May 22, 2022

Media scrutiny of SD District 1 House Logan Manhart candidate integrity questions continue

Manhartwrpjuly2021

We last looked at the curious case of Logan Manhart, whose residency qualifications to run for the South Dakota House are the subject of 32CIV22-92; McCleerey vs Barnett in the Hughes County Court in our post Forum Communications' Mitchell Republic checked out Manhart's social media posts from WI.

The story was first broken by Cory Allen Heidelberger at the Dakota Free Press on May 5:

The story continues to have legs.

In a subcribers' only article in the Aberdeen News (we're a subscriber) veteran journalist Elisa Sand reports in Residency questions posed for South Dakota House candidate and Aberdeen city councilwoman:

Questions about residency have cropped up in the past week or so for a candidate running for the South Dakota House of Representatives and a current member of the Aberdeen City Council.

Logan Manhart, R-Bath, is one of four candidates running for two District 1 House seats. One of his opponents, former state legislator Steven McCleery, a Democrat from Sisseton, has filed a civil complaint questioning Manhart's residency.

McCleerey claims Manhart's Wisconsin voter registration in 2020 and 2021 and his participation in four elections during that time is a breach of South Dakota's residency requirements for legislative candidates.

State law requires legislative candidates to live in South Dakota for two years prior to running for a state legislative position.

Manhart voted in four elections in Eau Claire, Wis., between February 2020 and April 6, 2021, according to voter records in the complaint filed against him.

Manhart declined comment Thursday as he evaluates his legal strategies. He had yet to file a response in the civil case, and no hearing date had been set.

According to his campaign webpage, he was attending college in Wisconsin during the time in question.

"In 2021, Logan graduated with a certificate degree in Leadership Development and Management, with the goal to return home and further the conservative cause in his favorite state," his website reads, though it doesn't offer details about where he attended school. . . . 

Prior to registering to vote in Wisconsin, Manhart voted in two elections in South Dakota as a registered Brown County voter. According to the Brown County Auditor's Office, Manhart registered to vote as a Republican in July 2016 and voted in the general elections in 2016 and 2018. His voter registration did not lapse but, was updated in 2021 when he canceled his Wisconsin voter registration, Auditor Cathy McNickle said.

According to the South Dakota secretary of state's website, a residence is defined as "the place in which a person has fixed his or her habitation and to which the person, whenever absent, intends to return."

The definition goes on to say that if a person leaves temporarily, they haven't changed their residence. A person loses his or her residency when they move with the intent of making that place their permanent residence, per state law.

Secretary of State Steve Barnett said he couldn't speak in detail about the complaint, but he expects the court to make a fairly speedy decision.

The residency question, Barnett said, comes down Manhart's intent to return to South Dakota.

The validity of candidate petitions can be challenged up to five days after they've been filed with the Secretary of State's Office. After that, Barnett said, it's an issue for the courts. . . .

Sand's use of Manhart's campaign website prompted us to recall some posts from his personal Facebook page from the Summer of 2021 that suggest Manhart was living and working in Wisconsin. There's the July 15, 2021 post (screenshot at the top of this post in case of the Facebook embed is made private or deleted):

Worth noting that this doesn't seem to be a short-term, election-year job, but one taken during an off year. It's unclear exactly when in 2021 (as Dakota Free Press reports):

Manhart completed a certificate in leadership development and management at Chippewa Valley Technical College in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. (Note: the leadership development certificate requires six credits; the supervisory management certificate requires nine credits. So when Manhart says he graduated with a “certificate degree,” he may be overstating his credentials.)

Was this a post-graduation job?

After that announcement, Manhart shared a couple of posts related to the job (we have screenshots):

(More about the Dunn County Patriots here).

There's also that life event in the screenshot of moving to Green Bay, Wisconsin on August 31, 2020--not exactly part of South Dakota, as far as we know. We don't see anything about intent to return to South Dakota during the summer of 2021.

The first mention of his candidacy that the public can see was posted on December 12, 2021. 

It's worth revisiting the Dakota Free Press post that broke the story, Manhart Voted in Wisconsin in 2021, Thus Ineligible to Run for South Dakota House in 2022.

Related posts:

Screenshot: After working on President Trump’s Re-Election Campaign in 2020 in Wisconsin (Manhart campaign website), Manhart took a position as a field director in July 2021 with the Republican Party of Wisconsin. It's unclear whether he was hired before or after he finished his certificate in leadership development and management at Chippewa Valley Technical College in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.

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Posted by on May 22, 2022 at 04:42 PM | | Comments (0)

Fickle MNHouse GOP votes against omnibus ag, drought relief conference report. Passes anyway

Mdadrought

Update: The conference committee report passed both chambers, Walker Orenstein reports in Minnesota Legislature approves bill to address 2021 drought, fund broadband infrastructure at MinnPost.

Back on March 10, Session Daily reported Bill offering relief for drought-hit farmers passes House; that was HF3420, by a 101-33 vote. Such luminaries as the Ag committee minority lead, Starbuck's Paul Anderson, Browns Valley Republican Jeff "Goose Poop" Backer, Alexandria conservative Mary Franson, and cattle farmer Dale Lueck voted for it.

But when the agriculture conference report hit the House floor last night--a"conference committee report to HF3420 combines the omnibus agriculture and broadband supplemental finance and policy bill with one that would provide relief to farmers from the 2021 drought," the vote was 69-64, without a single Republican voting for the legislation.

Too much help for farmers? Too much money for broadband? Too much money left for the DNR tree drought relief?

You'd think they'd at least honor Elbow Lake Republican Ag Chair Torrey Westrom's hard work in stealing away the stand-alone HF3420 after he assumed the gravel after the first conference committee meeting on April 20 for it. They kept those empty talking points about how much they loved farmers but hated trees for weeks.

Let's hope the Senate Republicans behave themselves and pass the report before adjournment.

