Bluestem Prairie

Can Le Sueur County GOP chair's reading of newspaper coverage of candidates be trusted?

When reading letters-to-the-editor of the Mankato Free Press from Le Sueur County Republican Chair Jerry Lucas, we suspect Lucas's version of media coverage can't be trusted. 

Texts tumble together in Lucas's world. What do we mean?

In Free Press editorials can't be trusted, posted online on October 15, Lucas writes:

My wife and I attended the public forums sponsored by Greater Mankato Growth on Oct. 5 and 6 concerning Senate District 18 races where each candidate was asked to respond to the same questions.

There was no rebuttal or follow-up questioning. Only two audience questions were allowed and the candidates weren't allowed to question their opponents. The audience was asked to remain silent during the recorded session. These interviews, which were not debates by any stretch of the imagination, focused on three issues: inflation, education and public safety.

No question was raised about the legitimacy of the 2020 election. Not one! Neither I nor anyone else heard any discussion or answers by Rep. Susan Akland nor by candidate Mark Wright concerning our last elections.

Apparently The Free Press reporter confronted these candidates after the recorder was turned off, and after the audience left with a "gotcha question" like this: "So what did you think about our last election?"

The reporter says that Akland answered that she didn't know what to think about it, that there were a lot of questions being asked on both sides, and that she has not personally researched it. All of that is true.

Mr. Wright apparently responded, although we were not allowed to hear the exchange, that he had no concerns about our local election but the federal election was "a different story."

That statement was also correct.

The candidates had no idea that this impromptu off the record Q & A session would form the basis of a lengthy editorial in the Oct. 12 Free Press entitled, "Too many election deniers on the ballot." 

What does that editorial, posted online on October 11, Too many election deniers on ballot, say about local candidates Akland and Wright? Here's the copy online:

A troubling aspect of the upcoming general election, not only in Minnesota but nationally, is the pervasiveness among Republican candidates of the false notion that the 2020 election was stolen from then President Donald Trump. . . . 

On a lower level, the Republican nominee for the state Senate seat that includes Mankato, North Mankato and St. Peter is also an election denier. Mark Wright, in a Free Press story published Sunday, said: “I would reference the ‘2000 Mules’ movie about what took place on a national level.”

That movie, created by right-wing troll and conspiracy theorist Dinesh D’Souza, claims that the 2020 election was riddled with fraud. It has been thoroughly discredited on the facts — its claims failed in more than 50 lawsuits filed by Trump or his allies.

And considering the source, that’s no surprise. D’Souza is a felon who benefited from Trump’s misuse of his pardon powers to reward allies convicted of federal crimes (see also Roger Stone, Steve Bannon, Michael Flynn, Paul Manafort, Joe Arpaio and others.) Nothing D’Souza says should ever be taken at face value. . . .

This is no small matter, not after the attempted coup of Jan. 6, 2021. These candidates are deliberately, and without a shred of credible evidence, undermining public confidence in our elections and in democracy itself.

Jensen, Crockett, Fischbach and Wright either know it’s a phony and don’t care, or they are far too gullible to be entrusted with public office.

Akland isn't mentioned in the editorial online.

Did the Free Press's coverage about the Frentz-Wright forum bring up election denial?  In Moore's coverage of the forum online, October 5's Frentz, Wright debate budget, economic growth and more in Wednesday forum, there's no mention of the issue.

In a separate article about the house seat debate, which took place on the next evening, Moore reports on October 6 in Budget and health care surround Akland, Brand forum discussions

 . . .While moderators didn’t ask about it during the debate, both candidates spoke to the Free Press afterwards about whether they believed the 2020 election results.

Brand said he did while Akland said she wasn’t sure.

“Absolutely I do. Unfortunately I lost,” Brand said. “There was no fraud during the recount.”

Brand said the process reaffirmed his support for democracy in Minnesota.

Akland said she believes “there were two sides” to the election.

“Some people strongly think it was stolen. Some people strongly think it was fair,” she said. “What I think going forward is that we have to make sure we have election integrity.”

When asked simply if she believes the results or not, she said she “doesn’t know.”

“I really don’t know,’ she said. “I honestly don’t know. I’ve heard both sides, but I haven’t tried to vet it out myself, so I just stayed away from that discussion, because one thing it is a done deal. The president is who he is. We need to respect that position.”

Lucas brings up this exchange in his letter but as we noted, Akland isn't mentioned in the online version of the editorial, Too many election deniers on ballot.

Wright's views on the 2020 election appear later, in the October 9 article, Frentz, Wright face off in Senate race by a second reporter, Renee Berg. Here's the material on Wright:

As for the legitimacy of last year’s election results, Wright said he has no concerns about the local process but nationally it’s a different story. “I would reference the ‘2000 Mules’ movie about what took place on a national level,” he said.

“2000 Mules” is a debunked movie by right-wing activist Dinesh D’Souza that falsely claims widespread voter fraud. The film’s claims are directly contradicted by rulings in at least 50 lawsuits brought by former President Donald Trump and his allies challenging the outcome of the election.

Again, while the Free Press reporter covering the forums asked Akland and Brand about the integrity of the 2020 election, she didn't report about the issue in her coverage of the state senate race.

Rather, a second reporter covered the state senate race itself in a separate article published on another day.  We suppose that the Free Press could have linked to the Wikipedia article on "2000 Mules," which is heavily documented.

But perhaps what's more telling is Lucas dragging Akland's name into a condemnation of an editorial in which her name doesn't appear, at least not in the online version of the newspaper.

Why would Lucas be such a bad reader? As someone who grew up in Le Sueur County's Kasota Township, we don't want literacy to have sunk since our long ago graduation from the area schools.

Why would he bring this up? What possible agenda might he have?

Looking into our own  coverage of Akland, we find a summary of Akland's election doubts contemporary with January 2020 events in Unmasked, part 3: Minneapolis Star Tribune fills in Storm the Capitol context for Susan Akland, there's this embedded tweet:

GOP state Reps. Susan Akland, Steve Drazkowski, Mary Franson, Glenn Gruenhagen, Eric Lucero, and Jeremy Munson were the "Storm the Capitol" participants. Story from 1/6 here (and with accompanying @MDVancleave video): https://t.co/vC9jlODynb

— Stephen Montemayor (@smontemayor) January 11, 2021

We can see why Lucas might want to discredit the Mankato Free Press. Of course, Akland's a victim, poor thing.

Related posts

• Unmasked: Susan Akland's non-apology apology about storming the Minnesota state capitol
• Correcting the timeline on a report about Stop The Steal; Akland constituents talk back
• Minnesota House sedition faction reply to Protest and Dissent letter, defend attack on state voters
• Couldn't get to DC: Akland, Drazkowski, Franson, Gruenhagen and Lucero storm MN state capitol
• From the Journal of the House: Eight members protest & dissent those who signed Paxton letter

Screengrabs: On September 15, the Le Sueur County Republicans Facebook page showed that voters at the county fair cared about "election integrity" most of all. But heaven forbid anyone might trust journalists to check out what area Republican candidates believe about this issue--or their presence at a MN state capitol "Stop the Steal" protest on January 6.

Update: Nathan Miller responds to MN GOP complaint about MN9 write-in campaign

On Saturday, Bluestem updated the Minnesota Senate District 9 conservative candidate battle between Republican Party endorsed primary winner Jordan Rasmusson and primary loser and write-in candidate Nathan Miller in MN9: Republican Party of MN drops ban hammer on Nathan Miller calling himself a Republican.

On Tuesday, Michael Achterling reported for the Perham Focus in Minnesota GOP files complaint against Senate District 9 write-in candidate Nathan Miller. His reporting included the 13-page Republican Party of Minnesota  complaint we embedded Miller Complaint and Exhibits  on Scribd--and also captured Miller's response.

Achterling reports:

The Republican Party of Minnesota filed an official complaint against Nathan Miller, write-in candidate for state Senate District 9, with the Minnesota Office of Administrative Hearings on Oct. 14.

In the complaint, the MN GOP accused Miller of having "knowingly made false claims stating or otherwise implying that (Miller) has the support or endorsement of the Republican Party of Minnesota."

Miller lost the Republican primary election in August, 51.6% to 48.4%, to Jordan Rasmusson, Republican candidate for Senate District 9, and has since vowed to mount a write-in campaign for the seat due to perceived irregularities involving delegate-switching during the county caucus and district nominating process this past spring. . . .

In an e-mailed response to the complaint, Miller said he's a registered Republican and represented Eagle Lake Township as an official Republican delegate during the party endorsing conventions.

"This is exactly the establishment kind of tactics that turn people off from politics and being involved in their government," Miller added. "The attempt to make some form of scandal out of this is laughable at best. Instead of virtue and honor, their weapons of choice are deceit and election fraud after the caucus. This attempt to tie my campaign up in this minor complaint filed against me is an unnecessary waste of time and resources."

Miller also said he never claimed to be the "endorsed" Republican party candidate and also stated, "this majoring in the minors by the Republican Party is what will lead to a DFL win this fall."

Here's Miller's  full statement:

Nathan Miller Statement - 10/18/22  uploaded by Michael Achterling on Scribd:

There's been some adjustment on how Miller supporters are promoting the write-in campaign. On Facebook, Rocks and Cows of Minnesota shared this Caravan of Patriots image:

Miller is no longer a Republican write-in candidate. The Facebook page later posted:

Click through to all the comments to read what are said to be documents related to the precinct caucus delegate controversary, posted by Caravan of Patriots organizer Carol Hexum.

Related posts

• MN9: Republican Party of MN drops ban hammer on Nathan Miller calling himself a Republican
• MN9: Miller explains his write-in campaign won't elect DFLer; Rasmusson teacher defends Jordan
• The curious case of the Detroit Lakes Tribune correction about Rasmusson's broadband bill
• MN9 LTE: Cornel Walker isn't a fan of Jordan Rasmusson's Minnesota House voting record
• "Not done yet" in MN9: Fergus Falls Journal covers Nathan Miller write-in candidacy
• MN9: Yep, Miller is running a write-in campaign, area conservatives organize against Rasmusson
• After losing primary, has Miller launched write-in campaign, attacking "establishment GOP"?
• Will Westrom family support for Rasmusson primary challenger ruffle MNSenate GOP unity?
• Rocks and Cows' Facebook post author Carol Hexum walks back anti-LGBTQ rally frame
•  Fergus Falls Pride: GOP Senate primary challenger Miller schedules anti-LGBQT event
• Will 2020 redistricting plan boundary adjustment get snuck in to let Westrom live in lake house? 

Image: From the October 18 Rocks and Cows of Minnesota Facebook page.

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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U of MN Regent Steve Sviggum apologizes for questions about diversity at Morris campus

Earlier, Bluestem posted Digest: 2 friends' letters prompt U of M Regent Sviggum to ask if Morris campus is "too diverse".

Since then, WCCO Radio (and other news outlets) have reported U of M Regent Steve Sviggum apologizes for questions about diversity at UM-Morris:

One week after University of Minnesota Board of Regent Steve Sviggum posed a question to Minnesota Morris interim chancellor Janet Schrunk Eriksen, basing it on two letters he received from friends whose children decided againstattending Minnesota Morris because the increased diversity made them uncomfortable, Sviggum has issued an apology . . . .

Prior to an appearance on WCCO Radio Tuesday night with Henry Lake, who has publicly called for Sviggum to step down, he issued the following statement.

“Last week, during University of Minnesota Morris Interim Chancellor Erickson’s presentation on MPact 2025 enrollment goals at Morris, I posed a question regarding the diversity of the student body and whether that diversity was—in any way—linked to the recent enrollment challenges.

Let me unequivocally apologize for my questions, and especially for the unintended hurt my questions may have caused. They were not intended to cause harm, but my intent does not matter. For those whom I have harmed or offended, and for all of those associated with our great university, I am truly sorry. I have only respect and admiration for any individual who seeks to better themselves through higher education, whether at Morris or at any of our wonderful campuses. Minnesota benefits from our many amazing students from all walks of life who make incredible contributions to our community, and their work strengthens the great state of Minnesota. I hope that all of our graduates elect to stay in Minnesota after graduation and work, every day, for the betterment of our state.

My intent – recognizing that my words matter – was to foster discussion around the consistently declining enrollment at Morris, which is not a one-year trend or even a concern that has emerged out of the COVID pandemic. Rather, student enrollment has been declining for years (down 50% from its peak) and the future of this great campus depends on finding solutions to reverse that trend.

I have been blessed throughout my life as a farmer to work with a diversity of people across our state and our nation from all backgrounds. As a layperson in my church, I have shared the joys and heartbreaks of so many of my fellow parishioners. And as a proud Regent, I have been given the incredible opportunity to help our institution, our president, and our students, staff, and faculty who set a very high bar for the rest of us.

Again, I offer my sincerest apologies. I clearly have more to learn to better understand the strength that diversity brings to our institution, and I look forward to taking those who have reached out to me up on their offers to meet and to hear their perspectives and learn from them. I am willing to learn and I must do better—and I will.”

Bluestem will post about how these words are received.

Related posts

• Digest: 2 friends' letters prompt U of M Regent Sviggum to ask if Morris campus is "too diverse".
•  Sviggum chooses power above teaching; how will former speaker survive after giving up job?
•  Pick one: Steve Sviggum can take $80,000 half-time job or Regent's post, ethics panel says

Photo: University of Minnesota Regent Steve Sviggum questioned if diversity was behind the Morris campus’ declining enrollment during a board meeting on Oct. 13, 2022. Screenshot. Via Minnesota Reformer.

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

Digest: 2 friends' letters prompt U of M Regent Sviggum to ask if Morris campus is "too diverse"

UPDATE October 18, 9:06: U of MN Regent Steve Sviggum apologizes for questions about diversity at Morris campus  [end update]

In an official meeting, can a leader casually suggest the concerns of two friends about a campus being "too diverse" for their snowflake children?

The Associated Press reported Tuesday in MN regent criticized for asking if campus is 'too diverse':

The vice chairman of the University of Minnesota Board of Regents is publicly questioning whether enrollment declines at one campus are because it's “too diverse,” a question that has drawn criticism and calls for his resignation.

At a public meeting of the board that oversees the university system last week, Vice Chairman Steve Sviggum, a former Minnesota House speaker, asked acting Morris Chancellor Janet Schrunk Ericksen whether it was “possible at all from a marketing standpoint” that the campus had become “too diverse.”

“I’ve received a couple letters, two actually, from friends whose children are not going to go to Morris because it is too diverse,” Sviggum said at the meeting. “They just didn’t feel comfortable there.”

According to KSTP-TV, which first reported the exchange, Schrunk Ericksen responded “on behalf of minority students,” saying, “I think that they would be shocked that anyone would think our campus was too diverse. ... They certainly feel, at times, isolated where they are located. So, the answer is from that perspective, no.” . . .

My romantic partner, a Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate elder, has often hoped some of his many grandchildren might attend the University of Minnesota Morris. His comments about Regent Sviggum aren't properly publishable here, even in Dakota.

A wonderful response was tweeted by the Morris Campus Student Association of the statement by Student Body President Dylan Young, a citizen of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe.

Last week University of Minnesota Regent Steve Sviggum asked if Morris had “too much diversity”, here is the response from the Morris student body President Dylan Young. pic.twitter.com/E21oOZYdpz

— Morris Campus Student Association (MCSA) (@UMNMorrisMCSA) October 17, 2022

Teamster Local 320 wasn't happy with Sviggum either, and less willing to talk things over a meal. Here's Teamsters Local 320 statement on comment by Steve Sviggum, Board of Regents Vice-Chair, University of Minnesota:

Teamsters Local 320 was appalled and dismayed upon hearing the divisive comments made by Steve Sviggum, Board of Regents Vice-Chair, during a University of Minnesota (UMN) Board of Regents meeting last Thursday.

Local 320 calls for Steve Sviggum to resign immediately.

These comments made during the most recent meeting of the University of Minnesota Board of Regents are abhorrent, as is President Joan Gabel's lack of response to them.

Yet, this is not the first indication of a deeper problem among top leadership at the university. We have seen for years that the President and Regents have little regard for people of color at UMN. President Gabel and the Regents have persistently refused to lift its frontline service workers out of poverty. The university gave President Gabel a 35 percent raise this year, yet will not provide a living wage to custodians, cooks, groundskeepers, and other service workers – many of whom are Black.

The UMN leadership's tolerance of Mr. Sviggum indicates that there is a need to reshape the leadership structure of this important public institution.

We'll turn next to Max Nesterak's coverage of the issue for the Minnesota Reformer.

U of M regent asks if Morris campus is becoming ‘too diverse’
by Max Nesterak

University of Minnesota Regent Steve Sviggum suggested that increased diversity may be contributing to declining enrollment at the system’s rural Morris campus during a recent meeting of the board of regents.

“Is it possible at Morris that we’ve become too diverse? Is it possible at all from a marketing standpoint?” Sviggum said.

Sviggum prefaced his comments by saying it’s important for the institution to promote diversity but said he received two comments from friends saying their kids wouldn’t attend U of M-Morris because it is “too diverse a campus.”

“They just didn’t feel comfortable there,” Sviggum said.

Sviggum, a former Republican speaker of the Minnesota House, raised the question as the board was discussing declining enrollment with the Morris campus’ acting chancellor Janet Schrunk Ericksen.

Like colleges and universities across the country, the University of Minnesota-Morris has been grappling with declining enrollments for the past decade. Of the University of Minnesota’s five campuses, enrollment has declined the greatest at Morris, which has seen a 45% drop in the number of students attending from 10 years ago. In the 2011 academic year, Morris had 1,932 students compared to 1,068 today.

 

In her presentation to the regents on Oct. 12, Ericksen said the college has struggled to attract students amid increased competition for high school students and a growing preference for urban campuses.

The greatest enrollment decline has been among white students. Nearly 70% of the student body was white a decade ago compared to 54% of the student body in the current academic year. The share of Native students has increased significantly from 13% a decade ago to 31% today.

The Morris campus has historically had a large Native American student population, a function of the college’s history. The college is on the site of a former Indian boarding school. When the land was transferred to the state of Minnesota it came with the stipulation that Native students have free tuition.

