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The Dakota Scout: Our complete Election 2022 coverage

www.thedakotascout.com
State Politics

The Dakota Scout: Our complete Election 2022 coverage

The Dakota Scout
Nov 7, 2022
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The Dakota Scout: Our complete Election 2022 coverage

www.thedakotascout.com

From Sturgis to Yankton and points in between, The Dakota Scout traveled the state to ensure its readers had election coverage up and down the ballot. With Election Day less than 24 hours away, we present a compendium of that coverage.

Over the last two months, we profiled candidates for governor, U.S. Senate, U.S. House, and dozens of other candidates running for state and local offices.

We solicited various points of view on ballot measures: Voters will be asked to expand Medicaid and legalize cannabis, and Sioux Falls voters could decide the fate of future meat packing plants.

We hope that this coverage has been helpful to you in deciding how you intend to vote.

The Dakota Scout is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support a locally owned, operated and printed newspaper, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

GOVERNOR’S RACE

South Dakota’s 33rd governor, Republican Kristi Noem, hopes to keep Democrat Jamie Smith from becoming the 34th to take the reins of state government.

Election Day marks the culmination of what’s been a bitter campaign between the incumbent and the gubernatorial hopefuls, which includes Libertarian candidate Tracey Quint.

The trio rarely engaged face to face, as there was just one debate in which all three candidates participated. But the election cycle was anything short of fireworks and void of back biting. Noem’s campaign repeatedly attacked Smith as an out-of-touch liberal while the Democrat used political missteps and the Republican’s focus on national politics to make hay with voters.

Kristi Noem makes $700K ad buy ahead of Election day as Smith launches statewide tour

The Dakota Scout
Kristi Noem makes $700K ad buy ahead of Election Day as Smith launches statewide tour
The final days of South Dakota’s 2022 gubernatorial election have the airwaves being flooded with campaign ads and some high profile politicians descending on the state. Gov. Kristi Noem’s re-election campaign this week launched an arsenal of political advertisements, with a $700,000 ad buy that has Kristi for Governor ads airing on cable, satellite and broadcast channels across South Dakota through Election Day. And those television spots are also being supplemented with some out-of-state campaign support from notable national figures like former Hawaii Congresswoman and 2020 presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard and Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin…
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5 months ago · 2 likes · Joe Sneve

Podcast: Did Noem exchange meals for votes?

The Dakota Scout
Meals for votes? Big Marijuana takes pass & Rick Steves' crusade to legalize grass
Listen now (30 min) | …
Listen now
5 months ago · 1 like · 1 comment · The Dakota Scout

Noem won’t face criminal investigation into state airplane

The Dakota Scout
Noem won't face criminal investigation into state airplane
An investigation into Gov. Kristi Noem’s use of state aircraft found no facts that would support a criminal case under South Dakota law, the lead prosecutor in the matter announced Tuesday. Hughes County State’s Attorney Jessica LaMie also said there were no facts to support an allegation that the flight records of a state plane had been tampered with, and that the allegation was “frivolous…
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5 months ago · 2 likes · 1 comment · Jonathan Ellis

Noem opts for veterans benefit while Smith, Libertarian debate

The Dakota Scout
South Dakota governor's race: Kristi Noem opts for veteran benefit over SDPB debate
Gov. Kristi Noem opted not to attend a gubernatorial debate Monday night in Sioux Falls hosted by South Dakota Public Broadcast, instead throwing a “Salute to Veterans” campaign event about a mile away at the Military Heritage Alliance…
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5 months ago · 4 likes · Joe Sneve

VIEWPOINT: Jamie Smith is too extreme for common sense South Dakota

The Dakota Scout
Op-ed: Jamie Smith is too extreme for common sense South Dakota
In South Dakota, we focus on solving problems. Despite national challenges like stagnant economic growth and skyrocketing cost of living, South Dakota is growing our way to a stronger and more prospe…
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5 months ago · 3 likes · 9 comments

VIEWPOINT: Vote out South Dakota Governor Noem’s ‘Kristi Tax’ to restore South Dakota values

The Dakota Scout
Op-ed: Vote out South Dakota Governor Noem’s 'Kristi Tax' to restore South Dakota values
A true statement that can be said about South Dakotans is that we love our neighbors, and we love our freedom. That has certainly been the common denominator for the folks I’ve met in all of South Da…
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5 months ago · 15 likes · 3 comments

PODCAST: Is conservative criticism about Noem’s COVID response fair?

