Transcript 0:00 [ice cracking] To some, that may just sound like ice hitting heavy duty plastic, but to a Bud Light Legend, it's a signal that says it's time. 0:09 Time to dust off the barbecue tongs and load up the cooler with 37 Bud Lights and an assortment of dips. Because it's time to take back all the fun we've missed. Welcome back, Bud Light Legends. 0:20 Let's take summer by the coolers. Cooler up at budlightlegends.com. Enjoy responsibly. 2021 AB, Bud Light Beer, St. Louis, Missouri Distributed by Beal Distributing, Sioux Falls, South Dakota. [alarm blaring] One, 0:33 two, three, four. [yawning] Most Juna Mattress owners don't need more than 10 to 12 sheep before they're off to Juna Dream Land. Hi, I'm Justin, the Mattress Nerd at Juna Sleep Systems. 0:47 What makes a Juna Mattress so special? It's because after tearing apart and building thousands of mattresses, we found the right mattress recipe that has everything to do with support, comfort, and longevity. 0:59 If your bed has too much gel foam, you sink and keep on sinking. We incorporated something called Energex. It's a next generation foam where you don't keep sinking. 1:09 It's better than anything you'll find in the market today, and it's just one part of the Juna Mattress recipe that gives you the best rest of your life. 1:16 [alarm blaring] With Juna, you'll count fewer sheep and you'll get a dreamier, more restful night's sleep. Come feel for yourself at Juna Sleep Systems and get the last mattress you'll ever have to buy. 1:26 41st and Grange in Sioux Falls, and online at junasleep.com. 1:30 [upbeat rock music] Welcome to The Scouting Lounge, a podcast of the Dakota Scout Newspaper, [can opening] 1:53 which is based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, the best city in the world as far as I'm concerned. My name's Jonathan Ellis. I deserve this beer. That was, uh, my co-host, Joe Sneve. Joe Sneve. He's got a story of... 2:06 a yarn to tell at some point during this podcast, and we have a very, very, very special guest. Oh, nice. [laughs] Very, very... Well, I would say, uh- I mean- We know you well enough, we don't have to call you special. 2:18 Yeah, we know you. [laughs] Yeah. [laughs] Good. But you are... Well, let's say, uh- Well, well- Beal Distributing is bringing you this program, or at least helping pay some bills, and Juna Sleep Systems. 2:28 And Juna Sleep Systems. And that is Representative Greg Jamison. Welcome. Mayoral candidate, too. Mayoral candidate now. Yeah, don't forget that part. Nope. That's what he's really here. He really- Yeah. 2:39 Yeah, he's like- That's why I lost the mic... he's pimping- I don't know what-... pimping it for the candidacy here. [laughs] That's right. How are you guys? Good. 2:45 Uh, you are amongst the miserable up in Pierre now, too, uh, for these nine weeks, you know. Uh, big news though right before we turned on the mic. 2:56 Data center failed the petition drive for Gemini Capital, the rezone to turn ag land into light industrial. That's what the rezone was. Uh, but the data center would've been built on that. 3:09 Uh, as a, as a municipal candidate, are you glad that that's not on the ballot with you? Oh, well, yeah. [laughs] Let's just cut through the bullshit. Yeah. [laughs] Did I say that out loud? Yeah. 3:24 Uh, so the, the reality is, uh, uh, certainly it, a lot of people are upset about that issue, and there are a lot of details yet to be determined and, and, uh, information for a lot of us to learn. 3:36 So, uh, that would've been another challenge going forward in the, the election, let alone just who I am and why I'm running kind of stuff. So. Well, I think 3:47 you guys aren't gonna have to answer the question about data centers as much, right? Like- In Pierre? Well, no, like in your campaign. Oh. No, no, I think it will. 3:56 You still think- Yeah, I don't think it's going anywhere. Yeah, but if it was on the ballot though, you wouldn't be able to avoid it. That's what I mean. Like, it's still an issue, but 4:06 you're go- Like, if you're not totally anti-data center, 4:10 you gotta be like, like you said, glad it's not on there, 'cause I think it would make things a little more miserable for the pro-data center candidates or the pro-economic development candidates. 4:20 So there- There, there's plenty of people who are already asking what my take is on it and how I feel about it. 4:27 [clears throat] I suspect that's gonna continue because the people who are behind this petition drive are pretty, pretty motivated and energized and concerned. Mm-hmm. 4:38 And others have become concerned not even knowing about data centers. So I think it'll be a discussion that'll continue on. Well, it's... 4:44 but I don't wanna put any ideas in anybody's heads, but I'd imagine they thought of this. What's... Is it the same number to just put a initiated measure on the- No... city ballot? It's a, it's a bigger number. Okay. 4:57 It's not the 6,000 to put a- No, I think it's a bigger number. Yeah. To force a charter amendment or a... 'Cause you have more time, right? It's not a 20-day window. It's a six-month window, I believe. Yeah. 5:07 And it's, and I think it's a rolling window, too. So they're... If they could... Maybe they have some people feel encouraged, potentially, and, and think, "We could do this and we did this in 20 days." 5:17 Well, the, the question is, the question I had is did they consult with Theresa Staley? Because had they done that... I don't know. I mean, did they have people p- uh, at the county building? You were here more than me. 5:30 You talked to those guys. I don't know if they, I don't know if they, you know- I didn't see them. I didn't, you know... I, they, I mean, they, they did... It was- I'm sure they were... 5:38 and I, I put this in my story that I wrote last night. I mean, they, they pulled a sucky straw when it came to the weather. Oh. Yeah. I mean, it was t- Absolutely. I mean, you know, so you ha- So let's say you do... 5:49 You, you know, you have to have somebody at the county building. I mean, that's just, like, the key place to put somebody to gather when you're doing petitions. 