Fairing Well
By: Gov. Larry Rhoden
September 4, 2026

Summer is winding down. Folks are trying to capture the last days of warmth and long sunlight. Meanwhile, farmers are getting ready for their harvest, and ranchers are ready to show off the calves they’ve been raising this year. And it all culminates with our South Dakota State Fair!

The South Dakota State Fair always feels like home because of its focus on our state’s number one industry: agriculture. Ag means everything to me and my family. My family has ranched for four generations, making our living off the land.

Similarly, the State Fair takes time to honor family farms that have stayed in the same family for generations. Every year, I make sure to attend the Century Farms program, where we honor family farms that have remained in the same family for 100 years or more. Approximately 95% of South Dakota’s ag land is privately owned by family farms and ranches. That’s huge! Those farms are key to passing down our South Dakota work ethic and values to our kids and grandkids. And they are a huge part of keeping South Dakota agriculture strong, safe, and free.

Through my adult life, I’ve focused on cattle ranching. But when I was growing up, we had a much more diverse farm operation. We grew crops. We raised cows, sheep, pigs, chickens, and more. It gave us kids plenty of chores to do, and that’s where we learned the value of hard work!

At the State Fair, everywhere you look, you see young South Dakotans learning that same value. 4-H competitions and other youth competitions are teaching young South Dakotans the value of working with their hands and seeing a project through to fruition.

I joined many of those kids as we signed a ceremonial copy of the Declaration of Independence. It was the perfect way to celebrate America’s 250^th birthday! And it was a treat seeing excitement and wonder in the eyes of so many students!

But none of this – not our nation, not our strength, not our celebrations – would be possible without the sacrifice of the veterans who came before us. And our State Fair recognizes that truth, as well. The Salute to Veterans event takes time out of our day to recognize veterans across our state. It was humbling shaking the hands of so many brave men and women who have served our nation in uniform. Hearing their stories of sacrifice was a sobering reminder that freedom is never free.

It was my great honor to serve our nation in the South Dakota National Guard, and it’s perhaps an even greater honor to serve as Commander in Chief of the National Guard today. My family has a long, storied history of military service to our nation, so it’s humbling anytime we pause and honor the men and women who served.

Agriculture, family farms, youth involvement, rodeo, and military service are just a few of the incredible aspects of our great State Fair. I didn’t even get into all the fried food or South Dakota ag products available to eat – my favorite is bacon-wrapped pork loin on a stick!

I hope you took the time to get out to the State Fair this year. And if you didn’t, we’ll see you next year. It’s the place to be!

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Never Forget
By Sen. John Thune

It’s been 25 years since September 11, 2001, but anyone who lived through that day remembers it vividly. We can still recall exactly where we were when we first saw images of the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on television and feeling sick to our stomachs at seeing our country come under attack.

On September 11, we saw the very worst of which humanity is capable, but we also saw the American spirit shine through the darkness. First responders and office workers climbed the stairs of the towers and gave their lives rescuing others. Boats from New York and New Jersey set course for lower Manhattan to get people to safety. And of course, the heroic passengers of Flight 93 stormed the cockpit of the plane and prevented even greater tragedy from occurring.

On the morning of September 11, I was at my Washington office serving South Dakota in the U.S. House of Representatives. Like many Americans, I watched the attacks with horror on a television screen. Outside after our office building was evacuated, I saw with my own eyes the black smoke billowing into a blue sky across the river at the Pentagon, and suddenly the fact that America was under attack became very real.

When I was finally able to speak to my daughter, Larissa, on the phone that day, she had two questions: Are we safe, and are we going to get the bad guys? I think most Americans were asking those same questions, and as I visited classrooms across South Dakota after the attacks, students expressed similar fears. My message for these young South Dakotans was the same as it was to my own daughter: America is safe, and we’re going to bring the people who did this to justice.

I was able to say this because of the incredible resolve of the American people and the selfless service of Americans serving in uniform. In the aftermath of the attacks, South Dakota, needless to say, did its share. The South Dakota National Guard was mobilized to secure our state’s airports. And in the ensuing years, thousands of South Dakotans deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, many of them answering a call to duty that they first heard on September 11. Whether visiting troops from our state overseas or welcoming them back to the states, it was humbling to meet these brave men and women and thank them for their sacrifice to keep our nation safe.

