Oct 06, 2024

Two Matts attempt to school Red Lake Tribal voters on behalf of MNHouse 2A GOP candidate

shootingprotest2120118.png

Late in September, Bluestem Prairie noted that the Minnesota Star Tribune reported Rep Grossell resigned MNHouse seat last year as ethics of 2A GOP candidate swirl.

Bidal Duran, a retired law enforcement member, is the Republican candidate running to replace Matt Grossell, R-Clearbrook, who announced his retirement earlier. 

There was some confusion about that in Minnesota's leading newspaper. According to the Strib:

The 2A seat was previously held by Rep. Matt Grossell, R-Clearbrook, who resigned after pleading guilty last year to drunk driving in his fourth and final term. 

As I noted in the post, Grossell continues to serve, though he announced his retirement earlier this year. 

yes, he's still here--indeed, he's the author of a letter, with his colleague Matt Bliss, R-Pennington, in the Red Lake Nation News, Duran will be a strong voice for Northern Minnesota, law enforcement, and our veterans. 

Bluestem is surprised the Republican House caucus trotted out Grossell to defend his honor, given that the 2023 drunk driving conviction was merely the latest offense on the retired law enforcement officer's record, as I noted in Matt Grossell cited for DWI. Apparently diversion program for 2019 disorderly night wore off.

Though to give Grossell credit, his offenses happened after he retired, whereas the ethically questionable behavior by Duran reported in the Strib's  State 2A House race pits terminated sheriff deputy against Bemidji homeless shelter director and the Minnesota Reformer's Judge says Minnesota GOP House candidate lied on search warrant as Hubbard County sheriff’s deputy occurred during his tenure in law enforcement.

The later news article noted that that Duran had:

A Republican candidate for a state House seat who is running on his experience in law enforcement was excoriated by a state judge last fall for “intentionally or recklessly mischaracterizing the truth” on a pair of affidavits in a felony drug case. . .

Last fall, Duran was also given a written reprimand for turning off his body camera twice during an interaction with a member of the public, who told investigators Duran threatened them with jail unless they answered his questions. . . .

In Duran will be a strong voice for Northern Minnesota, law enforcement, and our veterans, Bliss and Grossell say of the information--though not mentioning either article or place of publication:

Democrats may be slinging mud and digging through his record trying to smear his service, but we know the truth: Bidal’s experience in both the military, law enforcement, and as a dedicated husband and father demonstrates a lifetime of dedication to serving others.

As I suggested above, perhaps Grossell isn't the best character witness.

I haven't seen the letter published online in any other newspapers or media outlets in the district. Perhaps the letter was sent to the Red Lake Nation News because it published the extended lede of the Strib article as State 2A House race pits sheriff's deputy who was terminated against Bemidji homeless shelter director, as well as the extended lede of the Reformer story, Judge says Minnesota GOP House candidate lied on search warrant as Hubbard County sheriff's deputy.

Why else might the tribal news outlet be selected? Duran has some history with tribal members, the Star Tribune reported:

. . . But Olson and his supporters are concerned with Duran’s time as a Bemidji police officer. Duran fatally shot Vernon May, 34, of Red Lake, during a 2018 traffic stop. Duran was cleared of criminal charges as May was armed, but the killing provoked tensions and protests. . . .

That news is known to the tribal community. In December 2018, it published Man killed by Bemidji police, officers identified, which id'ed tribal member Vernon May as the man killed in a traffic stop,

In January 2019, the tribal media outlet published Body Cam Footage- Bemidji Police Officers Cleared In Shooting Death Of Vernon May, a Lakeland News story:

The Beltrami County Attorney's Office has announced that they have cleared Bemidji Police Officer Bidal Duran and Beltrami County Sheriff's Deputy Brandon Newhouse in the officer-involved shooting death of Vernon Andrew May. The shooting happened on November 28th, 2018.

The incident was investigated by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA). The BCA submitted its file to the Beltrami County Attorney's office for review of whether the actions of the law enforcement officers involved were justified, and therefore legal, under Minnesota Statute § 609.066.

The evidence gathered by the BCA shows that on November 28, 2018 Officer Duran attempted to arrest Vernon May on an outstanding felony warrant. Vernon May had a gun. A struggle ensued for control of the gun. Vernon May had primary control of the gun and repeatedly stated "shoot me." Ultimately, Officer Duran, in fear of his life, made the decision to fire his gun at Vernon May. Deputy Newhouse assisted Officer Duran during the incident and observed that Vernon May appeared intent on hurting someone, Deputy Newhouse also fired his gun at Vernon May. A total of 10 shots were fired, nine by Officer Duran and one by Deputy Newhouse.

Beltrami County Attorney David Hanson announced today that he has concluded, after a thorough review of the facts surrounding the death and determined Officer Duran and Deputy Newhouse were legally justified when they used deadly force that resulted in Mr. May's death.

Access to the evidence obtained by the BCA during their investigation into this incident, as well as other investigative reports compiled in this case may be accessed by contacting the BCA Public Information Officer Jill Oliveira at 651-793-2726.

A YouTube of the police body cam footage is included in the Red Lake Nation News item:

There's more on the death in the Bemidji Pioneer. It reported on November 30, 2018 in UPDATED: BCA releases names in shooting death; group protests in downtown Bemidji:

By the time officials released the name of Vernon May on Friday, the world already knew he was the man killed during an officer-involved shooting two days before.