5:55 I mean, with that col- as cold as it was- Right, you can't go inside... you can't go inside. So I mean, that coulda, that could have been a big-... a big stake in, in the heart right there o- of that deal. 6:06 So, um, but I, I don't know what their strategy was. I mean, if they had talked to Teresa Staley about it, I'm sure she could have gotten them on the, on the right path, but who knows? Mm. I don't know. I think 6:21 it's just hard to do that in 20 days, period. Yeah. Yeah. Now, you s- they needed 1,600 more? They need... Oh, just to even, just to even start the verification process. Yeah. 6:31 So really what they needed, they, they needed almost 5,000 more really- Yeah... when you think about that. So. Yeah, I'd heard there's a, a lot of people from Brandon who are probably anxious to sign it. Yeah. 6:41 Weren't able to, but maybe did anyway. And so you're right, you need some over the top so that when they start verifying it, everybody's accountable. Yep. Well, man, there you go, Brandon. Did they- Here you go, Brandon. 6:54 [laughs] Did they, uh, if this was in a year, could you challenge a petition signa- well, you can challenge a petition signature now, right? That was a law that you guys passed last year up in session. Mm. 7:08 The, uh, that was part of the decline to sign, and then led to like- Oh, yeah... the Hansen thing. Oh, that's right. Um, to allow petition signatures to be challenged. Uh, well, there's this bill that would allow 7:23 voter registration to be challenged based on citizenship. Have you seen this measure? I haven't read that bill completely. I've heard about... It's always been around, I think. Is it a Senate bill? 7:35 Sorry, I, we didn't do our homework. Let me ask you about a bill you have no idea about. [laughs] Yeah. That's what happens. We got a, there's a, we got this, uh- [laughs]... 7:43 this, uh, coffee tomorrow morning with the League of Women Voters and inevitably they ask us a question about a bill that either died or has not come in front of us. Mm-hmm. 7:53 And what are, what, what's our opinion about it. So we're all scrambling to read it and give a feedback, but... Yeah. 7:59 Well, you just be like Governor Rhoden and be like, "Well, I, I wouldn't care to speak on anything that's not ready for me to sign." [laughs] Like, well, except for all those things, other things. [laughs] Uh, 8:13 how's it going up there though otherwise? Good. Everybody getting along better than you thought, worse than you thought? Oh, you know, there's fractions in, in the body, but actually we've come together. 8:22 You know, even yesterday, uh, uh, was it yesterday or the day before, uh, I added in a word, one word, the word solely, to a, 8:33 a, an amendment that would, would've been in front of the voters for a constitutional amendment. Mm-hmm. And before that word was added, the entire body was split on whether we're gonna support it or not. 8:44 So adding the one word solely, which means one- Mm-hmm... you know, adding that word brought us together. You talking about Medicaid repeal? No. The, it was one on the eminent domain. Oh, okay. 8:56 And by adding that one- Spencer Gosch. Yeah, Gosch is the man. Adding that one word brought us together so we could all support it. 9:02 So there's a little things, little signs like that, but you know, the, um, you know, patients are wearing thin for people. The, uh, well, that kumbaya moment, that's like your bread and butter. Right? 9:14 You're always trying to bring people together. I know. I know. 9:18 [laughs] So, uh, so I felt good about it, and a lot of, uh, others have said, uh, that was nice to see us come together so, uh, it's just interesting when it does happen. 9:28 Hey, uh, Murdoch's calling, but I just accidentally ignored him. I was gonna open it and let him talk for a second, but sorry, buddy. Uh, well, 9:39 maybe you could be the arbiter and bring peace to our place of residence up in Pierre. Oh, what's going on? Nothing. This is- [laughs]... this is the introduction to your day yesterday, isn't it? Yeah. Yeah. 9:54 So last week, maybe it was the week before on the podcast, we talked about how we lucked into this amazing living arrangement, and it was too good to be true. There's an addendum to this. Yeah. 10:03 Well, it turns out- [laughs]... I remember thinking like th- I remember thinking like, "This is too good to be true." Turns out it is. [laughs] Now we just got some uppity neighbors that don't... 10:18 Literally, I am on my best behavior there. Uh, if you've ever stayed in a hotel next to me, like, you know, for a resident period of time, you know a lot of noise has come from my room and stuff. 10:30 I think Lynn's up on- [laughs]... music. Well, you know, I stay up later than most people do, and, um, we've learned what we already knew. Jonathan's the, like, more well-behaved one- [laughs]... I guess. 10:44 And I'm up there, like, I feel like... Okay, 10:48 the lady we're leasing this place from keeps calling and saying people are complaining to her about the most innocuous things, like, you know, the garage door opening at 10:30 at night, but, like, the garage door's underneath our place, right? 