At Session Daily, Brian Hall reports in Conferees settle differences with agriculture omnibus, drought relief bills:

— UPDATED at 11:35 p.m. with House vote

With time to work dwindling, a conference committee working to reconcile agriculture bills came to an agreement on several appropriations and policy changes Saturday.

The conference committee report to HF3420 combines the omnibus agriculture and broadband supplemental finance and policy bill with one that would provide relief to farmers from the 2021 drought.

It was passed 69-64 by the House a few hours later. It now awaits Senate action.

“We’ve got a very strong, solid bill for the state of Minnesota on all the fronts for farmers, for agriculture, for rural broadband and the connectivity that’s become so important in our lives,” said Sen. Torrey Westrom (R-Elbow Lake), who sponsors the bill with Rep. Mike Sundin (DFL-Esko). “We can be, I think, proud as a conference committee to be a big piece of this policy and financing that will be moving forward.”

“It’s been somewhat of a longer journey than probably necessary, but I think we hit on all the points,” Sundin said. “Had we had more money, it would have been a little better bill.”

The combined total in new appropriations for agriculture, drought relief and broadband would be $50.9 million from the General Fund in the current biennium and $32.5 million in the next biennium.

Funding was a sticking point in deliberations, with the House looking for $60 million in new funding this biennium and the Senate proposal adding just $5 million. With guidance from Gov. Tim Walz and caucus leadership, a $7.5 million in additional agricultural spending was agreed upon.

Under the agreement, the Department of Agriculture would receive an additional $1.5 million in fiscal year 2022 and $6 million in fiscal year 2023. And $7.5 million would be added to the department’s base in the next biennium.

[MORE: View the spreadsheet]

Some of the new policies and programs would:

  • establish a cooperative grants program;
  • establish farm down payment assistance grants;
  • add a member with knowledge of cybersecurity to the Food Safety and Defense Task Force;
  • establish a soil health financial assistance pilot program; and
  • require several reports to the Legislature, including from the Grain Advisory Group.

[MORE: View the agriculture statutory changes]

The committee finally agreed to an $18.4 million package. The Agriculture Department would receive $13.1 million to support farmers hit by the 2021 drought, with $5 million going to the Department of Natural Resources to replace drought-killed seedlings and $300,000 for resolving well interference.

Grants from the Agriculture Department would be offered to farmers or producers in counties designated as a primary natural disaster area from July 19, 2021 to Jan. 1, 2022, or in a contiguous county. Assistance would be available up to $7,500 per farmer based on expenses incurred and attested to in response to the drought.

Among agriculture appropriations, the Senate proposed $7 million in livestock and specialty crop grants, while the House was at $5.1 million. The agreement would appropriate $8.1 million.

Additionally, $2.5 million would be transferred to the Rural Finance Authority, $1.5 million to the Agriculture Emergency Fund and $1 million to the University of Minnesota for veterinary diagnostic laboratory equipment.

Broadband boost

Improving broadband access throughout the state would get a big boost. An appropriation of $25 million from the General Fund in fiscal year 2023 would be transferred to the Border-to-Border Broadband Fund.

The Department of Employment and Economic Development must also prepare a grant application to the U.S. Treasury Department, requesting that $60.7 million of Minnesota’s capital projects fund be allocated for broadband projects.

The total would fund a lower population density pilot program to provide broadband to unserved and underserved areas, as well as a broadband line extension program.

We'll update this post after the Senate acts.

Related posts:

Photo: Some drought stricken corn. Source: Minnesota Department of Agriculture.

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Posted by on May 22, 2022 at 11:13 AM | | Comments (0)

Session Daily: Minnesota House passes conference committee report on ENRTF

Enrtflogo

We've been following the journey of proposals to use the Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund and are happy to see the conference committee report passed the House last night.

Session Daily's Brian Hall reported early Sunday morning in House OK given to conference committee report on Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund:

Quick work by a conference committee to reconcile the annual appropriations from the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund took another step late Saturday when the House repassed the bill.

The conference committee report on HF3765 was passed 115-19 just before midnight and to the Senate for an expected Sunday vote.

“It restored the merit-based approach for the cream-of-the-crop projects,” said Rep. Rick Hansen (DFL-South St. Paul), who sponsors the bill with Sen. Torrey Westrom (R-Elbow Lake). “Those projects that scored over 70 on the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources, those were retained with the House position, they were fully funded at that House position based on the scoring, based on the merit of the members, whether they were citizens or legislators on the commission.”

The bill had been passed 72-60 by the House April 21, but not without debate on merit. The bill was based on the set of recommendations that received the highest score of the commission, though the commission failed to reach a supermajority for a formal recommendation.

Hansen said the conference committee report would fully fund 36 House projects for a total of $38.81 million and increase funding to 16 other House projects with $4.08 million. There are also 21 Senate-only projects that would be funded at a total of $14 million.

The total appropriation is $70.88 million.

[MORE: View the spreadsheet]

“This bill has, I would argue, improved significantly since it left the chamber,” said Rep. Josh Heintzeman (R-Nisswa). “There’s still a few things I have concerns with, but I want to thank our Senate counterparts for a strong negotiation and my red vote is now green.”

Hansen noted what he felt were three important aspects of the final committee report.

A total of $6.4 million would be dedicated to research on aquatic and terrestrial invasive species. The University of Minnesota would receive $6.23 million to support the university’s Invasive Terrestrial Plants and Pests Center.

“This center is known for its work in helping solve problems around the country, whether it’s in the farm, the field, around the factories, in our neighborhoods, working on problem solving terrestrial invasive species,” Hansen said.

The bill would establish a center for prion research and outreach with $3.88 million going to the university for help in solving chronic wasting disease.

It would also fund increased diversity in conservation careers.