And, in that brief time, his name became a rallying cry on the Internet, the focus of local debate about whether law enforcement was justified in his shooting death, and the spark for a protest through downtown on Friday night.  . . . 

By Friday, a protest had begun forming through social media, ultimately bringing upward of 60 people to the Paul and Babe statues in downtown Bemidji on Friday night. A drum circle filled the winter night with the sound of Native singers. . . .

Before the officers were cleared, the Pioneer reported in  January 2019's Beltrami County attorney begins reviewing fatal shooting:

 . . .The shooting has caused substantial unrest within the Native American community, which has called for more clarity regarding what happened during the traffic stop. Because of that, Police Chief Mike Mastin issued a statement Dec. 14, indicating that the footage from Duran's body camera eventually would be made public. . . .

Did the county attorney's findings settle matters for Red Lake Tribe's community members? In December 2019, the Pioneer reported in Deadly-force meeting in Bemidji explores Native American treatment in justice system:

One after another, multiple Native American activists stepped forward Tuesday, Dec. 17, to air grievances about the deep distrust they have with law enforcement agencies and the criminal justice system overall.

Held on the BSU campus, Tuesday's session was just one of several meetings held statewide by Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, focusing on ways to reduce deadly force encounters between law enforcement and local residents. .  . .

Police-involved shootings have been a major source of debate in Minnesota and across the country in recent years. Contrary to the perception that it's an urban issue, Ellison said a large number of the deadly force encounters occur in greater Minnesota. One of those happened just over a year ago when a Bemidji Police officer and a Beltrami County Sheriff's deputy shot and killed 34-year-old Vernon May of Red Lake during a traffic stop, which created substantial backlash from the Native community. . . .

Has Duran gained the trust of tribal members? Will the letter have an impact on their votes?

Photo: A crowd marched along Minnesota Avenue in downtown Bemidji in 2018, protesting the shooting death of Vernon May, 34, by local law enforcement. (Jordan Shearer | Bemidji Pioneer).

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Photo: From the Pioneer Press, Grossell front and center during the Pledge of Allegiance on opening day.

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Photo: From the Pioneer Press, Grossell front and center during the Pledge of Allegiance on opening day.

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 Oct 06, 2024 at 06:29 PM | | Comments (0)

Oct 04, 2024

Standing Rock Tribe is latest to sue social media companies for alleged mental health effects

My partner's tribe, the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate, is one of the tribes for which Robins Kaplan filed a similar lawsuit, according to the South Dakota Searchlight story below.

Standing Rock Tribe is latest to sue social media companies for alleged mental health effects
by John Holt

The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe in North and South Dakota has filed a lawsuit in California against the parent companies of Facebook, Snapchat, YouTube and TikTok.

The lawsuit, which alleges the tech companies’ social media apps are addictive and contribute to a mental health crisis on tribal lands, is the latest in a series filed by Native American tribes through the Minneapolis-based Robins Kaplan law firm. 

In April, the Spirit Lake Tribe in North Dakota and the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin filed the first two lawsuits to make the allegations of deceptive, harmful practices and demand compensation “in an amount to be determined in a trial.”

The lawsuits all allege that the social media companies have preyed upon teens for profit by offering up content through algorithms designed to hook users and keep them online for an unhealthy amount of time. 

Recent research “draws a direct line from harmful features on social media to the youth mental health crisis happening in this country,” Robins Kaplan attorney Tara Sutton said in an April press release on the initial complaints.

That press release also pointed out that tribal teen suicide rates are roughly 3.5 times higher than the national average in the United States, according to the Center for Native American Youth.

According to Robins Kaplan, the firm has filed similar lawsuits on behalf of the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa in Minnesota, Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate of South Dakota, Spirit Lake Nation in North Dakota, the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin and Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians based in North Dakota.

The social media companies have also been sued by 33 state attorneys general for their alleged targeting of teens. South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley is among the plaintiffs in that case. 

The companies involved have pledged to improve their protections for young people. A representative from Meta, Facebook’s parent company, appeared in Pierre this week to trumpet the protective measures on its Instagram app. The representative also said it would support an effort by lawmakers in South Dakota to implement app store-based age verification. 

The Standing Rock complaint, filed on Oct. 1, charges the social media companies with being a public nuisance, negligence and deceptive practices.

“Defendants’ conduct has created a public health crisis in Plaintiff’s communities,” the complaint says. “There has been a surge in the proportion of youth in Plaintiff’s community who are anxious, depressed, or suicidal.”

Requests for comment sent to the social media companies by South Dakota Searchlight were not immediately returned.

This South Dakota Searchlight article is republished online under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. 

Image: The flag of the Standing Rock Tribe.

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 Oct 04, 2024 at 04:58 PM | | Comments (0)

Oct 03, 2024

Evergreen Acres Dairy to pay $250,000 to resolve wage theft case brought by MN attorney general

The New Testament Book of James condemns wage theft. I'm not sure if this settlement is entirely just for the workers.

Bluestem last looked at this case of wage theft by republishing a Minnesota Reformer article  No criminal charges brought in Evergreen Dairy $3 million wage theft case. Was there a crime? in January.

News about the case in Thursday's Minnesota Reformer.