11:03 Mm-hmm. So I know when I'm being unruly, and I know when I'm not, and this is amazing to me. I, but they've got me so skittish- [laughs]... 11:13 that I feel like one of those abused greyhound dogs that, like, shakes in the corner, you know? And, 'cause I'm afraid to, like, move there now, uh, like, move around there. 11:25 Um, so anyway, that's the backdrop to the worst day of my life almost. It was, uh... But I made it home. Man, it was a trek getting here. So- Huh... I'm ready to leave. I, so I know this is all happening. 11:39 I don't wanna be on the radar of the landlord people, whatever. Uh, I end up locking the keys- [laughs]... to the place in the place, and Jonathan's going up next week and he needs to be able to get in. So 11:51 like, what do I do? Do I call the landlord who's lives somewhere else? Like, what's she gonna do for me, you know? So I call a locksmith, and, uh- [laughs]... 12:01 well, then I get the locksmith over there and- Trying to fly under the radar. Well, the uppity neighbor who's spying on everything I do is right there when I walk in. [laughs] And she's like, "Who are you? 12:13 We don't know you people." And I'm like, "Well, I'm the guy in that place, and this is a locksmith." And I'll speed up through this, though. 12:20 So while this lady's hovering, telling me how awful it is that I'm staying there, uh, the locksmith's trying to get in, and she's like, "What are you doing?" 12:29 And I have to tell her, like, five times, like, I've locked the keys in the place. And then she, like, goes and knocks on a neighbor's door, and the neighbor comes out, and now it's like a party in the hallway. 12:40 And she's like, "What are you doing?" "They're trying to get into that place." [laughs] And I'm like, "This is amazingly horrible, what's happening here." And the locksmith, poor guy, he's like... 12:50 He steps in and says, "Lady, quit harassing this man." And it got real tense there- Wow... for a minute. Anyway, so that crisis averted. Well, while all this is going on, I had left my, uh, door to my car open. 13:05 I went down and sat down in my car. My battery had died. [laughs] And, uh- Joel. Joel. [laughs] Oh, I, I should start, I woke up with pink eye last night. [laughs] Oh, no. Don't worry, Greg. I've put... 13:17 Uh, I'm not contagious anymore. I've been on antibiotics thanks to the doctor of the day. 13:22 [laughs] Uh, so that was how this all started, and then I got a call from the landlord complaining about the neighbors complaining to her. Then the locksmith thing happens. 13:32 It was gonna be 200 bucks too, 'cause it was f- after 5:00, and the guy had his kid with him. And so it's like there's six or seven people up there squawking at each other, and I'm just, my head down. And 13:46 so anyway, I go down. My battery's dead. I have to fix, figure that out. So lo and behold, someone else has gotta come onto the property and freak these people out, and, uh- [laughs]... for no good reason. 13:56 And 'cause I'm too afraid to ask them for help now because I'm a Greyhound dog hiding in the corner, you know? And, uh- [laughs]... so then f- the guy, though, he didn't make me pay the 200 bucks. 14:08 He's like, "Oh, keep your money. You have to deal with these people." Oh, really? Uh, so that was a silver lining, and I hooked him up with a subscription. Oh. [laughs] So for his time. 14:18 And then, anyway, so I finally get on the road. Am I missing anything? 'Cause there was a lot of bad stuff happened. The, uh- Yeah, but we're keeping some of it out. Yeah, some of it. 14:27 [laughs] I get on the road, and I'm driving. I end up talking on the phone, and my mileage, how, how far I can go, that'll get me to Mitchell. And I'm not one to be afraid to push it. Well, I ran out of gas. Oh, geez. 14:40 [laughs] Uh, right at the fir- or the f- the west exit in Mitchell. [laughs] So our old friend, former representative Ben Kroemer, had to come- Oh, yeah... give me some gas. Well, that's fun. 14:52 And I'll put the picture of that in the podcast file 'cause I took a picture of it. But before he showed up, a police officer showed up. And so I got a good picture of him dumping gas into my car with a cop behind him. 15:05 So we'll put that on the, on the thing. Anyway, Thursday nights are newspaper print day, right? And I should long be in Sioux Falls, right? I should've been able to be there by 7:00 PM. Um, well, because of 15:22 all the delays, uh, I got there late, like 10:00, but I have a door card to get, get to our papers even when it's late. Oh, sure. That wasn't working. [laughs] It did not work. 15:35 So I'm, out there I sit, and I couldn't get my papers that I needed to pick up. Uh, what else happened? I feel like that pretty well covers it. Well, you, but they were there. 15:45 You were trying to get a hold of them- Oh, yeah... and then, then you got back to Dell Rapids. They're like, "Yeah, we're here." Yeah. They, uh, they text me. I text them and say, "Anybody here?" 15:52 I know that they're extra cars. I waited 20 minutes. And then, uh, as soon as I get to my home, as soon as I wave the white flag, and it's too far to turn back, "Oh yeah, we're here. Are you still here?" "Nope." So 16:07 that was a, that was a day. But whatever. My life's pretty charmed. So- [laughs]... I, if, if karma's gonna pack all the bad stuff into one day and still, like, I, 16:21 I still end up sleeping in my own bed, uh, healthy-ish, I guess. I got the antibiotics for free, or not free, but I didn't have to go pay a doctor to s- tell me what I already knew. And I don't know. 16:35 I didn't, I didn't break... Uh, I didn't run out of gas by Kanabec, right, where I didn't know anybody. Oh, right. So it... You know? That's why I ch- chugged half that beer as soon as I opened it. 16:50 [laughs] It's amazing how often that it's good to be home. Yes. I think of that all the time. So I, we don't know what we're gonna do about... I'm afraid to go back, Jonathan. [laughs] Yeah. 17:01 Well, even when I, I, when I went, I went, I got there, the first night I stayed there, this lady was just, like, all over me, like, "What are you doing here?" And like, "This is our... We own this place." 