“It reflects a changing Minnesota and makes aggressive outreach to try to involve more Minnesotans in the outdoors both in enjoying the outdoors but also conservation,” Hansen said.

We'll update this pot when (and if) the Senate passes the conference committee report before adjournment.

According the Journal of the House, page 13330-1, those 19 House member voting against the conference committee report are: Bahr; Bliss; Daudt; Demuth; Drazkowski; Garofalo; Gruenhagen; Hertaus; Koznick; Lucero; McDonald; Mekeland; Miller; Mortensen; Munson; Neu Brindley;  O'Driscoll; O'Neill and Rasmusson.

About half those nay-sayers are either running for different offices or retiring, according to a list kept by the Legislative Reference Library. Heckova a legacy. But we doubt those running for the Minnesota Senate will find kindred spirits when/if the conference committee report make it to the Senate floor tody (as it should).

Related posts:

Logo: The Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund logo.

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Posted by on May 22, 2022 at 10:02 AM | | Comments (0)

May 21, 2022

SD News Watch: High gas prices not expected to slow down state's tourism industry in 2022

Rapid-City-Pilot-sign-1024x627

Another glimpse into South Dakota's economy from South Dakota News Watch. 

High gas prices not expected to slow down South Dakota tourism industry in 2022
by Kylie Carlson

Even though fuel prices have hit an all-time high, state officials and business operators in the South Dakota tourism industry remain optimistic that the summer of 2022 will be another record-setting season for visitors and revenues.

Tourism industry experts say the post-COVID desire to travel,  South Dakota’s wide variety of tourist attractions and a reputation for great hospitality have overridden visitor concerns over high gas prices, at least so far in 2022.

Gas prices have been on a steady rise in recent months, and are well above what drivers paid for fuel last year.

On May 19, 2022 the national average price of regular unleaded gas was $4.59 per gallon, according to the American Automobile Association. The South Dakota average was $4.20 per gallon, AAA said, and all 50 states had an average price over $4.00 per gallon on that date.

For comparison, the national average price on May 19, 2021, was $2.90 per gallon of unleaded.

Deb Schuetzle, operator of the Hitching Horse Inn in Pierre, credits South Dakota’s welcoming reputation as a big reason the state remains a popular tourist destination even during a time of soaring fuel prices.

“We really thought that maybe our gas prices may affect our tourism season, but thus far, it has not,” said Schuetzle, who runs the four-room bed and breakfast inn. South Dakota has a “warmth and charm people just love,” she said.

The Hitching Horse Inn has routinely been full this year and has had to turn some people away, Schuetzle said. “It has been really looking up … and I’m probably ahead of last year. So I’m very, very pleased with that.

Tourism is among the state’s largest industries, and many South Dakota towns and residents rely on visitor spending to maintain a thriving economy.

In its 2021 Economic Impact Report, the South Dakota Department of Tourism said 13.5 million people visited the state that year. Those visitors spent an estimated $4.4 billion in 2021, an increase of 30% over 2020.

The industry generated $354 million in state and local sales taxes in 2021. Visitor spending represents 5.1% of South Dakota’s economy and supports one in every 17 jobs in the state. Tax revenue that tourism provides saves South Dakotan households $980 per year in taxes, the department said.

“Tourism in South Dakota is a job-creating, revenue-generating industry that plays a vital role in supporting the state’s economy year after year. It’s not just valuable for the state of South Dakota, these efforts impact communities and families throughout our state,” Katlyn Svendsen, spokeswoman for the South Dakota Department of Tourism, wrote to News Watch in an email.

Key branches of the tourism industry include lodging, retail shopping and food and beverage sales. With fuel prices almost a dollar higher per gallon than in 2021, transportation may play a bigger role in the choices tourists make in 2022 but is not expected to result in a major drop in visits or revenues, Svendsen said.

“We may see shorter trips, less money being spent on food, beverage, souvenirs, etc. [But] we remain confident that our family-friendly, affordable state, featuring world-class outdoor adventure, will continue to draw visitors to South Dakota,” Svendsen wrote.

Teri Schmidt, executive director of Experience Sioux Falls, which aims to attract visitors to the Sioux Falls area, said gas prices do not appear to be a major deterrent to visits to the region so far.

“Our visitor guide requests are up, the interest in Sioux Falls, the calls that we’re getting … those are all up. If those are any indication, we should have a really good summer again,” said Schmidt. “South Dakota and Sioux Falls offer what people are looking for — the great outdoors, activities, events, culture, sports, our state kind of has it all.”

Svendsen added that in the first quarter of 2022, the state was already outpacing 2019 visitors counts by 18%. She added that Arrivalist, a mobile geolocation tracking company, showed that South Dakota had the highest jump in overnight stays so far this year, with an 11% increase compared to 2019.

While the high gas prices are making travel more expensive, many visitors are continuing to make vacation plans.

The high price of petrol did not dissuade Duane Johnson and his wife Trish from taking a long driving vacation this month. The retired couple from Wisconsin stopped to fuel up in Rapid City on May 17 on their way home after visiting their daughter in Salt Lake City.

Gas prices were so volatile that the Johnsons paid $3.80 a gallon when they left Wisconsin two weeks earlier to make the 2,600-mile round trip journey. In Rapid City, they paid $4.48 a gallon for mid-grade unleaded gasoline. Unleaded cost them $4.80 a gallon in Salt Lake City, Johnson said.

“How about that? Almost $100 to fill up,” said Johnson, who felt compelled to point out that he is not movie actor Dwayne Johnson, The Rock.

Johnson said the couple discussed the cost of gas before embarking on their vacation, but decided the desire to visit their daughter overrode their concern over fuel costs.

“The gas prices do affect us, but they haven’t stopped us,” he said.

The couple considered saving money by driving to Utah in their Toyota, which gets more than 20 miles per gallon, but took their gas-guzzling Chevy Silverado (14 mpg) because they wanted to bring a bed and other goods to their daughter and needed the cargo space.