Minnesota dairy farm to pay $250,000 to resolve wage theft case brought by attorney general
by Max Nesterak

Evergreen Acres Dairy will pay $250,000 in back wages and make repairs to its worker housing to settle a lawsuit brought by Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, who alleged the dairy’s owners underpaid hundreds of workers while charging them for squalid, cockroach-infested housing.

The settlement with Evergreen Acres, which operates 18 facilities across central Minnesota, represents a rare victory in the fight against wage theft, one of Ellison’s signature priorities.

“Today, we send a strong message that dairy farms like Evergreen and all employers in Minnesota cannot illegally profit off the backs of workers,” Ellison said in a statement on Thursday.

Yet the agreement also reflects the paltry price employers can expect to pay for cheating workers, if they’re penalized at all. The $250,000 settlement amount is less than one-tenth of the $3 million Ellison’s office said workers were owed in the lawsuit filed in January.

Fe Y Justicia Worker Center Executive Director Ma Elena Gutierrez, who helped the workers bring their complaints to the attorney general, said she was glad the abuses came to light but disappointed by the settlement amount.

“It’s not fair. It’s not justice,” Guitierrez said. “I think the workers deserve more.”

Brian Evans, a spokesman for the attorney general, said they believed the settlement was the best deal they could get for workers “given the financial struggles that many in the dairy industry are facing.” Evans said the office is still working to identify which workers are eligible for compensation so could not say how many workers will receive back pay.

Evergreen Acres owners Keith Schaefer and his daughter Megan Hill did not have to admit any wrongdoing as part of the settlement, and it’s unclear if they will face any criminal charges, even though stealing wages in excess of $1,000 is a felony under a 2019 Minnesota law.

A spokesperson for the Stearns County Attorney’s Office said no criminal case involving Schaefer or Hill had been referred to them.

An attorney for Schaefer and Hill did not respond to an email seeking comment.

The lawsuit was one of the largest wage theft cases brought by the Attorney General’s Office, and alleged horrific abuses of the dairy’s immigrant workforce that went far beyond stolen wages.

When one employee did not report to work because of an injury, Schaefer allegedly “grabbed him by his neck, pushed him against the wall, and told him that if he didn’t go to work, he had to leave Evergreen within 10 minutes.”

Another employee was fired for taking a day off to go to a clinic after he got chemicals in his eyes while on the job, according to the complaint.

Schaefer allegedly threatened to kill one employee and reminded the workers of a dog he recently killed. He told other employees — many of whom are undocumented immigrants — that he would call the police on them, according to the complaint.

Other details read like they were ripped from the pages of Upton Sinclair’s “The Jungle” or George Orwell’s “Down and Out in Paris and London”: Some employees who worked 12-hour day shifts shared the same bed with others who worked 12-hour night shifts, and they had their wages automatically deducted for rent.

Evergreen employees regularly worked six days a week for $12.50 to $17.50 per hour until Evergreen Acres made them salaried employees, according to Ellison’s lawsuit.

Workers lived in garages, barns and other buildings unfit for human habitation. Some lived with bedrooms and bathrooms covered in mold, while others didn’t even have toilets.

Ellison accused Evergreen Acres of exploiting workers’ vulnerabilities, saying many are from the Oaxaca region and speak Zapotec as their first language and Spanish as their second. Many have limited or no English, nor understanding of their rights as workers, regardless of immigration status.

Ellison’s office noted the various tasks workers have to do — corralling cows, breeding cows, cleaning manure — are “physically demanding and run the risk of death and serious injury.”

In March, Ellison’s office announced a temporary injunction in which the dairy agreed to keep proper records of employee hours; stop charging rent for substandard housing; and pay for a housing inspector to document any housing code violations.

As part of the settlement dismissing the case, the Attorney General’s Office will be able to monitor the Minnesota dairy and its related companies, Evergreen Estates and Morgan Feedlots, for future violations for the next three years. Schaefer and Hill must submit regular payroll records to the Attorney General’s Office and allow inspections of its employee housing to ensure it meets basic habitability standards.

This Minnesota Reformer article is republished online under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.

Photo: At one farm, workers lived in a converted barn that was infested with cockroaches. The “kitchen sink” was a utility sink next to a water heater. Photos from civil complaint, via Minnesota Reformer.

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Posted by on Oct 03, 2024 at 06:10 PM | | Comments (0)

Oct 02, 2024

Indigenous: Harris-Walz campaign launches coalition to engage Native American voters

I'm just back from a drive to look at the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate's buffalo herd here on the Lake Traverse Reservation with a friend who is a tribal elder--and pleased to read about a coalition to energize the indigenous voter. 

From the Minnesota Reformer.

Harris-Walz campaign launches coalition to engage Native American voters
by Michelle Griffith

Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan on Wednesday helped launch the Harris-Walz campaign’s new Native American coalition, seeking to energize the often overlooked but increasingly important Indigenous vote.

“Native people will absolutely help decide the results of this election,” Flanagan told the ballroom of Native leaders and attendees at the Mystic Lake Center in Prior Lake. “Native voters in Arizona in 2020 absolutely helped to deliver the presidential race for Biden-Harris, and that’s why I’m so grateful to be here with you … to talk about everything that we can do in this moment.”