17:09 And- Yeah, you're wearing a suit, and she thinks- I'm wearing a suit... you're gonna rob the place. She's like, "We, we don't want you to steal our shit." 17:14 [laughs] And I'm like, this is this little old lady, and I'm like, "I'm not-" She's not little old. She's, like, 65 maybe. Well, but she, she, uh... 17:22 And so I'm like, well, I mean, I'm just trying to explain, "Well, we, you know, we w- work for a paper, and s- we're here for the legislature." And, "Yes, ma'am. Yes, ma'am." 17:29 I was so freaked out, I just w- I w- the whole time I was there, I would just, like, if I had to watch TV, I watched it on my phone. So it was like real, the volume was real low. Oh, man. 17:36 I don't wanna w- disturb anybody. So anyway, we have our challenges. It's a nice place. We, but we have our challenges. Is this in Pierre or Fort Pierre? Fort Pierre. Fort Pierre. 17:46 It's a good deal, and it's nice, and I like it, but- [laughs] But... yeah, you gotta, like, walk on eggshells. It's, it's a minefield- Yeah... to get to your room. It's beyond, like... 17:57 Now it's, doesn't matter how nice it is. Like, it's, it's unpleasant, so. Yeah. It's too bad. And I've been to need to know one. I bet you- But I did. I like, I'm, I'm like, not doing the things I normally do at a hotel. 18:12 [laughs] I don't need to know any more. Joe, Joe, don't say anymore... where, what do you stay, where are you staying? At the- Clubhouse? The Clubhouse, yeah. The Clubhouse, okay. All right. 18:21 It really works well for a lot of the events that go on and- Sure... uh, next door or at the Ramkota, and so it makes it pretty central, and it's been nice. You know, well- Yeah, so, you know, got the papers though. 18:40 Got to see my friend Jonathan. I got to explain the crazy day, and, uh, another week in the books. Yeah. 18:49 And you, uh, since you've already chugged half your beer, you're probably ready for another one, another Beal Distributed product. I'll finish it during the break. And I, I at least get to sleep on a Juna mattress. 19:01 We could have saved the three bears a lot of time. Just right mattresses built by mattress nerds with a lifetime comfort commitment. We build them by hand and deliver with love. 19:12 Juna Sleep Systems in Sioux Falls and online at junasleep.com. Come on alone. Head for the mountains of Busch Beer. Head for the mountains. It's cold and it's smooth and it's waiting for you. 19:28 Come on, head for the mountains of Busch Beer. Head for the mountains of Busch. Head for the mountains of Busch Light Beer. Enjoy responsibly. Copyright 2022. Anheuser-Busch, Busch, and Busch Light Beer. St. 19:45 Louis, Missouri. Beal Distributing. Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Thanks again to Beal Distributing and Juna Sleep Systems. Damn good mattress, damn good beer. 19:54 I plan on having some when I'm in Pierre next week, and, uh- Beer? Some of the beers, yeah. But I'll be... do so very quietly in my, in, in my condo. I'm gonna go o- [laughs] 20:06 I'm gonna, I'm gonna drive over there now, wherever this is, you'll have to tell me- Yeah... and I'll just be disruptive in some sort. Um- [laughs] Be part of your, part of your group. Yeah. The, uh... Well- [laughs]... 20:19 we joked like, so if these people really don't want any visitors, we could put a fake listing in the classifieds- [laughs]... with their phone number as like, "Sublet our condos." 20:30 [laughs] So one of the, one of the comments I made just yesterday about that Medicaid expansion, uh, bringing that back to the voters, was about the concept of poking the bear. Mm-hmm. 20:42 And so I would avoid- Poking the bear... poking the bear, Joe. Yeah. It's better just to not add oxygen, you know? Keep your head down. I'll, I'll defuse it for a week. Yeah. We'll see how it goes. It is confirmed, like, 20:55 you know, you're much more domesticated than I am and you go to bed earlier than me, so we already knew that though. They'll know Jonathan as the good one. Oh, they do. [laughs] You're the bad one. 21:04 The lady called him and said that. She's like, "You're the well-behaved one, right?" [laughs] That's funny. Uh, well, you're in the... you're in Pierre, you're doing your thing. 21:14 What, what kind of things are you trying to get accomplished in this legislative session? You were... You got real close on property taxes last, last year. Yeah. That's still there, and the possibility that it come... 21:24 could come back around. The, uh, there's several property tax bills that I'm bringing, you know, generally related to transparency and reform. 21:33 But related to property tax, you know, coming off of that, uh, property tax task force, and, uh, I've got a, a bill that I'm bringing that's probably one of... gonna be one of the bigger bills for the year. 21:47 Uh, and it really stemmed from a conversation with Dean Karsky, Commissioner Dean Karsky. Mm-hmm. There was a, a little forum, a get-together that the mayor, uh, s- the city council, the county commission put together. 22:00 School board I think was there talking about their legislative priorities. And, and Dean Karsky brings up this concept of indigent, uh, legal services getting paid by the counties. 