The Dakota Scout
Libertarian redeems party, DeSantis revisionism & 'Merica
Listen now (30 min) | …
Listen now
5 months ago · 5 likes · The Dakota Scout

Speaker says Noem pivoted on food tax cuts

The Dakota Scout
GOP House Speaker: South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem 'expressed disdain' for tax cuts in February
Another top Republican in the South Dakota Legislature is contradicting Gov. Kristi Noem’s assertion that she wanted to cut taxes on groceries during the state’s last legislative session. House Speaker Spencer Gosch in an interview with…
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5 months ago · 8 likes · 1 comment · Joe Sneve

PODCAST: Fighting over the food tax proposals

The Dakota Scout
Food fight, political dancing & the resignation that never happened
Listen now (32 min) | …
Listen now
6 months ago · 6 likes · The Dakota Scout, Joe Sneve, and Jonathan Ellis

Noem’s call to end food tax latest wrinkle in balancing revenue, fairness

The Dakota Scout
Noem's call to end levy on food latest wrinkle in balancing revenue, fairness
Gov. Kristi Noem’s proposal to eliminate the state sales tax on food would fulfill a policy goal that South Dakota Democrats have been yearning to achieve for decades. South Dakota is one of a few states that charges sales tax on food, and one of only three that have their full rates applied to food purchases. Democrats in the Legislature routinely sponsor bills each year to eliminate sales tax on food, and those bills usually don’t make it beyond their first hearing…
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6 months ago · 7 likes · 1 comment · Jonathan Ellis

Gov. Noem won’t call special session to end food tax

The Dakota Scout
Gov. Kristi Noem not calling special session to cut food tax
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6 months ago · 3 likes · 3 comments · Joe Sneve and Jonathan Ellis

Analysis: Noem has spent debating career going for the jugular, Friday’s debate was no different

The Dakota Scout
Analysis: Noem has spent her debating career going for the jugular; Friday's debate was no different
South Dakota voters who sacrificed part of a fall Friday night watching the only debate in this year’s race for governor were treated to a vintage display of attack-dog politics, compliments of their governor…
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6 months ago · 8 likes · 2 comments · Jonathan Ellis

Noem, Smith trade blows in lone gubernatorial debate

The Dakota Scout
Noem, Smith trade blows in lone South Dakota gubernatorial debate
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem and Rep. Jamie Smith tried to make one another seem out of touch with their constituents during Friday night’s three-way debate between candidates in next month’s gubernatorial election…
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6 months ago · 12 likes · 7 comments · Joe Sneve

Outspoken swimmer helps Gov. Noem attack Jamie Smith

The Dakota Scout
Outspoken swimmer helps Gov. Noem in new attack ad on Jamie Smith
Riley Gaines, a former swimmer at the University of Kentucky who's been outspoken about transgender athletes competing in women's sports, is featured in a campaign ad for Gov. Kristi Noem that attacks Noem’s opponent, Sioux Falls state Rep. Jamie Smith…
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6 months ago · 1 like · 1 comment · Joe Sneve

PODCAST: Noem feels blowback from food tax cut proposal

The Dakota Scout
Exploding hand grenades, testing for rabies & price-fixing meat lords
Listen now (29 min) | …
Listen now
6 months ago · 7 likes · 2 comments · The Dakota Scout

Gov. Noem accused of shifting on food tax cuts after call for grocery exemption

The Dakota Scout
Gov. Kristi Noem accused of shifting on food tax cuts after call for grocery exemption
South Dakota lawmakers this winter will be asked to repeal the state sales tax on food regardless of who voters choose to lead state government through the next four years. With about a month to go in her bid for re-election, Gov. Kristi Noem announced during a campaign stop Wednesday in Rapid City that if given a second term, she will push to carve out an exemption to the state’s 4.5 percent sales tax rate for goods purchased at grocery stores…
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6 months ago · 2 likes · 2 comments · Joe Sneve

Democrat Jamie Smith looks to make South Dakota political history

The Dakota Scout
Democrat Jamie Smith looks to make South Dakota political history
Jamie Smith knows the deck is stacked against him in South Dakota. That’s because no Democrat hailing from Sioux Falls has ever been elected to serve as governor of the Mount Rushmore State. But that hasn’t stopped the 51-year-old lawmaker, realtor and former educator from taking on the role of what some see as a sacrificial lamb, challenging Gov. Kristi Noem in her bid for re-election…
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6 months ago · 6 likes · Joe Sneve