Flanagan — a member of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe — would become the nation’s first Native American woman to serve as governor if Gov. Tim Walz is elected vice president. 

In August, Vice President Kamala Harris made an appeal to Native voters at a rally in Arizona, telling the crowd that as president she would honor Native American treaties.

“I will always honor tribal sovereignty and respect tribal self-determination and fight for a future where every Native person can realize their aspirations, and every Native community is a place of opportunity,” Harris said.

Native issues have been at the forefront of federal policy in recent years, especially in the courts. Last year, U.S. Supreme Court rejected a challenge to the 1978 Indian Child Welfare Act, which established federal standards aimed at keeping Native American children in the foster care system in the care of Native families. The Supreme Court that year also ruled in a 5-4 decision that the U.S government didn’t need to ensure the Navajo Nation’s access to water in the drought-ridden Colorado River system, despite an 1868 treaty guaranteeing a permanent home on the reservation.

U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland, a member of the Pueblo of Laguna, is the nation’s first Native American cabinet secretary. In 2021, she launched the Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative, which aims to recognize the government’s role in forcibly removing Native children from their families and assimilating them in boarding schools.

On Wednesday, Flanagan said Walz would also be a good partner to Native people and defender of tribal sovereignty if elected vice president. She cited his record as governor, noting that he was the first Minnesota governor to visit all 11 tribal nations within the state’s borders; helped open the country’s first office for missing and murdered Indigenous relatives; and signed off on historic investments for tribal nations.

She also noted that in 2023, the Walz-Flanagan administration, with the help of the Minnesota Legislature, returned the land in the Upper Sioux State Park back to the Upper Sioux Community — a land transfer that the tribal community had requested for years.

Flanagan said over the next 34 days, she’ll campaign for Harris and Walz, including in Michigan.

“I’m so proud that we have two incredibly strong advocates for Indian Country on the ticket,” Flanagan said.

This Minnesota Reformer article is republished under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.

Photo: Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan spoke at the Harris-Walz Native American national coalition launch at Mystic Lake Center in Prior Lake on Oct. 2, 2024. Photo by Michelle Griffith/Minnesota Reformer.

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Posted by on Oct 02, 2024 at 08:02 PM | | Comments (0)

Mark Robinson's inclusion via video in Sioux Falls fundraiser divides SD Republican Party

Toby Doeden speaks during Dakota First Action's Victory Gala on Oct. 1, 2024, in Sioux Falls. (Joshua Haiar/South Dakota Searchlight)

Both of the Republican House candidates on the ballot in District One, home to Bluestem Prairie's world headquarters, are endorsed by Dakota First Action. 

I'm curious whether Logan Manhart or Christopher Reder attended this event.

UPDATE 2: As this post on his Facebook page reveals, Christopher Reder was also at the fundraiser:

UPDATE: It looks as if Logan Manhart was there, as the background--the stage, podium, backdrop and rail on the stage--matches that in the South Dakota Searchlight YouTube. From his personal Facebook page:

End update

From South Dakota Searchlight.

North Carolina candidate’s inclusion in Sioux Falls event divides SD Republican Party
by Joshua Haiar

SIOUX FALLS – A political fundraiser featuring a video message from a controversial Republican candidate for governor of North Carolina further divided the factions within the South Dakota Republican Party on Tuesday night.  

The message came from North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson. CNN recently reported that Robinson made racist and sexually explicit remarks more than a decade ago on a pornographic website’s message board. The report said Robinson, who has a recent history of anti-transgender rhetoric, said he enjoyed watching transgender pornography, referred to himself as a “black Nazi,” expressed support for reinstating slavery and praised Adolf Hitler. 

Robinson’s video speech occurred during the Dakota First Action political action committee’s Victory Gala. Toby Doeden, an Aberdeen businessman and founder of Dakota First Action, said his fellow Republicans who are condemning Robinson are hurting the party.

“CNN has no substantive proof,” Doeden said. “Republicans will eat their own. If he were on the left, not a single Democrat would have called for him to step down.”

Other Republicans react

South Dakota House Majority Leader Will Mortenson, R-Fort Pierre, condemned the event and called those hosting it non-Republicans.

“I spoke out against Nazis when they came to the Capitol this summer,” Mortenson said in a statement, referencing a June march in Pierre by a neo-Nazi group, “and don’t like them any better when they are in Sioux Falls. When you’re throwing a rally featuring a self-described Nazi, you’re not a Republican. You belong to a different party. There’s no room for Nazi sympathy in our party or in our state.”

Doeden considered but ultimately decided against challenging U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson, R-South Dakota, in the June primary election. Doeden said he organized Tuesday’s event to celebrate the “America First conservatives” who won their June legislative primary elections, and to rally support for their general election campaigns. 

Current state Republican leaders “aren’t conservatives,” Doeden alleged. 

“They’re liberals that register as Republicans because they can’t get elected as Democrats,” he said. “These people are hacks. They’re clowns. They’re disgusting. I started my PAC to eradicate hacks like that from serving in the Legislature – period.” 

Republican former state representative Casey Murschel called Robinson’s inclusion in the Sioux Falls event “an insult to every Republican in our state.”

“It is embarrassing and offensive to have a Republican group, Dakota First Action, celebrating Republican primary election victories by inviting an anti-woman misogynist to South Dakota,” Murschel said in a statement.