On the night of September 11, President Bush said, “Terrorist attacks can shake the foundations of our biggest buildings, but they cannot touch the foundation of America.” The heroes of September 11 are part of that foundation. So is the resilience the American people showed in the aftermath. The terrorists tried to destroy our values, our freedom, and our way of life, but they failed. On this anniversary, may we honor the lives that were lost that day and cherish the things that cannot be destroyed.

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Cutting Costs and Protecting the Court
By Rep. Dusty Johnson
September 4, 2026

BIG Update

The House has passed nearly 900 pieces of legislation over the course of this congressional session. While not all of these bills grab headlines, House Republicans have been working to improve the lives of Americans. Many of our accomplishments include allowing working Americans to keep more of their money, reducing government spending, and rolling back overly burdensome regulations. Taken together, these legislative efforts will help improve affordability and address the rising cost of living. There are still important items we need to get across the finish line, like the Highway and Farm Bills, and I’ll continue to advocate for their advancement.

BIG Idea

For 150 years, the U.S. Supreme Court has been well served by nine justices. Politicians all too often look to consolidate power for their team. Prominent lawmakers have called for expanding the Supreme Court in a clear effort to influence ruling outcomes. These calls undermine public trust in our institutions.

I’ve been leading the effort to limit the number of justices to nine for the past five years. Expanding the Court to achieve a desired political outcome is the work of banana republics and has no place in the American political system.

I spoke on the House Floor in favor of legislation to enshrine the nine-justice limit in our Constitution. The bill failed to receive the necessary two-thirds support.

Click here or the image above to watch Johnson’s remarks

BIG News

The Trump Administration announced significant disaster relief for South Dakota following devastating storms earlier this summer. Eight counties and two tribes will receive federal disaster relief funding to assist with public infrastructure repair costs. I joined our senators in sending a letter to the administration supporting the governor’s request for federal aid. I’m grateful South Dakota communities will receive this assistance to rebuild following the devastation caused by these summer storms.

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Very sad news, long time South Dakota attorney and Republican politico Rolly Samp passed away on Tuesday at the age of 82.

Rollyn “Rolly” Habeger Samp, 82 of Sioux Falls, SD, passed away on Tuesday, September 1, 2026, at Dow Rummel Village.

Visitation with the family present will be from 4 to 7 pm on Monday, September 7, 2026, at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church. A funeral service will be held at 10 am on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be directed to the family to be distributed in Rolly’s honor at a future date.

You can read his obituary here.

While not in the obit, a bio of Rolly’s hints of his long-time involvement in South Dakota politics:

Rolly headed the South Dakota field staff of U.S. Rep. Ben Reifel, then managed his three successful re-election campaigns. He then headed the gubernatorial campaign of Attorney General Frank Farrar, and at age 25 became chief of staff to the Governor of South Dakota.

In 1972 he organized a citizens group to successfully authorize and fund a four-year medical school for the state. He successfully fought for authorization of private college student funding in 1976. In 1977, Rolly was a leader in the group that removed a 45 year ban on championship high school football playoffs in the state. In 1985, he founded South Dakotans to Save Our Lakes and served as president from 1987 to 1991. He was chairman of the Minnehaha County Ambulance Study in 1993. He served on the Governor’s Task Force on Trust Reform which was enacted by the SD Legislature. He co-authored a South Dakota Law Review article on trust situs (SD Law Review No. 44/3).

Rolly served 8 years as Chief Tribal Judge of the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe. He served as chairman of the SD Bar Association Group Insurance Committee, a member of the Minority Task Force of the SD Association of Christian Churches and as the Governor’s appointee to the SD Emergency Food & Shelter Board.

He is the author of several books including, “The Final Tithe: A Christian Approach to Estate Planning.” He was a YMCA youth basketball coach for 18 years, spent five years as a Boy Scout leader, served on the Sioux Falls Library Board and has held many church, civic and charitable positions. Rolly and his wife Karen have four children along with serving as foster parents to over 70 children.

Rolly was awarded a Honorary Doctoral Degree of Public Service at Dakota State University in December of 2022 for his contributions to South Dakota and was recognized as being partly to credit for Dakota State changing their mission to focus on computer education.