The college also offers extensive Native cultural and academic programming, including Ojibwe language instruction. It boasts being the only four-year college in the upper Midwest qualifying for federal designation as a Native American Serving Non-Tribal Institution.

While the share of Native American students at Morris has increased over the past decade, the percentage of other racial minorities has not changed significantly.

Sviggum said he knew he was “on thin ice” with the question but “at 72 years old, I say things that I wouldn’t never of even thought when I was 52.”

Ericksen replied that she recently met with members of the Black student association, who would disagree with that characterization. Less than 4% of the student body is Black.

“I think they would be shocked that anyone would think our campus was too diverse. They certainly, at times, feel very isolated where they are located,” Ericksen said. “So from that perspective, the answer is no.”

She went on to say multiple perspectives are “absolutely core” to liberal arts education, and noted that white students are the majority on the campus.

Sviggum said it was a good answer.

Sviggum later went on WCCO Radio to defend the comments, saying he was “just asking a question.”

Sviggum served in the state House for 28 years as a Republican representative from southeastern Minnesota. He left the House to be commissioner of the Department of Labor and Industry. He later became communications director for the Republican caucus in the state Senate. He has served on the Board of Regents since 2011.

University of Minnesota President Joan Gabel has not publicly responded to Sviggum’s comments. Regents Board Chair Ken Powell issued a statement saying “our diversity is a strength.”

Graphs by Christopher Ingraham.

There's much twitter chatter about the incident. Bluestem agrees most with Star Tribune features columnist Laura Yuen

I truly hope he can come to see his own biases and understand why even verbalizing this question is offensive. As a leader, you don’t have to spitball terrible ideas. And adding the phrase “without being racist” doesn’t make it less racist. https://t.co/AqnSTV6j0r

— Laura Yuen (@laura_yuen) October 18, 2022

Related posts

•  Sviggum chooses power above teaching; how will former speaker survive after giving up job?
•  Pick one: Steve Sviggum can take $80,000 half-time job or Regent's post, ethics panel says

Photo: University of Minnesota Regent Steve Sviggum questioned if diversity was behind the Morris campus’ declining enrollment during a board meeting on Oct. 13, 2022. Screenshot. Via Minnesota Reformer.

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

Oops: Enbridge to pay $11 million for series of aquifer breaches during Line 3 construction

Water is life, so the water protectors say. For pipeline fans, penalties for aquifer breaches aren't part of reality.

Via Forum News Service, Jimmy Lovrien reports in Enbridge to pay $11 million for aquifer breaches during Line 3 construction:

Enbridge Energy will pay $11 million to the state and an Indigenous band after a series of aquifer breaches during the construction of its Line 3 oil pipeline across northern Minnesota last year.

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and Department of Natural Resources on Monday said the money would be spent on penalties, ongoing monitoring, environmental projects and financial assurances for three aquifer breaches near Enbridge's Clearbrook Terminal, LaSalle Creek in Hubbard County and just west of the Fond du Lac Reservation.

The MPCA also found Enbridge "violated a series of regulations and requirements including discharging construction stormwater into wetlands and inadvertently releasing drilling mud into surface waters at 12 locations between June 8, 2021, and August 5, 2021."

Additionally, the office of Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison on Monday, Oct. 17, announced Enbridge admitted to the January 2021 breach in Clearwater County and that the company "further admitted that it understood or should have understood that the aquifer breach resulted from its construction activity, and that it delayed notifying the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources about the breach as required."

Repairs have stopped uncontrolled groundwater flow at the Fond du Lac Reservation breach while work has slowed the uncontrolled flow at the Clearbook breach to 20 gallons per minute and the LaSalle Creek to less than 1 gallon per minute, the MPCA and DNR said. . . .

Read the rest at the West Central Tribune. Here's the press release from the Minnesota Attorney General's office:

Enbridge admits it breached aquifer in Line 3 construction, will pay fine and perform environmental restoration 

October 17, 2022 (SAINT PAUL) — Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison announced today that Enbridge Energy Limited Partnership, the owner and operator of the Line 3 Replacement Project in northern Minnesota, has admitted that in January 2021, it breached a confined aquifer in Clearwater County in the course of building Line 3 that led to an uncontrolled flow of groundwater. Enbridge has further admitted that it understood or should have understood that the aquifer breach resulted from its construction activity, and that it delayed notifying the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources about the breach as required.

Enbridge’s admission comes in the context of Attorney General Ellison filing one misdemeanor count against Enbridge in Clearwater County District Court for appropriating state waters without a permit through construction. This is the only criminal charge available under current Minnesota law for the acts the State alleges in its charge. Attorney General Ellison’s office undertook review of this case when the Clearwater County Attorney, who had original criminal jurisdiction over it, referred it the Attorney General’s office for review. Minnesota Statutes 8.01 provides that a county attorney may refer a criminal case to the Attorney General for review, charging, and prosecution. 

Along with the criminal charge, Attorney General Ellison has entered into a diversion agreement, in the form of continuance for dismissal of the charge, in which the State and Enbridge agree that in exchange for Enbridge’s admission of the facts around the aquifer breach, paying a fine of $1,000 — the maximum fine available under the law — and agreeing to remain law-abiding and not further break the law, the charge will be dismissed after one year. In addition, and even though not required under the law, Enbridge agrees to perform a community service project by funding up to $60,000 for fen restoration in Marshall and Polk Counties. 

The terms of the diversion agreement are greater than the State could have won if Enbridge had been convicted of the misdemeanor charge at trial. 

Copies of the criminal complaint and diversion agreement will be available when the court has opened the docket with a case file number, which the State anticipates will happen later today. 

The filing of the criminal charge and agreement with Enbridge comes in the context of other agreements with Enbridge that the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, and the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa announced today in which Enbridge agrees to make cash payments, pay penalties, fund environmental restoration and monitoring, and provide financial assurances worth more than $11 million. 

“The facts that Enbridge admits today about its breach of the aquifer constitute in the State’s view a criminal violation of the law. Corporations rarely admit facts that constitute a violation of criminal law. Unless and until the Legislature changes the law, a misdemeanor is the only charge against Enbridge the State can support with probable cause under current state law. I am pleased that the agreement we have reached with Enbridge is greater than any penalty we could have won against Enbridge at trial,” Attorney General Ellison said. 

“Today’s resolution of the criminal charge I filed against Enbridge, coupled with the other settlements the State has reached, constitute an important step forward in holding Enbridge accountable for the damage it caused to Minnesota’s water and environment, and for restoring that damage.” 

“The Clearwater County Attorney’s Office would like to thank Attorney General Ellison and his staff for their dedication and hard work on this complex case,” Clearwater County Attorney Kathryn Lorsbach said. 

At Minnesota Public Radio, Kirsti Marohn reports in Enbridge faces criminal charge, more fines over Line 3 construction:

Enbridge Energy faces a criminal charge and additional financial penalties related to construction of the Line 3 pipeline last year.

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison announced on Monday that his office is filing one misdemeanor count against Enbridge in Clearwater County District Court for using state waters without a permit.

While installing the 330-mile crude oil pipeline across northern Minnesota in January of 2021, Enbridge crews punctured an underground aquifer in Clearwater County, causing uncontrolled flows of groundwater.

Ellison said Enbridge “admitted that it understood or should have understood that the aquifer breach resulted from its construction activity” and that it delayed notifying state agencies about the breach as required. 

The charge will be dismissed after one year if Enbridge pays a $1,000 fine and remains law abiding. . . .

Winona LaDuke, executive director and co-founder of Honor the Earth said she applauds the attorney general for filing a criminal charge and praises the tribes, volunteer water monitors and water protectors who warned of the damages Line 3 could bring. . . .

The Line 3 pipeline started transporting oil in October of last year. In a statement, Enbridge said the pipeline was built “under the most comprehensive regulatory framework in the history of Minnesota,” including permits from federal, state, local and tribal authorities. 

“This included construction oversight by agency and tribal monitors with the authority to stop construction at any time,” the statement read. “When events were identified, Enbridge reported them transparently and corrected them consistent with plans approved by the agencies.”

Enbridge stated that it acknowledges it inadvertently breached an aquifer near the Clearbrook terminal in Clearwater County, and “has worked tirelessly to address the issue” with the DNR and other state agencies. The company fundamentally disagrees with the attorney general that it committed any criminal act, the statement read.

Minnesotans for Line 3, a coalition of cities, labor unions and others that support the project, called the enforcement action “the result of continued efforts by project opponents to ignore reality and enormous economic benefits to main street Minnesota.”

We're not sure what part of "construction stormwater into wetlands and inadvertently releasing drilling mud into surface waters at 12 locations between June 8, 2021, and August 5, 2021" isn't reality, but we're sure we'll hear about that forever from Line 3 supporters.

Photo: Enbridge's Line 3 oil pipeline under construction near the intersection of Hohensee and West Moorhead roads in Carlton County in January 2021. Source: Clint Austin / File / Duluth News Tribune via the West Central Tribune.

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

Lawsuit slap-happy commissioner candidate dressed as clown, spouted 4chan forum memes, at 2020 Crow Wing County Board meeting

Bluestem doesn't usually dive into county-level personality politics, but conflict in the race for a seat on the Crow Wing County Board has captured my attention.

Now reader's tip has provided a colorful side of one candidate's public appearances: dressing as a clown to speak during the public forum component of a county board meeting in 2020.

Saturday in the Brainard Dispatch, Chelsey Perkins reported in Scheffler sues Franzen for defamation, latest in a lengthy lawsuit history:

The story of the District 4 race for Crow Wing County commissioner now includes a defamation lawsuit, alleged campaign law violations and a trespass notice issued by the Baxter Police Department.

Troy Scheffler — a first-time candidate with a lengthy history as a lawsuit plaintiff in state and federal court — started a suit against his opponent, four-term Commissioner Rosemary Franzen, earlier this month. In the suit, Scheffler alleges Franzen made false statements about him to multiple people, causing property owners to remove his campaign signs and undermining hundreds of hours of work.

Scheffler claims Franzen told others he tore down her signs and told people he was endorsed by Crow Wing County sheriff candidate Eric Klang and state Rep. Josh Heintzeman, neither of whom gave Scheffler their endorsements, according to the civil complaint.

Scheffler relays in detail a situation when he said Franzen arrived at a voter’s home — outside of which both of their signs had been displayed at separate times — while Scheffler was there. He said Franzen boxed in his car with her vehicle “in an act of rage” and yelled at the voter that she wanted to speak to him. After Scheffler left, he said Franzen bullied the voter into placing her sign in the yard instead of Scheffler’s sign, according to the complaint. Scheffler said he confirmed this in a conversation with the voter later that day when stopping to pick up his sign, which leaned against a tree.

Beyond citing a conversation Franzen allegedly had with a local attorney making these claims, Scheffler said Franzen called Klang and Heintzeman to push the false endorsement narrative in an attempt to encourage them to denounce Scheffler. . . . 

Those at the heart of the endorsement confusion — Klang and Heintzeman — both confirmed they have not endorsed Scheffler. Scheffler said although he supports Klang, he would never claim an endorsement by him. He said he does not agree with Heintzeman’s political strategies and has no interest in an endorsement from the legislator.

Heintzeman, who is seeking reelection, said he’d recently heard from supporters who asked him if he’d endorsed Scheffler. According to Heintzeman, these supporters — including a businessperson with a prominent sign placement area along a major highway — told him they’d gotten this impression from conversations with Scheffler. Although he preferred not to get involved in a nonpartisan race, Heintzeman said the situation forced his hand to openly endorse Franzen, who he’s long supported. He’s since provided Franzen with a handwritten and signed endorsement she posted Monday, Oct. 10, to her Facebook profile. . . . 

Read the details in Perkins' piece. It's not often Representative Heintzeman gets my sympathy, but it's happened in this tale of political Faulknerian complexity.

Perkins details years of lawsuits on Scheffler's part:

In voter’s guide listings, Scheffler has described his occupation as “legal.” Scheffler said Oct. 6 he recently began working part-time for a friend, completing legal brief writing and other legal work.

He does not have a law degree, but he spends time crafting an avalanche of legal documents across multiple active lawsuits at any given moment. According to Minnesota and federal court records, Scheffler has at least 109 civil or conciliation actions to his name, with 60 cases in which he is the plaintiff in state court and 49 cases in the federal system.

These cases date back as early as 2000, although Scheffler became more active in 2008 and later. Some of those in federal court began in the state system and several made claims under federal law derived from the same set of facts as state cases.

“I think people should stand up for themselves. I think more people would do that if they weren’t so intimidated by the court system,” Scheffler said. “ … You can’t necessarily file a lawsuit to force them into a particular type of behavior. But unfortunately, when companies are doing something wrong or a government is doing something wrong, when they have to start paying money for it, then, you know, sometimes they can go, ‘Well, you know, this just isn’t cost effective.’”

Defendants in Scheffler’s suits include a number of law enforcement officers, city governments, county governments, state agencies and their commissioners, corporations, debt collection agencies, state judges and a university. Among local targets are Costco, S & R Quisberg Inc. (which owns local Cub Foods stores), The Home Depot, Menard Inc., Brothers Motorsports, Minnesota Auto & Drivers License of Brainerd, Lake Edward Township, city of Nisswa and Crow Wing County.

I admire her diligence in investigating his legal career.

A reader sent news of an earlier newsworthy episode in Scheffler's public career, the 2020 R & J Broadcasting story by Sean Bjerk, Man Dresses in Clown Costume, Threatens Lawsuit Against Crow Wing County in Board Meeting from October 27:

The Crow Wing County Board met for a regular meeting on Tuesday, October 27. The regular business item portion of the meeting was relatively quick, but the main highlight of the meeting took place during the public forum component.

A man, who announced his name was “Troy Scheffler, all capitals,” spoke during the public forum and used his two minutes seemingly for the purposes of satire, as he dressed in a clown suit and frequently made references to memes most commonly associated with white supremacist 4chan forums.

Scheffler referenced a “high prophet Pepe,” in reference to Pepe the Frog, who was designated as a hate symbol by the Anti Defamation League in 2016, in addition to referring to a “cheese pizza” deputy, a term that is frequently linked to pedophilia and child pornography in the same forums.

The substance of Scheffler’s time spent speaking was his accusation that the Crow Wing County Sheriff’s office unlawfully accessed his data, and that in two weeks he would be serving the county with a lawsuit.

This is not the first time Scheffler has either shown up to a Crow Wing County Board meeting threatening a lawsuit or used litigation in general, but this sequence of events dates back to a special meeting from the city of Nisswa on September 4, which was convened following city mayor Fred Heidmann’s arrest due to an altercation with city police. The city’s council unanimously (with the exception of councilmember Jon Ryan, who, as a mayorial candidate for the upcoming election, stated he needed to abstain) called for Heidmann’s resignation, along with 13 other citizens who spoke and called for the same action; Scheffler was the only person who spoke at the meeting who offered a dissenting opinion, calling the ordeal a “dog and pony show.” Scheffler also appeared at the city’s regular meetings on September 16 and October 21, threatening a lawsuit in the latter appearance as well and expressing support for the mayor.

Scheffler appeared in a Crow Wing County meeting for the first time on October 13, when he expressed a desire to file a lawsuit against the county as well, likely referring to his current accusations that Nisswa Police Chief Craig Taylor, captain Joe Meyer of the CWC Sheriff’s office, and the Sheriff himself, Scott Goddard. Goddard did not comment on the specifics of Scheffler’s claims. If Scheffler follows through with his promise, according to public Minnesota Civil, Family, and Probate records, it will be the 57th lawsuit he has been involved in in the state since 2009.

In the regular business portion of the meeting, the board approved a grant contract with the Adult Mental Health Initiative, which the board does every two years.

Should we find additional interesting material about Scheffler's rhetorical flourishes, we'll update this post.

UPDATE: Via Twitter, Perkins replied with an earlier article:

https://t.co/hJa3pLJRie

— Chelsey Perkins (@DispatchChelsey) October 17, 2022

From that earlier coverage:

. . .Scheffler has a history of speaking in opposition to Crow Wing County government, along with bringing it to court. In October 2020, Scheffler made his first board appearance in costume, dressed as a clown while threatening to sue the county for alleged violations of his data privacy by Sheriff Scott Goddard and other law enforcement officials. . . .

At the time of Scheffler’s satirical statement while donning a curly rainbow wig, a giant bow tie and clown shoes, he was in the midst of pursuing a case in conciliation court against the county. The complaint sought repayment of a $19.60 late penalty on Scheffler’s property taxes, plus the $75 filing fee to bring the matter to court.

“Land services was closed due to Covid-19 hysteria. Therefore, I was unable to go into the building to pay with cash,” Scheffler’s complaint stated. “All other options required me to pay service fees which were unfair and unreasonable. I paid the entire year immediately upon opening of the building. I was assessed a late penalty of $19.60 and was ultimately extorted that money through the negligence of the defendant.” . . .

From the October 27 DIspatch article, Man dresses as clown to warn county of impending lawsuit:

A man dressed as a clown threatened to sue Crow Wing County during a county board meeting Tuesday, Oct. 27, citing violations of his data privacy by the sheriff and other law enforcement officials.

Donning a curly rainbow wig, a giant bow tie and clown shoes in primary colors, Troy Scheffler of Merrifield began a two-minute satirical statement during the open forum portion of the meeting by honking a horn and telling commissioners he arrived wearing the board’s “traditional garb so as to show respect for your culture in Clown World.” The statement — which included several references to alt-right and white nationalist internet memes born from online forums and concluded with Scheffler flashing the OK hand gesture, sometimes associated with white supremacy — warned county officials of an impending “scroll to be served upon the most high of your tyranny in two weeks’ time.” . . .

Should Scheffler be elected, county board meetings will never be ordinary again.

Photo: Scheffler at the October 27, 2020 Crow Wing County Board meeting. Source: 2020 R & J Broadcasting story by Sean Bjerk, Man Dresses in Clown Costume, Threatens Lawsuit Against Crow Wing County in Board Meeting from October 2.

