KELO Bob Mercer
@pierremercer
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KELOLAND Capitol Bureau. . bmercer@ OR bobmercer2014 @gmail .com OR 605-280-7580. Facebook: KELO Bob Merc
Pierre, SD
Joined June 2012
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I haven't written about this yet. Essentially Republican Governor Kristi Noem with her announcement today is reversing herself and promising to do what Democrat challenger Jamie Smith has been trying to do for years with legislation that would repeal South Dakota's food tax.
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BREAKING: House committee has rejected Gov. Noem's legislation to require up to one minute of silence in South Dakota public schools at the start of each school day. School lobbyists said schools weren't asked. Governor's aide said 15 other states have such laws.
@keloland
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NEW: Governor's office announced $345 million more is available for grants to South Dakota businesses, non-profits and healthcare organizations financially hurt by pandemic.
#KELONews
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What’s missing from the new security signs that greeted people today at the South Dakota Capitol? A sentence explaining these items aren’t allowed.
#KeloNews
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Flags throughout South Dakota are at half-staff in honor of US servicemembers and other victims killed in terrorist attacks in Kabul, Afghanistan on Thursday. The governor’s order continues through sundown Monday.
@keloland
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Former state senator and 2018 Democrat candidate for governor Billie Sutton returned Tuesday to the South Dakota Capitol.
@keloland
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NEW: Three South Dakota railroads will get federal aid for projects.
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Judge says AG Ravnsborg can’t use victim’s mental-health records at his trial
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Only Jamie Smith accepts Sioux Falls Rotary gubernatorial talk invite
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South Dakotans overwhelmingly support teaching of Native American history and culture in public schools
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About two dozen Native American riders on horseback arrived at the South Dakota Capitol on Saturday for a ceremony of remembrance for missing and murdered indigenous women and children.
@keloland
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BREAKING: South Dakota School Superintendents Assn. is calling for state Board of Education Standards to reject proposed K-12 social studies standards and requests the board consider the 2021 proposal instead.
#keloland
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Smith hopes to break SD streak of GOP governors
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Smith was lead sponsor in the House of SB 104 in 2021 that would have phased out the sales on food by July 1, 2025. A Senate committee killed it 7-0.
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Pastor Matthew Spoden of Resurrection Lutheran Church in Pierre prayed for the 849 victims of COVID-19 so far in South Dakota at a Thanksgiving memorial service Thursday morning near the state Capitol sponsored by Stop The Spread SD. Empty chairs symbolized the victims.
#Kelonews
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With 675 of 679 precincts reported, South Dakota voters have overwhelmingly rejected Constitutional Amendment C, 67-33%. It failed in 65 of 66 counties, passed in only Douglas County, and came within three votes in McPherson County.
#KELONews
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Rep. John Mills, R-Volga, has introduced HR 7004 asking the South Dakota House to criticize the conduct of Gov. Kristi Noem regarding the state real-estate appraisers certification program. It includes this statement:
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@keloland
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Senate Democrats leader Troy Heinert of Mission was honored by Senator Red Dawn Foster of Pine Ridge with an eagle feather Thursday on the final day of 2022 legislative session's main run. Heinert is term-limited in the Senate and isn't seeking election to the House
@keloland
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House State Affairs Committee declined this morning to introduce governor's proposal to ban abortion in South Dakota after a heartbeat is detectable. Noem issued statement calling action unprecedented and said she was "disappointed."
@keloland
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'The biggest spike was in South Dakota, where hospitalizations increased by more than 127% in a single week, according to CDC tracking.'
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In the 2022 session, Smith was among the 47 House members who voted for a hog-housed version of SB 117 that would have repealed the sales tax on food. The Senate voted 22-9 to not agree.
House version:
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State plane may have flown to Noem family wedding
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From KELOLAND's Jacob Newton
Noem dodges local media, requests for interview
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South Dakota has paid a human price for the state’s economic success during COVID-19
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Dear Rep. Noem,
This morning you emailed to followers a message that began:
"The media has launched an intentionally malicious and false attack against my family in recent weeks..."