Rolly also masterminded Bill Janklow’s first campaign for Governor, and was involved in many, many Republican campaigns in the state through his many years.  Rolly also mentored many in politics, myself included, and fostered their involvement. We’re all a richer state for his working to make South Dakota a better place.

Have you ever heard an elected official do something dumb, and then try to shift the blame to others because they didn’t check their work?  That would be State Senator Taffy Howard, who is doing just that.

And Howard is apparently taking to Social Media because she isn’t getting her way, increasing the volume because they can’t just give her a do-over:

So, elected State Senator Taffy Howard is the prime sponsor of a Constitutional Amendment on the ballot… claims she submitted a “pro” statement about the ballot measure.. but didn’t have a clue what letter was assigned to it, so she thinks they need to re-do all the ballots because it makes her look silly on a statewide basis?

Go to the SOS website – because That’s absolutely what Howard is doing. The statement provided to the Secretary of State by the Senator does just that – she submitted a statement where she makes it more than evident that she doesn’t know her own amendment:

Under Amendment J, Howard writes how people need to vote yes on what she’s calling Amendment G.  But, Freudian slip, Taffy?If you recall, Amendment G was decided 2 years ago. And was “South Dakota Constitutional Amendment G, the Right to Abortion Initiative.”   Two years too late.

That is just too funny.

There’s a good reason why Taffy should have checked her work. Because according to State Elections Director Christine Lehrkamp in the Secretary of State’s office, despite Taffy’s demands to edit her statement, they can’t. It’s against the law:

12-13-23. Distribution of public information.

The secretary of state shall distribute public information on any amendment to the Constitution, initiated measure, or referred law submitted to the electors for approval. The secretary of state shall compile the public information by printing a statement in support of the amendment to the Constitution, initiated measure, or referred law written by its proponents, if any can be identified, and a statement against the amendment to the Constitution, initiated measure, or referred law written by its opponents, if any can be identified. No statement written by a proponent or an opponent may exceed three hundred words in length. The secretary of state is not responsible for the contents, objectivity, or accuracy of the statements written by the proponents and opponents. The pamphlet shall also include the attorney general’s title, explanation, and a recitation of the effect of a “Yes” or “No” vote as written pursuant to § 12-13-9 or 12-13-25.1; number of pages and sections in the proposed or referred language; and, if applicable, a fiscal note.

Read that law here.

It’s stated in the law that “The secretary of state is not responsible for the contents, objectivity, or accuracy of the statements written by the proponents and opponents.”  According to Christine, it is the policy of the Secretary of State to follow the law, and they don’t edit the statements. Ever. 

Additionally, it has already gone to print.

You know, when there’s a law that says the SOS is not responsible for informational measure submitted by the proponent, and they submit something completely incorrect, the law says what the law says. As a lawmaker bound to follow the laws of South Dakota, you’d think she would want to protect the integrity of the elections, since these are election materials?

You would think.

As for any mistakes? That’s on Taffy. Not the Secretary of State.

Anthony Mirzayants, former Lobbyist for the Texas-based libertarian student activist group Young Americans for Liberty is apparently now spending his time out on facebook trying to organize pressure campaigns against members of the Minnehaha County Commission over flock cameras in the area.

Mirzayants had recently taken after Minnehaha County Commissioner Cole Heisey on flock cameras, and today, he’s going after Minnehaha County Commissioner Dean Karsky, trying to adopt the tools of the far left and taking to facebook to organize campaigns to harass elected officials by staging protests at their private residences:

 

This is the same lobbyist who at the time ended up on the poke end of Arch Beal’s cane during the 2025 legislative session after being caught sticking his phone in the window of the Senate Caucus trying to film it:

At the time, my correspondent noted that more than 25 people at the time were apparently willing to testify to boot him from the lobbyist corp, noting that Mirzayants had allegedly threatened them. With my correspondent noting at the time that they were “not sure what the South Dakota legislature is more united on; our appreciation for veterans or hate for Anthony.”

Not sure what exactly he’s trying to accomplish, as I’m sure he’s going to be as effective in Sioux Falls as he was in Pierre.