22:12 South Dakota's the last state to do it like this, and we should really consider a change. And that really stuck with me. Yeah, I remember that. 22:20 And so I've got a bill that will change that, remove that from the county's obligation, which in turns, you know, the counties need to collect about $25 million collectively to pay for that every year, 22:34 and they collect that 25 million through property taxes. And so re- returning this, or putting it into the state's hand, it becomes a state obligation paid through with sales tax dollars. 22:46 That follows the format that other states are doing. It modernizes it, it can... it centralize it. Hopefully we'll find some cost savings, but that's probably one of the bigger monumental changes. What does he think... 22:59 What'd you say the number was that the... Would... 25 million? Yeah. Per count, uh, grand? Total. Total? Total. Yeah. So Minnehaha- That's-... Minnehaha County's like 9 million. Yeah. 23:09 That'll be a, uh- What does the governor think of this? Right. So I met with the governor. He's aware of it. 23:16 I don't think he was, you know, wanting to be a cheerleader just yet, but we're still working through all of the, the details, uh, working with the UJS department, the attorney general's department, uh, the trial lawyer, trial lawyers. 23:28 Everybody sees the advantages and the, the value of doing it like this. It's just a challenge because we have to come up with that 25 or so million, this one-time money. Mm. 23:40 And the, the bigger piece is when the sales tax goes back to, uh, 4.5, you know, when that- Yeah... sunset ends. That's at the end of this next year. Next year. Yep. 23:52 I'm, I'm allocating, you know, essentially 25% of that going forward. That's a big ask. It's a big deal, but it's all about reform. 24:01 There's a little bit of r- tax, uh, property tax relief in it, but it's really reform and modernizing the system, and that's, you know, I think where the best improvements can be made. 24:11 Won't that grow state government, Greg? [laughs]Well, [laughs] you know, it's funny 'cause counties all are, are like an extension of the state- Yeah... 24:19 where we're, we're telling them what to do, uh, and then they have to pay for it, and this just brings it back to what we've already decided we want to have done. Right. So. That makes sense. Yeah, 'cause the... 24:31 There was a question, um, I'm trying to remember the bill. I... Oh, yeah, it was, um, the Data Center Consumer Bill of Rights. Oh. It said, like, there's no state, state or any 24:46 of its subsidiaries or whatever, uh, shall not do this. And the... My question was does that apply to counties? Because 24:56 when we think about, when the question of can government officials, state officials and county officials have contracts, you know, that was... Counties are often grouped in with those sort of questions. So- Yeah... um, 25:10 you have some, there's some merit to, to kind of combining them, so. Yeah, we've got, we've got, uh, probably, uh, five other, uh, property tax bills. 25:22 So one, for instance, is requiring the, the counties to include a QR code on- Your form... your tax bill when you get it. A tax notice, I should say. 25:32 And so then you can link, you can, you know, use that on your phone and go right to the Department of Revenue's website and drill down a little bit about your own taxes. Just a little transparency piece. 25:43 But another one is, you know, there's a, uh, people who are, uh, veterans who are disabled. There's, uh, provisions for them to get, uh, their property tax frozen. Mm-hmm. 25:56 Well, the process is you can print out the application online, and then you fill it out, and you bring it to the county, you know? 26:03 Now you're a disabled vet, you know, and you've gotta go get loaded up in your van and drive- Yeah... down there. 26:09 So what we've done is we've, uh, required them to enable that application to be done online, and the Department of Revenue's been great. They've been willing, and able, and wanting to help with those kinds of things. 26:20 So just a few things like that. The, uh... Do you think you'll get to the... So last year there was 26 tax bills, property tax reform bills, you could say. If... I might be wrong. I- 19... give or take. Yeah. 26:36 No, there was pro- 19 recommendations. Yeah. There was more than 20 going into this session. Oh, yeah, yeah. Last- Okay. Last year there was over 2,000, I think, and on the... 26:46 At one point, none of them were alive and nothing had been passed, and then they had to revive that one and so everybody could vote for something and go back home, "We did something." Uh. Yeah, that was right at the end. 26:59 Yeah. Do you think it'll... Do you think we're gonna see that Groundhog's Day there? Do you think- No... you think it'll... I mean, there's so- like you said, there's fractions. It's fractured, and there's factions. 27:11 Mm-hmm. And nobody wants to vote for... Well, not nobody, but, "I'm gonna vote against that 'cause I want mine to pass." And it's like we know neither one of yours is gonna pass. 27:20 Uh, and I don't say that to you, but I feel like there's some of that, like, ego and pride at the beginning of session, and then you get to the, towards the end of it and you're like, "Oh, should I protect my ego 27:34 in front of the voters, or should I have, protect my ego now? Well, I best, I guess I better plug my nose and vote for something." Do you think it... Will it go that way again? I think it will. 27:44 So there's kind of that come to Jesus moment towards the end, and the reason it came to the end is because we're setting the budget at the same time- Mm-hmm... 27:52 and some of these proposals, like mine, are, uh, substantial. And that one, spending that one-time money or an ongoing obligation is a huge commitment. And so what we've done, what we do through the, the process is 28:09 we cycle through all of those similar asks that every legislator has brought- Mm... and we start to narrow down and get consensus behind one or two, and oftentimes there, there isn't consensus. Right. 