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Mugging: South Dakota governor's race is close enough for masked Noem image to appear

 

We swiped the image at the top of this post from Kristi Noem Mug Shot: Who Is That Masked Woman? at Dakota Free Press.

It pairs well with an article on the front page of the Argus Leader's digital site: Less than a month from Election Day and governor's race is close.

Annie Todd reports:

There is less than a month before Election Day, and while Gov. Kristi Noem may seem like the front runner, Rep. Jamie Smith is right behind her.

A SDSU Poll released Tuesday found Noem led the race by 45% while Smith trailed at 41%. David WIltse, the director of the SDUS Poll, housed in the School of American and Global Studies at the university in Brookings, said it was a tight race.

But poll numbers are only a small part of the picture and give a snapshot of the moment. With only weeks to go, the candidates are amping up their appearances and attack ads. . . .

Given the dry conditions across the state, perhaps that's a bandana over Noem's face on the mug. Or Smith is kicking up some dust.

It's certainly a step up. We're reminded of an image in a November 2020 post, After three months of wearing positive pants, how are South Dakotans doing in the pandemic?, in which Noem broke ranks with her fellow Republican office holders at a ceremony in Aberdeen marking the expansion of N95 masks at the local 3M plant,

We wrote then:

Indeed, the irony writes itself in a Friday story and photo (top of this post) in the Aberdeen News story, Expansion will more than double 3M mask production in Aberdeen  At the Argus Leader there's 3M expands production of N95 masks, adds two buildings at Aberdeen location:

3M announced Friday that two new production lines installed at its Aberdeen factory soon will increase production of N95 respirator masks due to high demand amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The 3M facility will be adding 120,000 square feet to expand production of N95 masks, thank to grants issued by U.S. Department of Defense contracts to further expand its U.S. production of N95 respirators.

3M produced about 22 million masks a month in the United States in 2019. Due to increased demand from the pandemic and the Aberdeen expansion, that number will increase to nearly 95 million per month by the end of 2020.

Two buildings have been constructed and one production line is already running.

3M anticipates as many as 100 new jobs will be created from the expansion, in addition to the 200 jobs that were added since January.

Gov. Kristi Noem, who attended the announcement of the expansion Friday with South Dakota's congressional delegation, said the increased production of N95 masks and local job growth has helped boost the economy. . . .

The striking photo of the maskless Noem at a mask manufacturing facility expansion ceremony recently resurfaced in Stu Whitney's SPECIAL REPORT: How Kristi Noem rode shifting political winds to Pierre — and possibly back to D.C. for South Dakota News Watch.

It's hard to tell where and what Noem's riding, but given the fodder available, her mount will never starve.

Related posts

• Cato Institute gives Noem a "C" on Fiscal Policy Report Card; cites opposition to sales tax cut
• A tale of two states, two sales taxes: Jensen and Noem share very different campaign promises
• Special Report: How Kristi Noem rode shifting political winds to Pierre — & possibly back to D.C
• Positive pants on fire: Democratic opponent Jamie Smith corrects Noem's really bad math
• After swift recovery from spinal surgery, Noem heads out for bright lights, big bucks in AZ & FL 
• Positive pants on fire: Noem fibs about policy, keeps Corey Lewandowski at her side in DC
• What the hell was that? Governor Kristi Noem butt of Saturday Night Live cold opening schtick
• Jamie Smith will focus on South Dakota and shake hands with your dog while he's at it

Images: Noem campaign swag for donors, designed by Amanda Radke, retrieved from Noem FB campaign post, 2022.10.13, at Dakota Free Press (above); Gov. Kristi Noem; and the South congressional delegation at the event. American News photo by John Davis. (below)

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

MN9: Republican Party of MN drops ban hammer on Nathan Miller calling himself a Republican

Bluestem has been following the tussle in Senate District 9 between endorsed Republican Jordan Rasmusson, who narrowly won the party primary, and Nathan Miller, who has claimed malfeasance in the district Republican Party's delegate selection process, the guy who came in second in said primary/

On Friday, Heather Kantrud reported for the Fergus Falls Journal in Republican party files complaint against Nathan Miller:

On Oct. 14, the Republican Party of Minnesota filed a complaint with the Office of Administrative Hearings holding Nathan Miller accountable for falsely representing himself as a Republican candidate for State Senate from District 9 on an ongoing basis.

“There’s only one Republican candidate in this race, and it’s Jordan Rasmusson,” Republican Party of Minnesota Communications Director Nick Majerus said in a release to Daily Journal Media. “Nathan Miller has been rejected by Republican voters not just once, but twice. First, he lost the endorsement to Rasmusson at the Senate District 9 Convention in April. Then, Miller lost the Republican primary in August. It’s sad that Nathan Miller cannot accept the choice of Republicans in District 9 and feels he must place his own ego ahead of the interests of voters.” . . . 

A 23-page copy of the filing against Miller was provided to Daily Journal Media citing violations of the Fair Campaign Practices Act or Campaign Finance Act, which was subsequently confirmed by the Republican Party of Minnesota.

We reached out to a Rasmusson supporter who was offering on Facebook to send a pdf of the complaint to anyone who wanted it. Here's the pdf of the document we received. It's only 13 pages long. 

Miller Complaint and Exhibits (13 page version) uploaded by Sally Jo Sorensen on Scribd

The material in the document matches the description of the complaint, other than the length of the material--and the attorney filing the complaint we received is R. Reid LeBeau II, whom readers may remember as one of the attorneys who successfully made the case that Torrey Westrom does indeed live in Senate District 12.

Read the document to learn the case LeBeau is attempting to make. Will the OAH judge believe that he's made it? The Fergus Falls Journal does not point out the consequences of a ruling in favor of the Republican Party of Minnesota might be. Fines? An apology? Removal of the word "Republican" from all of Miller's social media and campaign material?

 

The image at the top of this post demonstrates that at least one Miller supporter shared a poster on Facebook that called Miller a Republican. Screenshots of these images used on Miller's Facebook campaign page are among the images in the RPM filing. 

It's not a stretch to claim that these images have confused Miller supporters The image was used on Rocks and Cows of Minnesota's Facebook page on October 9:

The Fergus Falls Journal article was posted on pro-Miller Rocks and Cows of Minnesota's Facebook page:

Bluestem will continue to keep an eye out on this fight on the right.

Related posts

• MN9: Miller explains his write-in campaign won't elect DFLer; Rasmusson teacher defends Jordan
• The curious case of the Detroit Lakes Tribune correction about Rasmusson's broadband bill
• MN9 LTE: Cornel Walker isn't a fan of Jordan Rasmusson's Minnesota House voting record
• "Not done yet" in MN9: Fergus Falls Journal covers Nathan Miller write-in candidacy
• MN9: Yep, Miller is running a write-in campaign, area conservatives organize against Rasmusson
• After losing primary, has Miller launched write-in campaign, attacking "establishment GOP"?
• Will Westrom family support for Rasmusson primary challenger ruffle MNSenate GOP unity?
• Rocks and Cows' Facebook post author Carol Hexum walks back anti-LGBTQ rally frame
•  Fergus Falls Pride: GOP Senate primary challenger Miller schedules anti-LGBQT event
• Will 2020 redistricting plan boundary adjustment get snuck in to let Westrom live in lake house? 

Image: From an October 14 Facebook post by a Miller supporter who identifies him as a Republican.

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Airball; or Mistake of the Day: Schultz biffs self in own test about Minneapolis FBI office special agent

I'd listened to the spicy Attorney General candidate debate on Minnesota Public Radio on Friday.

I was not impressed by the junior high guy aggressiveness of Schultz, who reminds me of nothing so much as a bright Post Secondary Enrollment Option (PSEO) student with more bravado than background or research.

The Associated Press's Steve Karnowski does a good job reporting the main points in Republican attacks Minnesota AG over crime in 1st debate. I'm glad he clarified this point, since Schultz wasn't about to let Ellison get a word in edgewise:

MISTAKE OF THE DAY

Schultz asked Ellison whether he knew the name of the special agent in charge of the Minneapolis FBI office, which is overseeing the investigation. He didn’t give Ellison a chance to answer before naming the agent as Joseph Thompson. Schultz suggested that Ellison had failed the test and was “missing in action.” But Schultz failed his own test. Thompson is not the head of the FBI office; he’s a federal prosecutor on the case. The local special agent in charge is Michael Paul.

The Ellison campaign and the Minnesota DFL soon jumped on that one on twitter. Here's the party:

This is embarrassing. @JimForMN doesn't know Minnesota's key partners in federal law enforcement.

This is no surprise though. Jim Schultz has never set foot in a courtroom, and he just doesn’t have the knowledge, experience, and relationships to be Attorney General. pic.twitter.com/1oDcFHAYFo

— Minnesota DFL Party (@MinnesotaDFL) October 14, 2022

The image at the top of this post is taken from an Ellison campaign tweet:

Airball pic.twitter.com/QuXXzfoUz3

— Keith for Attorney General (@EllisonCampaign) October 15, 2022

It's a good thing there won't be more debates since Schultz might not have the stamina to survive his own rhetorical ambushes. 

Missed the debate? Here's Minnesota Pubic Radio's YouTube:

Image: From the tweet by Keith for Attorney General.

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

 

Cato Institute gives Noem a "C" on Fiscal Policy Report Card; cites opposition to sales tax cut

VIa Dakota News Now, Bluestem learned Noem receives a ‘C’ in tax and spending Biennial Fiscal Report.

That led me to the conservative libertarian Cato Institute's Fiscal Policy Report Card on America’s Governors 2022.

The Appendix B: Fiscal Notes on the Governors for South Dakota confirms Noem critics from both parties on her very recent campaign pitch for ditching sales taxes on food:

South Dakota

Kristi Noem, Republican
Legislature: Republican
Grade: C
Took office: January 2019

Kristi Noem was a member of South Dakota’s legislature and then served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2011 to 2018. She is a conservative who supports South Dakota’s low‐​tax and competitive business environment. The state has the second‐​best business tax climate in the nation, according to the Tax Foundation.¹⁹⁵ And it is the fifth‐​freest state, according to Cato’s “Freedom in the 50 States” report.¹⁹⁶

South Dakota has no individual or corporate income tax. It raises 83 percent of state tax revenues from sales taxes, which creates a stable revenue base and encourages inflows of people and investment. IRS data show that South Dakota enjoys net in‐​migration, whereas neighboring Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, and North Dakota all suffer out‐​migration.

Noem expressed her policy approach in her 2022 state of the state address:

We are leading with freedom, limited government, fiscal responsibility, and a commitment to defending the values that have made our country great. I am proud to report that the state of our state is stronger than it has ever been in our 133‐​year history. This did not happen because of what government did. It happened because of what government did NOT do.¹⁹⁷

Noem’s middling grade on this report stems from a lack of tax cuts during a period when many other states passed large tax cuts. It is true that South Dakota already has low taxes, so fewer tax‐​code targets are available for a conservative governor to reform. That said, the state enjoyed a large budget surplus in 2022, but Noem leaned against a House‐​passed plan to cut the sales tax rate from 4.5 percent to 4.0 percent.¹⁹⁸ The Senate did not back the plan, so it did not reach the governor’s desk.

Noem has looked for modest ways to reduce the tax burden, such as cutting fees for starting new businesses, cutting fees for getting concealed carry permits, and eliminating taxes on bingo. She also has restrained spending and not sought any tax increases, so the Cato grade may not fully capture her fiscally conservative stance.

See Dakota Free Press's Schoenbeck Lying? Noem Campaign Still Insists She Supported Food Tax Repeal That Senate GOP Killed in March and Noem Afraid of Special Session to Push Promise of Immediate Food Tax Relief for more on that.

Related posts

• A tale of two states, two sales taxes: Jensen and Noem share very different campaign promises
• Special Report: How Kristi Noem rode shifting political winds to Pierre — & possibly back to D.C
• Positive pants on fire: Democratic opponent Jamie Smith corrects Noem's really bad math
• After swift recovery from spinal surgery, Noem heads out for bright lights, big bucks in AZ & FL 
• Positive pants on fire: Noem fibs about policy, keeps Corey Lewandowski at her side in DC
• What the hell was that? Governor Kristi Noem butt of Saturday Night Live cold opening schtick
• Jamie Smith will focus on South Dakota and shake hands with your dog while he's at it

Screengrab: From Cato Institute's Fiscal Policy Report Card on America’s Governors 2022.

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Special Report: How Kristi Noem rode shifting political winds to Pierre — & possibly back to D.C

A comprehensive look at Governor Kristi Noem's career and playbook from South Dakota News Watch. A fairly long read, but worth the reader's time.

SPECIAL REPORT: How Kristi Noem rode shifting political winds to Pierre — and possibly back to D.C.
by Stu Whitney

On the night of Sept. 21 in Washington D.C., Kristi Noem’s face appeared on a video screen at an event hosted by the Media Research Center, a conservative watchdog group that aims to “expose and neutralize the propaganda arm of the left: the national news media.” The organization was celebrating its 35th anniversary with a black-tie gala at the National Building Museum and promised to “honor those who have stood up to the left-wing mob.”

South Dakota’s governor was a featured speaker.

Noem, who had planned to attend in person, said her travel was curtailed by back surgery at the Mayo Clinic earlier in September for an acute condition of her lumbar spine. She submitted a videotaped message that echoed the media-bashing mantra popularized by her political ally, former president Donald Trump. 

“What we did during the [COVID-19] pandemic worked, even though the liberal media tried to prove otherwise,” Noem told the audience. “So now they have their sights on me in all kinds of ways. They’re attacking my family, they’re attacking every decision that I make, and they’re trying to tear South Dakota down. But that isn’t going to happen. Not on my watch.”

It’s hard to imagine recent South Dakota governors Dennis Daugaard, Mike Rounds, or even the irascible Bill Janklow uttering those words on a national stage – or having the opportunity to do so. But Noem has found the national spotlight, building a brand of right-wing populism unrecognizable in many respects from her career before Trump became president and the pandemic made polarization and personal attacks common in American discourse.

Noem’s supporters laud her laissez-faire approach to pandemic response and cite her national profile as positive for selling South Dakota as a land of opportunity rather than a flyover state. Business applications increased by 6.4% in August, the highest rate in the nation, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce, and the unemployment rate stands at 2.3%. South Dakota ranked second in the amount of state-to-state migration that was inbound (69%) rather than outbound in 2021, according to Atlas Van Lines.

Critics accuse Noem, who is up for re-election Nov. 8, of being hypocritical, among other concerns. She talks of less government while South Dakota reaps the benefits of millions in federal COVID and infrastructure funds, re-branded as state-level stewardship. She touts her “no lockdown” pandemic record despite closing schools in the spring of 2020 and proposing laws seeking more authority for state and county health officials to shutter businesses that violated CDC guidelines. And she lavishes praise on Trump despite saying in 2015 that some of his stances were “un-American” and that he was “not my candidate.”

So what does Noem really stand for? It might depend on whom, and when, you ask.

“She’s like a political chameleon,” said Lance Russell, a former state legislator from Hot Springs who also served as executive director of the South Dakota Republican Party. “I don’t think she’s ever really shed her establishment mentality, but she’ll shift her views or positions if she sees that someone or an idea is popular. She can very easily transition.”

Noem didn’t agree to an interview request for this story, deferring questions to spokesperson Ian Fury. South Dakota News Watch reached out to political scientists, lawmakers and campaign experts to assess the steps and strategy of the governor’s journey from farm-raised Hamlin County candidate – a former Snow Queen with agricultural business acumen and a compelling personal story – to one of the most polarizing figures in South Dakota political history.

One thing is clear: Noem’s pursuit of Republican Party relevance and extreme positions on hot-button issues such as abortion and gun rights make it nearly impossible for state residents not to have strong opinions of her, whether cheering her for a flag-waving horseback ride or chuckling at her in a Saturday Night Live lampoon in the opening sketch of its Oct. 1 season premiere.

“There’s this thing called confirmation bias that says we look for information that fits our previously held beliefs, and we often reject others’ information, or don’t even see it, in the current media environment,” said Michael Card, an emeritus professor of political science at the University of South Dakota. “That beats the heck out of dealing with the vicissitudes of, how do we make sense of all this? It’s a lot easier just to say she’s all good, or she needs to go.”

Though the 50-year-old Noem remains non-committal about aspirations to run for president in 2024 or to make the national ticket as a vice presidential nominee, her national travel and fundraising activities – she had $7.8 million in her state campaign committee as of the last reporting date – point to someone putting themselves in position to make that leap. In addition to visiting early Republican primary states such as Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina, Noem has held a fundraiser at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, spoken in Dallas at the National Rifle Association convention (days after a deadly mass shooting at a Texas elementary school in May of 2022) and recently appeared in Arizona with GOP gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake, who supports Trump’s baseless contention that he won the 2020 election.

Noem published a book, “Not My First Rodeo,” earlier this year, capitalizing on her political bounce from the summer of 2020, when her hands-off approach to COVID restrictions and criticism of social justice demonstrations endeared her to Trump – who visited Mount Rushmore for Fourth of July fireworks – and led to a speaking slot at the Republican National Convention. Two days after Trump lost the November 2020 election to Joe Biden and started making unfounded claims about voter fraud, Noem complained about “rigged election systems” from her Twitter account.

If Trump runs again in 2024, there may not be a lane for Noem, who has polled around 1% in most national GOP primary polls so far. But her anti-lockdown pandemic stance, which led to regular appearances on Fox News and other conservative outlets, offered a glimpse of a political future beyond South Dakota’s borders.

“Trump is one variable, but I do think COVID matters,” said Jon Schaff, a professor of government at Northern State University in Aberdeen. “When the pandemic hit, her response to it raised her profile. I suspect at that point the idea struck her that maybe she could be a national contender. She was getting a lot of publicity, she’s an ambitious person, she’s a very good politician and fundraiser, so maybe that which seemed implausible or not even on her radar took on some degree of plausibility. So at that point, how does one advance in the Republican Party? You’ve got to be on Team Trump. It’s not the only way, but it’s the easiest way.”

Paving the way was Corey Lewandowski, a former Trump campaign manager who helped orchestrate Noem’s travel schedule, fundraising and messaging on what the governor’s team calls a volunteer basis, but who does not come without baggage. 