In case no one has fully wrapped their arms around the fall election yet, as I find myself guilty of..  from the Secretary of State’s office…

General Election Date: November 3, 2026
Voter Registration Deadline: October 19, 2026
Absentee Voting Begins: September 18, 2026

We are just 16 days.. a smidge over two weeks from when people will start voting.  (Good time to get those signs ordered, BTW).

Gov. Rhoden Announces 618 Build Dakota Scholars
Honors T. Denny Sanford’s Legacy

PIERRE, S.D. – Today, Gov. Larry Rhoden announced 618 students have been awarded Build Dakota Scholarships for the 2026-27 academic year. These recipients make up Cohort 12, representing the 12th year of scholarship awards through the Build Dakota program. You can find the complete list of recipients here.

“These 618 scholars represent the future of South Dakota. When we invest in students, we create opportunity for them to succeed, and South Dakota grows right alongside them,” said Governor Larry Rhoden. “I am grateful for T. Denny Sanford’s leadership and foresight to help launch this program. More than a decade later, we see that vision at work across our state. This year’s scholars are the next chapter of his remarkable legacy.”

This year’s announcement holds special meaning as South Dakota remembers T. Denny Sanford and the extraordinary legacy he leaves behind. In 2015, his $25 million investment helped launch Build Dakota alongside a $25 million investment from the State of South Dakota. His vision was simple but powerful: invest in students, create opportunity, and build a stronger South Dakota.

5,196 Build Dakota Scholarships have been awarded since the program began. A 2025 economic impact study conducted by Dakota Institute found Build Dakota generated an estimated $235 million in economic output during its first decade, or $4.33 for every dollar invested.

“Denny always believed in people and in South Dakota,” said Dana Dykhouse, Chairman of the Build Dakota Scholarship Board and Chairman and CEO of First PREMIER Bank. “He knew an investment in education could become so much more than a scholarship. Today, Build Dakota is launching careers, connecting students with employers, and creating opportunities that can change families for generations. With industry partners now investing alongside Build Dakota in 90% of our scholars, Denny’s vision continues to grow through people investing in people and in South Dakota.”

The 618 scholars in Cohort 12 represent more than 160 home communities across South Dakota, demonstrating the statewide reach of Build Dakota. The recipients will attend one of South Dakota’s four technical colleges and prepare for careers in some of the state’s highest-demand workforce fields. Scholars commit to living and working in South Dakota in their field of study for three years following graduation.

Businesses, students, and community leaders can learn more about the Build Dakota Scholarship program by visiting www.BuildDakotaScholarships.com. Details on eligibility, Cohort 13 (2027) programs, and how to become an industry partner are available online.

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Bringing ‘CLARITY’ to the Stablecoin Interest Loophole
by Karl Adam, President, South Dakota Bankers Association

Sometimes the most consequential policy debates come down to a few words in a piece of legislation.

That may be the case with stablecoins and the ongoing effort to establish clear rules for digital assets. Congress took an important step last year when it passed the GENIUS Act, creating a federal framework for payment stablecoins and, importantly, prohibiting stablecoin issuers from paying interest or yield to holders.

That prohibition was intentional. Congress recognized that payment stablecoins should function as payment instruments—not as savings or investment products.

But there is a problem: The current language can be worked around.

Some cryptocurrency exchanges and digital asset platforms are offering rewards or yield-like incentives to customers who hold payment stablecoins. Because those rewards may come from an exchange, affiliate or other third party rather than directly from the stablecoin issuer, they can get around the prohibition Congress established in the GENIUS Act.

That is the loophole the banking industry has been working to close.

This isn’t about opposing cryptocurrency or financial innovation. Banks understand that technology continues to change the way consumers and businesses move money, and we support responsible innovation. The issue is whether a product designed to function as a payment instrument should be allowed to become a de facto interest-bearing alternative to a bank deposit simply because the payment comes from a different entity.

The distinction matters because banks operate differently.

When a customer deposits money at a bank, those deposits help provide the funding banks need to make loans to farmers, ranchers, small businesses, homebuyers and families in our communities. Banks operate under extensive safety, soundness and consumer protection requirements, and the banking system’s ability to provide credit depends in large part on maintaining a stable deposit base.

If dollars instead move from insured bank deposits into uninsured stablecoin products offering attractive rewards, those dollars are no longer available to support the same lending activity. The consequences aren’t theoretical. Less funding can mean less credit availability, higher borrowing costs and fewer resources available to support economic activity in our communities.