She was referring to Robinson’s abortion rhetoric and his support for an abortion ban. Murschel currently serves as chair of Republicans for Freedom Amendment G. That’s the Nov. 5 ballot measure that would re-establish abortion rights in South Dakota. 

Robinson’s abortion comments have included saying, “Abortion in this country is not about protecting the lives of mothers, it’s about killing the child because you were not responsible enough to keep your skirt down.”

About 150 people attended the Sioux Falls event, including some Republican state lawmakers and legislative candidates. Robinson was originally billed as an in-person speaker, but ended up appearing by video as North Carolina recovers from severe damage caused by Hurricane Helene.

In his brief speech, Robinson criticized Democrats as people wanting to turn the country into a “socialist hellhole.”

“We’re no longer dealing with JFK, we’re no longer even dealing with Bill Clinton, we’re now dealing with confirmed socialists, confirmed communists,” Robinson said.  

Ticket prices ranged from $250 for general admission to $20,000 for a “Chairman’s Sponsorship.” Doeden did not say how much money was raised, but said proceeds would go toward Dakota First Action’s mission. The next campaign finance reporting deadline in South Dakota is Oct. 21.

Doeden said inviting Robinson to speak was an obvious choice. 

“He’s the top public speaker in the nation right now. We’re having a gala. You want the speaker to amp up the crowd,” Doeden said. “And he’s running for governor of North Carolina as an America First warrior.”

NAACP conducts protest

Robinson’s involvement was met with a protest organized by the Sioux Falls chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

Julian Beaudion, a Sioux Falls NAACP member, said Robinson’s rhetoric is harmful to marginalized communities. 

“We can debate about the posts that were reported by CNN,” Beaudion said. “Or we point to the words that come directly from his mouth on stage. Those are the things we cannot dispute. Calling the civil rights movement a farce, saying Martin Luther King was weak – there’s clear hatred that’s been spewed by him.” 

HuffPost reported in January that its review of Robinson’s past Facebook posts found descriptions of King as a “communist” and the 1960s civil rights movement as “crap.”

Doeden’s own controversial comments

Doeden has a history of controversy himself. 

While he was publicly considering a challenge to Johnson, reporters called attention to some of Doeden’s social media posts. He encouraged the shooting of immigrants in gangs, used a profane insult to describe President Joe Biden, and labeled statistics about hatred of Jewish Americans as “fake.”

Doeden stood by the comments. But after the comments were reported, he opted against a run for Congress and switched to targeting what he calls “fake Republicans” in the state Legislature. His political action committee seeks to replace them with candidates who align with the “America First” agenda popularized by former President Donald Trump.

Doeden’s Dakota First Action PAC has faced scrutiny due to a $100,000 contribution from Doeden himself. Following concerns raised about state campaign finance laws — particularly the $10,000 limit on individual contributions to PACs — Doeden amended the report, stating that the money was a loan rather than a donation.

During the leadup to the June primary election, Doeden’s PAC spent about $25,000 on data acquisition and $15,000 supporting candidates. His efforts contributed to 14 losses by incumbent Republican legislators.

This South Dakota Searchlight article is republished under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.

Photo: Toby Doeden speaks during Dakota First Action’s Victory Gala on Oct. 1, 2024, in Sioux Falls. (Joshua Haiar/South Dakota Searchlight).

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 Oct 02, 2024 at 09:05 AM | | Comments (0)

Oct 01, 2024

Summit Carbon Solution's ethanol carbon pipeline takes #2 spot on Heatmap's The Most At-Risk Projects of The Energy Transition

Atrisk

What progress is Summit Carbon Solutions' ethanol carbon pipeline making? As readers know, Bluestem isn't a fan.

Just up on October 1, 2024, it's at the #2 position of Heatmap's Risk Index. In The Most At-Risk Projects of the Energy Transition, there's this:

Summit Carbon Solutions is trying to build what would be the largest pipeline designed to carry carbon dioxide in the United States. The project would collect CO2 captured from ethanol plants throughout the five states that it passes through and deliver the liquified greenhouse gas to an injection well in North Dakota where the CO2 would be sequestered underground.

To date, the developer has signed up 57 separate ethanol plants to hook up to the line. Summit says the pipeline will enable ethanol producers to access new, low-carbon fuel markets, including for “sustainable aviation fuel.” But the project faces mounting opposition from a diverse range of stakeholders, including landowners who don’t want it to pass through their property, environmental groups like the Sierra Club who view it as a “false solution” to climate change, and Republican legislators who question the project’s merits on the grounds that climate change is merely a “hypothesis.” Presidential nominee Donald Trump has also said he’d help fight the pipeline if elected.

The fight escalated this summer after the Iowa Utilities Commission granted Summit the right to use eminent domain to build on the properties of unwilling landowners. Now, many of the opposition groups, including a group called Republican Legislative Intervenors for Justice, are suing to reverse the decision. The Iowa Commission also granted Summit a permit to begin construction, but it’s contingent on the company getting permits in North and South Dakota first — both of which rejected the project the first time Summit applied. The company has since altered its route in South Dakota and reapplied, but its fate in that state is also dependent on a measure on the November 5 ballot that would allow state regulators to override local ordinances and zoning laws designed to keep the pipeline out. Meanwhile, the company is also still awaiting approvals in Minnesota and Nebraska, as well as a permit to drill a Class VI CO2 storage well in North Dakota. The process of acquiring permits and easements has taken so long that one of the project’s suppliers, a pipe welding company, has also sued Summit for delaying production. —Emily

Heatmap's About Us page describes the group:
Heatmap News is climate news for the real world. We tell the inside story of the race to fix the planet, with deep reporting on emerging decarbonization trends, like electric vehicles, clean hydrogen, and carbon capture, in addition to climate change and its impact on our economy, politics, and society. (You can read more about us here.) ...
 
