Falls Pride: GOP Senate primary challenger Miller schedules anti-LGBQT event
• Will 2020 redistricting plan boundary adjustment get snuck in to let Westrom live in lake house? 

Screenshot:  That hat! That shirt! That pistol! Oh my, say some Republicans, Miller told the Journal. From the Miller for 9A Facebook page.

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SD lawmakers (like Dem gubernatorial contender Smith) tried cutting grocery sales tax before

Is Governor Kristi Noem facing defeat at polls in November? A pitch this week for ending the South Dakota sales tax on groceries suggests she's picking up an idea her Democratic opponent supported in the last session.

At Dakota Free Press, Cory Allen Heidelberger asks the question in Democrats Persuade Noem to Promise Food Tax Repeal—Smith Winning?.

In the Dakota Standard, John Tsitrian writes in Democrats Persuade Noem to Promise Food Tax Repeal—Smith Winning?:

Yesterday in Rapid City Gov. Kristi Noem said she’ll work to repeal South Dakota’s sales tax on groceries.  Has she suddenly seen the light on this long-standing pillar of unfair taxation, which lays a disproportionally heavier burden on people in lower income brackets than it does on those with more money to spend? 

I doubt it.  Based on her long-standing opposition to sales tax reductions, this is a political epiphany, not a personal one. Most likely, it’s a reaction to what must be looking like a serious challenge from her opponent, Democrat Jamie Smith, as November draws near.  

Up to now, Noem has been opposed to reductions in state sales taxes, so this hypocritical flip-flop is a concession to the realities of campaign politics.

Just last February, when South Dakota’s House of Representatives passed a reduction - not a repeal, mind you, just a slight half-point reduction spread out over two years - in state sales taxes, Noem quickly threw cold water on the idea, saying, “we’ve done a fantastic job growing and benefiting the families and businesses here in our state right now. But we also have some challenges ahead.” 

The proposed change failed to clear the Senate. . . .

Reporting for the Argus Leader, Annie Todd has this in What you need to know about Gov. Kristi Noem's proposed sales tax cut on groceries:

Gov. Kristi Noem announced Wednesday she's proposing a permanent tax cut on the sales tax for groceries.

Noem said if reelected governor in November, this would be a major policy proposal during her budget address in December.

South Dakota is one of only three states that continues to apply the full sales tax rate on citizens at the grocery store on food purchases. But this isn't the first time the tax on food has been in the spotlight for the state. During the 2022 legislative session, lawmakers proposed two bills targeted toward cutting taxes, and one of those bills specifically targeted the grocery tax. . . .

South Dakota lawmakers have tried cutting grocery sales tax before

South Dakotan lawmakers across both parties have sought to do something about the regressive sales tax on groceries for years.

It's considered a regressive tax because low-income families and individuals tend to pay a higher share of their income in taxes, according to the South Dakota Budget and Policy Project.

While South Dakota, Mississippi and Alabama to apply the full sales tax rate to groceries, there are 13 states that tax groceries at various rates.

Most recently, during the 2022 legislative session, Sen. Reynold Nesiba (D-Sioux Falls) introduced legislation that would eliminate the sales tax on food, something he's been working on for the past decade. Ultimately, the bill was voted down. .  . .

Noem has to be reelected in November for her tax cut proposal to make it into her budget address. She faces Democratic state Rep. Jamie Smith, who was part of a group of lawmakers in the winter who supported the elimination of the sales tax on food.

Lawmakers in Pierre then have to write the language for the tax cuts and vote on it.

The election is Nov. 8. Smith has called Noem's move politically motivated.

"I think our governor's afraid of losing an election and she's going to do anything she can to ensure that election, and one of the things was going back on something she hasn't supported in the past," Smith said over the phone Wednesday.

Hard to argue with that. I'd welcome the elimination of the food sales tax. In the local shopper, a grocery store in Ortonville advertises the lack of sales tax on food over in Minnesota.

Photo: Noem's announcement was made during a stop shown above in an image from South Dakota Public Broadcasting. Via The South Dakota Standard.