Johnson said the couple’s wanderlust will keep them on the road this summer, with trips planned to Montana and again to Salt Lake City. But if gas goes to $6 a gallon or higher, Johnson said the pair will likely fly rather than drive, or perhaps cut back on travel altogether.

“What are you going to do?” Johnson said. “If you want to travel, you have to pay to do it.”

According to 2022 fuel prices outlook published by Gasbuddy, a site that predicts and publishes fuel prices online, drivers may save a little at the pump throughout the summer months. The predicted rate for May averaged $4.25 per gallon with June falling to $4.21, July at $4.18, and $4.23 in August.

Schmidt also highlighted that travelers within the state are just as important as those who come from far and wide.

“We want those long-distance travelers coming through, but equally as important are people in our region,” she said.
“We’re a weekend destination, and that is a lot of what helped us pull through COVID.”

President Biden placed a ban on imports of Russian crude oil in response to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine in February. Domestic oil producers are also ramping production back up after the events of 2020 dropped the demand for oil. In a White House briefing on March 31, Biden announced an unprecedented release of federal crude oil reserves at a rate of 1 million barrels per day for the next six months to help smooth out the market until domestic producers can keep up with the demand. However, across the U.S., drivers are still paying more per gallon than ever before.

GAS PRICES ACROSS THE GREAT PLAINS

Here are the average prices for a gallon of regular unleaded gas by state on May 17, 2022.

State                    Price per gallon

Montana             $4.30

Wyoming            $4.26

South Dakota     $4.17

North Dakota      $4.13

Iowa                    $4.12

Nebraska            $4.11

Minnesota          $4.11

Source: American Automobile Association

Kylie Carlson is the 2022 recipient of the Jeffrey B. Nelson Investigative Journalism Endowed Internship, and is working as a reporter for South Dakota News Watch. A native of Britton, S.D., Carlson is a 2022 journalism graduate from South Dakota State University.

Minnesota friends: fill up before you leave the North Star State if you're coming over to check out the many bison calves in the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate's herd or the White-Faced Ibises in area lakes and wetlands. 

Article used with permission of South Dakota News Watch.

Photo: Gas prices in mid-May, including at the Pilot gas station in Rapid City, were more than a dollar per gallon higher in 2022 compared to the year prior. Diesel prices are climbing even faster than prices for gasoline. Photo: Bart Pfankuch, South Dakota News Watch.

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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Posted by on May 21, 2022 at 02:55 PM | | Comments (0)

May 20, 2022

GOP SOS candidate we scolded for racism, incompetence gets antisemitism added

CrockettGal

The Kim Crockett incompetence and intolerance beat has expanded since we posted MNGOP endorsed secretary of state candidate's election ignorance pairs well with past racism on May 15. 

On May 18, J. Patrick Coolican reported for the Minnesota Reformer in Minnesota GOP secretary of state candidate Kim Crockett is getting famous — in Israel:

Kim Crockett, who won her party’s endorsement Friday to become the Republican nominee for secretary of state, is being condemned for campaign imagery she used at the state GOP convention showing George Soros as a puppet master, an old antisemitic theme.

The headline in the Jerusalem Post reads “GOP-backed Minnesota politician: Jewish incumbent is controlled by Soros.”

Jacob Millner, Upper Midwest regional director for the American Jewish Committee, issued a statement:

“Criticizing George Soros and his politics is one matter. But portraying him in a video as a puppet master controlling elections is a vicious antisemitic trope … It’s made worse by the fact that the puppet strings appear connected to Steve Simon and Mark Elias, both of whom are Jewish. Kim Crockett must immediately apologize and repudiate this bigotry.”

Crockett did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

This isn’t the first time Crockett has been called out on allegations of bigotry. She previously apologized for comments she made to a New York Times reporter about East African immigrants coming to Minnesota.

“These aren’t people coming from Norway, let’s put it that way. These people are very visible,” she said in 2019, in an article that led her to leaving her post at the local conservative outfit Center of the American Experiment.

However, in a recent video posted by former GOP operative Michael Brodkorb, Crockett disavowed earlier apologies. “I would say everything today that I said in 2019,” she said. Her comments were merely taken out of context, she said.

That's the past racism we mentioned in our post. We're sad she didn't stick with her 2019 apology.

The antisemitic use of Soros in campaign material is nothing new for Minnesota Republicans. Take the 2018 episode in Minnesota's First Congressional District campaign when Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported in Republican Campaign Ad Claims Iraq War Veteran Is 'Owned' by Jewish Billionaire George Soros:

The new advertisement by the National Republican Congressional Committee shows Democratic candidate Dan Feehan next to stacks of dollars and an image of Jewish-Hungarian philanthropist George Soros. . . .

We posted about that sad episode in MN01: NRCC head defends anti-Semitic ads demonizing Soros and Dan Feehan and  Hagedorn campaign changes tune on control of NRCC anti-Semitic ad, but still a-ok with content and Hagedorn campaign embraces NRCC's anti-semitic anti-Soros ad condemned by Jewish Community Relations Council.

There's sorta an apology from the state Republicans. Coolican reported on Thursday in the Minnesota Reformer article State GOP apologizes for Soros video, defends Kim Crockett:

The chairman of the Minnesota Republican Party has apologized for a campaign video shown at the recent state party convention that showed Jewish Holocaust survivor George Soros as a puppet master controlling Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon, who is also Jewish.

The puppet master motif, which was used in a campaign video for GOP-endorsed secretary of state candidate Kim Crockett, is an antisemitic theme long employed to stir suspicion and hatred toward Jewish people.

It drew coverage earlier this week from the Jerusalem Post.