The winner of Adweek's 2024 Hot List for Sustainability, Heatmap has built an influential audience of hundreds of thousands of climate, energy and sustainability professionals. Our community is not just passionate about climate change and decarbonization; it's also an international network of business leaders, government officials, climate tech entrepreneurs, VC's, investors, legal and policy experts, academics, journalists, and concerned citizens.  . .. 
Screenshot: From Heatmap's At Risk page.
 
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Posted by on Oct 01, 2024 at 05:55 PM | | Comments (0)

Sep 30, 2024

Buried treasure in Star Tribune's Heintzeman pressuring Pequot Lakes police chief article?

Joshh

Update 9/3 2:50: For a conservative view of this kerfuffle, check out Action4Liberty"s Corrupt Rep. Josh Heintzeman Tries to Manipulate and Seek Revenge on Police Chief. A taste:

Representative Josh Heintzeman is a perfect embodiment of the clowns, dweebs, and trolls that the RINO establishment cooks up and force feeds to the public. Despite lacking interpersonal skills and ethical boundaries, Heintzeman has climbed the ladder of the GOP establishment in the State House and is the Chair of the House Republican Campaign Committee (HRCC) which violated the MNGOP Constitution by giving nearly $35K to unendorsed incumbent RINOs in deep red district primaries. He now finds himself in new hot water over dirty tactics he tried to employ against a POLICE CHIEF! . . .

One interesting note is that Police Chief Mike Davis is the brother of State Rep. Ben Davis in District 6A. Many consider Ben Davis to be very conservative because only he and Senator Nathan Wesenberg (SD10) endorsed President Trump. Wesenberg endorsed Trump in November 2023 and Rep. Davis endorsed Trump in December 2023. No other incumbent MN legislator publicly endorsed Trump before the primary. With a district in the same Senate district as Heintzeman, Rep. Davis appears to be friendly and has posted many pictures with Heintzeman on his Facebook page. While this may look like support, we suspect that Rep. Davis has simply been using this as a tool to inform voters of how short Heintzeman the troll is!  . .. 

Who knew? And here Bluestem had only noticed Heintzeman's youthful complexion. Read the whole thing at A4L. [End update]

As a diligent watcher of the Minesota House Environment and Natural Resources Finance and Policy Committee when the legislature is in session, I haven't been able to avoid seeing Josh Heintzeman, R-Nisswa, as he is the much-suffering minority lead.

While I admire how he keeps his complexion so bright as he ages, there's not much else I respect in the legislator, and certainly don't hope he gets a chance to lead the committee should the House change hands, what with his defense of lead as a natural thing and peculiar ideas about CWD.

Thus I read Kim Hyatt's recent article in the Minnesota Star Tribune with great interest. Pequot Lakes police chief says Rep. Josh Heintzeman pressured him for support opens and closes with this information:

Pequot Lakes Police Chief Mike Davis said that Rep. Josh Heintzeman, a Republican from Nisswa, pressured him for support after the chief signed a petition for a third-party candidate seeking to challenge Heintzeman.

Heintzeman is running for a sixth term against DFLer Emily LeClaire and independent candidate Troy Scheffler, a rival fellow conservative who has sued Heintzeman for defamation and filed other campaign complaints against him. Earlier this year, Davis signed Scheffler’s successful petition to get on the ballot in House District 6B, which covers parts of Crow Wing County.

Last week, Scheffler filed a new complaint with the Office of Administrative Hearings accusing Heintzeman of violating the Fair Campaign Practices Act during the interaction with Davis. The office will consider arguments from the candidates in a probable cause hearing Oct. 15 . . .

The 6B District includes the cities of Baxter, Breezy Point, Jenkins, Nisswa, Pequot Lakes and all but one precinct in Brainerd. That one precinct is included in District 6A, which is represented by Davis’s brother, Rep. Ben Davis, R-Merrifield, who is seeking a second term this election.

Chief Davis said he doesn’t like being caught in the middle of a political dispute. His intention in signing the petition in June wasn’t about endorsing any candidate, he said.

“People are tired of the two-party system,” Davis said. “Why not give a third option?”

Bluestem hasn't posted much about Christian national and election denier Ben Davis--though readers may remember Ben Davis, Master of Ceremonies for Dec 2021 'Searching For Truth' event, GOP endorsed in 6A and  Election deniers appointed to Minnesota House Elections Finance & Policy committee.

I'm left to ponder just how Thanksgiving and family reunions play out in the Davis family--and whether conservatives in the region are liekly to slink into an Otter Tail County sort of world.

Photo: Josh Heintzeman. Photo by Keir Heintzeman, from campaign website.