I work in South Dakota media. I haven't launched anything. I re-tweeted pro/con arguments.
Bob
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"We never mandated anything."
Other than Executive Order 2020-13, applying to South Dakota's population center of Minnehaha and Lincoln counties. It said people over 65 and 'Vulnerable Individuals' "shall stay at home or a place of residence if possible."
South Dakota was the only state that never once closed a single business.
I never even defined what an “essential business” was because I don’t believe Governors have the authority to tell you your business isn’t essential.
We never mandated anything.
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Self portrait on opening day of 2021 South Dakota legislative session.
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From KELOLAND reporter Jacob Newton: Kristi Noem to campaign for election denier in Arizona
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For what it's worth, US Sen Josh Hawley introduced a federal bill on April 15, 2021. The South Dakota executive order was issued Nov. 29, 2022.
This movement started in South Dakota. We BANNED TikTok on government devices, which led to dozens of other states following our lead. Even Congress took action… and now it’s time to go further.
Forcing TikTok out of the Chinese Communist Party’s grip is the right path forward.
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My dad bought this Savage.22/20 for me for my 11th birthday. I am taking it to the field this afternoon in his honor. He was a good pheasant hunter.
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ASBSD chief Wade Pogany told state Teacher Compensation Review Board that South Dakota would need 3.9% raises for five years to catch North Dakota and 8.1% for five years to match Nebraska. By contrast Legislature gave 0.3, 1.0, 2.5, 2.0 and 2.4% past five sessions.
@keloland
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Statue of former Governor Ralph Herseth stood watch on a foggy Monday dawn at state Capitol in Pierre, SD.
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Ohio lawmaker demands answers on why pictures of teenagers from his district appear on website pushed by Noem
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Cousin Nick Nemec of Holabird and widow Jennifer Boever of Highmore waited outside the closed session of the House Special Committee on Investigation on Thursday night. The panel is considering whether to recommend impeachment of state Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg.
@keloland
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Legislature's Government Operations and Audit Committee voted 8-2 to subpoena plan and other documents that the South Dakota Dept. of Labor and Regulation reached with Kassidy Peters, a daughter of the governor, related to application for certification as an appraiser.
@keloland
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From KELOLAND's Rae Yost:
Joel Koskan's plea agreement rejected by judge
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Noem campaign donors bypassed state limits
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SDDOE releases secret letter on Noem's divisive concepts
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South Dakota Republican primary results tonight show definite trend of voters punishing incumbents who voted for SB201, the "landowner bill of rights" that put some restrictions on CO2 pipelines but removed ability for local gov'ts to attempt to block them through ordinances.
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Nick Nemec waited outside courtroom for start of Ravnsborg status hearing Wednesday. He is a cousin of victim Joe Boever. No one other than a KELOLAND News reporter is present.
@keloland
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Noem re-opens fight with South Dakota news media
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US Surgeon General Jerome Adams visited South Dakota’s first drive-up free COVID-19 testing site in Pierre Tuesday and told news reporters people should wear masks regardless whether government requires them because it’s the right thing to do while awaiting a vaccine.
#kelonews
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House State Affairs Committee voted 7-5 Monday to kill HB1092. Rep. Linda Duba wanted to update South Dakota definition of marriage to remove references to man and woman and replace them with "between two persons."
#keloland
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From a professional perspective, I don't recall Tony Venhuizen misleading me during the eight years he served as press secretary and chief of staff for Gov. Dennis Daugaard. The one time he didn't answer a question, I knew why he didn't. He was, and is, a straight shooter.
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South Dakota House leaders wants special session November 9 to open investigation of state Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg, they said in a news announcement Thursday afternoon.
@keloland
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NEW: More than 160 municipal and county officials have signed a letter to Gov. Noem requesting she declare a public health emergency for South Dakota through June 22.