David Hann, the GOP chair, said in a statement that he spoke to the Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota, and “We wish to assure our friends in the Jewish community that the image was not intended to invoke hostility toward the Jewish people. It should not have happened, we apologize, and are committed to working with the JCRC to educate our staff and candidates on antisemitism.”

Hann said he spoke to Crockett and concluded, that “the depiction of Mr. Soros was not intended as antisemitic, and that neither Ms. Crockett nor her creative team were aware that the depiction of a puppet-master invokes an old but persistent antisemitic trope.”

Crockett, who did not immediately respond to a text message, is a graduate of the University of Pennslyvania Carey Law School, where she was a founding member of the school’s Federalist Society chapter, according to her LinkedIn page.

As former GOP operative Michael Brodkorb reported, the state party informed the campaigns prior to the convention that “All content needs to be tested, reviewed, and approved at your campaign rehearsal,” which means party officials saw and approved the video.

It’s unclear who produced the video.

Crockett’s campaign has paid Nativ3 Digital Marketing nearly $21,000, but Max Rymer, the company’s president, said the firm “definitely, definitely, definitely” had nothing to do with the Soros video. The company created the campaign’s website and has made social media content.

He said a volunteer produced the video, which Rymer said, “ain’t exactly Hollywood (quality.)”

This is not the first time Crockett has been accused of bigotry.

She previously apologized for comments she made to a New York Times reporter about East African immigrants coming to Minnesota.

“These aren’t people coming from Norway, let’s put it that way. These people are very visible,” she said in 2019, in an article that led her to leave her post at the local conservative outfit Center of the American Experiment.

However, in a recent video posted by Brodkorb, Crockett disavowed earlier apologies. “I would say everything today that I said in 2019,” she said. Her comments were merely taken out of context, she said.

Deena Winter contributed reporting. 

We're disgusted with Crockett and not much happier with the Republican Party of Minnesota's pathetic excuse for her and itself.

Update: A tweet from Michael Brodkorb:

Minnesota Reformer articles republished online under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. DONATE if you like their coverage.

Related post:

Photo: Kim Crockett, from her campaign website.

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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Posted by on May 20, 2022 at 11:40 AM | | Comments (0)

Minnesota Public Utility Commission claims regulatory authority for carbon pipelines

Summitco2pipelinemap

We're pleased to see that the carbon pipeline industry will be regulated at the state level in Minnesota. Minnesota Public Radio's Dan Gunderson reported Thursday afternoon in Minnesota moves to regulate carbon dioxide pipelines:

Two companies are planning to construct pipelines to collect carbon dioxide emissions from ethanol plants in Minnesota and surrounding states and store the CO2 underground in North Dakota and Illinois.

Current regulation of those pipelines is left to counties.

The Montevideo-based environmental group Clean Up the River Environment, or CURE, petitioned the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission to regulate carbon pipelines like these.

The Commission decided it has regulatory authority and voted to initiate a rulemaking process.

“We agree with the PUC that they have both the authority and the duty to the public to regulate where these pipelines will go,” CURE Campaigns Director Maggie Schuppert said in a statement following the vote.

“There are already communities, tribes and landowners who are in the pathway and impact zone of these proposed projects and they deserve a process where information can be made public and rural communities can have a say.” ...

The pipelines already face state-level scrutiny here in South Dakota, South News Watch's  Bart Pfankuch reported in CO2 pipelines could affect the land, lives and livelihoods of S.D. property owners:

The 2,000-mile, $3.7 billion Summit Carbon Solutions pipeline would cross 469 miles in South Dakota, carrying CO2 north from 32 ethanol plants in five states to a site in central North Dakota, where the CO2 would be buried more than a mile underground.

The South Dakota portion of the Summit project was submitted for permitting to the PUC in February, and a public hearing is expected to be held before the end of 2022.

The $3 billion, 1,300-mile Navigator project would capture CO2 from 20 ethanol and fertilizer plants in five states. The Navigator pipeline would cross 62 miles in South Dakota and terminate at a site in central Illinois. Navigator plans to submit its pipeline permit application to the PUC this summer, said Elizabeth Burns-Thompson, a company spokeswoman. . . .

At the Star Tribune, Mike Hughlett reports in Minnesota state utility panel says CO2 pipelines should be regulated:

Minnesota utility regulators Thursday deemed carbon dioxide pipelines as hazardous, meaning they must get state approval to be built.

The unanimous decision affects two multibillion-dollar CO2 pipelines slated to cross Minnesota, transporting CO2 waste from several ethanol plants in the Midwest.

The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (PUC) must approve pipelines that carry hazardous materials — oil for instance — but state law does specifically list carbon dioxide as hazardous. PUC commissioners interpreted the 1988 law as including CO2 pipelines.

  • "The Legislature was being rather broad and gave us broad scope," Commissioner John Tuma said at Thursday's PUC meeting. Both pipeline companies disagreed, saying that scope is narrow.

The PUC will now initiate a rulemaking process, which will likely take a year, to codify CO2 as a hazardous pipeline material for regulatory purposes. Actual approval of any CO2 pipeline could take many months after that.

CO2 is considered a hazardous pipeline material under federal law and in other states that would host the pipelines. . . .

Several state agencies submitted comments to the PUC favoring state regulation, including the departments of public safety, commerce and transportation. So have environmental groups, Indian bands and labor unions.

"We would encourage you in your review to use common sense," Kelly Applegate, the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe's natural resources commissioner, told the commission Thursday. "If there is a breach in this pipeline there will be violent plumes of gas that could suffocate people and animals."

CO2 is heavier than air, so if a pipeline ruptures it can collect in low-lying areas and displace oxygen. It's a potential asphyxiant and can cause breathing difficulties, rapid heartbeat, vomiting, headaches and impaired thinking.

The worst U.S. accident on a CO2 line appears to have occurred in 2020 near Satartia, Miss. A 24-inch pipeline owned by an oil and gas company ruptured, leading to the evacuation of more than 300 people. Forty-six were treated for injuries at local hospitals.