Lewandowski was charged with misdemeanor battery last year after being accused by a female Trump donor of unwanted sexual advances at a Las Vegas fundraiser also attended by Noem, charges that will be dropped if he follows through on a deal with prosecutors that includes eight hours of “impulse control” counseling. Noem publicly cut ties with Lewandowski soon after the incident but has since welcomed him back to the fold, and he attended a Rapid City event on Sept. 28 at which the governor promised to repeal the state’s grocery tax if re-elected, despite opposing such action during previous legislative sessions.

Noem has defended South Dakota’s abortion laws being among the most restrictive in the nation, with no exceptions for rape or incest, despite a recent News Watch poll showing that 76% of respondents support such exceptions. That stance, combined with much-publicized efforts to ban Critical Race Theory-style curricula and transgender sports participation in South Dakota schools, has opened her to criticism of prioritizing nationally resonant GOP issues over more pressing homegrown concerns.

“Governor Noem’s position as a national figure can be a positive for South Dakota,” said Republican Attorney General nominee Marty Jackley, who lost to Noem in a 2018 primary for governor. “But it’s important for anyone in a statewide role not to let national policy set your South Dakota agenda. You need to let South Dakota’s agenda set your national policy.”

State concerns are plentiful: South Dakota ranks 48th in average salary across all occupations ($44,960), according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Management, which contributes to just 53% of state university graduates taking jobs with in-state employers. A lack of state funding for early education on the heels of the pandemic has triggered what experts call a childcare crisis at a time when nearly half of students in Sioux Falls meet the criteria for free and reduced lunch. South Dakota, one of just 12 states that hasn’t expanded Medicaid to broaden insurance coverage for low-income individuals, contains some of the most poverty-stricken counties in the United States, a reminder of the challenges faced by Native Americans and reservation communities.

“When Kristi Noem wakes up every morning, she thinks about herself and her political future,” said Steve Hildebrand, who served as Barack Obama’s deputy campaign manager in 2008 and now runs Promising Futures Fund, a Sioux Falls nonprofit that fights child poverty. “She does not wake up every morning and think about what’s best for South Dakota.”

Noem had an approval rating of 58% in the most recent Morning Consult poll, but the ultimate test comes at the ballot box as she tries to fend off Democratic challenger Jamie Smith, minority leader in the South Dakota House. The race is rated “Solid R” by the nonpartisan Cook Political Report, but a recent South Dakota State University poll had Noem’s lead (45% to 42%) within the margin of error, drawing comparisons to her surprisingly tight victory over Billie Sutton in 2018.

Noem and her supporters have tried to portray Smith, a state legislator, realtor and former educator from Sioux Falls, as a “radical leftist” who is closely aligned with Biden’s agenda. Smith has countered by calling her views on abortion extreme, questioning her ethics, and pointing to Noem’s focus on national political themes rather than kitchen-table concerns.

South Dakota hasn’t had a politician run for president since George McGovern in 1972, though senators Tom Daschle and John Thune reportedly considered campaigns before turning back. It takes an element of self-regard, considered a prideful flaw in some corners of the state’s psyche, to reach for higher office, yet Noem has shown impeccable timing in her career and an ability to close out elections, with a record of 7-0. In that respect, say her supporters, she has been consistent in her approach.

“Kristi got into politics 16 years ago, and we’ve seen this country change a lot in that time,” said Tony Venhuizen, who worked in the Daugaard and Noem administrations and is headed to the state legislature as a Sioux Falls Republican. “I’m not sure that she’s really changed all that much. She has stepped up to the challenge and gone where she felt God was leading her, which meant stepping up into positions that I don’t think she would have ever guessed she would find herself in.”

DISPARATE VIEWS ON GOV. KRISTI NOEM

From Tony Venhuizen of Sioux Falls, former Noem chief of staff and presumptive Republican lawmaker

“She has stepped up to the challenge and gone where she felt God was leading her, which meant stepping up into positions that I don’t think she would have ever guessed she would find herself in.”

From Steve Hildebrand of Sioux Falls, former Democratic campaign manager:

“When Kristi Noem wakes up every morning, she thinks about herself and her political future. She does not wake up every morning and think about what’s best for South Dakota.”

From Jon Schaff of Aberdeen, professor at Northern State University

“The thing that inoculates her from some of the criticism is that it’s really hard to out-South Dakota Kristi Noem .. and I don’t think that she’s lost that touch.”

From Reynold Nesiba of Sioux Falls, college professor and Democratic state senator

“South Dakotans inherently look after one another … {but} during COVID, it seemed like we were more interested in scoring political points. It could have been an opportunity for the governor to use her leadership to bring us together as a state; instead she used it to fan the divisiveness and push us further apart.”

Entering the political realm

Noem has said her political views were molded by the aftermath of losing her father, Ron Arnold, to a grain bin accident at the family’s Castlewood farm in 1994, when Kristi was 22 years old and expecting her first child with husband Bryon. Fresh challenges faced by the family as Kristi assumed greater responsibility in business affairs shaped her thinking on the extent to which the government should impact individual lives.

Noem’s small-business experience brought her in contact with Daschle, Democratic Senate Minority Leader at the time, who nominated her for a seat on the South Dakota Farm Service Agency state committee, to which she was appointed by then-President Bill Clinton.

“People wondered for years if maybe I switched to the Democrat Party to serve,” Noem wrote in her book. “Of course, I never did, and to his credit Senator Daschle never asked.”

Daschle did invite Noem in 2000 to his Black Hills Leader Retreat at Sylvan Lake Lodge for prospective legislative or local candidates, the overwhelming majority of whom were Democrats. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin, whom Noem would defeat in a momentous 2010 U.S. House race, attended Daschle’s retreat the year before Noem and credited the experience with inspiring her to run for statewide office rather than continuing a law career.

Steve Erpenbach, Daschle’s state director at the time, called Noem to gauge her interest in the retreat, which included visits to Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse memorials and featured speeches by notable Democrats such as Harry Reid and Gabby Giffords during the event’s five-year run.

“She was interested but wanted to learn more,” said Erpenbach, who met with Noem at the Crossroads Hotel in Huron and received her commitment to attend, with the future governor vowing to use the experience strategically if nothing else.

Noem’s transition from intriguing prospect to active candidate came in 2006, when she ran for state House of Representatives as a Republican and finished first out of three candidates with 39% of the vote to win one of two District 6 seats.

By then she was the mother of three, helping to run the family’s farm operation, hunting lodge and Watertown restaurant, amassing perspectives that would define her as a lawmaker. She explored her niche within the Republican caucus, focusing on wind energy and agricultural property tax issues. Two years later, after easily winning re-election and being named Assistant House Majority Leader, the legislature was more of a proving ground, with ideological factions coming into focus.

Soon after Obama entered the White House in 2009, the fiscally conservative Tea Party movement emerged on the far right of the Republican Party, trumpeting tax reform and less government spending. Noem, who resisted joining political blocs, was derided as “establishment” after siding with Gov. Mike Rounds on the question of whether South Dakota should accept $1.3 billion in federal stimulus funds as part of the Recovery Act pushed through Congress without Republican support in the wake of the Great Recession.

“(Noem) voted in favor of taking all that money over the course of two years,” said Russell, who now serves as Fall River County State’s Attorney. “There were some of us who voted not to take the money, because of the strings attached to it at the time and the fact that South Dakota was faring better than a lot of other states. Voting to accept the money was a very establishment position to take.”

Any notion that Noem was a political wallflower was dispelled during a 2009 House committee hearing on a proposed constitutional amendment to allow expanded gambling in South Dakota. The amendment was viewed as a means of challenging a planned resort casino in Larchwood, Iowa, a project that opened as Grand Falls Casino two years later.

Sparks flew at the hearing when Noem suggested that Senate Democratic leader Scott Heidepriem had a conflict of interest because his law firm represented the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe in a federal lawsuit against the state over how many slot machines could be operated at the tribe’s Royal River Casino in Flandreau.

Heidepriem, who ran for governor in 2010 and lost to Daugaard, held a press conference to defend himself days later. He pointed out that another lawyer at the firm signed on to the tribal lawsuit after he brought the bill and that he wouldn’t have considered it a conflict even if he had known about it.

Reached by News Watch for this story, Heidepriem said he was “blindsided” by Noem’s allegations at the time and added that “I’m very proud of what I said and did.”

Democrats derided Noem’s challenge as reckless and politically motivated, while some Republican lawmakers and operatives, according to Venhuizen, took note that Noem was not afraid to enter the ring and throw a punch.

High-stakes battle with Herseth Sandlin

In the years since attending the Daschle retreat, Herseth Sandlin had lost the 2002 U.S. House race to former governor Bill Janklow and then captured the seat two years later after Janklow resigned in the wake of his manslaughter conviction for killing a motorcyclist in a car crash.

Herseth Sandlin, the granddaughter of former governor Ralph Herseth and daughter of longtime state legislator Lars Herseth, was a Georgetown Law School graduate and moderate “Blue Dog Democrat” with a bright future. But much of politics is about timing, and in 2010 she was viewed as vulnerable. The Democrats had taken over all three branches of the federal government in 2008, with a super-majority in the Senate, and Obama’s landmark healthcare reform package in the face of a still-struggling economy energized Republicans for the midterms.

Suzanne Veenis of Sioux Falls, a grassroots organizer whose “Women for Thune” efforts helped Thune outduel Daschle in the pivotal Senate election of 2004, saw an opportunity to tie Herseth Sandlin to Obama’s unpopularity in South Dakota, where his favorability hovered in the mid-30s percentile. The feeling was that the right candidate could be carried by political currents, rising above the reality that Herseth Sandlin, who declined an interview request for this story, had voted against Obamacare and was endorsed by the National Rifle Association.

“We felt it was time to find a Republican who could flip that seat and put the direction of the country in more of the way that South Dakota constituents wanted it to be,” said Veenis.

Since Thune didn’t have an opponent for re-election in 2010, his camp focused funding and energy on state legislative elections and defeating Herseth Sandlin, who could present a threat to Thune in the future. Veenis was tasked with persuading the 38-year-old Noem to run in a primary that already included Secretary of State Chris Nelson and state legislator Blake Curd, thinking she had a higher upside for a bare-knuckle general election.

Noem said she prayed on it with Bryon and their children, then ranging from 8 to 16 years old, and decided to take the leap, adding in her January 2010 announcement that South Dakotans “are best served when their representative has the same goals, experiences, and work ethic as they do.”

She won the primary with 42% of the vote and handled the heat in the general election, overcoming reports that she was ticketed 20 times for speeding over the previous two decades, with bench warrants issued twice for her arrest due to unpaid fines. When she attacked Herseth Sandlin for supporting Obama’s $800 billion stimulus package, the incumbent countered that Noem voted to accept her state’s share of the money as a legislator in Pierre.

Noem weathered the storm with retail campaigning heavy on rural advocacy, family values and Obama bashing, contrasting herself with an opponent she portrayed as banded to the bustle of Beltway politics. It was a tough sell, as Herseth grew up on a northeast South Dakota farm and had a young son with her husband, Max. But it revealed a blossoming of Noem’s political skill that went beyond physical presence or windows of opportunity to forge a homegrown connection. She needed every bit of it.

“Kristi resonated with voters,” said Veenis, who served as Noem’s statewide volunteer coordinator. “When we did our bus tour toward the November election, the crowds were huge, everyone was very excited, people were upbeat. She does very well with those campaign stops, whether it be restaurants or the Holiday Inn in Rapid City. She also had a strong message about less government, less regulation and advancing legislation to build people up rather than tear them down. It was the message that people in South Dakota wanted to hear.”

On election night, Noem and her family watched the results at the Ramada Inn in Sioux Falls, declaring victory shortly after midnight with 48% of the vote, with Herseth Sandlin at 46% and Independent Thomas Marking at 6%. Earlier in the night, Daugaard, who had served as lieutenant governor under Rounds for eight years, thanked supporters for his gubernatorial rout of Heidepriem by a margin of 62% to 38%.

It was part of a Republican wave across the country, with the GOP winning control of the U.S. House by gaining 63 seats and cutting into the Democratic edge in the Senate. They also flipped control of 20 state legislatures. There were plenty of success stories to go around, but Noem’s win signaled a turning point in South Dakota. Since her triumph in 2010, no Democratic candidate has managed to win statewide office.

“If you go back to when Kristi was in the state legislature, she was the one willing to call out Scott Heidepriem on some things when no one else was willing to,” said Venhuizen. “She was willing to take on Stephanie Herseth when a lot of others weren’t willing to, and I think that’s a string that carries through to the present, that she doesn’t give into pressure and she’s never afraid of a fight.

Steering clear of Tea Party Caucus

Noem’s approach to her first term in Congress struck some on the far right of her party as more ambitious than combative. She was one of two House freshmen (out of a mammoth GOP class of 87 new members) elected liaison to House Speaker John Boehner and Majority Leader Eric Cantor in 2011, a route she took rather than team with Minnesota Rep. Michelle Bachman and the burgeoning Tea Party Caucus.

Noem also raised eyebrows by not landing a spot on the House Committee on Agriculture, breaking recent tradition for South Dakota representatives focused on protecting the state’s rural interests. She finally claimed a spot when a vacancy emerged in the summer of 2011.

“There was some stubbing of toes early on, but she proved herself to be a good soldier within the Republican Party in Congress – more establishment than rabble rouser,” said Schaff. “She was not one of these people, like Marjorie Taylor Greene or Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who clearly are in Congress to advance a personal agenda and are not really interested in pleasing leadership in any way shape or form. That was not Kristi Noem. She was in essence a good team player.”

While taking online classes at South Dakota State University to obtain her political science degree, which she completed in 2012, Noem railed against Obama’s health care policies and military intervention in Libya. She worked to roll back EPA regulations and include livestock disaster programs in the five-year Farm Bill, which passed in 2014.

To the extent that she walked a tightrope between GOP establishment concerns and the rumblings of the far right, Noem managed to keep her balance, easily winning re-election against Matt Varilek in 2012 and Corinna Robinson in 2014.

She dodged a primary challenge in 2012 from Rapid City resident Stephanie Strong, who drew headlines by highlighting Noem’s vote for a debt-ceiling increase and her decision to get “cozy” with Boehner rather than championing fiscal conservatism.

Strong’s candidacy was derailed by a lack of verified signatures, allowing Noem to stay in the middle and safely retain her seat, at least until a Manhattan real estate mogul and former reality TV star emerged on the political scene to turn everything on its ear.

Noem on Trump: ‘Not my candidate’

When Trump announced he was running for president and then began climbing GOP primary polls in 2015, Noem’s reaction was not that he was “the last line of defense against the far left,” as she claimed several years later. It was more about him being a threat to the mainstream Republican Party because some of his views on immigration and isolationism were “un-American.”

In declaring his candidacy in June 2015, Trump promised to build “a great, great wall” on the southern border and blamed Mexico for the flow of drugs, criminals and “rapists” into the country. In December 2015, after a mass shooting in San Bernardino, Calif., committed by extremists inspired by Islamic terrorist groups, Trump called for “a total and complete shutdown” of Muslims entering the United States “until our country’s representatives can figure out what is going on.”

Noem condemned the remarks and joined fellow Republican House member Mike Pompeo, who later became Trump’s Secretary of State, in endorsing Marco Rubio for the 2016 presidential nomination. In an interview with WNAX radio in late 2015, Noem said of Trump, “Well, he’s not my candidate,” and laughed before adding, “People came to this country for religious freedom, so I believe his comments were un-American, and I don’t agree with them.”

In a separate interview looking ahead to the Iowa Caucuses, Noem said of Trump’s sizable lead in the polls: “I look at the candidates who are running and think, ‘Who do I want in the room when we’re negotiating with Iran?’ It’s not going to be Donald Trump. His principles and values don’t align with mine, and his offensive nature wouldn’t serve us very well in the presidency.”

Her tone softened after Trump locked up the nomination, though she still referred to him as a “very flawed candidate” when announcing that she would vote for him over Hillary Clinton. Noem, who endorsed Trump when Ted Cruz suspended his campaign, didn’t pull that support after “Access Hollywood” tapes from 2005 leaked a month before the election and revealed Trump making vulgar comments about groping women. Thune and Daugaard were among Republicans who called for Trump to step down and let vice presidential nominee Mike Pence head the ticket.

“I appreciate apologies,” said Noem, who was running for re-election against Democrat Paula Hawks, a race she would win with 64% of the vote. “I love the Lord and I believe in redemption and that people can change over the years.”

When Trump defeated Clinton, he went from being a temporary headache for the Republican establishment to an unavoidable consequence of the party’s shifting tides amid economic anxiety and concern for the future. Noem certainly wasn’t the only politician who calibrated her treatment of Trump based on how it affected her prospects, but her turnabout, from calling him un-American to adopting his rhetoric and cultural grievances as part of her public persona, was among the most complete.

“Almost everyone was surprised that Trump won, maybe no one more than Trump himself,” said Schaff. “That probably tempered Noem’s (pre-election) support a bit. How much up front do you want to be supporting someone who is highly controversial and doesn’t look like he’s going to win? And then, bam, he wins. And because of that, there’s a strong Trump stamp on the Republican Party, and not being fully on the Trump train can bring large amounts of skepticism against you.”

Libertarian credentials in question

One of the transition points occurred when Noem visited the White House to visit President Trump and engaged in playful banter about her state’s most prominent landmark, Mount Rushmore.

“He said, ‘Kristi, come on over here. Shake my hand,’” Noem recalled in her book. “I shook his hand, and I said, ‘Mr. President, you should come to South Dakota sometime. We have Mount Rushmore.’ And he goes, ‘Do you know it’s my dream to have my face on Mount Rushmore?’”

Noem reacted as if the president was playing a joke. “I started laughing,” she said. “He wasn’t laughing, so he was totally serious.”

She posted photos of herself in 2017 with Ivanka Trump, the president’s daughter and one of his senior advisors, engaging in informal policy discussions. “When you’re talking to her, I think there’s a chance that it will end up in a conversation that she’ll have with the president and people in the White House as well,” Noem told the Argus Leader at the time.