Gov. Noem riding COVID-19 response, Biden unfavorability toward second term

The Dakota Scout
Gov. Kristi Noem riding COVID-19 response, Biden unfavorability toward second term
The fervor grew to a pitch as Kristi Noem took the stage at Outlaw Square in downtown Deadwood to greet thousands of Black Hills rally-goers hoping to get a peek at one of the country’s most notable governors…
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6 months ago · 1 like · 1 comment · Joe Sneve

On abortion, South Dakota Democrats following national strategy

The Dakota Scout
On abortion, South Dakota Democrats following national strategy
South Dakota Democrats are making abortion and reproductive rights a key campaign platform in this year’s election, party leaders broadcasted on Sunday during a rally in downtown Sioux Falls. The strategy is one being employed by Democrats across the country following the U.S. Supreme Court’s overturn of the 1973…
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6 months ago · 2 likes · 1 comment · Jonathan Ellis

Weekly cartoon: David v. Goliath 2022

The Dakota Scout
Weekly cartoon: David v. Goliath 2022
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6 months ago · Ryan M Stoick

PODCAST: Noem’s bad back

The Dakota Scout
Noem's bad back, Tequila the Rottweiler and Joe excoriates the Twitter trolls (Take 2)
Listen now (34 min) | …
Listen now
6 months ago · 10 likes · 1 comment · The Dakota Scout

Scouting report: Noem injury pulls her from campaign trail – temporarily

The Dakota Scout
The Scouting Report: A weekly digest (Sept. 16, 2022)
Gov. Kristi Noem is the latest politician to become partially incapacitated on the campaign trail. She announced Monday that she had spine surgery following an undisclosed injury sustained two months ago. The injury was treated by a neurosurgeon at the Mayo Clinic, and Noem said it was a “complete success…
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6 months ago · Jonathan Ellis

Federal races

Neither of South Dakota’s congressional delegates facing re-election - Sen. John Thune and Rep. Dusty Johnson - were seen as vulnerable entering the 2022 election. But that didn’t spare them from challengers hoping to upset them from earning more terms in Washington D.C.

Democrat Brian Bengs waged a formidable campaign against Thune, while Johnson faces Libertarian Collin Duprel.

Long-shot Libertarian, Dusty Johnson square off ahead of U.S. House election

The Dakota Scout
Long-shot Libertarian, Dusty Johnson square off ahead of U.S. House election
For the second time in as many election cycles, South Dakotans only alternative to GOP Congressman Dusty Johnson on Election Day is a Black Hills Libertarian. Two years ago, the South Dakota Democratic Party failed to field a candidate in the biennial race for the state’s lone U.S. House seat, with party officials blaming COVID-19 for an inability to gather enough signatures in time to get on the ballot in the 2020 contest…
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5 months ago · 3 likes · Joe Sneve

PODCAST: Libertarian holds own in debate with Johnson

The Dakota Scout
Libertarian redeems party, DeSantis revisionism & 'Merica
Listen now (30 min) | …
Listen now
5 months ago · 5 likes · The Dakota Scout

Democrat Brian Bengs stands between John Thune and historic fourth U.S. Senate term

The Dakota Scout
Democrat Brian Bengs stands between John Thune and historic fourth term
It’s known in South Dakota politics as the Mundt curse. If it strikes again, Brian Bengs will be the beneficiary. Bengs is the Democratic challenger to Sen. John Thune in this year’s Senate race. Thune is seeking a fourth term in the U.S. Senate. Only one person in state history, Karl Mundt, has ever been elected to four terms…
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5 months ago · 2 likes · 2 comments · Jonathan Ellis

Thune campaign tops $17 million ahead of November election

The Dakota Scout
Thune campaign tops $17 million ahead of November election
South Dakota U.S. Sen. John Thune’s campaign reported holding $17.4 million in cash in what is its final quarterly finance report before the Nov. 8 election. The amount sitting in Thune’s account is enough to swamp his Democratic opponent in the race, Brian Bengs, many times over in the final days of the race. Bengs’ campaign reported having $54,335 in cash…
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5 months ago · 3 likes · Jonathan Ellis