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Posted by on Sep 30, 2024 at 11:04 AM | | Comments (0)

Sep 28, 2024

Suspicious package from “Traitor Elimination Army” sent to MN Secretary of State Simon's office deemed nonhazardous

While I respect Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon more than South Dakota's Monae Johnson, I would be equally repulsed if someone sent her office a suspicious package with a creepy return address.

Fortunately, the package that the MN SOS's office received Friday contained nonhazardous material, as Kristi Miller reports in the Pioneer Press article, Suspicious package sent to Minn. elections office this week contained nonhazardous material:

Similar packages have been delivered to secretaries of state in 15 other states

A suspicious package delivered Friday to the Minnesota Secretary of State’s office at the state Capitol complex in St. Paul contained a nonhazardous white powder, authorities announced Saturday. . . .

The substance was tested by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the state Department of Health and found to be nonhazardous. Additional tests are being run as the FBI, U.S. Postal Inspection Service and Minnesota State Patrol continue to investigate.

On Friday, the Minnesota Reformer reported on the episode:

Office of Secretary of State Steve Simon sent suspicious package from “Traitor Elimination Army”
by J. Patrick Coolican

The Office of Secretary of State Steve Simon was sent a suspicious package, Simon said in a release Friday, underscoring the dangerous atmosphere for election administration officials in the runup to the 2024 election.

The FBI, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the State Patrol are investigating, and the office was evacuated.

The package was addressed to the office with a return address of “United States Traitor Elimination Army.”

Suspicious envelopes have been either received by election officials or intercepted by law enforcement in Utah, Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Virginia and Wyoming, where the FBI is currently investigating suspicious activity, according to CNN.

In Nebraska recently, the secretary of state found an envelope at its elections division headquarters that contained a white powder, which police determined to be nonhazardous; that same day, a building in Topeka, Kansas was evacuated after authorities found “suspicious” packages sent to both the secretary of state and the attorney general. In Colorado, police intercepted a similar letter that contained a “harmless” white powder addressed to the secretary of state.

Simon said election officials would not be deterred from doing their work: “Threatening election officials is unacceptable and cannot be tolerated. Our democracy depends on public servants who must be able to perform their duties free from fear, intimidation or harassment. This action is not deterring our work or determination to deliver another election that is free, fair, accurate and secure. We will work with our law enforcement partners to ensure the person or persons responsible for this action are held accountable.”

The unnerving nationwide threats illustrate how administering elections has become a more dangerous job since President Donald Trump came on the political scene about a decade ago and began repeatedly questioning election results, despite the vanishingly small number of fraudulent ballots in the United States.

An annual survey of the Brennan Center for Justice found that 38% of local election officials “experienced threats, harassment, or abuse for doing their jobs.” That in turn has led to an exodus from the field, the Brennan Center found:  More than one-third of local election officials know at least one person who resigned at least in part due to safety concerns, up from 22% in 2023, they reported.

States Newsroom contributed reporting. 

This Minnesota Reformer article is republished online under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.

Photo: Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon speaks Friday, Aug. 9, 2024 before a public accuracy test of voting equipment ahead of the primary election at the elections office at Dakota County Administration Center in Hastings, Minnesota. Photo by Nicole Neri for the Minnesota Reformer.

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Posted by on Sep 28, 2024 at 05:48 PM | | Comments (0)

Sep 27, 2024

Dakota Rural Action starts petition urging Noem to reconsider rejection of $69 million in federal funding for home energy-efficiency rebates

I just signed the petition, and urge South Dakota readers to do the same. As the news brief notes: "The petition is open for signatures until Oct. 15 at dakotarural.org/heera."

From the South Dakota Searchlight staff.

Group starts petition urging Noem to reconsider rejection of $69 million in federal energy funding

A statewide advocacy group has launched a petition urging Republican Gov. Kristi Noem to reconsider her rejection of nearly $69 million in federal energy rebates for South Dakotans.

The national Home Energy Rebates program is funded with $9 billion from the Inflation Reduction Act. The program provides rebates for energy-efficient home retrofits and high-efficiency electric appliances.

South Dakota’s allocation is $68.56 million, but the state did not indicate its intent to participate before last month’s deadline. The state previously passed up $1.8 million to help set up and administer the program.

South Dakota is the only state not participating.

Jim Terwilliger, commissioner of the Bureau of Finance and Management, explained the Noem administration’s rationale during a July legislative budget committee meeting. He cited potential administrative burdens, limited staff and policy disagreements about federal spending.

“We just don’t believe that it’s the right thing for South Dakota,” Terwilliger said.

The petition urging Noem to change her mind on the energy program is from Dakota Rural Action, a grassroots organization focusing on family agriculture and conservation.

The group said it asked the U.S. Department of Energy if South Dakota could still participate. The department said the state could request a deadline extension, according to Dakota Rural Action.

“With every other state participating, it’s clear this is not just a ‘bad federal program,’” Dakota Rural Action said Friday in a news release. “If we don’t act, the money will go to other states, and South Dakotans will get nothing.”

The petition is open for signatures until Oct. 15 at dakotarural.org/heera.

This South Dakota Searchlight article is republished online under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.

Map: A Sept. 24, 2024, map from the U.S. Department of Energy shows South Dakota as the only state not participating in the Home Energy Rebates program.