Serving on a House conference committee, Noem helped negotiate passage of a $1.5 trillion tax cut that served as the Trump administration’s first legislative victory. She used the story of her father’s tragic death – and the financial fallout faced by her family – to illustrate the need for estate tax reform because of the undue burden on those left behind.

In an earlier speech on the House floor, Noem related that soon after her father’s death “we got a bill in the mail from the IRS that said we owed them money because we had a tragedy that happened to our family.” Amid the 2017 debate over what she termed “the death tax,” questions swirled around that claim, including the fact that her mother should have been able to assume the family assets through a marital deduction without being subject to estate tax. Noem countered that her father never signed his will, complicating the inheritance.

Tax experts clarified that estate taxes can be deferred for up to five years, with flexible installment plans offered, and typically aren’t assessed until a tax return is filed, casting doubt on Noem’s cautionary tale. Documents also showed that Noem’s mother, Corrine, received $1.1 million from her husband’s life insurance policies, a figure significantly larger than the estate taxes owed.

“For a decade after a tragic farming accident took my dad’s life, the Death Tax impacted nearly every decision our family made,” Noem said in a statement at the time. “To allege anything else is fake news.”

It wasn’t the first time that the finances of her family’s Racota Valley Ranch drew public scrutiny. The 9,700-acre property received nearly $4.3 million in U.S. Department of Agriculture subsidy payments from 1995-2020, according to the Environmental Working Group database, causing some to question Noem’s much-espoused ideology of freedom from government involvement.

“It’s hard to be libertarian when you’re taking federal money with both hands,” said Larry Pressler, who represented South Dakota in the U.S. Senate and House as a Republican and later ran unsuccessfully as an Independent. “I know (Noem’s) family and they’re wonderful people, but they’ve taken every kind of farm aid and subsidy. We can’t go around preaching about libertarianism if we’re taking federal money for farms, infrastructure, education and so forth. South Dakota runs on federal aid. We just don’t like to admit it.”

Rough-and-tumble primary for governor

By the spring of 2016, there was already talk of a hotly contested Republican primary for governor when Dennis Daugaard’s second term would end in 2018. Attorney General Jackley was expecting a sturdy challenge from state legislator and legacy candidate Mark Mickelson, whose father and grandfather both served as governor.

Republican lawmaker Lee Schoenbeck mentioned Noem’s potential candidacy as the “800-pouind gorilla in the room,” and she announced she was running for governor six days after her 2016 re-election to the House, beating a deadline to transfer funds left from the U.S. House campaign into a state account for governor. The decision was made after she met with Mickelson and learned that he would not be running.

That left a primary with Noem facing Jackley, a self-described “consistent conservative” who campaigned on traditional party priorities, noting that he signed onto cases as attorney general defending religious liberty and restricting access to abortion while defending “law and order” at home with prosecutions stemming from the state’s EB-5 and Gear Up scandals.

Noem’s camp highlighted her farm and ranch background while dismissing Jackley as a “government lawyer” presiding as attorney general over a state with rising cases of violent crime and drug arrests, which Jackley countered by questioning Congress’ efforts to stop narcotics from being smuggled across the southern border.

“She was a very strong and worthy opponent,” Jackley told News Watch. “I’ve always said that whether it was on a college track (as an athlete) or in a courtroom, I run my race and try my case. In other words, I was running for governor because of what I felt I could do for South Dakota, the vision that we had, the leadership team we had. I was running irrespective of whoever else was running.”

Noem had considered and ultimately declined a primary run against Rounds in 2014 for the open Senate seat vacated by retiring three-term Democrat Tim Johnson. But now the timing felt right. Her stint in Washington had been marked by frequent weekend trips to Castlewood, S.D., to see her family, with the natural inclinations of a wife and mother pushing her toward another bold career gambit, this time in the direction of home.

“It was another example of her being willing to take a risk,” said Schaff. “You’re talking about a sitting U.S. Representative who could have cake-walked to re-election for the rest of her career deciding to take a plunge into a competitive gubernatorial race.”

Whereas in earlier campaigns Noem’s gender had been of secondary consideration, this time she put it out front, trumpeting the possibility of South Dakota electing its first female governor. She also knew from experience the right time to sharpen her elbows. Late in the race, with polls showing a tight margin, Noem’s campaign launched TV ads hitting Jackley for his handling of a case involving a former Department of Criminal Investigation agent who received a $1.5 million state settlement on the heels of a discrimination and retaliation lawsuit.

Jackley’s performance as South Dakota’s top prosecutor had been his platform – he had successfully argued a U.S. Supreme Court case that allowed South Dakota to tax purchases made from online retailers – but he was forced to defend himself against charges of malfeasance at the most crucial stage of the race. His efforts fell short as Noem surged with 56% of the vote to seal the nomination.

Noem wrote in her book that the 2018 election was “like a knife fight in a ditch,” to which Jackley responds: “I hope I was more professional than that. If I wasn’t, I apologize to the people of South Dakota.”

Close win for state’s first female governor

The excitement surrounding Noem’s primary triumph was tempered by her inability to pull away from Democratic challenger Billie Sutton in the general election. Sutton, a four-term state senator and former bronc rider paralyzed from the waist down from a rodeo injury at age 23, had a ranch background of his own, with his ubiquitous cowboy hat accentuating his West River roots.

Jackley, still stinging from primary mudslinging, didn’t endorse Noem until late October of 2018, a few weeks after the non-partisan Cook Political Report shifted the race from “Likely Republican” to “Toss-up,” with election analysts citing indications that Noem’s team was taking the race for granted.

Cracks in Noem’s “rising star” profile started to show. Statewide polling showed she trailed Sutton 51% to 40% with women and that her overall unfavorable rating in South Dakota stood at 37%, compared to 33% for Trump. Efforts to portray Sutton as a raging liberal, a tried-and-true tactic for Republicans in statewide races, largely fell flat due to his support for abortion restrictions and gun rights.

“Kristi Noem is a hyper-aggressive, largely negative campaigner,” Hildebrand said about the race. “Her message to voters was, ‘I stood with Trump, I’m an ideological Republican and Billie Sutton is the devil.’”

On election night, her winning margin of 51% to 48% was conspicuous in a state where Republican candidates had won 10 consecutive gubernatorial races by an average of 23 points. It was not the sort of mandate Noem had sought for her first executive role, with a steep learning curve ahead.

Noem has blamed her administration’s early struggles on extreme weather, noting that federal disasters were declared in 58 of 66 counties and on three reservations in 2019 due to tornadoes and flooding.  Others point to Noem’s inexperience and staffing decisions to explain misfires such as the much-ridiculed “Meth. We’re on It” ad campaign, an ill-fated crusade against hemp legislation and legal setbacks the state incurred for cracking down on potential Keystone XL pipeline protests, which led the Oglala Sioux Tribal Council to temporarily ban her from the Pine Ridge Reservation.

By March of 2020, a little over a year after being inaugurated, Noem was on her third chief of staff and her approval rating stood at 43%, daunting prospects for a governor about to face the most significant public health crisis in state history.

South Dakota in national spotlight

Ian Fury recalls driving across the Midwest in the early stages of the COVID pandemic to start his new job as Noem’s communications director. He was recruited by senior advisor Maggie Seidel, a former Koch Institute media strategist who came to Pierre in November 2019 to shore up the governor’s sagging policy and public relations efforts.

Fury, who had spearheaded communications for Ohio U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan, made the trip from Ohio to Pierre the first week of April 2020, as the contrast in pandemic response between various states and governors took on political tones.

“There were flashing billboards in Ohio telling people to stay home, that it wasn’t safe to go outside, and signs in Illinois telling people only to go out for necessary errands,” said Fury. “Then I cross the border into South Dakota and get to Sioux Falls and there’s a flashing billboard that says, ‘Facts not Fear,’ encouraging people to visit the state website. It wasn’t downplaying COVID. It wasn’t saying to ignore COVID. It was saying to get the facts, and it was the only state where I had seen a message that wasn’t explicitly fear-mongering.”

Fury helped turn it into a political creed that would elevate the governor’s profile, and he felt uniquely suited to do so. He grew up in Houston with parents firmly entrenched conservative politics. His father, Mark, was chairman of the Committee for Texas Right to Life, where his mom, Jill, served as a volunteer. Mark also served on the board of the Texas Republican Party and Jill was a precinct captain.

Fury attended high school in Nebraska and then set off for Hillsdale College in south-central Michigan, a conservative liberal arts institution that gained national influence in the debate over the politicization of history and civics curriculum in public schools. He graduated with a degree in political economy in 2015 and started working for Sam Brownback, a Kansas senator at the time, followed by a stint with the Koch brothers-funded Americans for Prosperity before getting the job with Jordan, one of Trump’s top defenders during the first impeachment process.

By the time he reached Pierre, South Dakota coronavirus cases were surging, with the Smithfield Foods pork processing plant in Sioux Falls the No. 1 hot spot in the country. After shutting down schools in March and writing a letter to Smithfield (along with Sioux Falls Mayor Paul TenHaken) asking that the plant suspend operations for 14 days, Noem reversed her stance on mitigation measures around the same time Trump called on states to “open up this incredible country” by Easter, which fell on April 12.

Noem rebuffed calls for statewide shutdowns and mask mandates, citing “science, facts, and data,” and coordinated with the White House on a state clinical trial for hydroxychloroquine, a malaria drug Trump touted as treatment for hospitalized COVID patients that the FDA later said has “not been shown to be safe and effective for treating or preventing COVID-19.”

These actions led to lavish praise from conservative media outlets and castigation from left-leaning pundits such as MSNBC anchor Rachel Maddow, who challenged Noem’s “crazy denialism” to her nightly audience of 3 million viewers. The fact that more than 3,000 South Dakotans suffered deaths related to COVID-19 is not lost on Noem (the state ranks 11th in most deaths per 100,000 residents, according to CDC data), but in her book she defends the state’s response to the pandemic as “our finest hour.”

“It’s less that she found her voice and more that she found her moment,” said Fury. “And I would point out that the national prominence that came with it wasn’t driven by seeking clout. When the Smithfield outbreak happened, Rachel Maddow talked about Gov. Noem on the air five nights in a row. The Washington Post and New York Times were writing about South Dakota, and she was defending her position.”

Politics during a pandemic

The irony of Noem’s stance was noted by South Dakota’s far-right legislators, who recalled her April 6 “stay at home” executive order directed toward Minnehaha/Lincoln County residents 65 and older or with an underlying medical condition. Noem’s office also brought COVID-related bills to the floor of the legislature during a hectic March 30 veto day session, including one that would have given her state health secretary the power to shut down or restrict public or private businesses, parks, schools and other locations that “promote public gathering” if they didn’t follow CDC guidelines during the health emergency.

“After the House killed those bills, I saw reports that she had gone to Florida and badmouthed Ron DeSantis for shutting down beaches and things,” said Russell, referencing Florida’s governor, who is also considered a national GOP presidential hopeful.

Lewandowski makes his mark

Early fanfare surrounding Trump’s Mount Rushmore visit on July 3, 2020, centered on Ellsworth Air Force Base, where the president and his contingent touched down on Air Force One.

Trump and First Lady Melania Trump were greeted at the bottom of the steps by Noem and Thune, with no handshakes and six feet of separation, in accordance with CDC guidelines. A few moments later, Lewandowski descended the stairs and greeted the governor with a handshake and kissed her on the cheek before retreating to the background.

The gesture did not nothing to tamp down speculation about Lewandowski’s growing influence on Noem’s political affairs, a relationship that coincided with her rise in national stature during the COVID pandemic.

“Corey writes a lot of her stuff,” said Hildebrand. “I think she saw that she could have a significant fundraising advantage nationally, especially at the small donor level, if that was the language she spoke. And he helped her get there.”

Lewandowski is a longtime political operative who mounted an unsuccessful campaign for state legislature while attending college at the University of Massachusetts-Lowell, after which he decided to boost candidates, not be one. At the age of 25, he ran a re-election effort for Ohio Republican Congressman Bob Ney and then worked as deputy chief of staff, making headlines in 1999 when he was arrested for carrying a handgun and several rounds of ammunition into the Longworth House Office Building on Capitol Hill.

“He was returning to Ohio with his laundry,” Ney explained at the time. “He forgot the gun was in there.”

His penchant for going rogue was sealed when he ran the U.S. Senate campaign of New Hampshire Republican party outsider Bob Smith in 2002, a failed primary effort that saw Lewandowski take heat for indirectly tying rival candidate John E. Sununu to terrorism because he accepted support from an Arab-American anti-discrimination group in the aftermath of 9/11. Sununu, of Lebanese descent, is the son of former New Hampshire governor John H. Sununu, who served as chief of staff to George H.W. Bush.

“I would use the term ‘he’s dead to us’ to explain the relationship between Lewandowski and the Sununu family,” said Andy Smith, a political science professor who runs the University of New Hampshire’s Survey Center. “That was not a good move for Corey.”

Lewandowski worked for Americans for Prosperity before being hired as Trump’s campaign manager in late 2014. Controversy erupted again when he was accused of yanking the arm of Breitbart News reporter Michelle Fields at a Trump event in Florida in March 2015. Lewandowski was fired as campaign manager in June 2016 after clashing with campaign chairman Paul Manafort, but he has maintained ties to his former boss and used that relationship to secure consulting and lobbying jobs, with MAGA-style populism a common thread.

“Corey’s a good ground-game campaign person and organizer – I don’t want to sell him short,” said Smith, a veteran of the New Hampshire political scene. “But his biggest connection obviously is Trump, and he’s using those connections and maybe the impression that if he’s working with somebody, that person gets Trump’s tacit endorsement. He’s been capitalizing on that for a while.”

Noem’s faith in Lewandowski was tested on the night of Sept. 26, 2021, when he was accused of sexual harassment and threatening behavior by Trump donor Trashelle Odom at a Las Vegas charity event also attended by Noem.

“I was intimidated and frightened and fearful for my safety and that of my family members,” Odom, the wife of an Idaho construction company executive, said in a statement to police. She claimed that Lewandowski harassed her repeatedly while seated next to her at the event, touched her leg and buttocks, bragged about his violent past and became angry when she rejected his advances.

“It was apparent that my reactions to Lewandowski’s stories, threats and aggressive sexual advances were not normal for Lewandowski as he ultimately threw his drink on me, hitting my dress, shoe and foot,” Odom said in the statement. She added that at one point in the evening, “I saw Gov. Noem and intended on introducing her to my sister and stepson, who both had joined me on the trip. Gov. Noem told me that she had texted Corey to stop touching me. This was confusing for my sister and stepson.”

A Trump spokesman responded to the allegations by saying that Lewandowski, who has been married since 2005 and has four kids, “will no longer be associated with Trump World.” Noem’s office said she was also cutting ties with Lewandowski, with Fury insisting that Lewandowski was merely a volunteer and “will not be advising the Governor in regard to the campaign or official office.”

Lewandowski was ultimately charged with misdemeanor battery for the Las Vegas incident, but according to a deal with prosecutors, the charges will be dismissed if Lewandowski completes eight hours of impulse control counseling, serves 50 hours of community service and stays out of trouble for a year. 

By the time he cut that deal in September 2022, he had worked his way back into Noem’s political circle. She appeared with Lewandoski at an August 2022 fundraiser for Massachusetts GOP gubernatorial nominee Geoff Diehl, where Noem and Diehl strolled the north end of Boston, eating pizza and hob-knobbing with merchants.

The Trump-endorsed Diehl, who has questioned the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential election, said that he and Noem “very much share the same values” when asked about her extreme positions on abortion. Lewandowski also worked for U.S. Senate candidate Jane Timkin of Ohio, who was endorsed by Noem in August of 2021. Timkin spoke of “widespread fraud and irregularities” in the 2020 election, without citing evidence, and praised Lewandowski’s experience in high-level campaigns without mentioning the allegations in Las Vegas.

“People will overlook a lot of sins if they think Corey can help them get elected,” said Smith, though Timkin failed to land Trump’s endorsement and finished fifth in the Ohio primary, while Diehl trails Democratic gubernatorial candidate Maura Healey by as many as 24 points in recent Massachusetts polls.

Asked about Noem’s Trump-inspired political transformation, Smith added: “It’s the mood of the country and the mood of the Republican Party. If the party shifts, you have to go where the party is and try to run in front of the parade. A skillful politician is the one who can do that and not make it look too opportunistic.”

Battling inside and outside the GOP

One problem with being a “political chameleon,” Noem’s detractors say, is that your true colors become harder to find. But a politician’s first instinct can be revealing.

When the Republican-dominated South Dakota Legislature pushed through a transgender athlete bill in 2021 that would have banned trans females from competing in sports programs in South Dakota, Noem initially voiced support but then issued a style-and-form veto, expressing concern about college sports being included and financial repercussions if the NCAA boycotted events.

“The NCAA is a private association,” Noem said at a press conference following her decision not to sign the bill. “That means they can do what they want to do. And even though I fundamentally disagree with them when it comes to this issue, if South Dakota passes a law that’s against their policy, they will likely take punitive action against us.”

Though Noem tried to rally support for a “Defend Title IX Now!” coalition, she was assailed by hard-core conservatives as a “sellout” who “caved” to corporate interests. In a contentious interview on Fox News, host Tucker Carlson asked her: “Why not just say, ‘Bring it on, NCAA. I’m a national figure. Go ahead and try and exclude us. I will fight you in the court of public opinion and defend principle.’ Why not just do that?”

The first-term governor took a more aggressive position for the 2022 legislative session. Her office put forth a retooled bill, removing logistical challenges for schools and adding a clause to provide legal representation from the attorney general for various entities in case they were sued. But the swiftness with which the reactionary right had turned on her was instructive.

“She went on Tucker Carlson and kind of got beat up,” said Schaff. “He made her look bad, which is hard to do. He made her look weak and dissembling, so I think she came to the realization that ‘this could hurt me; I won’t veto that thing a second time.’ And she didn’t.”