28:21 And then you gotta bring it to a boiling point, and it turns to the floor, and it turns into, "Well, we'll settle it out there, I guess." And so, yes, I would look for Groundhog's Day to, to be repeated. It'll be, uh... 28:34 I mean, these bills all nibble at the edges really though, right? Do you think that'll satisfy the public? Do you think the public's... Sioux Falls Live, I don't know if they've published it or not yet. 28:48 No, I was working on it, but- Well, there's, there's... It's, I think you've had a... It's a... You were saying this last year. It's a Sioux Fal- It's a... It's not a statewide issue. 28:57 Like, property taxes don't hurt too bad in some places. 29:00 It's, it's also part of the reason why nobody's really buying, or so many people aren't really buying the growth helps thing because the only places growing in the state are where it hurts. So square that. 29:13 You know, that's why you're seeing all this sort of resistance and, I don't know, it's all real confusing and complicated. So that's why it's why can't you square that? 29:22 Well, because I don't understand the tax code and maybe it's not squareable. All that to say, do you think this is gonna permeate into the next administration? Oh, yeah. 29:34 There's enough people who are concerned about it, like you said, those populated areas like Sioux Falls, Rapid City, are feeling the pinch. Not every part of the state is, but those were, that's where all the people are. 29:46 And so, you know, when you think about voting, who's voting, and the, the majority of people voting, you wanna, you wanna be in that spectrum. And so, uh- Yeah... 29:55 and it is different for everybody and, and I, and I'm aware of some of this research that you're, I think, referring to that the growth is really kind of finished. Mm-hmm. And we're kind of coming out of it. 30:06 And so I think what you saw was a spike in a lot of people's, uh, evaluations and then assessments and other things, and we're starting to settle down a little bit. But still, I think there'll be a lot of bills. Yeah. 30:20 Yeah. Could do. You think we'll get past the 26 mark if I'm right on that? If that's the watermark from last year. I haven't done a count. If you look, you're just talking about, like, House bills at this point, right? 30:31 Yeah. Yeah. There's some Senate ones. I think in the Senate there w- I can't remember if it passed or failed. I think it failed. It would've reformed how we do elderly veteran, or, uh, elderly tax breaks. Uh, it would've 30:44 f- it would, uh, instead of... It would increase the amount and put a lump sum in there, and it would be dispersed on a pro rata basis instead of like, "This is what you get." Um, 30:56 Taffy Howard point, voted against it and pointed out, like, "Well, if you got really lucky and you were the only person to apply, then you get $4 million." [laughs] Yeah. Which is a damn good point. I would bet- Yeah... 31:09 there's gonna be a lot of, a lot of bills like that, that are, uh, like you say, nibbling around the edges a little bit. Mm-hmm. 31:15 But there's a few bills that are gonna come around as big items, like this one, for instance, and, uh- The one to abolish public schools. That'd really take care of public- Yeah... pro- property taxes then. One way. 31:25 Who's bringing that? Huh? Phil? That was... [laughs] Phil? [laughs] No, I'm just- He's strong. Just in theory, just, uh- Oh... just saying, if you really wanna do something about property taxes, just get rid of schools. 31:36 Hmm. Yeah, don't do that. [laughs] Uh, well, do you think... So you're wearing two hats right now, though, so you're a mayoral candidate on top of being a state legislator. Um, you announced officially early January, um, 31:54 how does that, how does being... I'll just ask the two questions I wanna ask you, honestly. This, this isn't your first time running. It's not your second time running. It's your third time. Mm-hmm. 32:04 What do you say, like, how are you gonna, how is the Greg Jamison campaign different? How are you different personally? And then you obviously have more experience now as a legislator. 32:14 How does that help you in your campaign and if you win? 32:18 Yeah, well, it is a third time's a charm kind of attitude, and it's really about more of a commitment to serving and working hard, and, and the city that I grew up in, it's worth fighting for. 32:29 Yes, okay, sure, you're embarrassed a little bit 'cause you've lost twice, but- You learn from defeat too, right? I've learned from every mayor that I've worked with, 32:39 even Gary Hansen, who was before I was ever elected, things they did right, things they did wrong, things I wish I would've, c- could emulate, and mistakes from some that you surely aren't going to do. 32:53 So having seen all that, I really feel like I'm prepared to be the mayor, and serving on the city council is a great, great, uh, preparation. Serving in the legislature is a great place. 