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

Posted by on Sep 27, 2024 at 04:36 PM | | Comments (0)

Understanding the Environment & Natural Resources Trust Fund question on the MN ballot

The Voyageurs Wolf Project is one of many projects funded since the ENRTF was first established in 1988 when 77% of Minnesota voters agreed to a constitutional amendment creating the fund.

While the South Dakota ballot this November contains multiple ballot questions--from reproductive rights and legal cannabis, to repealing a new law thought to favor Summit Carbon Solution's private ethanol carbon pipelines--there's only one statewide question on Minnesota's ballots.

It's the renewal of the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund (ENRTF). If I still lived in Minnesota, I'd vote for this splendid program.

Here's an excellent explainer about the ENRTF by Mohamed Ibrahim at MinnPost.

Understanding the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund on the Minnesota ballot
by Mohamed Ibrahim

For almost a decade, researchers from the University of Minnesota have been studying wolves in north central Minnesota in and around Voyageurs National Park. 

Their research, which has come to be known as the Voyageurs Wolf Project, involves studying the role of wolves in that ecosystem – their reproduction and direct impact on prey populations, as well as indirect impacts on the area’s forests and wetlands.  

That study requires supplies like radio collars, remote cameras, tracking equipment and trapping equipment. Thanks to the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund (ENRTF), researchers can effectively gather data while handling the animals safely and navigating the area off-trail, said Joseph Bump, a University of Minnesota professor and researcher with the project.

“Funds from the Environmental and Natural Resources Trust Fund make the project possible,” Bump said. “It really is a comprehensive funding source that is essential to our work, and the broader program is an asset to the state of Minnesota.”

The Voyageurs Wolf Project is one of many projects funded since the ENRTF was first established in 1988 when 77% of Minnesota voters agreed to a constitutional amendment creating the fund. The dedicated dollars pay for activities and projects that protect, conserve and preserve the state’s natural resources – air, water, fish and wildlife – for the benefit of current and future Minnesotans.

The trust fund, which is partly funded by proceeds from the Minnesota State Lottery system, has provided more than $1 billion for more than 1,600 projects statewide since 1991. Voters across the state will have the opportunity in November to extend the arrangement, which allocates 40% of state lottery proceeds to the fund that is set to expire in 2025.

A blank selection on the ballot question would count as a "no" vote, meaning that in order for the amendment to pass, 50% of all voters statewide must vote yes.

The fund is overseen by the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR), a commission of five lawmakers each from the House and Senate, two citizen members appointed by each chamber and five additional citizens appointed by the governor. The LCCMR makes recommendations for projects that would be funded by the trust fund to the Legislature each year, including a package this year of 101 projects totaling nearly $80 million.

In addition to the Voyageurs Wolf Project, other projects funded by the Trust Fund over the past decade include:

  • $7 million in 2024 for the University of Minnesota’s Invasive Terrestrial Plants and Pests Center.
  • Nearly $5 million in 2023 for expanding recreational activities on Minnesota State Trails by rehabbing and enhancing existing trails across the state.
  • $2 million in 2022 to replace failing septic systems to protect groundwater.
  • $2.7 million in 2021 to help construct the Crane Lake Visitor Center at Voyageurs National Park.
  • $3.5 million in 2020 to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources to protect community forests and plant more trees.
  • $4 million in 2019 to develop solutions to the state’s aquatic invasive species problems through research, control and prevention.
  • $1 million in 2018 to the Minnesota Department of Health to monitor unregulated drinking water contaminants at wells and intakes.

The new amendment was altered to explicitly ban the funds from being used on the construction, repair, improvement or operation of wastewater treatment plants, which have received dollars from the fund in the past. The change comes after outrage from environmental groups in 2018, sparked by lawmakers using the fund to pay for such projects.

The ENRTF differs from the Legacy Amendment, which was another constitutional amendment voted on by Minnesota voters in 2008. The Legacy Amendment, which is set to expire in 2034, uses sales tax to pour money into four separate funds dedicated to outdoor heritage, clean water, parks and trails and arts and cultural heritage. 

DFL Rep. Rick Hansen of South St. Paul, who chairs the House Environment and Natural Resources Finance and Policy Committee and co-chairs the LCCMR, said the ENRTF has funded more research over the years than the Legacy funds, but the main difference between the two sources is the trust fund is ongoing while the Legacy funds are not.

“(The Legacy Amendment) is using the sales tax with appropriations … generally, that is money that is appropriated and that is not a trust,” Hansen said. “The importance right now with the trust fund is to continue the constitutional protection of money going into that trust.”

Due to Minnesotans in urban, suburban and rural areas across the political spectrum all valuing the outdoors, clean water and clean air, Hansen said there has been very little opposition to projects supported by the fund. 

“Minnesotans enjoy the great outdoors, they value clean water and clean air, and they put their trust in us as their elected officials to implement good projects,” Hansen said. “By establishing this fund constitutionally, and the question in front of us to continue that constitutional dedication, it provides protection to that trust that we will invest in the right things to help our state be better.”

This article first appeared on MinnPost and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

Photo: The Voyageurs Wolf Project is one of many projects funded since the ENRTF was first established in 1988 when 77% of Minnesota voters agreed to a constitutional amendment creating the fund. Credit: Voyageurs Wolf Project, via MinnPost.

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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 [email protected] as recipient.

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

Posted by on Sep 27, 2024 at 02:43 PM | | Comments (0)

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