Bengs takes his shot in his one Senate debate with Thune

The Dakota Scout
Bengs takes his shots in his one Senate debate against Thune
U.S. Senate candidate Brian Bengs had one pitch and he swung for the fences. The Democratic challenger to Sen. John Thune met his opponent for their first and only debate on Friday. Bengs repeatedly sought to put Thune on the defensive, questioning the longtime lawmaker’s effectiveness and referring to him as “Washington John Thune” in an attempt to tie him to the nation’s capital, an unpopular spot with South Dakota voters regardless of which political party controls the levers of power…
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5 months ago · 3 likes · 1 comment · Jonathan Ellis

Dusty Johnson tells Chamber group that many U.S. House members suffer from cognitive decline

The Dakota Scout
Dusty Johnson tells Chamber group that many U.S. House members suffer from cognitive decline
South Dakota Congressman Dusty Johnson said Tuesday that some members of Congress don’t have the mental faculties to physically know where they are when they are casting votes in the U.S. House. “I serve with dozens of members in the House who are not with it,” he said…
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7 months ago · 10 likes · Jonathan Ellis

LEGISLATIVE RACES

With voter registration closed, early voting underway and Election Day two weeks away, The Dakota Scout wants to help South Dakota voters and its subscribers differentiate between the candidates seeking their vote.

Reporter Joe Sneve asked Sioux Falls and surrounding area candidates running in contested races for the South Dakota Legislature two questions: Which law on the books right now they’d like to see go away?; and Who their favorite elected official currently serving anywhere in the country is?

MEET THE CANDIDATES: A round up of Sioux Falls-area legislative races

The Dakota Scout
Meet the candidates: A round up of Sioux Falls-area legislative contests
With voter registration closed, early voting underway and Election Day two weeks away, The Dakota Scout wants to help South Dakota voters and its subscribers differentiate between the candidates seek…
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5 months ago · 3 likes · 1 comment · Joe Sneve

South Dakota senate candidate faces sexual grooming child abuse charge

The Dakota Scout
South Dakota senate candidate faces sexual grooming child abuse charge
A South Dakota Senate candidate has been charged with child abuse involving sexual grooming. The Attorney General’s Office is alleging that Joel Koskan, a 44-year-old Republican candidate for state Legislature in District 26, sexually groomed a minor over the course of six years, according to a criminal compliant made Thursday in Mellette County. The charge is one count of exposing a minor to foreseeable harm, a class 4 felony that could land Koskan behind bars for up to 10 years…
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5 months ago · 4 likes · 1 comment · Joe Sneve

Senate candidate under investigation in child abuse probe

The Dakota Scout
Senate candidate under investigation in child abuse probe
A South Dakota senate candidate in Mellette County is under investigation in a child sex abuse probe, The Dakota Scout has confirmed. Joel Koskan, 44, is set to be arraigned on charges next week, Mellette County Sheriff Mike Blom said. Blom said the case is open, and he referred questions to the clerk of courts, where a complaint is expected to be filed on Thursday…
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5 months ago · 8 likes · 1 comment · Joe Sneve and Jonathan Ellis

The Dakota Scout is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support a locally owned, operated and printed newspaper, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

AMENDMENT D

South Dakota voters will decide whether their state should join the ranks of the more than 35 others who offer Medicaid to any person over 18 and under 65 whose income is at or below 133 percent of the federal poverty level.

Viewpoint: Will Medicaid expansion help or hurt South Dakotans?

The Dakota Scout
Counterpoint: Will Medicaid expansion help or hurt South Dakotans?
Every South Dakotan deserves greater access to more affordable quality care. Expanding a failed government program is no solution to improving South Dakotans’ health care access. As nonsensical as it…
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6 months ago · 3 likes · 1 comment

Viewpoint: Amendment D good for South Dakota’s health, economy

The Dakota Scout
Point: Amendment D good for South Dakota's health, economy
No one should have to decide if they can afford life-saving health care for themselves or their families. But right now, thousands of South Dakotans are stuck in the middle. They can't get insurance …
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6 months ago · 6 likes

Weekly cartoon: Welcome to the neighborhood

The Dakota Scout
Weekly cartoon: Welcome to the neighborhood
The Dakota Scout is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support a locally owned, operated and printed newspaper, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber…
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5 months ago · 1 like · Ryan M Stoick

CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICES

Jeff Barth strikes again with another quirky campaign ad

The Dakota Scout
Video: Jeff Barth strikes again with another quirky campaign ad
Longtime Minnehaha County Commissioner Jeff Barth has cut a new campaign ad in his bid to win a seat on the Public Utilities Commission. Barth has a history of releasing entertaining, engaging ads…
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7 months ago · The Dakota Scout