No known fatalities have been reported from any CO2 pipeline incidents in the United States.

While CO2 is not flammable, it's heavily pressurized in pipelines, leading to the possibility of "ductile fractures" that rip open a pipeline if there's a leak.

"There aren't small leaks in any of these pipelines," said Hudson Kingston, policy and litigation attorney for Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, which pushed for PUC regulation. "When it blows up, it blows up."

"These are highly pressurized gases that meet that meet the definition the Legislature set out," Kingston said.

Kingston was referring to a provision in state law granting PUC authority over pipelines designed to operate "at a pressure of more than 275 pounds per square inch and carry gas." CO2 pipelines operate at three to four times that pressure.

The PUC sided with that argument.

"If it is over 275 psi, it seems the Legislature is saying it is dangerous," Tuma said. . . .

We'll continue to watch the proposed ethanol CO2 pipeline projects.

Related posts:

Map: The proposed route of the 2,000-mile Summit Carbon Solutions CO2 pipeline that will carry pressurized carbon dioxide from ethanol plants to a sequestration site a mile underground in central North Dakota. About 470 miles of the pipeline would be located in South Dakota.

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Posted by on May 20, 2022 at 10:15 AM | | Comments (0)

May 19, 2022

Forum Communications' Mitchell Republic checked out Manhart's social media posts from WI

ManhartEWI

We've been following the curious case of Republican South Dakota District 1 candidate Logan Manhart, most recently in Manhart candidate integrity questioned: docs from 32CIV22-92; McCleerey vs Barnett, though we began on May 7 with Dakota Free Press post: Manhart voted in Wisconsin in 2021, thus ineligible to run for South Dakota House in 2022.

On Wednesday afternoon, Hunter Dunterman picked up the story for the Mitchell Republic in South Dakota Democrats challenge 23-year-old's House candidacy, alleging residency violations in Wisconsin.

Part of the article is a review of the facts of the case, but Dunterman also takes readers through a stroll of Manhart's social media post during a time when he appears to have been registered to vote in Wisconsin.

Dunterman reports:

While Manhart did not respond to multiple attempts to contact him, his campaign website, social media activity and newspaper clippings offer some credibility to Democrats’ allegations.

After graduating from Aberdeen Central High School in 2017, Manhart moved to Wisconsin to continue his education, according to a biography on his campaign website. While there, he “found his strength and passion for politics” while working on a reelection campaign for then-President Donald Trump.

“In 2021, Logan graduated with a certificate degree in Leadership Development and Management, with the goal to return home and further the conservative cause in his favorite state,” his biography reads.

On Sept. 28, 2021, Manhart was photographed by the Eau Claire Leader-Telegram’s Dan Reiland flying an American flag during a voter registration event at the University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire.

In one tweet from Manhart’s personal account on Oct. 23, 2021, he posted a selfie of him doorknocking in northwestern Wisconsin, while another tweet on Oct. 30, 2021 pictures him alongside U.S Congress Republican candidate Derrick Van Orden at an event in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. . . . 

Read the entire article at the Mitchell Republic. 

Dakota Free Press posted another Manhart story on Tuesday, Novstrup Collects Signatures from Wrong District for Manhart. Cory Allen Heidelberger reported:

Al Novstrup is mostly useless as a Senator; he’s completely useless as a petition circulator.

Last winter, the District 3 Senator predictably helped circulate election liar Logan Manhart‘s fraudulent nominating petition. Every signature Novstrup collected for Manhart was invalid.

Sally Jo Sorensen of Bluestem Prairie has helpfully posted the court documents in the court challenge to Manhart’s fraudulent candidacy. The affidavit backing the SDDP/Steven McCleerey complaint includes as Exhibit #1 Manhart’s nominating petition for District 1 House, 84 signatures (including one invalidated by the absence of the voter’s county) across eight sheets. The eighth petition sheet, as ordered in Exhibit #1, was circulated by Allan Novstrup of 1705 Northview Lane (Al’s winter address in Aberdeen).

Novstrup collected five signatures, two on Thursday, January 6, and three on Friday, January 7. The five signers wishing to nominate Manhart for District 1 House came from four Aberdeen addresses:

  • 916 N Lincoln St
  • 1017 11th Ave NE
  • 1005 N Roosevelt
  • 714 S Kline

All four addresses are in District 3. All five signatures that Novstrup collected came from his own constituents in District 3. None of the signers Novstrup solicited could validly sign Manhart’s petition.

Dang—Logan scribbled “District 1” in 14-point font at the top his petition sheet, and Al still couldn’t read it. . . .

I cannot conclude that Manhart is just as dense as Novstrup in missing the obvious District 3 addresses on his District 1 petition. The five sheets Manhart circulated show he knew he needed signatures from outside of the Hub City. He collected lots of rural Aberdeen signatures, plus signatures from his home base of Bath, Groton, and other northeast tundra outposts. Manhart’s a lying menace to democracy, but he’s not stupid.

Check out the rest of the cray-cray details at Dakota Free Press.

Related posts:

Photo: Logan Manhart helped draw attention to the UW-Eau Claire College Republicans voter registration table on campus in Eau Claire on Tuesday, September 28, 2021, as part of National Voter Registration Day. Dan Reiland / Eau Claire Leader-Telegram via the Mitchell Republic.

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. 

Or you can contribute via this link to paypal; use email sally.jo.sorensen@gmail.com as recipient.

I'm on Venmo for those who prefer to use this service: @Sally-Sorensen-6

Posted by on May 19, 2022 at 12:14 PM | | Comments (0)

May 18, 2022

Question from a lawsuit: why didn't Hagedorn's insurance pay for Arizona treatments?