Close governor’s race awaits

In her videotaped message at the Media Research Center event in Washington D.C., Noem framed her hands-off approach to the pandemic as a nod to individual liberties, portraying South Dakota’s wide-open spaces as a red-state haven where freedom rings.

She justifies her national travel – made possible by payments and in-kind contributions through her Victory Fund PAC – as part of her role as state ambassador, extolling the virtues of South Dakota to boost tourism. Noem’s administration used $5 million in coronavirus relief funds in 2020 for the same purpose, running an ad campaign featuring the governor and state landmarks such as Mount Rushmore and the Badlands.

“We invited freedom-loving Americans to come to South Dakota,” Noem told the Media Research Center audience, “and they came to our state in record numbers.”

South Dakota Department of Tourism Secretary Jim Hagen said the state is on track to “either match or surpass the $4.4 billion in visitor spending we experienced in 2021,” though National Park visitation is slightly down, and hotel room nights declined over the summer “with astronomical gas prices and crippling inflation causing American families to cancel their trips,” according to Hagen.

Noem’s travel schedule is also targeted to boost her politically – with appearances and digital ads in key electoral states – but it’s not clear how much her time away from Pierre hurts her at home.

“There are lots of people who say she shouldn’t have ambition, but my perspective would be that you hope everybody has a little bit of ambition,” said Card, the USD political science professor. “Her opponents would say it’s a question of whether she’s speaking to us or speaking to (out-of-state audiences).”

South Dakota voters have traditionally been wary of officeholders who place national priorities ahead of state issues. Thune’s attacks on Daschle in 2004 focused on the Senate Majority Leader and his wife being entrenched in Washington, including a video clip of Daschle saying, “I’m a D.C. resident,” though Daschle’s campaign offered evidence that he was speaking in jest.

“I would advise South Dakota politicians to pay attention to South Dakota issues,” said Pressler, who blamed his own 1996 Senate loss to Democrat Tim Johnson on inattention to local concerns. “Be careful not to get too far off the reservation, so to speak. That would be my advice to all South Dakota politicians who want to be elected or re-elected.”

Others point to the fact that Daschle was embroiled in a high-stakes race in a ruby-red state against a rising Republican star in 2004, while Noem has history and money on her side against an opponent running his first statewide campaign in a tough election year for Democrats.

“Whatever Jamie Smith is, he isn’t John Thune,” said Schaff, shrugging off the Thune/Daschle comparison. “He’s not a Republican running in a Republican state in a Republican year with A-level political talent, which was Thune in 2004. Jamie Smith isn’t that. You might say that Noem has popularity to burn, and if she’s burned a little bit because she has cultivated a bit of a national profile, I doubt it costs her re-election.”

Also looming is an ethics investigation involving Noem’s alleged interference in a state agency’s evaluation of her daughter’s application for a real estate appraiser license, which involved a state employee receiving a $200,000 settlement after filing a wrongful termination suit.

The state’s Government Accountability Board determined there was evidence Noem acted improperly but refused to publicly disclose the “appropriate action” it took after making that finding, ending the matter in the public eye but allowing questions about the  process to remain.

“The longer the issue stays on people’s minds and they talk about it, the worse off it is for her,” said Card. “Part of that is the lack of transparency that was written into the statutes, whether things are handled in public or private. If there’s a private reprimand, no one will know, and that will feed into our South Dakota suspicion that somebody’s getting a better deal.”

Re-election bids are a referendum on the incumbent, which is especially true in this case. A vote for Noem is not just for a second term as governor but a tacit endorsement of her political prospects, which may or may not take her away from gubernatorial duties. A loss would be a staggering blow to her political ascendancy and MAGA-fueled momentum, not to mention one of the most consequential election results in South Dakota history.

“I don’t think this election is about Kristi Noem’s career,” said Nesiba. “This election is about the future of South Dakota, and South Dakotans see Jamie Smith as more in line with their values and their concerns than they do with the current governor. That’s why she’s going to lose, and she doesn’t seem to be aware that that’s about to happen.”

It could be that even Noem’s most vocal critics don’t know what makes her tick. Maybe she’s still figuring it out herself, veering from star-spangled freedom fighter to calculating climber, sailing on political winds. One thing in Noem’s favor, said Schaff, is her understanding of her home state, which gives her the courage of her convictions, however flexible they might be.

“The thing that inoculates her from some of the criticism is that it’s really hard to out-South Dakota Kristi Noem,” he said. “And I don’t think that she’s lost that touch.”

Used with permission of South Dakota News Watch.

Related posts

• Not from around here: Washington Examiner commentator scolds Governor Noem for Native Americans' Day proclamation
• SDSU poll: SD gubernatorial race heating up
• Positive pants on fire: Democratic opponent Jamie Smith corrects Noem's really bad math

Photo: Former Donald Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski holds a poster for South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem during the CPAC event in February 2021. Photo: Courtesy Jabin Botsford, The Washington Post

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Minnesota DNR captures four feral Mangalitsa pigs east of Blue Earth

UPDATE October 18: At the Star Tribune, ag reporter Christopher Vondracek has much more in Furry hogs still at-large in Faribault County after DNR hunted down others. A must read, though the photo used by the editors is still not one of Mangalitsa hogs. [end update]

Note-an issue at our provider has prevented the image from showing. We'll correct the issue when we're able. Click here to see the hog breed.

Four Mangalitsa pigs--two adults and two piglets--have captured by conservation officers in Southern Minnesota.

Both Alpha Media's KLGR's report MN DNR captures feral pigs near Blue Earth and Bring Me The News' DNR rounds up feral pigs in southern Minnesota used stock photos of wild razorbacks--two separate images--from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, rather than photos of the "Hungarian heritage breed known for its docile nature and delicious pork."

KLGR reported MN DNR captures feral pigs near Blue Earth:

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources received a call about the animals on the afternoon of Sept 23. Conversation officers responded, but didn’t initially locate the animals.  The following day, a few adults and some piglets were captured east of Blue Earth.  The pigs were turned over to the division of Fish and Wildlife for testing.

According to the DNR, the hogs escaped from a stockyard and went unreported.  The piglets suggest some breeding occurred. In Minnesota, it’s illegal to possess, release, or allow feral swine to run at large.  Doing so could result in a misdemeanor conviction and/or fines.

Swine are not native to North America and can be particularly destructive to an ecosystem if allowed to persist. Unchecked, they can create crop damage and foul water supplies. . . 

DNR information officer Dan Ruiter identified the breed of pig after Bluestem asked. 

Now, as a graduate of the University of Arkansas, I treasure my hog hat, but side with the Minnesota DNR about not wanting feral hogs of any breed wandering around. The breed isn't part of industrial pork production, where hogs quickly gain weight and head to market inside CAFOs. It's especially important for this bread to have been captured, since unlike many production porkers, Mangalitsa pigs have enough hair to survive outdoors in a Minnesota winter.

According to Ruiter, the conservation officer who made the report said the adults were "intact" enough to breed, another difference from many male industrially farmed hogs.

These are pigs for a boutique market raised on smaller homesteads and hobby farms. But it's not the ferocious razorback.

Rural Living Today reports in Mangalitsa Pig | Are They The Best Choice For Your Homestead?:

Adding a Mangalitsa pig to your homestead can bring plenty of diversity. Not only do they have an incredibly rich history, but you can also use them for a wide assortment of things. Mangalitsa pigs have a unique appearance, fabulous meat, and offer many other impressive benefits. 

Depending on where you are in the world, Mangalitsa pigs are also known as Mangalica or Mangalitza. Indigenous to Hungary, their popularity boomed during the 19th century.

Archduke Joseph Anton Johanna received Sumadija pigs as a gift during the Austro-Hungarian Empire. A few years passed, and he decided to breed his pigs with Szalonta and Bakony pigs, resulting in a new breed.

The Mangalitsa is different from others, distinct for their curly hair, and is often referred to as hairy pigs. Their popularity continued to grow until their breed became official in 1927. . . .

During the 1950s, the pigs were nearly extinct due to scientific developments that found saturated fat was dangerous for humans. More people noted that Mangalitsa pork was harmful to long-term health; however, this wasn’t the case.

1990 to Present

It wasn’t until recently that scientists found that lard has less saturated fat than butter. Also, it doesn’t contain trans fats, which you would commonly find in hydrogenated vegetable fat.

Unfortunately, as these discoveries are new, they led to the significant decline of the breed worldwide. When more intensified agriculture came into play during the 1970s, raising a herd of Mangalitsa became more challenging.

They were more time-consuming to care for than more modern pig breeds, and they took up too much space on farms.

Many farmers also found that they produced far fewer piglets, and traditional farming became less popular.

As early as 1990, there were fewer than 200 of these pigs worldwide; today, there are over 50,000. You can even find notable organizations dedicated to preserving the breed, as they came so close to being considered endangered. In Hungary, you will find they are popular to raise.

Interestingly enough, what is most unique about a Mangalitsa pig almost caused it to go extinct—it’s fat.

Mangalitsa pig fat has a luxurious nature that is said to melt in your mouth, making it a phenomenal addition to meals. Its meat is also unique in that many refer to it as the “Kobe beef of the pig world.”

You’ll often find that homesteaders refer to these pigs as the fattiest in the world. On average, their total body weight accounts for 60% to 70% fat and up to 35% lean meat.

Most modern breeds, on the other hand, only have up to 50% fat.

How Big Do Mangalitsa Pigs Get?

These pigs require a lot of care and attention to grow to their fullest potential. In fact, many farms stopped breeding them because they don’t grow as quickly as other pig breeds.

So, how big do Mangalitsa pigs get, really? With proper care, they can grow as large as 400 pounds, if not larger.

As with any other animal on your farm, their size will depend on their health and diet. Mangalitsa pigs are foragers, which means they will require plenty of space on your farm to peruse through fields.

You will also need to provide them with extra bulking materials, such as corn, barley, and wheat.

Over two years, you can quickly increase your pig’s weight to just under 800 pounds at finishing weight, which offers a substantial amount of meat. . . .

Mangalitsa pigs don’t do well with modern-day farming techniques, as they are innately meant to roam. Farmers will have to allocate a significant chunk of their property to these hogs to have freedom. . . . 

Certainly the four captured hogs enjoyed a bit of freedom, but are no longer a menace to Southern Minnesota. Bring Me the News reported:

DNR information officer Dan Ruiter told Bring Me The News that swine are not native to North America and otherwise pose a threat to the ecosystem.

"They can create crop damage and foul water supplies if they are left unchecked. Of primary concern are diseases such as pseudorabies, brucellosis and tuberculosis," Ruiter said.

Ruiter said that the cost of dealing with the escaped hogs was still being sorted out, as the Board of Animal Health and the USDA also have authority in the situation along with the DNR.

Could there be more wild swine threatening rural Faribault County? Perhaps, Ruiter told Bluestem Prairie. Should hunters or other people enjoying the countryside see fluffy pigs--or any other--on the loose, do not try to catch them. Instead, call the MN DNR.

No matter how tasty they may be.

Photo: A non-feral Mangalitsa hog, along with a non-feral house cat. Via EH Farms, Alberta.

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In South Dakota, where abortion is now outlawed, college students ramp up activism

Readers will know from posts like At SD Democratic Party reproductive rights rally, Sioux Falls Rep. Duba shares her abortion story and Abortion poll: Is South Dakota the next Kansas? that people in South Dakota may not be as anti-reproductive rights as many elected folks in the state.

We first saw this story at MinnPost, and were delighted to learn The Hechinger Report allows republishing of its material.

In states where abortion is now outlawed, students ramp up activism
by Olivia Sanchez

VERMILLION, S.D. — The students looked as if they could be getting ready for a Harry Styles concert, sprawled out across the carpet in the University of South Dakota’s student center. Early 2000s pop music flowed as they spent the evening hunched over poster boards and deconstructed cardboard boxes, chatting, shaking paint pens and passing around bags of plastic gemstones and faux flowers. 

But a closer look through the rhinestones and bright paint revealed fury, not fandom. Their signs read, “You cut off my reproductive rights, should we cut off yours?” and “The hardest decision a person can make isn’t yours.”

Preparing for a march across campus to protest the recent Supreme Court decision that triggered a near-total abortion ban in their state, the students encouraged one another to avoid the use of gendered language for people who get abortions and think carefully before using images like clothes hangers on their signs. 

While they worked, Lexi McKee-Hemenway — wearing cargo pants, a tank top and sparkly silver eye shadow — made her way through the group with a spiral notebook, seeking fellow students who wanted to take leadership roles in the university’s Students for Reproductive Rights group, which she said has roughly doubled in size, to 30 members, since last year. 

McKee-Hemenway, the group’s president, is among college students across the country who are frantically advocating for changes in policy and laws to make abortion legal again, while also trying to help those who may need an abortion in the meantime. Working on both goals at the same time can be daunting.

“That’s all very scary, it’s very dystopian,” McKee-Hemenway said. “There are still resources, and there are people that will help them get those resources. It is hard, but we will make it happen.”

South Dakota is one of 14 states that have banned abortions with few exceptions as of late September; like South Dakota, most had “trigger laws” designed to take effect once the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.  A number of other states’ bans are still being contested in state courts.

South Dakota’s law, passed in 2005, is among the most rigid in the country, prohibiting abortion procedures, abortion pill prescriptions even by telemedicine and allowing no exceptions for pregnancies caused by rape or incest. Since then, two attempts to ban abortion by amending the state constitution have been made; both failed, but about 45 percent of voters supported them.

Many of the states that ban abortion, including South Dakota, also do not mandate that public school students receive sex education. When sex education is offered in South Dakota, it’s not required to be medically accurate or include information on consent.

Kate Cartagena, the director of youth campaigns at Planned Parenthood, said without sex education, young people “don’t even know all the things they need to know about how to control their own bodies.”

Planned Parenthood’s Generation Action program supports more than 350 high school and college advocacy groups, including the Students for Reproductive Rights at the University of South Dakota, which with 7,000 undergraduates is the state’s second largest college after South Dakota State. Generation Action encourages students to work not only for abortion access, but for local needs like travel funds for students choosing abortions and flexible attendance policies so that students are not penalized academically if they need to miss class for abortion care.

Though the university group receives guidance and resources from the larger organization of Planned Parenthood, the students and their two faculty advisers said that on campus they operate mostly on their own.

McKee-Hemenway has long been passionate about abortion rights, but when she saw the alert on her phone about the overturning of Roe v. Wade, she said it felt as if the world were falling apart. 

“I’ve tried not to make politics my entire life, but now it’s more of a moral thing,” McKee-Hemenway said.

Across the country, students and professionals alike had been preparing for the Supreme Court decision. When it was leaked in May, Advocates for Youth was five weeks into an abortion doula training for young people across the country who hoped to be able to support their peers before, during and after an abortion. And URGE, which stands for Unite for Reproductive and Gender Equity, helps student groups nationwide learn to advocate for themselves in their state legislatures.

Colleges in states where abortion is now illegal have found themselves in a complicated situation, in part because many rely on state legislatures for funding. Some have chosen to remain silent, while others, like the University of Idaho, have instructed faculty to speak of abortion only neutrally and have stopped offering birth control to students to avoid breaking the law.

President Joe Biden and Education Secretary Miguel Cardona have urged colleges to maintain access to birth control.

“I want to be clear with college leaders in America, access to contraception should not be in question, and access to health care, including reproductive health care, is critical to the wellbeing and success of our nation’s students,” Cardona said Tuesday.

In South Dakota, any person who prescribes, administers or procures an abortion is guilty of a felony, punishable by up to two years in prison or a fine of up to $4,000, or both, according to the state legislature. The only exception is for an “appropriate and reasonable” medical judgment that an abortion is necessary to save the life of the mother.

Advocates like McKee-Hemenway say the law leaves medical providers with little definition of what qualifies as risk to the life of a pregnant woman. And it leaves people like her uncertain of exactly what they can do to help peers who need abortion care. 

Their options are limited. 

A student who is less than 11 weeks pregnant can get a medication abortion at the Planned Parenthood clinic in Sioux City, Iowa, which is about 40 miles from campus. To receive a procedural abortion, allowed by Nebraska state law through 16 weeks and six days, a student would have to travel nearly 140 miles to the Planned Parenthood clinic in Omaha, Nebraska. Going out of state to receive an abortion is legal, but difficult for students without cars or financial resources. For example, to get from Vermillion to Omaha would take about two hours by car, and far longer by public transit, requiring multiple transfers and some walking.

Other students on campus believe these aren’t the only options. The university’s pro-life student group works to counsel those who are pregnant to get early-term care at nearby crisis pregnancy centers, and to continue with the pregnancy.

For those who seek abortions, it’s still unclear whether the university will provide help.

The school hasn’t issued a statement on the restriction on abortion access since the Supreme Court decision in late June. Representatives from the university did not respond to repeated requests for comment for this story. 

The silence frustrates McKee-Hemenway, a junior who hopes to graduate early, at the end of this academic year. At the very least, she said, the university should have told students: “ ‘Hey, some basic health care isn’t going to be extended to you here. You will have to leave the state on your own time, with your own money.’ ”

And while she’s from South Dakota, many of her peers come from states where abortion is still legal.

When Minnesota native Rosamaria Rodriguez learned the Supreme Court decision would change her rights in South Dakota, she began to second-guess her college decision. 

“I liked the campus and the people seemed like they would be a good fit, but I don’t know if I really wanted to spend my college years in a place where they can’t even respect what I want to do with my own body,” Rodriguez said. 

Ultimately, she decided to stick with her choice, because she wants to be a doctor and believes this university is best for her academically. She moved to Vermillion in mid-August as a freshman, and soon joined the Students for Reproductive Rights group.

Along with marching and chalking slogans on campus sidewalks, group members also spend time in the student center each week passing out flyers and answering questions, trying to make sure students know which hotlines and abortion funds can help them coordinate and cover costs for travel and lodging if they need to go to another state to obtain an abortion. They also share information about how to self-manage an abortion with pills that can be ordered online, even if state law prohibits it. 

“Right now, options are very limited,” McKee-Hemenway said. “It is better to be aware of where you can go if you do need it.”