Carbon pipeline, eminent domain powers roil Public Utilities Commission race

The Dakota Scout
Carbon pipeline, eminent domain powers roil Public Utilities Commission race
South Dakotans have more than 36 years of elected office experience to choose from on their Nov. 8 ballot when they decide who should represent them on the Public Utilities Commission for the next six years…
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5 months ago · 1 like · Joe Sneve

2020 election lingers over secretary of state contest

The Dakota Scout
2020 election lingers over secretary of state contest
The race for secretary of state is usually a sleepy, down-ballot contest that attracts little fanfare. But when Republican Monae Johnson beat incumbent Secretary of State Steve Barnett at the Republican Party convention in June, the race got spicy…
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5 months ago · 3 likes · 1 comment · Jonathan Ellis

INITIATED MEASURE 27

South Dakotans for the second time in as many election cycles will have a chance to weigh in on whether the state’s long-held prohibition on cannabis should come to and end.

Unlike 2020, the ballot measure this time around is not a constitutional amendment and isn’t suspected to be challenged in court should it pass. Initiated Measure 27, sponsored by South Dakotans for Better Marijuana Laws, proposes to legalize the possession, cultivation and use of cannabis for adults who are at least 21 years old.

If adopted, the Legislature would be responsible for establishing commercial regulations for the drug.

Anti-pot campaign launches ahead of November vote to legalize cannabis

The Dakota Scout
Anti-pot campaign launches ahead of November vote to legalize recreational marijuana use in South Dakota
Protecting South Dakota Kids formally launched its opposition campaign last week to Initiated Measure 27, the ballot question that will decide whether marijuana should be legal in the state. The organization is chaired by Jim Kinyon, a longtime counselor and therapist who now serves as the executive director of Rapid City-based Catholic Care Services. Listed as treasurer on the campaign committee’s statement of organization filed with the secretary of state is Rep. Fred Deutsch, a Florence Republican who has been among the most resistant to voter-backed marijuana reforms…
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7 months ago · 5 likes · Joe Sneve

Anti-pot coalition waging heavier campaign against recreational marijuana in S.D. this time around

The Dakota Scout
Anti-pot coalition waging heavier campaign against recreational marijuana in S.D. this time around
The passage of Amendment A two years ago has awoken an anti-cannabis coalition in South Dakota that sat on the sidelines of the 2020 election that nearly ended cannabis prohibition. From mayors and sheriffs to politicians and faith leaders across the Mount Rushmore State, there’s no shortage of engaged opponents to Initiated Measure 27. They hope to thwart yet another effort by South Dakotans for Better Marijuana Laws to legalize recreational marijuana in South Dakota…
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5 months ago · 4 likes · 2 comments · Joe Sneve and Jonathan Ellis

Weekly cartoon: Stuff’s dangerous

Cartoon by Ryan Stoick
The Dakota Scout
Weekly cartoon: Stuff's dangerous
The Dakota Scout is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support a locally owned, operated and printed newspaper, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber…
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5 months ago · Ryan M Stoick

Out-of-state cash dries up for pro-pot group ahead of recreational marijuana vote

The Dakota Scout
Out-of-state cash dries up for pro-pot group ahead of recreational marijuana vote
The organization that’s been pushing for the past three years to legalize cannabis in South Dakota isn’t getting much help from outside of the state. Campaign finance reports filed this week by South Dakotans for Better Marijuana Laws (SDBML) show the campaign committee raised about a half million dollars in support of Initiated Measure 27, the ballot measure that would end South Dakota’s long-held prohibition on recreational marijuana use for adults…
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5 months ago · 3 likes · Joe Sneve

PODCAST: Rick Steves makes the case for legalizing marijuana

The Dakota Scout
Meals for votes? Big Marijuana takes pass & Rick Steves' crusade to legalize grass
Listen now (30 min) | …
Listen now
5 months ago · 1 like · 1 comment · The Dakota Scout

PODCAST: Mayor TenHaken talks opposition to IM-27

The Dakota Scout
Running through the tape, show me the (campaign) money & Mayor TenHaken talks pot
Listen now (26 min) | …
Listen now
5 months ago · 1 comment · The Dakota Scout, Jonathan Ellis, and Joe Sneve