Hagedornnomaskrochestre

UPDATE: At the Star Tribune, Briana Bierschbach has more in Late Rep. Jim Hagedorn's family sues his widow for medical expenses:

Family members of the late U.S. Rep. Jim Hagedorn are suing his widow, Jennifer Carnahan, to recoup medical expenses related to treatments he received in Arizona before his death.

Two lawsuits filed in district court Monday by Hagedorn's mother, stepfather and sister allege they helped pay for cancer treatments he received at Envita Medical Centers after he was told he had exhausted his options at Mayo Clinic in Rochester.

If those treatments weren't successful, Carnahan made a "clear and definite promise" to use the inheritance she was to receive after his death to reimburse his family members, according to both lawsuits.

Carnahan, who is running to replace her husband in Congress, said in a statement that her husband's estate is required to go through the probate process in the courts to "determine the disposition of assets in accordance with Minnesota law."

"There is nothing further we are allowed to do at this time," she added. "I wish Jim's family well and know this time has been very difficult for all of us." . . .

Read the rest at the Star Tribune. [end update]

A Wednesday morning tweet by Blois Olson's Morning Take generated some discussion:

Here's the document:

This document and others related to the case can be found via Minnesota Court Records Online by entering case number 22CO2234.

While the attention on twitter was about the rift between the widow and the late congressman's mother and father-in-law, we were more taken by points outlining the reason for the loan to the Jim Hagedorn family:

2. In January of 2022, Decendent was informed by the Mayo Clinic that it had exhausted its options for treating his cancer.

3. Decedent and Defendant made the decision for the Decendent to obtain treatment at Envita Medical Centers in Scottsdale, AZ ("Envita")

4. Decedent's health insurance did not cover the costs associated with the treatment by Envita.

That made us pause. First, congressional members receive good health insurance benefits, though not as good as debunked internet memes assert.

Second it partly confirmed a tip that a source in Blue Earth County had sent shortly after Congressman Hagedorn's death: that Hagedorn had left treatment at the Mayo Clinic and gone to Arizona for other treatment. The Envita site publishes articles such as Insurance-Based Care Limits Personalized Precision Cancer Treatment Options. That matched the description of the care, though the source was more skeptical about the treatments.

We find ourselves pausing at Envita's Disclaimer:

Envita doesn't make any guarantee of outcomes. Results are not typical and will vary from person to person and should not be expected. The information provided on this Site is for educational purposes only. Envita makes no guarantees or promises. You should not expect the same outcomes as the patient testimonials. Please consult a physician before beginning any treatment program or making any adjustments in your healthcare, diet, and /or lifestyle. Do not remove yourself from any prescribed medications or treatments without consulting your doctor. Any and all dietary supplements or nutritional products and treatments discussed on this Site are not FDA- approved and are not intended to diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure any disease. The information contained in this website is for general information and educational purposes only. While we endeavor to keep the information up to date and correct, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied. None of the dietary supplements or nutritional products discussed on this Site are FDA-approved, and they are not intended to diagnose, prevent, treat, or cure any disease or illness. Not all treatments provided by Envita are FDA approved for the diagnosis and treatment of any diseases. This Site and its services are for consumer educational use only. Nothing contained in this Site is or should be considered, or used as a substitute for, medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This site and its services do not constitute the practice of medicine. Users should always seek the advice of a physician with any questions regarding their health or medical conditions. Never disregard, avoid, or delay obtaining medical advice or following the advice of a physician because of something you have seen or read on this Site. Not all of Envita's treatments are available in the United States some treatment is offered to Hermosillo, Mexico. No guarantees are made for any of Envita's treatments anywhere. Please consult a physician or oncologist prior to starting any treatment.

In the Daily Beast article, Inside a Widow’s Scorched-Earth Bid for Her Husband’s Old Seat in Congress, Sam Brodey reports:

Despite being based largely in the Twin Cities in her political career, Carnahan signed up to be a delegate from Faribault County, where the town is located. It is possible to register as a delegate remotely, and Wear said that on Feb. 1, Carnahan was with Hagedorn in Arizona, where he was receiving treatment. . . .

Our source had claimed that Hagedorn had died in Arizona, but the Faribault County Register reported in Replacing Congressman Hagedorn that "Hagedorn died on Thursday evening, Feb. 17, in Rochester." Earlier it had reported on February 20 in Rep. Jim Hagedorn died last Thursday: 

"“Congressman Jim Hagedorn passed away peacefully on Feb. 17,” a statement from his campaign office stated. “He was surrounded by his wife, Jennifer, extended family, and friends."

We're glad he made it home to Southern Minnesota.

We've had many friends stricken with cancer, and some have sought alternative or non FDA-approved treatments when their physicians gave them grim news. Other than a Vietnam veteran friend in Philadelphia, none of these folks are still with us.

We can only feel sadness that Congressman Hagedorn's expense didn't do better than Mayo Clinic--and that his mother's loan has not been repaid. 

Photo: The late Jim Hagedorn (foreground, red shirt) campaigning in Rochester during the pandemic. Source: Rochester Post Bulletin.

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. 

Or you can contribute via this link to paypal; use email sally.jo.sorensen@gmail.com as recipient.

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Posted by on May 18, 2022 at 05:04 PM | | Comments (0)

Governor Walz and both parties' legislative leadership shaft environment with miserly target

2022budgettargets

We obtained the image above via a tweet by Minnesota Public Radio's Brian Bakst. In a related tweet, he observed:

Some things that stood out: -House/gov gave ground on the amount going to housing, env and higher ed.

The document is at the link in Governor Walz, Legislative Leaders Complete Budget Framework Agreement:

Governor Tim Walz, House Speaker Melissa Hortman, and Senate Majority Leader Jeremy Miller today announced a completed framework to define end of session budget negotiations. The framework builds on the previous bipartisan agreement for $4 billion in investments to move Minnesota forward and $4 billion to lower costs and provide tax relief.