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S.D.’s Johnson opposed U.S. House finding of contempt against Meadows in Jan. 6 probe
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As a KELOLAND News reporter in this COVID-19 pandemic, I wear a face covering but refrain from stating a personal position. Nonetheless, for weeks the states with the highest 7-day averages for COVID-19 have been North Dakota and South Dakota, according to The Washington Post. 1/
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S.D.’s strangest legislative session in decades
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None of six Republicans on S.D. House Legislative Procedure Committee wore masks to meeting Wednesday. Democrat Erin Healy of Sioux Falls did. Panel okayed two rules on COVID-19 voting procedures and didn't discuss masks. Full House will make final decision on changes.
@keloland
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Nov. 5 marks the 100th anniversary of the 1918 election when the men of South Dakota decided to let the women vote in all public elections. It was the seventh attempt since 1889 statehood.
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Amendment A to legalize and tax recreational marijuana for people 21 and older in South Dakota looks likely to pass. With 527 of 693 precincts in and 105 partially counted, the vote was 169,584 yes and 151,680 no. If passed, it will be in state constitution.
#KELONews
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SD Gov't Accountability Board has released documents in Noem-Bren investigation.
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Senate Education Committee has killed governor's HB1337 to ban promotion of divisive concepts in South Dakota K-12 public schools 4-3. Bill could still be forced from committee for a floor debate.
@keloland
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This sign now greets employees at the South Dakota Public Health Laboratory in Pierre. More than 50 cars, vans and trucks were in the lab’s parking lot Wednesday morning as tests of COVID-19 specimens continued, while most other state parking areas in the city were nearly empty.
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Still waiting for answers from her office to a set of questions I sent for KELOLAND News at 5:39 a.m. today and a different set of questions I sent Saturday morning.
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I happened to drive from Pierre to Sioux Falls and back on Friday. The deadly wind on Thursday afternoon had been strong enough to topple tall trees, bend and crush structures, blow over semis -- but wasn't strong enough to blow away candidates' yard signs.
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'Nuf said.
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Former lawmaker Lars Herseth and wife Diane saw father/former Gov. Ralph Herseth statue first time today in Pierre.
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Senators rejected Medicaid expansion for South Dakota Tuesday 23-12. Republican Wayne Steinhauer, R-Hartford, led the argument for it. Voters will now decide the issue in November.
@keloland
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In further news regarding the SD Government Accountability Board, state Attorney General Mark Vargo's office today issued a statement that an outside lawyer will oversee investigation into whether the governor violated a state law restricting use of state-owned aircraft. 1/
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The headline on the news release from
@IanTFury
read, "Kristi for Governor Calls for Immediate Investigation into Jamie Smith’s Campaign Finance Violations"
Leave it to the media to blame Governor Noem for
@RepJamieSmith
's campaign finance violations.
Jamie made 1,500 violations according to a plain reading of the law! PERIOD.
If the shoe was on the other foot, do you think Jamie's name would be in the headline?
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Group files lawsuit against Gov. Noem on amendment signature law
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"(T)he actions of the Governor in this case were unacceptable, were injurious to the people of South Dakota, resulted in an unnecessary expenditure of state tax dollars, and were detrimental to the morale and steadfast dedication of our hard-working state employees." 2/2
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From the SD Dept. of Education this morning:
"PIERRE, S.D. – The next meeting of the South Dakota Board of Education Standards has been postponed and a new meeting date will be announced soon.
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Canada geese rest atop a rail car. Saturday morning, Pierre, SD.
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From KELOLAND's Rae Yost:
China isn't leader in ag land ownership in South Dakota, USDA says
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Fighting Stallions Memorial, Friday morning, October 9, 2020, Pierre, South Dakota. Remembering 1993 state plane crash took lives of Governor George S. Mickelson and seven other leaders and pilots.
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Legislature’s marijuana committee refused again today to recommend allowing home-grown marijuana plants in South Dakota 8-16. State’s voters approved a three-plant minimum last year for medical cannabis 70-30%.