Republican lawmakers says the time is now to legalize cannabis

The Dakota Scout
LETTER: Brown County lawmaker says it's time to end cannabis prohibition in South Dakota
Voters will have a lot of choices on Nov. 8. Among them is Initiated Measure 27. IM-27 is the ballot measure to restore the vote of the people in 2020 by legalizing possession o…
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5 months ago · 9 likes · 3 comments

VIEWPOINT: Research shows why IM-27 should be resoundingly defeated

The Dakota Scout
Counterpoint: Research shows why IM27 should be resoundingly rejected
For more than two decades, marijuana advocates have faced little to no opposition in their quest to normalize the use of the drug. Advocates assert marijuana is safe – it’s just a plant…
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5 months ago · 3 likes · 4 comments

VIEWPOINT: Give South Dakotans the freedom to use pot responsibly

The Dakota Scout
Point: Give South Dakotans the freedom to use pot responsibly
This November, South Dakota voters will have the opportunity to approve cannabis legalization for the second consecutive election. Initiated Measure 27 would legalize small amounts of cannabis for ad…
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5 months ago · 1 like

SIOUS FALLS SLAUGHTERHOUSE VOTE

Sioux Falls voters will decide a municipal ballot measure that seeks to prohibit any new slaughterhouses and meat-packing operations from opening inside of city limits.

A yes vote would affirm the proposed ban, while a no vote keeps the status quo, allowing the facilities to open in portions of the city that are zoned heavy industrial.

The pending vote stems from plans of Wholestone Farms LLC to construct a $500-million in northeast Sioux Falls. However, since a boutique butcher shop is already harvesting hogs on the site where the larger facility is planned, it’s unclear that even if the slaughterhouse vote passes the project would be halted.

Pork processing advocates issue cease-and-desist notice, aerial footage of gated compound

The Dakota Scout
Pork processing advocates issue cease-and-desist notice, aerial footage of gated compound
Both sides of Tuesday’s vote to ban new slaughterhouses in Sioux Falls are going to the mat in the final days of the campaign in hopes of squeaking out enough votes to claim an Election Day victory. The company hoping to build a $500 million pork plant in northeast Sioux Falls sent a cease-and-desist notice to media companies airing an ad that accuses a key backer of the pork plant of being a convicted felon in charge of the new plant…
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5 months ago · 3 likes · Joe Sneve

Group behind Sioux Falls’ newest butcher shop operates worldwide, including China

The Dakota Scout
Group behind Sioux Falls' newest butcher shop operates worldwide, including China
A company that’s pushing to build a new pork processing plant in Sioux Falls celebrated the opening of a contentious butcher shop Tuesday ahead of the Nov. 8 election. Wholestone Farms wants to be operational before the votes are cast in a Sioux Falls referendum that could ban new slaughterhouses…
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5 months ago · 3 likes · 1 comment · Jonathan Ellis

VIEWPOINT: Vote ‘yes’ for less slaughterhouses in Sioux Falls

The Dakota Scout
POINT: Vote ‘yes’ for less slaughterhouses in Sioux Falls
Whether it’s the stench from six million pigs, threats to our water supply or plummeting property values, anyone who gets a whiff knows that massive new slaughterhouses in Sioux Falls are a rotten id…
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5 months ago · 6 likes

VIEWPOINT: Vote ‘no’ – Proposed Sioux Falls slaughterhouse won’t stink, will boost jobs and family farms

The Dakota Scout
COUNTERPOINT: Vote ‘no’ - Proposed Sioux Falls slaughterhouse won’t stink, boost jobs and family farms
There are so many reasons to vote against the Slaughterhouse Ordinance, it’s impossible to fit them all in this column. But for the sake of Sioux Falls’ future, here are a few that voters should cons…
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5 months ago · 6 likes · 3 comments

Judge won’t revoke Wholestone butcher shop permits despite questions of legality

The Dakota Scout
Judge won't revoke Wholestone butcher shop permits despite questions of legality
A trial will be necessary to determine if a Minnehaha County Court can revoke building permits related to a butcher shop in northeast Sioux Falls. Judge Sandra Hoglund Hanson last week ruled that the city of Sioux Falls violated election law when it authorized seven permits related to the construction of an 1,800-square-foot facility being built by Wholestone Farms LLC in northeast Sioux Falls due to a pending ballot question that will determine if new slaughterhouses can open inside city limits. But because the seven permits needed for the project already have been issued, she said she has no swift means to force the city to invalidate them…
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5 months ago · 3 likes · Joe Sneve