This is why the South Dakota Bankers Association (SDBA) has been engaged on this issue for nearly a year.

We’ve asked South Dakota bankers to make their voices heard with Senators John Thune and Mike Rounds, explaining why closing this loophole matters to the banks they lead and, more importantly, to the communities they serve. Our members have responded, participating in multiple SDBA calls to action and adding their voices to a broader banking industry effort.

Those efforts have been part of a much larger conversation. The American Bankers Association (ABA) and state bankers associations across the country have repeatedly urged Congress to ensure that the prohibition on interest and yield cannot simply be avoided through exchanges, affiliates or other digital asset platforms.

This is advocacy at its best: bankers seeing a potential policy problem, understanding how it could affect their communities and taking the time to make sure policymakers hear directly from those on the front lines.

The GENIUS Act established an important foundation. Now Congress has an opportunity to make sure the law works as intended.

The CLARITY Act is broader legislation addressing the regulatory framework for digital assets, but it also includes provisions addressing stablecoin yield. Section 404 seeks to prohibit crypto platforms, which are not FDIC insured, from providing interest or economically similar rewards on stablecoins. Banking organizations have urged lawmakers to make important technical refinements to that language, so the prohibition is clear, comprehensive and difficult to work around.

In other words, GENIUS established the guardrail. CLARITY provides an opportunity to strengthen it.

The goal isn’t to prevent innovation. It is to ensure that innovation occurs on a level playing field—one where products that function in similar ways are subject to appropriate and comparable rules.

Banks aren’t afraid of competition. South Dakota’s bankers compete every day by serving their customers, supporting local businesses, financing agriculture, helping families purchase homes and investing in the communities they call home.

But competition should be fair. A digital asset platform shouldn’t be able to replicate the economic characteristics of an interest-bearing deposit while avoiding the rules and responsibilities that apply to the institutions consumers have long relied upon for their savings.

The stablecoin market will continue to evolve, and so will the financial system around it. That makes getting the rules right now even more important.

We appreciate the South Dakota bankers and industry partners who have answered the call and made their voices heard. As Congress continues its work on the CLARITY Act, we encourage lawmakers to listen to those voices and ensure the legislation delivers what its name promises: clarity. Most importantly, it should preserve a level playing field, protect consumers and ensure South Dakota banks can continue putting deposits to work for the people, businesses and communities they serve.

Attorney General Jackley Credits Law Enforcement with Arrest in Youth Sexual Abduction

PIERRE, S.D. – South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley credits South Dakota law enforcement with the arrest in a youth sexual abduction case Monday afternoon.

Attorney General Jackley said the state’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC) was notified Monday afternoon by Wyoming authorities who were searching for a vehicle involved in the abduction of a 15-year-old female from Sundance, WY.

Highway Patrol troopers stopped the vehicle on I-90 near the Aurora County line, east of Plankinton. The stop occurred less than one hour after South Dakota authorities had been first notified.

The adult male suspect was identified as Dalton Renollet, 36, of Maricopa, AZ. He has been charged with one count of Sexual Contact with a Minor in Aurora County. The female victim was safely recovered.

Wyoming authorities had initially been working with Utah thinking that Renollet was taking the female back to Arizona. License Plate Readers (LPR) technology located the suspect’s vehicle in South Dakota.

“A 15-year-old abducted and traumatized girl has been brought to safety by the excellent work of law enforcement. This incident demonstrates how valuable technology can be in protecting the public and assisting officers to locate a vulnerable juvenile and bring her to safety within an hour,” said Attorney General Jackley.  “I remain committed to strict safeguards and oversight to ensure this technology protects the public from serious crimes with strong protections in place to safeguard personal privacy.”

Attorney General Jackley has announced plans to propose legislation to ensure that technology is used solely for legitimate law enforcement purposes with strong protection for the public’s privacy. He is working with legislators, law enforcement, and prosecutors on legislation to establish clear standards and safeguards for law enforcement’s use of this and similar technology, ensuring it is used responsibly, with appropriate oversight and consequences for any misuse.

The Aurora County State’s Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the South Dakota case. Other charges are expected to be filed in Wyoming. The defendant is presumed innocent under the U.S. Constitution.

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