33:05 But having grown up here all my life and watching this city grow like it's grown to the powerhouse it is- Yeah... 33:12 I mean, there's a huge sense of responsibility and commitment to ensuring that it continues, and I wanna be a part of that. The, um, 33:21 the dynamics are, I mean, the city's continued its ascent, you know, in its economy and all that, but there's, the dynamics between your earlier runs and now are different- Yeah... too, right? You were, 33:34 well, you were, the first time around, you were just kind of the m- the guy who had to put up or shut up, 'cause you were always butting heads with the mayor, right? It's like, well, if you don't like it, run. 33:43 That's, that's, [laughs] that's exactly how it went. 33:46 I was, geez, I was so critical of Mike Huether, and, and I kept saying stuff and, and then it turned to a point where he was up for re-election, and it was either put up or shut up, and I did, and it was always then me or Mike kind of a thing. 34:01 And, you know, Mike's a very good campaigner, and the incumbent has a huge- Sure... advantage from any perspective. And so, uh, you know, we got close. We did. 34:11 We got pretty close with that, and, uh, but I saw some things that he was doing that I knew were wrong, and now today, looking back, people see it, and they go, "You were right." Like the Premier Center tires or? 34:22 Like the Premier Center. Just a few, just a few things I'm saying. Oh, oh. But, and then with Paul, with Paul and the others- Global. $1 million global settle- Global settlement. Right. 34:32 [laughs] The sec- the second race with Paul and the others, uh, I, I c- I wasn't ready for that, frankly. There was 10 candidates at one point. 34:41 There were a lot, and it was hard to distinguish yourself from anybody, and so, uh- David Ziedes, Mike Gunn, those strong contenders. 34:51 And I, you know, I, uh, endorsed Paul after I, uh, didn't make in the, in the runoff, and I saw him as a younger version of me, and, uh, you know, uh, so I've, I've, uh, I've learned a ton. 35:05 And being in Pierre now over... So here's the other thing. After losing twice, you know, first off with Mike Huether, I sat there, uh, 'cause I still had two years left with him- Mm-hmm... 35:16 as the mayor that I just lost to, you know. Yeah. And you talk about eating humble pie every day. That's like walking in with a locksmith into the county. 35:24 [laughs] Not quite, but, but, uh, it was a, it was a lot of, uh, learning about myself and, and, uh, you know, h- humility and, and, you know, all of that. 35:39 So, uh, you know, after losing with Paul, though, and that group, you know, what I decided was I'm gonna get back to work. Okay, what can I do to be smarter, better, still serve the community? 35:52 And that's when I ran for the legislature again, and have been serving ever since, and it is such a tune-up, such a great place to prepare if I were to come back. 36:02 Because in, in, in fact, I would end, you know, in March, and in May, June, boom, you win, and y- you're right in office. So there's, it's a great tune-up for serving, uh, the biggest city, the, in our state. 36:16 Everybody, every conversation in Pierre is related to what happens in Sioux Falls and what happens to the rest of the state. Mm-hmm. Sioux Falls is so big and so p-... 36:27 important, that it matters almost in every conversation. And I'm just as proud as I can be to say that I'm from Sioux Falls. I say it everywhere I go to everybody. 36:37 It's, it's a, it's a great community, and I'd love to be the mayor. I wonder, you have to work with people that you stick- would see the world much differently from up in Pierre. Oh, yeah. 36:47 I mean, some of the, some of the people who are just don't like anything Sioux Falls, right? But they like you. Um, there's a, there's sort of a microcosm of that in Sioux Falls though, right? 37:00 I mean, there's a contingent of blue collar people who don't like big city. Oh, yeah. This city wasn't big. You know what I mean? So it feels like that might lend itself too, because you've got to acquiesce 37:12 people who are really glad we've gotten to where we are, and other people that sort of wish it was a little more like Mayberry still. Yeah, they want, they want it back to what... 37:17 Well, they, they want it back to what it was dec- you know, a few decades ago. And there, and there is this, this very strong... 37:22 This is a statewide issue, but a, a very strong economic development, uh, mentality that has really gotten quite strong, I would say, over the last few years. Anti. Anti, anti- Yeah... economic development. 37:34 So I mean, you're gonna, you're gonna be kind of caught, caught in those crosshairs for sure as, as a mayor. Maybe that's... I don't know. Well, maybe that lends itself too, because maybe... 37:46 I'm saying this this week to somebody, since the '70s, this is like the first time in 50 years that the establishment Republican Chamber of Commerce 37:57 politics of South Dakota just didn't get everything it wanted all the time. You know? Like, seriously. If the, if the powers that be wanted it, they got it for a long, long, long, long time. 38:11 Then the pandemic comes along, and a lot of people who used to just get up, go to work, come home, eat supper, raise their kids, do it all again the next day and maybe take in 20 minutes of news, now they got Facebook and they, 38:23 they got deceived during the pandemic, and now they're like, "Whoa, we just started... Have they been doing this the whole time?" 38:29 [laughs] You know, they can't separate what's happening nationally with locally, and it's just permeated everything. So it's gonna take new ideas, new approaches, new messaging to, 38:41 to cut through that in a way that, like, the establishment in Pierre, from what I see and the messaging I'm seeing and some of the viewpoints we're running, I don't think they're shifting in their messaging in some ways, is you run, bang your head against the wall over and over. 38:57 But- Yeah... you know, you follow me? Sorry. It's a, it's a big task to, uh, keep the trust. 