Judge says city shouldn’t have issued permits to Wholestone slaughterhouse

The Dakota Scout
Wholestone slaughterhouse project dealt major defeat
The city of Sioux Falls ignored state law when it issued a series of building permits on a 1,800-square-foot butcher shop in northeast Sioux Falls, a Minnehaha County judge said Tuesday. Wholestone Farms, LLC, last week received the final permit from the Sioux Falls Planning and Development Services Department necessary to operate, a project milestone company officials believed would protect them from a proposed ballot initiative to prohibit new meat-processing facilities from opening within city limits…
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6 months ago · 9 likes · 1 comment · Joe Sneve

Sioux Falls Open for Business organizes to block November slaughterhouse vote

The Dakota Scout
Sioux Falls Open for Business organizes to block November slaughterhouse vote
Sioux Falls Open for Business formally filed its statement of organization as a municipal ballot question committee with the City Clerk’s Office on Tuesday morning with a goal of blocking passage of the measure — a push by Smart Growth Sioux Falls to stop Wholestone Farms LLC from building a large-scale pork plant in the city’s northeast quadrant…
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6 months ago · 7 likes · 2 comments · Joe Sneve

Opponents of new S.F. slaughterhouse want Gov. Noem’s records: Here’s why they won’t get them

The Dakota Scout
Opponents of new Sioux Falls slaughterhouse want Gov. Noem’s records. Here’s why they won’t get them
Gov. Kristi Noem says a political battle unfolding in Sioux Falls over a pork processing plant location is costing South Dakota’s economy. But because of the state’s weak sunshine laws, she doesn’t have to prove it…
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7 months ago · Joe Sneve

Weekly cartoon: Tug of war

Cartoon by Ryan Stoick
The Dakota Scout
Weekly cartoon: Tug of war
The Dakota Scout is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support a locally owned and operated newspaper, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber…
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7 months ago · 5 likes · Ryan M Stoick

Business and ag groups announce opposition to slaughterhouse measure

The Dakota Scout
Business and ag groups announce opposition to slaughterhouse measure
A large coalition of business groups has announced its opposition to a Sioux Falls ballot measure that would ban the construction of slaughterhouses. The 16 businesses that signed a joint statement opposing the ballot measure are mainly agriculture groups, but they also include the South Dakota Retailers Association and the South Dakota Trucking Association…
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6 months ago · 6 likes · Jonathan Ellis

Pork plant vote not Broin’s first foray into ballot process

The Dakota Scout
Pork plant vote not Broin’s first foray into ballot process
Sioux Falls’ proposed meat-packing ban isn’t the first time the South Dakota business mogul behind the pending vote has used the ballot in hopes of making change. It’s no secret Jeff Broin, founder and CEO of biofuels giant POET, has his fingerprints on Smart Growth Sioux Falls, the campaign committee that earlier this year petitioned to block the construction of a new pork processing plant in northeast Sioux Falls. The 57-year-old’s home and a gated development that surrounds it sit within two miles of the site where Wholestone Farms, LLC intends to slaughter as many as six million hogs each year…
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6 months ago · 5 likes · 3 comments · Joe Sneve

PODCAST: Pool, pork and latrine flies swarm

The Dakota Scout
Pool, pork & latrine flies swarm
Listen now (30 min) | …
Listen now
6 months ago · 1 like · The Dakota Scout

Associates of Wholestone Farms project call bribery scandal ‘ancient history’

The Dakota Scout
Associates of Wholestone Farms project call bribery scandal 'ancient history'
An entity behind a new pork processing plant in northeastern Sioux Falls has grown from a single sow barn in Pipestone, Minn., to a regional power in swine production with global ambitions. And should the company succeed in building a Wholestone Farms processing plant in Sioux Falls, it would take a step forward in bypassing large meatpackers, including Smithfield Foods, that dominate the pork industry…
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6 months ago · 10 likes · 1 comment · Jonathan Ellis

Report: POET, Broins not only backers of pork plant opposition

The Dakota Scout
Report: POET, Broins not only backers of pork plant opposition
A campaign committee hoping to block any new meat packing plants from coming to Sioux Falls raised nearly $100,000 in support of a pending ballot initiative that would do just that. In a campaign finance filing submitted to the City Clerk’s Office ahead of Tuesday’s 5 p.m. deadline, Smart Growth Sioux Falls reported more than $93,000 in campaign contributions since its formation earlier this year…
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7 months ago · 9 likes · 1 comment · Joe Sneve