@keloland
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From KELOLAND's Dan Santella
'It's insulting': Pourier objects to Noem's framing of border concerns
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In other news...
A rooster pheasant just scurried across the backyard of our house in northeast Pierre.
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Some significant Republican past officeholders came out Friday for Democrat Billie Sutton's candidacy for governor: U.S. Sen. Larry Pressler, state treasurer Dave Volk and state lawmakers Dave Knudson, Stan Adelstein, Kay Jorgensen, Joyce Hodges, Mark DeVries and Dick Werner.
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From KELOLAND's Jacob Newton
Law enforcement investigates abortion petition callers
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Nick Nemec, a cousin of Joe Boever, waited Tuesday for the South Dakota House of Representatives to open a special session to consider whether to impeach state Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg for the 2020 crash that killed Boever as he walked along US 14 at Highmore.
@keloland
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South Dakota currently leads the nation in growth rate of COVID-19 infections in the previous seven days, according to the Washington Post daily rankings.
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Public notice said the South Dakota Bureau of Administration would hold a public hearing in room 412 of the Capitol at 10 a m. today, but no one from the bureau (or anyone else, other than this reporter) was there and the door was locked.
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Scott Herman is a past member of the South Dakota Board of Education Standards. He was appointed in 2015 by then-Governor Dennis Daugaard to fill the remainder of the term for Stacy Phelps, who resigned.
@keloland
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Matthew Schweich (left) and other supporters of legalizing marijuana for adults age 21 and older in South Dakota watched as state elections director Rachel Soulek (right) transferred their ballot measure petitions at the state Capitol on Tuesday. They turned in 29,030 signatures.
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Randy Seiler, the Democratic candidate seeking election as South Dakota attorney general, received endorsements from two past attorneys general who are Republicans. They are Mark Meierhenry and Roger Tellinghuisen. Seiler faces Republican Jason Ravnsborg.
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South Dakota state government has had a version of this policy in place for decades.
Our state government workers meet the needs of the people of South Dakota, so we need a nimble and efficient state government to accomplish that.
Removing postsecondary degree requirements for state government jobs will grow our workforce even further!
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Gov. Kristi Noem is meeting with news reporters this morning. It is the first time she has held a news conference during the legislative session in two years.
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The South Dakota Public Utilities Commission moments ago unanimously decided to deny the Navigator CO2 project's request that the state commission preempt pipeline ordinances passed in Minnehaha and Moody counties. Commissioner Chris Nelson described it as "an extreme remedy."
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South Dakota Cultural Heritage Center, 6:30 pm, Tuesday.
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Pierre Post 8 is South Dakota American Legion baseball champion.
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The work of KELOLAND ace Kevin Kjergaard featured once again on CBS Sunday Morning:
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BREAKING: Conference committee deadlocks, medical-marijuana legislation could be dead, leaving IM 26 to take effect July 1, 2021.
@keloland
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Lt. Gov. Larry Rhoden asked news reporters for a moment of silence Thursday morning in Greg's honor. 'Deaner' was a member of the late Gov. George S. Mickelson's staff, then a long-time lobbyist for South Dakota Telecommunications Association, and recently for SDREA.
@keloland
KCCR is deeply saddened to hear of the loss of Greg Dean. Our hearts go out to the Dean family, Jill, Blake, Bradley and Bennett. Greg was a loving friend to everyone he came in touch with. KCCR’s broadcasts were better when Greg was behind the mic. He will be greatly missed.
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Karl Adam of Pierre (left) and Paula Adam-Burchill of Sioux Falls accepted the Robinson Award for their late mother, Pat Adam of Pierre, Saturday from South Dakota State Historical Society. The award recognized Pat Adam for 19 years as a SDSHS trustee, including 14 as president.
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BREAKING: "It seems likely we will not have a special session in June," House Speaker Spencer Gosch, R-Glenham, announced, as the South Dakota Legislature's Executive Board finished its meeting today.
@keloland
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