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Not just abortion. Climate change and Legacy Amendment denial in 2022 MNGOP platform

We've been posting about abortion position policy on the part of Republican candidates in Minnesota in such recent posts as Doe V. Gomez' is a sudden MNGOP splendid "shift in tone from the party on abortion" and Action 4 Liberty, Brodkorb publish "confidential" MNGOP state chair abortion email to candidates.

A commenter noted on the first post:

That Minnesota Republican Party email tells at least three different lies that I could find.

1 - In the email, the Minnesota Republican Party tells their people to say that the MN GOP position is that abortion rights are not on the ballot this year. That is a lie. Here is their actual position on abortion, as outlined in their official Minnesota Republican Party Platform adopted in May of this year: that life and full personhood run "from conception to natural death" and to that end they support passing laws, constitutional amendments (state and Federal) or ballot measures banning abortion.

2 - This leads to the next lie: that Doe v. Gomez is "settled" and thus can't be unsettled. Again, their current platform tells us they intend to overturn Roe v. Gomez and by any means they can think of.

3 - They lie about abortion in Minnesota being legal "up to the moment of birth." Abortion in Minnesota is legal after viability only to preserve the mother's life or health.

https://www.findlaw.com/state/minnesota-law/minnesota-abortion-laws.html

But abortion policy isn't the only stone to be found among the acres of diamonds that is the 2022 Republican Party of Minnesota Platform. 

There's this paean to climate emergency denial:

Section 8 – Enjoy and Protect our Natural Resources

. . . We believe that economic development of natural resources can be balanced with environmental stewardship and
should not be obstructed by radical environmentalist concerns. We oppose policies and mandates based on the
Theory of Man-Made Global Warming, as well as any energy policies arising from it [emphasis added].  Therefore, we support:
• Repeal of Minnesota’s Next Generation Energy Act of 2007.
• Research and development of alternative forms of energy by private initiatives.
• The building of clean coal-fired and nuclear power plants.
• Requiring the federal government to meet its obligation to store or recycle nuclear waste.
• A free market for all energy, and oppose government mandates, subsidies or monopolies.
• Repeal of the “Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment."
• Oil pipelines over rail transport as a matter of public safety.

That's certainly interesting on a day in which Hurricane Ian makes landfall in Florida, and our feed is awash with headlines like Hurricane Ian intensifies into a monster with climate markings and Why tackling climate change means a stronger economy — according to Janet Yellen.

And never mind that Minnesota’s Next Generation Energy Act of 2007 was a broadly bipartisan measure passed during the last Republican administration, as Andrew Twite noted for MinnPost in 2018:

In our current political climate, it’s easy to forget that clean energy used to be widely bipartisan. Passed in 2007 with near universal legislative support and signed into law by Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty, the Next Generation Energy Act was a landmark piece of legislation that aimed to spur renewable energy and save utility customers money through energy efficiency and conservation – all with the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions in Minnesota 80 percent by 2050.

And the “Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment"? Those dirty hippies at the Minnesota Department of Agriculture note in A 25-year Commitment to Clean Water in Minnesota:

On November 4^th 2008, Minnesota voters approved the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment to the state constitution. This amendment passed with 56% of the vote.

The Amendment increases the sales and use tax rate by three-eighths of one percent, starting July 1, 2009 and continuing through 2034. Amendment dollars are dedicated to four separate funds:

• Outdoor Heritage Fund
• Parks and Trails Fund
• Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund
• Clean Water Fund

Oh the horror of the will of the people.

Perhaps the  climate action-denying platform's where Ryan Wilson got the notion to deep six ESG in his race for state auditor.

The "acronym for Environment, Social and Governance describes a move to consider issues such as climate change, social justice and equity as state and local governments decide where to invest funds such as those that support employee pensions," MinnPost's Peter Callaghan wrote last week in Wait? There’s a ‘real issue’ in the state auditor’s race?.

Callaghan reports:

Many of the campaign issues in Minnesota are issues in races across the country as well, put there by partisan strategists who see them as potent for bringing the right voters to the polls.

Similar talking points on public safety, abortion, inflation and school curricula can be seen and heard in congressional and state campaigns in every state, Minnesota included. And now some national Republicans are trying to add ESG to the list – or, as they call it, “woke investing.”

First, what is ESG? The acronym for Environment, Social and Governance describes a move to consider issues such as climate change, social justice and equity as state and local governments decide where to invest funds such as those that support employee pensions. 