Pro-pork plant group doubles up on opposition in latest campaign finance reports

The Dakota Scout
Pro-pork plant group doubles up on opposition in latest campaign finance reports
A newly formed campaign committee pushing for a new pork processing plant in Sioux Falls raised more than double the money that opponents of the massive project raised in the latest round of campaign fundraising…
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6 months ago · 3 likes · Joe Sneve and Jonathan Ellis

Jeff Broin’s POET gives $1M to anti-slaughterhouse campaign

The Dakota Scout
Jeff Broin’s POET gives $1M to anti-slaughterhouse campaign
A South Dakota biofuels company has given another $1 million to a campaign working to block a slaughterhouse from being built near its founder’s mansion. In the final round of campaign finance reports filed ahead of the Nov. 8 election, Smart Growth Sioux Falls reported receiving more than $1.1 million in contributions in the final weeks of its push to ban any new meat-packing facilities from opening and operating inside city limits…
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5 months ago · 4 likes · 3 comments · Joe Sneve

Anti-slaughterhouse group asks judge to block Wholestone Farms construction until after vote

The Dakota Scout
Anti-slaughterhouse group asks judge to block Wholestone Farms construction until after November vote
A pending vote to block new slaughterhouses from moving into Sioux Falls might not stop a Nebraska-based meatpacker’s plans to open a pork-processing plant here. But a campaign committee behind the Nov. 8 ballot question hopes the courts will…
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7 months ago · 4 likes · 2 comments · Joe Sneve and Jonathan Ellis

MINNEHAHA COUNTY RACES

Three spots up for grabs in Minnehaha County Commission race

The Dakota Scout
Meet the candidates: Three spots up for grabs in Minnehaha County Commission race
A pair of departures on the Minnehaha County Commission and a third member up for re-election have five candidates vying for three seats on the primary governing board for South Dakota’s largest county…
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5 months ago · 2 likes · Josh Gurnick

Newcomers vie to become Minnehaha County auditor

The Dakota Scout
Newcomers vie to become Minnehaha County auditor
Former Citibank official Ben Kyte has been at the helm of the Minnehaha County Auditor's Office since being appointed in 2020 ahead of the retirement of his predecessor Bob Litz, who served in that role for a decade…
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5 months ago · Joe Sneve

MISCELLANEOUS

Voter registrations reach historic divide

The Dakota Scout
Voter registrations reach historic divide
As political candidates hit the straightaway to this year’s election, Republican candidates in South Dakota enjoy an advantage that hasn’t been this large in half a century. The percentage of registered voters who are Republican is the largest since 1972, while the percentage of registered Democrats is at its lowest point in more than 50 years, according to an analysis of decades of voter registration data by…
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5 months ago · 3 likes · 1 comment · Jonathan Ellis

Judicial candidate admonished for Code of Conduct violations

The Dakota Scout
Judicial candidate admonished for Code of Conduct violations
A West River state’s attorney running to be a judge in the Fourth Circuit has been told to step down from positions he holds within his political party and to stop endorsing candidates. The South Dakota Special Committee on Judicial Election Campaign Intervention last month received a formal complaint against John Fitzgerald alleging a series of judicial campaign violations, including holding office in a political organization while seeking a judicial office and publicly endorsing a candidate for sheriff in Meade County…
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5 months ago · 1 like · 1 comment · Joe Sneve

Appeals court deals Noem, Legislature, defeat on petition case

The Dakota Scout
Appeals court deals Noem, Legislature, defeat on petition case
A court ruling suspending portions of a 2020 South Dakota law requiring petition circulators to publicly disclose personal information has been upheld by the U. S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit…
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5 months ago · 9 likes · 3 comments · Joe Sneve

Two competing to fill open Circuit Court judgeship

The Dakota Scout
Meet the candidates: Two competing to fill open Circuit Court judgeship
The retirement of longtime Judge Bradley Zell this past summer opens a new spot on the Second Circuit Court. Zell had served in the position for two decades. Two local lawyers have stepped up to fill the vacancy. Both Doug Barnett and Eric Johnson have experience as prosecutors, and Johnson currently serves as a magistrate in the circuit…
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5 months ago · 4 likes · Jonathan Ellis
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