“This bipartisan agreement is a big step toward finishing up this year’s legislative session and making investments in the things we know Minnesotans care about,” said Governor Walz. . . . 

We're curious when Minnesotans stopped caring about the environment, but it seems like Minnesota's top leaders aren't giving it much thought. 

Let's compare the $10 million target with what's outlined in What’s the difference? Environment conference committee compares bills:

With more than $240 million in appropriations and several statutory changes to be reconciled, a conference committee started work on the state’s omnibus environment and natural resources supplemental finance and policy bill.

The House version of the bill is looking to spend some of the state’s surplus — $249.6 million worth in fiscal year 2023 — while the Senate only looks to spend a modest $8.44 million while focusing on many new policies. . . .

The House would appropriate $68.9 million more to the Board of Water and Soil Resources, $54.6 million more to the Pollution Control Agency, $52.2 million more to the Department of Natural Resources and $9.5 million more to Explore Minnesota Tourism.

Of those appropriations, the largest differences would be in the House’s appropriations of:

  • $30 million to the Board of Water and Soil Resources for Conservation Reserve Enhancement Programs;
  • $25 million to the DNR for climate adaptation for natural lands and waters;
  • $20 million for adaptation action grants and water storage, half to the Pollution Control Agency and half to the Board of Water and Soil Resources;
  • $10.1 million to the DNR for ash tree replacement grants;
  • $10 million to the Pollution Control Agency for waste prevention recycling grants and loans; and
  • $10 million to the Board of Soil and Water Resources for a Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program state incentive.

Other major funding included in the House proposal but not in the Senate is $13.1 million to the Metropolitan Council and a one-time repayment to the Metropolitan Landfill Contingency Action Trust of $29.1 million.

The largest appropriations in the Senate bill for fiscal year 2023 are $1.6 million to the DNR for land acquisition (which is also in the House bill); $1.5 million from the Pollution Control Agency Remediation Fund to clean up a school that will be destroyed in Lake of the Woods County; and $1 million to Explore Minnesota Tourism for large scale events promotion.

We might call this a Don't Look Up budget.

Walz is fond of saying "a budget is not only a fiscal document — it’s a moral document."  Near the beginning of the session there was this in Governor Walz, Lieutenant Governor Flanagan Announce Plan to Protect Minnesotans’ Health and Safety:

“Budgets are not just fiscal documents – they are moral documents,” said Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan. “Every Minnesotan deserves to be safe, protected, and valued in their community. And every Minnesotan deserves health care that meets their needs, a place to call home, and a future with breathable air and drinkable water.  . . .

We're not sure what's moral about snirt and dust storms, treeless boulevards, and continuing to rob the landfill fund while a Superfund site like the Pig's Eye landfill leaks harmful contaminants into nearby waterways, but perhaps those things will just take care of themselves. Bah humbug!

UPDATE: Another look in Rob Hubbard's Governor, legislative leaders agree on budget targets at Session Daily.

Image: the end-of-session budget targets, from Governor Walz, Legislative Leaders Complete Budget Framework Agreement,via Brian Bakst.

Related posts:

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. 

Or you can contribute via this link to paypal; use email sally.jo.sorensen@gmail.com as recipient.

I'm on Venmo for those who prefer to use this service: @Sally-Sorensen-6

Posted by on May 18, 2022 at 12:46 PM | | Comments (0)

May 17, 2022

Session Daily: Enviro conference committee takes small step forward, OKs policy agreements

WMA1-300x225

We watched the relatively short meeting of the Environment conference committee meeting today.  The Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy tweeted the cheat sheet of the policy items on which the committee agreed:

Here's a narrative of what that means from Session Daily:

Environment conference committee takes small step forward, OKs policy agreements
by Brian Hall

With time running short and still major hurdles to overcome, the conference committee trying to sort out the differences in the environment and natural resources supplemental finance and policy bills approved several smaller policy agreements Tuesday.

The committee, led by chairs Rep. Rick Hansen (DFL-South St. Paul) and Sen. Bill Ingebrigtsen (R-Alexandria), approved parts of HF4492/SF4062*. The agreement includes provisions and language from both the House and Senate versions.

House policies that were approved include a revision of the state’s aquatic invasive species plan and increases to per diem for the Minnesota Zoological Board, Minnesota Forest Resources Council, Board of Water and Soil Resources, Environmental Quality Board and the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources.

Senate policies approved include facilitation of transfer by current owners of off-highway motorcycles, snowmobiles and all-terrain vehicles, requirements for persons in ground blinds to wear blaze orange or pink and the scaring of deer and elk causing damage to agricultural crops.

The committee resolved differences to three other items by adopting the Senate language and also agreed to drop four provisions, two from each version, in the final agreement.

There is a $241.2 million difference in funding in the two versions of the bill. The committee is waiting for more direction from leadership to work on funding proposals.

“We are waiting for funding parameters that we could work on in the conference committee,” Hansen said. “There are also some policy items, plus policy items with funding.”

Previously, the committee unanimously approved an Ingebrigtsen motion to adopt all provisions that are identical in the policy sections of the two bills, and to accept the House language on those that are similar.

Here's the Minnesota House Information Services YouTube of the hearing:

Photo: A sign for a state Wildlife Management Area (WMA). One item in the agreement concerned regulating the use of deer stands on WMAs.

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. 

Or you can contribute via this link to paypal; use email sally.jo.sorensen@gmail.com as recipient.

I'm on Venmo for those who prefer to use this service: @Sally-Sorensen-6

Posted by on May 17, 2022 at 04:22 PM | | Comments (0)

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  • All of the statements, opinions, and views expressed on this site by Sally Jo Sorensen are solely her own, save when she attributes them to other sources.

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    Sorensen, editor and proprietor of Bluestem Prairie, serves clients in the business and nonprofit sectors. While progressive in outlook, she does not caucus with any political party.

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