McKee-Hemenway, 20, grew up about six hours northwest of Vermillion, in Sturgis, South Dakota, a small city of fewer than 7,000 people today. Her mother, Katy Hemenway, said she has always been pro-choice, and began talking to her daughter about reproductive health when she was in middle school. As Lexi got older and started having friends who needed birth control or the morning-after pill, she knew she could turn to her mother for information if they asked her for help.

As she was learning about real-life resources that could help prevent teen pregnancies, she was also on the speech and debate team, learning to pick apart complicated, controversial issues. She started in 2015 as an eighth grader, a year earlier than most students, taking the bus to a local high school on Wednesday afternoons to participate.

The team debated everything from standardized testing to child labor to carbon emissions taxes, and McKee-Hemenway said abortion came up every year. More often than not, she found her view on abortion to be a minority opinion. At the University of South Dakota, she’s found kindred spirits, and feels less like the “black sheep” than she did growing up in Sturgis.

For McKee-Hemenway, an abortion decision is very personal, but even in general terms, the topic can be difficult to discuss. She said she found herself in tears after a recent event discussing the implications of the Supreme Court decision for South Dakotans, as she thought about the challenges people now face in seeking abortion care. Staging protests and hosting events help boost morale among tired and busy student advocates, she said.

“It can be really hard to keep the fire lit for a super long time,” McKee-Hemenway said. When they have events, they can reignite the conversation on campus.

Students for Reproductive Rights also collects menstrual hygiene products to donate to local shelters and schools, offers sex trivia contests on campus to raise money, and tries to help educate other students about reproductive health.

Anna Bottesini, a sophomore, will take over as the president of Students for Reproductive Rights after McKee-Hemenway graduates next spring. When she learned of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe, she said, “it was like a punch to the stomach.”

She said there have been many new faces in the group this fall, and to her, it makes sense that this major policy shift would drive concerned students her group’s way.

“There’s a lot of people who are just worried, in general, like, ‘What if my birth control fails? What do I do? What happens then? Because I can’t — I’m a broke college student and how can I afford to, like, go and do this?’ ” Bottesini said. “There are a lot of people who are upset about it and just don’t know what to do.”

But the student body also has a contingent that believes abortion is wrong and is pleased with the Supreme Court decision and the subsequent tightening of laws in South Dakota.

The student anti-abortion group, named Yotes for Life after the school’s coyote mascot, meets just off campus at the St. Thomas More Newman Center. Though the building is a hub for Catholic students, the group’s president, Gavin Holt, said members do not need to identify as Catholic to participate.

Standing in front of a large projector screen for his presentation welcoming new and returning members, Holt wore a royal blue T-shirt that read “Remember the Unborn” across the back, the slogan of a group called Life Runners. He is also president of the local chapter of that group, which is religious and which he said is not affiliated with the university, though it meets in the same location directly after the student group meets, and with many of the same students.

Holt, a sophomore, is Catholic, but avoids using the church’s teachings when arguing his view on the issue. At Yotes for Life’s first meeting of the year, he explained the logic behind the group’s stance: Life is a human right; abortion takes a life; therefore, abortion is a violation of human rights.

Holt said the group aims to share that view of abortion and provide women with access to resources offered at local crisis pregnancy centers. At the meeting, Holt and fellow student leaders tallied up those who might be interested in volunteering at three such centers nearby. These organizations typically offer pregnancy tests, ultrasound scans, pregnancy information and counseling against abortion. 

Like Students for Reproductive Rights, Holt’s group spreads its message via sidewalk chalk across campus. Instead of using catchy slogans, Holt urged members to stick with helpful phone numbers and resources. The two groups fundamentally disagree, but both say they generally try to avoid antagonizing each other.

“I don’t agree with them, but I don’t think they are, like, ill-willed,” Holt said. He also said his group would not stage a counter-protest to McKee-Hemenway’s, because he did not think it was right to “ambush” another group.

One afternoon early in the semester, Students for Reproductive Rights and supporters from across campus gathered outside the athletic center, under the late summer sun. They passed around little leaflets printed with chants and offered to share sunscreen. 

It was 95 degrees as they began their march across campus. Some students carried the signs they’d made two nights before, though about 50 showed up to march — many more than had attended the sign-making session. McKee-Hemenway, carrying only an acoustic megaphone, led them in chants.

When they arrived at the campus’s main academic quad, McKee-Hemenway and the leaders of the College Democrats and the university’s LGBTQ+ student alliance climbed to the top of a set of stairs to speak from a balcony. The three told the students that they weren’t alone in their fight toward legalizing abortion care in South Dakota.

Some hope that abortion can be legalized in South Dakota via a ballot initiative, which shifts the power from lawmakers to voters. This tactic was recently successful in Kansas, where 59 percent of voters voted to keep abortion legal, and will soon be tested in Michigan, Montana, Kentucky, California and Vermont. 

The ballot initiative effort involves a lengthy approval process with the state and the collection of thousands of signatures, so it wouldn’t likely go to the voters soon. 

More immediately, students are encouraging one another to update their voter registration and prepare to vote this November. The Republican governor is up for re-election, and all 105 state legislative seats are on the ballot.

For now, though, abortion is illegal in South Dakota, and the students have no insight about whether, if they sought abortion care, the college would help them or report them to law enforcement.  For now, their best bet is to help one another. 

At the protest, McKee-Hemenway and the others urged their peers not to give up in their fight for bodily autonomy and the right to access a safe abortion. 

“Look around,” McKee-Hemenway said to the crowd. “These are the people in your corner. This is your mutual aid now.”

This story about student activism was produced by The Hechinger Report, a nonprofit, independent news organization focused on inequality and innovation in education. Sign up for the Hechinger newsletter.

This story, In states where abortion is now outlawed, students ramp up activism, was produced by The Hechinger Report, a nonprofit, independent news organization focused on inequality and innovation in education. All nonexclusive content is offered under a noncommercial Creative Commons license. 

Related posts

• At SD Democratic Party reproductive rights rally, Sioux Falls Rep. Duba shares her abortion story
• Abortion poll: Is South Dakota the next Kansas?

Photo: The University of South Dakota’s Students for Reproductive Rights group passes out stickers and information about abortion access each week in the student center, trying to help students know they still have options if they become pregnant. Credit: Olivia Sanchez/The Hechinger Report.

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Moorhead School Board candidate Ken Lucier adored the Oath Keepers in 2019 Forum letter

At the Fargo Forum, Jim Shaw noted down column in his Saturday column, Term limits, critical race theory and other thoughts:

Moorhead School Board chaos candidate Ken Lucier wrote a letter to the Forum three years ago stating, “I am a proud oath keeper several times over, and strongly support the Oath Keeper organization.” The Anti-Defamation League labels the Oath Keepers as an extremist group associated with militias. Many Oath Keepers participated in the violent coup attempt on Jan. 6, 2021.

Here's Lucier's 2019 letter, All politicians should be Oath Keepers:

Any candidate who does not promise to keep their oath of office should be immediately disqualified from running. One very ignorant lady from the local press has suggested it is a bad thing to be an Oath Keeper . Had we held all public servants to that standard, this country would not have most of the problems we have today.

I am a proud oath keeper several times over, and strongly support the Oath Keeper organization for obvious reasons. Any candidate for public office who is not an Oath Keeper should be immediately disqualified. No one in their right mind who desires this country to be great would advocate otherwise.

Shame on that ignorant imbecile of a reporter who grossly misrepresented we Oath Keepers . God bless Oath Keepers. Are you one? I strongly recommend joining the Oath Keeper organization. This woman has grossly misrepresented a very honorable organization. Check out our web page [dead link]. Shame on her.

Lucier doesn't seem to have been publicly revealed as an Oath Keeper member via the Anti-Defamation League's The Oath Keepers Data Leak: Unmasking Extremism in Public Life in early September, though the report noted there were 514 names from Minnesota in the data leak. I've made inquiries to the collective that published the database.

Perhaps he's divorced himself from his 2019 affection for the group, though lawmakers in South Dakota and Minnesota whose names are in the database told reporters that they had cut ties long before 2019. See our posts Oath Keepers: SD state senator Jim Stalzer joins Phil Jensen again in news reports about alumni and MN Reformer: MN House Republican’s name [ Donald Raleigh] appears on Oath Keepers membership roster.

Earlier this fall, Forum News Service columnist Mike McFeely wrote Lucier up in Moorhead School Board faces infiltration from right-wing loons, following the lead of Shaw's earlier column, Avoid Moorhead's chaos candidates. Neither column mentioned the Oath Keepers adoration.

Lucier is included in the Minnesota Parents Alliance's Voter Guide. A screenshot of Ken's candidate statement:

 

Elizabeth Shockman reported at MPR in New group launches effort to gain 'parental rights' on MN school boards:

Trooien, who says her group is non-partisan, has partnered with several conservative organizations in launching her group. Among them, the Center of the American Experiment and the Child Protection League. . .

The business filing at the Minnesota Secretary of States database for the non-profit shows a Registered Office Address of 8421 Wayzata Boulevard, Suite 110Golden Valley, MN 55426. This is the same registered office address for the Center of the American Experiment and the contact address for the CAE. 

The school board race isn't Lucier's first attempt at elected office. In 2006, Lucier ran as the right-of-Republicans Constitution Party candidate in Minnesota Seventh Congressional District, receiving 3033 votes, 1.28% of the vote. In 2012, he ran for Minnesota House District 4A, receiving 262 votes, for 23.69%, in the Republican primary.

Related posts

• Oath Keepers: SD state senator Jim Stalzer joins Phil Jensen again in news reports about alumni
• MN Reformer: MN House Republican’s name [ Donald Raleigh] appears on Oath Keepers membership roster
• South Dakota state rep Phil Jensen back in the news for ties to insurrectionist Oath Keepers.

Screenshots: Ken Lucier, via Meet Ken Lucier - KLN for School Board. (above); Minnesota Parents Alliance's Voter Guide (below).

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Not from around here: Washington Examiner commentator scolds Governor Noem for Native Americans' Day proclamation

In his latest commentary for the conservative Washington Examiner, Christopher Tremoglie is aghast at South Dakota's woke governor, Kristi Noem.

Yes, really.

On Tuesday, the Examiner published Kristi Noem chose to acknowledge Native American Day instead of Columbus Day, in which Columbus defender Tremoglie wrote:

Despite the revisionist history attempts by the Left, the second Monday in October is, and will always be, Columbus Day. Dangerously radical, left-wing cultural Marxists have tried to hijack the holiday and rename it Indigenous Peoples Day. Yet their desperate attempts shouldn't change reality: Such efforts are only effective when people agree to their demands. So it was quite disappointing to see that South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, once considered a strong Republican with a bright future, tweeted "Happy Native American Day!" on Oct. 10.

"Happy Native American Day!" Noem's tweet read. "I'm proud of our state's rich Native American heritage. South Dakota sets aside a day each October to recognize that legacy." . . .

South Dakota's Native American history is a noble history of a proud people. No rational human being should have any objection to celebrating their heritage. But there are 364 other days in the year for that. Encroaching on Columbus Day under the guise of appreciating Indigenous culture is done only because of the Left's hatred for our culture and history. Noem's failure to acknowledge anything about Columbus Day was disappointing.

If Noem had any courage or a political spine, she would acknowledge her state's Native American history but also firmly state that Oct. 10 is Columbus Day. It commemorates Columbus's expedition and the discovery of the Western hemisphere by European civilization. It's a date that warrants celebration and honoring because, no matter what one's feelings about Columbus may be, his discovery legitimately changed the course of human civilization.

Anyone acknowledging the second Monday in October as Native American or Indigenous Peoples Day is just surrendering to the Left. They're not honoring a group of people or atoning for the alleged sins of the past. They don't care about American Indians even in the slightest. They are being used and manipulated to validate the Left's demonic hatred of Western civilization. They are being used to amplify the Left's aggressive attacks to topple our country's culture. . . . 

Oh the horror!  Oh the new and shiny. Oh the failure to do the slightest research about South Dakota.

South Dakota has surrendered to the Left since 1990. In 2014, David Montgomery reported for the Argus Leader in In S.D., it's Native Americans' Day, not Columbus Day:

While much of the rest of the country is celebrating Columbus Day today, in South Dakota the state government, schools and citizens are recognizing a different holiday: Native Americans' Day.

South Dakota is the only state in the country to celebrate today devoted to Native Americans rather than the Italian navigator Christopher Columbus -- and it's done so for a long time.

Why does South Dakota celebrate Native Americans' Day instead of Columbus Day?

Part of it is demographic. Much of the impetus from Columbus Day comes from Italian-Americans, which are not among the biggest ethnic groups in South Dakota. Native Americans are close to 10 percent of South Dakota's population.

It also stems back to a decision by Gov. George Mickelson in the late 1980s to seek "reconciliation" between Natives and whites after historically bad relations. Mickelson asked the Legislature to declare 1990 a "Year of Reconciliation" and to rename Columbus Day as Native Americans' Day. The measure passed unanimously. . . . 

And who was this dangerously radical, left-wing cultural Marxist?  His 1993 obituary in the New York Times, George Mickelson, 52, Governor Of South Dakota, Dies in a Crash, notes:

Gov. George S. Mickelson of South Dakota, who followed his father's career path from a rural law practice to the state's highest office, died in a plane crash in Iowa on Monday night, a spokesman for his office said. He was 52.

Governor Mickelson was one of eight people killed in the crash about 15 miles southwest of Dubuque as they were returning from a trip to Cincinnati to promote economic development in the state, the spokesman said. Engine trouble was suspected.

Mr. Mickelson was co-chairman of the National Governors Association's task force on health care.

A Republican, Mr. Mickelson was first elected in 1986 and won another four-year term in 1990. He also served six years in the South Dakota House, where he was Speaker in 1979-80.

Lieut. Gov. Walter Dale Miller, who succeeded Governor Mickelson today, vowed to try "to accomplish all he wanted to accomplish for us."

A Home-Grown Style

Mr. Mickelson was the son of George T. Mickelson, who served as South Dakota's Governor from 1947 to 1951.

When he followed his father into the Governor's mansion, he focused on economic development, encouraging manufacturing growth in a state that is more dependent on agriculture than any other sector.

He sought to raise teachers' salaries, among the lowest in the nation, and in 1989 made two record increases in state aid to school districts by setting aside 56 percent of the state's sales tax revenue.

Mr. Mickelson tried to improve relations between Indians and non-Indians in South Dakota, naming 1990 the Year of Reconciliation. Several times he sat with Sioux leaders and smoked the sacred pipe.

He had a home-grown style, often driving a pick-up truck to work. He was a popular member of the South Dakota House for six years, quitting in 1980. ...

Mr. Mickelson was born in Mobridge, S.D., and lived in the eastern South Dakota city of Brookings and the state capital, Pierre. He received a bachelor's degree in business administration and a law degree from the University of South Dakota.

After two years in the Army in Vietnam, he practiced law in Brookings, then served as Brookings County state's attorney and assistant state attorney general. . . .

Without Mr. Tremoglie's perspicuity about Governor Noem's tweet, I'd probably never recognize that earlier governor as a dirty commie and would probably share the sympathies of Bernie Hunhoff in a South Dakota Magazine article, Twenty Years Ago:

Twenty years ago. It hardly seems possible, maybe in part because many of the good deeds inspired by the governor continue to impact the lives of South Dakotans. (We say "inspired" because he would be the first to share credit with his staff, lawmakers, community leaders and the citizens who pay the taxes to make it all possible.) He inspired a resurgence in state pride by presiding over the state's centennial, spent political capital to start the REDI fund, found a permanent funding source for long-overdue water projects, brought environmental regulations out of the 19th century and — perhaps most importantly — worked tirelessly to rebuild relationships between whites and Native Americans after a contentious decade of strife.

Noem turned 19 in 1990, so Bluestem doesn't think she had much to do with establishing Native Americans' Day. 

Meanwhile, back in South Dakota, the Democratic gubernatorial candidate and his running mate were participating in Native Americans Day celebrations:

Today when I visited Rosebud Reservation, I was greeted with the gift of a beaded medallion. I will cherish forever.

I had the honor of celebrating Native American Day with the Lakota people as @JenniferKeintz marched in the Native American Day parade in Sioux Falls. pic.twitter.com/sP7LhlnIiF

— Jamie Smith for SD Governor (@RepJamieSmith) October 10, 2022

Perhaps Noem was just reaping the benefit of having a national profile.

Photo: Governor George S. Mickelson.

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SDSU poll: SD gubernatorial race heating up

On Sunday, Stephen Groves and Jonathan J. Cooper of the Associated Press reported in Noem’s balancing act: Big ambitions, South Dakota reelection:

. . .If Noem has ambitions beyond her state, she must first take care of political business back home: winning a second term in November.

Many expected her to cruise to victory in a Republican-dominated state against a Democratic opponent without statewide experience. But her frequent out-of-state travels, as well as recent ethics stumbles, have given Democrats license to dream of an upset — or at least making the race close enough to raise questions about Noem’s viability on a bigger stage.

Drey Samuelson, a longtime Democratic strategist in the state, said few people gave Democratic state Rep. Jamie Smith much of a chance when he announced his campaign for governor, given Smith’s lack of name recognition and Noem’s massive fundraising advantage. Republicans have almost doubled Democrats on voter rolls and Smith’s highest political experience was leading House Democrats — a beleaguered band that has dwindled to eight members.

But Smith has run a shrewd race by seeking to turn Noem’s ambition against her, Samuelson said.

“Everyone I talk to, both Republicans and Democrats, believes that he has closed the gap on her,” he said.

Recent polling suggests there's something to that. At the Sioux Falls Argus Leader, Annie Todd reports in SDSU Poll shows race for governor's seat is heating up between Kristi Noem, Jamie Smith:

The race over who will live in the Governor's Mansion is tightening less than four weeks from the Nov. 8 election, according to a poll released from South Dakota State University on Tuesday.

Gov. Kristi Noem, who's running for her second term, against Democratic challenger Rep. Jamie Smith is leading the race 45% to 41%, with a margin of error of 4%, according to the SDSU Poll, which is part of the School of American and Global Studies at the university in Brookings. The poll also states 14% of voters have not yet decided.