Supporters of ESG say it makes financial sense to begin avoiding businesses with financial models that may well be unsustainable, leading to reduced value in the future. . . . 

Opponents, including high-profile Republicans like Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, have attempted to cite it as the political left using public funds to further political goals. So far, the issue has emerged in only one statewide Minnesota race. As one of four members of the State Board of Investment, the state auditor helps set policy for how the $130 billion in state funds are invested.

“I will not play politics with our pensions,” GOP nominee Ryan Wilson said during the only debate so far with the incumbent DFL Auditor Julie Blaha. “We must put return on investment first.”

Unlike the way some Republicans are stepping gingerly around the issue of abortion and some Democrats are trying to finesee the issues around public safety, Blaha is running toward this political fire rather than away from it. She said considering ESG factors is the trend in retirement fund investing, not just by public systems but by private investors.

“Even if you don’t care about the environment at all, you need to think about climate change in investments,” she said during the WCCO radio debate. “There are significant risks and there are significant opportunities in how climate is changing and how we’re transitioning energy.”

Blaha blamed “MAGA auditors and treasurers” who are trying to discredit ESG in investment decisions. “The evidence is overwhelming, and it’s also common sense. How many of us are sinking our savings into coal right now?”

“You know what’s been a great investment over the last six months that we missed out on?” Wilson asked. “Coal.” To which Blaha responded that pension funds are invested with 10, 20 and 30-year outlooks, not six months.

“You cannot be running around trying to day trade with my pension,” she said. . . . 

So, day-trading as an investment policy--and repeal of bipartisan, Republican era legislation and a successful amendment approved by 56 percent of Minnesota voters. Your Republican Party of Minnesota. Read the rest of the agenda here.

Take that "radical environmentalist concerns."

Image: The Republican Party of Minnesota wants to repeal the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment. Take that, hikers, bikers, historic sites and artists.

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Shoulda got a transcript: MN Supreme Court affirms referee's findings on Westrom residency

Bluestem Prairie has been following the questions surrounding Torrey Westrom's residency in Senate District 12 by We The People third party candidate Ashley Klingbeil and her campaign manager Christine Fischer. Even before I could read the decision, Minnesota Public Radio's Brian Bakst tweeted:

UPDATE: MN Supreme Court denies effort to oust @SenWestrom from November ballot. #mnleghttps://t.co/8WJygKDavJ https://t.co/9xIy26Ysou

— Brian Bakst (@Stowydad) September 28, 2022

Here's the decision. I'm not a lawyer, but the opinion does note the value of getting a transcript of testimony one wishes to contest.

Petition asking court to order the removal of Torrey Westrom from ballot denied uploaded by Sally Jo Sorensen on Scribd

Will the decision draw conservative voters away from the Klingbeil bid? 

Related posts:

•  Will Westrom family support for Rasmusson primary challenger ruffle MNSenate GOP unity?
• Petitioners in Westrom residency challenge referee's conclusion; his lawyers don't
• Referee's Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law: Torrey Westrom stays on MN12 ballot 
• Westrom residency: an account of the hearing before the Honorable Diane Bratvold
• Westrom residency: Klingbeil thanks intervenor; referee's decision to come no later than Tuesday
• Another MN12 resident moves to intervene in challenge to Westrom residency in district
• MinnPost: if Klingbeil's petition on Westrom's residency prevails, still chance for GOP on ballot
• Swift County Monitor, Black Robe Regiment look into MN12 Westrom non-residency claims
• MN12 Westrom residency challenge: Supreme Court sets August 15 deadline for evidence
• MN12: "We The People" candidate Klingbeil follows through on Westrom residency challenge
• Via personal Facebook page: independent candidate vows to challenge Westrom residency
• MN12: Ashley Klingbeil to challenge Torrey and Dorry from the right for state senate seat
• Will 2020 redistricting plan boundary adjustment get snuck in to let Westrom live in lake house? 

Photo: Torrey Westrom's new real estate purchase on Lake Mary in Senate District 12.

If you appreciate Bluestem Prairie, you can mail contributions (payable to Sally Jo Sorensen, 600 Maple Street, Summit SD 57266) or use the paypal button in the upper right hand corner of this post.

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