39:04 Uh, and I think what happened is, uh, like you kind of mentioned, that people were starting to wake up a little bit to some of the approaches that were done. 39:12 And so one of my biggest efforts is to provide that transparency piece. I mean, I've talked about it before, the good, bad, and the ugly about it, and there are mistakes- Just whip them out. Just, just- There just-... 39:23 show your cards... exactly, because the reality is we're all trying to do a good job. I would bet you every city employee is doing their best to do a good job, and they're committed to it, and they're South Dakotans. 39:35 We, you know, we have that in our heart. But there are mistakes that get made, and if you just lay them out, that the facts are, "Here, look, yes, we, we made a mistake," or, "Here's some great successes we had." 39:48 But you lay out all the cards because it's not your money. It's their money. Mm-hmm. You don't, you don't hide it in the $1 million global settlement. You don't hide it. [laughs] Your 400 grand. Yeah, [laughs] right. 40:00 Oh, boy. We got, we got a million dollars. Just 400 grand. 40:03 For those of you who are wondering what the backstory is, we had to sue, back at The Argus Leader days, we had to sue to get the, the settlement agreement, uh- Yeah... anyway, of the If you feel like 40:14 17 hours of reading old stories from 2015 to 2017, keep you busy this weekend. But- Mm... you know, there's a t- my name's in that briefing and stuff, because I made the records request. 40:27 And I remember that when I s- saw that, I was like, "Wow, I thought I'd be in the court record for something else." Yeah. [laughs] There's still time. Yeah. [laughs] Joe. 40:39 Well, fellas- Yeah, best of luck to the, on the campaign, and the legislative session, and getting a steak at the Cattlemen's. Did Nick ever come back with my car? [laughs] His car been washed. Well, 40:54 I hope to see you guys- Hopefully... in Pierre, and hopefully you'll be, uh- Not living under, under the bridge. [laughs] You, you won't be attacked by a couple of Karens. No, gee. Oh, boy. The Karen Intifada. 41:08 It's- "They're trying to get into the condo." [laughs] I'll get a call some night in the middle of the night, there's- You know, I-... "Could you get me out of jail?" 41:17 Because- I even called a law enforcement officer I know up there when I was trying to figure out what to do about getting, getting locked out, because I'm like, "How do they do this?" You know? 41:26 Because the guy was like, "It's gonna be..." The locksmith's like, "It's after hours. It's gonna be 200 bucks." Well, I'm surprised you were able to unlock a house. I mean, how did he know that that was your house? Well, 41:38 I just leveled with him. I was like, "I don't want to call this lady." [laughs] So the guy knew- Well, he's a small town, maybe he knows. Yeah. Yeah. He knew they were whatever, and I'm a legislative guy. 41:48 I mean, it helps, right? But I will tell you another story, though. Uh, no, I won't. Ah. [laughs] No, it's, uh... It was something, though, so. But I called the sheriff. 42:03 Oh, speaking of, uh, I'll just break a little news here. He was county sheriff, Pat Callahan. Used to be at South Dakota Broadcasters. Worked at- Yep... Noem administration for a while. Reporter a long time ago. Mm-hmm. 42:15 Yep. Uh, he was elected sheriff five years ago maybe. He will be retiring- Mm-hmm... in a couple years. Mike Milstead, I kind of stole his thunder this week, but you had lunch with Mike today, Sheriff Milstead. Yes. 42:27 Yeah, just had lunch with him today. So kudos to both those guys. Um, obviously Milstead's- Has been unopposed and never challenged. That's amazing I know. That's crazy. So arresting the right people. Yeah. 42:43 [laughs] I kid, but, no, uh, congratulations to Sheriff Milstead, and I did call Sheriff Callahan because I wanted to know, like, "Do you guys have a jimmy thing?" 42:56 He said, "They don't even do that with cars anymore because they have to get in professionals to do that stuff because of the way locks and computers are." And he's like, "We never really did it with houses. 43:06 We either bust them down or call a locksmith." Um, I don't know if you should bust it, bust the door down. Yeah. That'd be really bad. [laughs] But, uh, so that's the efforts I went through. Uh, anyway, so that... I'm... 43:21 Once I get home tonight, I'm gonna have a few more of these Busch Lights, and then I'll probably switch over to, like, whiskey. And stay home. 43:31 And I will s- well, I will stay home, but I'm gonna turn up my music- [laughs]... and I'm gonna walk around and have anybody over I wanna have over and open my garage door as much as I damn well please. 43:43 You live out, you live out on your own little island there in Del Rapid, so. Oh, my neighbors don't hate me, but they're used to me. [laughs] They know me. Well, thanks to Beal Distributing, June Sleep Systems. 43:55 Thank, thank you, Greg, for coming in. Representative Jameson. Thank you for having me. Good luck on your campaign. Thanks. Uh, congratulations on not having a data center ballot measure on your trail. Yeah, right. 44:06 [laughs] Uh, thank... Good to see you, Jonathan. Yeah. Good to see you. We'll, uh, you know, the ships passing in the night during the legislative session, so we'll see you there. We got our hour and a half, and- Yep... 44:16 news tips welcome. Thanks. [outro music]