The 4% lead is "roughly the same difference as in the 2018 election," when Noem faced Democratic challenger Billie Sutton, according to the poll.

The poll surveyed 565 registered South Dakotan voters between Sept. 28 and Oct. 10, according to the SDSU Poll.

"We've got ourselves a tight race, I wouldn't say a statistical tie," said David Wiltse, the director of the SDSU Poll, on Tuesday in an interview with "In the Moment," a daily South Dakota Public Broadcasting show.

Wiltse told the Argus Leader on Tuesday it's important to focus on the undecided voters who "are still showing some hesitation as to who they're going to vote for."

"For the most part, these people are probably not truly undecided and a large chunk of these folks are Republicans," Wiltse said. "There's more than twice as many undecided Republicans as there are Democrats, which tells us that we're probably going to see a healthier majority of those undecided voters break towards the Republicans."

He added the poll is only a snapshot of how voters feel in the moment.

Previously, preliminary numbers on Oct. 5 from the SDSU Poll showed the race between Noem and Smith was within a few points, with Noem ahead at 45% and Smith trailing at 42%.

Those numbers have essentially been confirmed by Tuesday's poll results. . . .

The SDSU Poll also broke down preferences for the candidates based on registered voter's gender.

Nearly half of women said they were supportive of Smith, while a bit over half of men said they were supportive of Noem, according to the poll. But, 12% of both men and women said they weren't sure what their candidate preference was.

National trends have shown women prefer Democrats, according to the poll.

The last day to register to vote is Oct. 24.

So far, the best summary of the Noem campaign's response to the polling is Cory Allen Heidelberger's Noem: SDSU Sucks at Polling! at Dakota Free Press. 

Noem has also fibbed about Smith's fundraising, as Bluestem noted in Positive pants on fire: Democratic opponent Jamie Smith corrects Noem's really bad math.

The poor-mouth-campaign crying governor isn't going to cease from fundraising out of state, no matter how close the polls are. At the Mitchell Republic, Jason Harward noted Gov. Kristi Noem resumes travels less than one month after back surgery. And Keloland reported a Florida couple is hosting high dollar Noem fundraiser on Friday, October 14.

Perhaps the governor might make it home for the traditional pheasant opener on October 15; we don't know if she were able to get back for the resident opener last weekend. The Governor's pheasant hunt? We'll wait for news of it.

Related posts

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

Photo: Jamie Smith marching in the  homecoming parade for Gypsy Days - Northern State University.Via Facebook.

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Forum Communications management endorses Jen Schultz in MN8; passes on MN07 contenders

Forum Communications endorsements for congressional candidates are made by the newspaper chain's management. 

The chain's papers in Minnesota's Eighth Congressional District have Pick[ed] Schultz in the 8th, her vow to 'represent everyone':

For eight years, Jen Schultz served in a politically divided state legislature — and was able to get important measures passed anyway to help everyday Minnesotans facing addiction, mental health challenges, homelessness, difficulties affording their prescription drugs, and other matters. She has stepped up where the government is counted on to provide help and make a real difference.

Schultz is running now to represent an 8th Congressional District that largely has been abandoned by an incumbent seemingly more focused on party, and even extreme tangents within his party, than on the people he was elected to serve. Perhaps most disqualifying, Republican U.S. Rep. Pete Stauber of Hermantown signed on to the Texas lawsuit that sought to overturn the will of the voters following the 2020 presidential election, making him part of the same coup that led to the violent and deadly Jan. 6, 2021, overrun of the U.S. Capitol.

“I will represent everyone,” Schultz vowed, in stark contrast to the current representation, in an exclusive interview this fall with Forum Communications.

In the Nov. 8 election, the Democrat from Duluth can be given that chance by those eligible to cast ballots in the massive 8th, which stretches more than halfway across the state’s northeast, from the Canadian border to the northern suburbs of the Twin Cities. The district includes the Iron Range, Duluth, Brainerd, Aitkin, all seven of Minnesota’s Anishinaabe reservations, and more.  . . . 

Meanwhile, in Congress, Stauber’s votes increasingly have become partisan rather than what’s in the best interest of Minnesota and his constituents. He voted against lowering pharmaceutical and insulin costs, against an independent investigation of Jan. 6, against equal pay, and against grants to make needed repairs to regional airports, as just a few examples. Despite voting against the airport grants, he attempted to publicly tout them anyway .

Mostly in press releases, Stauber repeatedly explains away such votes with political bombast about free-spending House Speaker Nancy Pelsoi, President Joe Biden, and the Democrats. Such rhetoric can be expected to a degree, especially on the national stage, and is easy to dismiss and ignore. But many of the votes, the congressman had to know, would pass anyway, leaving the impression he was more interested in being on the record for his party and base than for the people back home.

Stauber is no longer the same devoted representative Northeastern Minnesota first sent to D.C. on our behalf in 2018. He’s become unresponsive to constituents and the media alike. He seems to only attend events populated by supporters. This fall he declined to participate in a candidate forum co-hosted by the Duluth News Tribune and Duluth Area Chamber of Commerce, a forum that over a decade has become the pre-eminent election-season event for the 8th District, the best chance for voters to hear directly from candidates. This was the first time a candidate declined to participate.  . . .

Read the entire editorial in the Duluth News Tribune and other Forum papers across the Eighth. I've admired Schultz's work in the Minnesota House and am pleased to see the thumbs up.

To the west in Minnesota's Seventh District, management isn't so generous. In Fischbach and her challenger haven’t earned our endorsement for Minnesota’s 7th District, the media bosses note: " Michelle Fischbach's irresponsible vote to dispute Electoral College votes in the 2020 presidential election set a "horrible precedent" and we cannot endorse her for re-election," while observing "Fischbach’s DFL challenger, Jill Absahain, hasn’t mounted much of a campaign."

Go read both editorials at the chain newspapers.

Related post

•  MN07 Legal Marijuana Now candidate says district voters tell him they thought they were picking Bachmann not this Fischbach lady 

Photo: Inside the Duluth City Hall rotunda, Jen Schultz of Duluth smiles as a crowd of supporters cheers her announcement in March that she was running for the 8th Congressional District. Jed Carlson / Superior Telegram.

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MN9: Miller explains his write-in campaign won't elect DFLer; Rasmusson teacher defends Jordan

We last left the conservative tussle in Minnesota's Senate District 9 with Friday's The curious case of the Detroit Lakes Tribune correction about Rasmusson's broadband bill, which concluded with the Detroit Lakes' coverage of Nathan Miller's write-in campaign, launched after narrowly losing the Republican primary to the party-endorsed candidate.

Would Miller's write-in campaign be a spoiler that would whisk moderate DFL-endorsed candidate Cornel Walker into office?

In a Facebook video, Miller says that the district is home to motivated Republican voters, so many that they'd still out-number Democrats in November:

There's starting to be some pushback. In a letter to the editor of the Detroit Lakes Tribune, Jane McLandress writes in Support Jordan Rasmusson:

I am writing in support of Jordan Rasmusson, the endorsed republican candidate for the District 9 Minnesota Senate seat. Recently there have been unwarranted attacks on Jordan’s character and gross misrepresentations of his policy positions, and I would like to correct these mistruths. Jordan is an extraordinary person, highly qualified to represent the citizens of this district.

First and foremost, Jordan is a person of integrity. In his current role as our State Representative, he has a reputation among his peers in Saint Paul for being honest and trustworthy. I have known Jordan for many years – as one of his high school teachers in Fergus Falls, as a co-board member of our YMCA and as member of his previous campaign. In all instances Jordan has carried himself with decency and truthfulness.

Jordan has been a highly effective representative for his district. He has earned endorsements from the Republican Party of Minnesota as well as retiring state representative Bud Nornes, retiring state senator Bill Ingebrigtsen and current state legislator Jeff Backer. Other endorsements include Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association, Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life, Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, and Care Minnesota. He has authored and supported bills to reduce taxes, improve public safety, help small businesses, support parents, and increase support for mental health. He also secured funding for local economic development projects in Fergus Falls, Pelican Rapids, Battle Lake, and Glendalough and Maplewood State Parks, to highlight a few.

It saddens me to hear misinformation disparaging Jordan’s integrity, his values, and his policy positions. This degrades the political process and does nothing to serve the people of our district. I encourage you to visit Jordan’s website at www.jordanrasmusson.com for accurate, complete, and truthful information. Base your decisions on facts, not on hearsay.

Well, that should settle it.

Related posts

• The curious case of the Detroit Lakes Tribune correction about Rasmusson's broadband bill
• MN9 LTE: Cornel Walker isn't a fan of Jordan Rasmusson's Minnesota House voting record
• "Not done yet" in MN9: Fergus Falls Journal covers Nathan Miller write-in candidacy
• MN9: Yep, Miller is running a write-in campaign, area conservatives organize against Rasmusson
• After losing primary, has Miller launched write-in campaign, attacking "establishment GOP"?
• Will Westrom family support for Rasmusson primary challenger ruffle MNSenate GOP unity?
• Rocks and Cows' Facebook post author Carol Hexum walks back anti-LGBTQ rally frame
•  Fergus Falls Pride: GOP Senate primary challenger Miller schedules anti-LGBQT event
• Will 2020 redistricting plan boundary adjustment get snuck in to let Westrom live in lake house? 

Photo: Group shot from the "Fergus Falls" Flag Wave rally on Saturday. Via Facebook. Similar rallies are planned in Pelican Rapids on Tuesday and Perham on Saturday:

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Positive pants on fire: Democratic opponent Jamie Smith corrects Noem's really bad math

In 2020, Governor Kristi Noem famously asked South Dakotans to put on 'positive pants' to fight coronavirus. Since then, we've thought about her having positive pants on fire. She put on another pair today.

Earlier today, Cory Allen Heidelberger posted in Noem Says Smith Getting $10M from National Democratic Establishment at Dakota Free Press:

. . . $10 million is still about a million shy of the amount Noem raised through her South Dakota campaign fund in 2021 and up to mid-May of 2022.

I am curious, though, what Noem knows about Jamie Smith’s campaign finances that we don’t. As Bob Mercer reports, Kristi Noem is the only candidate getting multi-million-dollar checks from any national governors’ group

Kristi Noem has received at least $2,680,000 since 2020 from the Republican Governors Association’s Right Turn political action committee as she seeks election to a second term this November as South Dakota’s governor.

Meanwhile, the Democratic Governors Association hasn’t decided yet whether its political action committee, Democratic Action, should spend any money helping her Democrat opponent, state Representative Jamie Smith.

“As Smith continues to run a strong, grassroots-backed race, the DGA is constantly evaluating the best ways to ensure we deploy resources when they have the biggest impact,” DGA deputy communications director Sam Newton said Wednesday [Bob Mercer, “DGA Undecided on Helping Smith’s Run for SD Governor,” KELO-TV, updated 2022.10.06].

Wow: if Jamie Smith can get to a statistical dead heat with Noem without any help from the DGA, he should be able to get over the top with $10 million in DGA support! . . . 

Now Smith has replied via tweet:

Our grassroots campaign started with $10,000. Kristi Noem's campaign started with $14 million.

Today, she released an email claiming that we were given a gift of $10 million from national groups. We weren’t.

She's willing to lie to her own supporters in order to make money. pic.twitter.com/HH39454ZWG

— Jamie Smith for SD Governor (@RepJamieSmith) October 7, 2022

No wonder her campaign communications guy had to mean tweet about that SDSU poll.

Related posts

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

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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The curious case of the Detroit Lakes Tribune correction about Rasmusson's broadband bill

In Thursday's post, MN9 LTE: Cornel Walker isn't a fan of Jordan Rasmusson's Minnesota House voting record.  DFL candidate Cornel Walker mentioned this:

With all due respect, I have never and would never say that Jordan Rasmusson had a successful first term as a Representative.

In fact, I have publicly expressed my shock and disappointment at his vote against the Drought Relief Bill, which would have helped our farmers. . . . .

I was reminded of this letter in the Pelican Rapids Press when I read a correction in a story published Friday in the Detroit Lakes Tribune, Compromise or tax cuts: Senate District 9 candidates describe how they would govern if elected:

Editor’s Note: A previous version of this story stated Rasmusson’s rural broadband bill did not receive a final vote before the end of the 2022 legislative session. However, the bill was combined into the omnibus agriculture and drought relief package passed by both state legislative bodies and signed into law by Gov. Walz in May 2022.

Rasmusson tells the paper in an interview:

"What I'm offering to voters on Nov. 8th is proven conservative leadership that gets things done," said Rasmusson. "I have a record of getting results for the people of our area and I've passed a number of bills that have helped our area, including, expanding mental health care access, extending high-speed internet and also helping communities with rural economic development."

Neither Rasmusson nor DLOnline share that detail that Walker brought up in his letter to the neighboring paper: that Rasmusson voted against the omnibus agriculture and drought relief package. 

That's where the 

Let's follow that link provided by the Detroit Lakes to the Session Daily article, Conferees settle differences with agriculture omnibus, drought relief bills. Session Daily staffer Brian Hall reports:

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.”

Curiously, Rasmusson voted against the conference committee report on HF3420, the omnibus bill that contained the broadband language.

But there's something else that's leaving us curious. Minnesota House Ag Committee chair Rep. Mike Sundin (DFL-Esko), mentioned above in the cited copy from Session Daily, sent out a legislative news update about the conferee committee bill on the same day, House approves compromise Agriculture, Drought Relief, and Broadband package. In the release:

Today, the Minnesota House approved a compromise supplemental Agriculture budget investing $15 million over the next three years in farmers and food production in Minnesota. The bill also included a package of relief for farmers and communities impacted by last year’s historic drought conditions. Finally, the package includes a total of $210 million worth of new investments in broadband. Zero Republican legislators voted for the bill. . . . 

The budget’s broadband investments include $50 million over the next three years in the state’s Border to Border Broadband Grant program. The legislation also invests $60.7 million toward broadband from the federal American Rescue Plan and calls for at least $100 million from the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

“The strong investments under this budget compromise will help expand broadband access to more homes, schools, and businesses across the state,” said Rep. Rob Ecklund (DFL - International Falls), the chief author in the House of broadband legislation. “It’s 2022, and reliable internet access isn’t a luxury; it’s a necessity. I’m proud we worked together to help ensure more people will be able to get online.” 

The bill establishes a Low Population Density Pilot Program to allow certain projects to receive a 75% grant match instead of needing to meet the 50% requirement. Many townships with low populations have shared difficulties qualifying for grants because they’re unable to come up with adequate funding under the current match formula. The bill also establishes a Line Extension Program to provide grants assisting broadband providers to service to unserved locations through a reverse auction process.

Perhaps the House lead on the committee had no idea and simply asked Ecklund to chime in for the press release. I doubt that.

Rasmusson did author HF 3605, described in a March 24 Legislative News and Views, Bill to fill internet service holes advances in House. Rasmusson notes that the bill came "zero additional cost to taxpayers because it leverages existing federal funding," (thanks Brandon!) so it's not quite the same as what Sundin was describing as being in the bill. The language does seem much more limited in scope than what Sundin'd press release describes, but it could have been brought up in the conference committee for the omnibus ag, rural and drought relief omnibus bill.

Why did Rasmusson vote against what he's now touting as one of his major accomplishments? An August 6 letter in the Wahpeton Daily News, Rasmusson short-changed rural Minnesota, by former state representative Bob Westfall suggests a reason:

Rep. Jordan Rasmusson has boasted of voting no on every omnibus budget bill brought before the Minnesota State Legislature’s 2021 session. By voting no on some of these bills, you shortchange your constituents, many who work as caregivers in nursing homes and other very needed services. He also shortchanged transportation funding which covers road and bridges statewide, with his no vote. There is a proven need to improving bridges statewide, and farm to market roads as well as roads for workers traveling to work each day.

Did you know what part of the rural economy, Rep. Rasmusson voted against Sen. Torrey Westrom’s bill that provided drought relief for farmers? . . .

That drought bill was rolled into the omnibus agriculture and drought relief package. 

Rasmusson voted no, whether the broadband package in it was his, Ecklund's, or some conference committee stew of the two. Update: According to several sources, Ecklund was responsible for most of the language and budget, while $15 million of the $210 million worth of new investments in broadband can be attributed to language from Rasmusson's bill. [end update]

DL Tribune article closes with news of Miller write in

The article closes with news of Nathan Miller's write in campaign:

Rasmusson faced an August primary challenge for the Senate District 9 Republican nomination from Nathan Miller, who alleges Rasmusson was complicit in a delegate reassignment cover-up involving the Otter Tail County Republican Party following their February caucuses. Rasmusson defeated Miller 51.6% (5,738 votes) to 48.4% (5,385 votes) in the primary to become the official Republican candidate, but Miller is now mounting a write-in campaign for the Nov. 8 general election.

Two Rocks and Cows of Minnesota posts about the write-in campaign are embedded--including one focused on the February 1, 2022 precinct caucus selection of delegates for local Republican conventions. Rasmusson breezes by that in his response:

When asked for comment on the alleged Otter Tail County Republican delegate controversy, Rasmusson said, "I'm honored to be the Republican endorsed candidate for Senate District 9 and I was also humbled to receive support from Republican primary voters across the five counties that are in Senate District 9 and it's 35 days until election day and I'm focused on talking with voters about the issues that they care about."

Okay then. We'll continue to keep an eye on this one.

Related posts

• MN9 LTE: Cornel Walker isn't a fan of Jordan Rasmusson's Minnesota House voting record
• "Not done yet" in MN9: Fergus Falls Journal covers Nathan Miller write-in candidacy
• MN9: Yep, Miller is running a write-in campaign, area conservatives organize against Rasmusson
• After losing primary, has Miller launched write-in campaign, attacking "establishment GOP"?
• Will Westrom family support for Rasmusson primary challenger ruffle MNSenate GOP unity?
• Rocks and Cows' Facebook post author Carol Hexum walks back anti-LGBTQ rally frame
•  Fergus Falls Pride: GOP Senate primary challenger Miller schedules anti-LGBQT event
• Will 2020 redistricting plan boundary adjustment get snuck in to let Westrom live in lake house? 

Image: From Rasmusson's campaign site.

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