When the lies seem real
If you’ve paid any attention to the current primary campaign season, my guess is you are about as “over it” as I am! The constant nonstop manipulating of votes and all out lies is mindboggling. But the worst part is that the heavy onslaught of attacks truly does turn off the average voter, because the lies seem real, and one who isn’t constantly involved in the process may not know how to verify or trust enough that they can find the truth.
And that’s the sad part.
Recently, a Dusty Johnson PAC ran an ad. It looked real! How on earth can 11 Senators do such a thing to little children? Child marriage… gasp!!!
But it was a lie.
They didn’t mention the legislation by number (hint #1). And oh, the drama. It was more than your momma could handle (hint #2). SB159, the bill they don’t want you to know about, was a marriage bill that strengthened SD laws. Twenty-five, yes, 25, Senators voted to pass the bill. The Democrats in the Senate also voted for the bill, so it was a bipartisan decision. But beyond the lie, it’s important to know the history.
In 2025, SB156, introduced by a fake Republican, Sydney Davis, was presented as a “marriage bill" in Senate Judiciary. They said all sorts of wild things, like girls being sold into marriage to older men who are trafficking them, police won’t protect them if they are being beaten because they are underage, they have no rights, so the police will just return them to their abuser, and shelters can’t take them because they are underage. Even Call to Freedom’s Director Becky Rassumussen begged for the bill to pass.
The Attorney General, who sat in the audience, said nothing. The Police Chief of Sioux Falls, who was sitting in the queue to testify to a different bill, said nothing. All of the testifiers in the room were from out of state and were associated with an organization called Unchained at Last. Something just didn’t seem right. I know these people; they would not have remained silent about such a major issue. So why were our local leaders quiet?
Because it was ALL LIES
I did some research and found out Unchained at Last, an ultra-liberal organization, was funded by the likes of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Chelsea Clinton, and a host of other groups that South Dakotans DO NOT want in our legislative process, were behind the bill. We killed it on the Senate floor.
And then came the attacks! The ever-loving and tolerant left told me I was a pedophile. That I supported children being abused, that I was a dirty @ss mutt, with memes of dancing coons. And when I spoke out, I was told to “take it!” You’re a public servant, just “take it.”
I realized at that point that this marriage bill legislation was far more than just demanding marriage be set to 18 in order to “protect” young people. So I dug even deeper and found
1) In SD, the age of consent is 16. If a girl is alone and pregnant, she is 87% more likely to have an abortion.
2) Marriage amongst young people who are 16 - 17 years of age has fallen drastically in the last twelve years. (213 marriages since 2012)
3) Statistically, in SD, young people who are 16-17 years of age tend to marry someone who is their age or four years older than them.
4) The largest groups to marry young are White or Hispanic.
5) Leaving the age of consent at 16 years and changing the age of marriage to 18 increases the likelihood of an abortion. The real reason behind the bill: abortion.
In 2026, SB159 was introduced by Senator Tom Pischke, a conservative Senator who had worked with Family Voice to draft the bill. It was a good bill that truly did strengthen our marriage laws. A young person needs the permission of two parents or a circuit court judge. The information regarding the individuals marrying being of sound mind and without compulsion is now documented and filed by the state. Also, the age difference can be no more than 4 years (which I have some issue with, but it was added by Senator Amber Hulse in what was seen as a very hostile amendment).
But what about in South Dakota…the localized liars
Yes, they lie too! I don’t think that’s a huge surprise, but it is definitely a huge disappointment. We are South Dakotans after all, and we have an underlying belief system that says we treat each other with some semblance of decency and honor.
Sadly, that’s not reality in the cutthroat political realm
In May, when things were still somewhat pleasant in the primary season. The Chamber of Commerce in Oacoma and Chamberlain held a “Political Forum”; they called it a discussion, not a debate. They wanted nice responses with nice chat, and they got it. It was pleasant. After the event, I posted about one of the things we discussed. I shared that an unnamed Republican Representative running for 26B House (who actually made a cutting remark to one of my comments) said that Emergency Medical Services did not need “money thrown at them,” blah blah blah. My opponent nodded her head vigorously in agreement.
I was in utter disbelief! What on earth were they even saying? We have a crisis in our midst. A silent growing disaster that, when the delicate house of cards folds, we are going to be in serious trouble. I was absolutely shocked that Representative Reimer, who has been in the legislature for eight years, was utterly clueless about the very serious impending doom.
What do we do when we call 911, and no one comes?
Our volunteer fire and EMS Departments are working without pay! If they put out a fire and don’t get paid, then what? If the ambulance goes for a family of five in a horrific motor accident at exit 248 but only gets paid for one, what do they do? This IS our reality in our rural areas. How can a sitting legislator with nearly a decade of service, a public servant for 21 years total, not know? That is absolutely shameful!
1) Volunteers aren’t volunteering anymore
2) Our current volunteers are aging out
3) Our equipment is old and shouldn’t be used any longer
4) Some shops are literally shuttering their doors
In my post, I said that, as for myself and Will Manhke, who is running for the 26B House position and served as a State Structural and Wildland-certified firefighter, Assistant Chief at BEVFD, and EMT-I on an Ambulance. We both understand that we must immediately get money into the hands of these organizations! Which is why I fought so hard for these groups in the last session and will continue to do so.
Oh, did the attacks come! They called me a liar, said I was using EMS as a political stunt, and insinuated that I claimed Reimer never stood with EMS. Oh, the bitter tears of injustice, the cries of angst. It was deep and sour; it flew from every corner of the fake Republican altar.
They were the liars.
Reimer’s biggest gotcha… No evidence of prior legislation, no documentation of boards or conversations, nope. Just fellow SB201 carbon pipeline sell-outs and Eric Emery, the democrat. Oh, and of course, paid shill Pat Powers!
How dare I even……….TELL THE TRUTH!
The fact is, I didn’t insinuate anything about Reimer; I said what she did. I also didn’t mention Angi Hanzlik by name until she herself said it was her I was referring to. In fact, she confirmed that what I paraphrased was accurate, but she added she didn’t mean it that way. I took her out of context. And then the video was released, and lo and behold, the truth stared them in the face.
The Chamber issued an immediate apology. Reimer (President of Lyman Co GOP) and Hanzlik, Doug Knust (VP of Brule County GOP), and Chris Skunk (VP of Lyman County GOP)… crickets. Not one word.
Zero integrity.
Now they say we are nothing but noise. The people don’t want all this noise, Reimer screeches. “They want stability.” No, Rebecca, the people want honesty.
So, where is that apology? Aren’t we all Republicans? We literally go to the same events. Shouldn’t GOP leadership admit when they are in error, especially when it’s against a fellow conservative? The answer is simple: YES.
Our reality is that we aren’t all Republicans; we don’t play on the same team. And we are definitely not all conservatives. But the game is real. The drive for power is disgustingly violent, and lying about a fellow Republican without batting an eye is common. Which is exactly where we are at right now in this insanely long, never-ending, forever-going primary season.
And we are all tired of it!
But that doesn’t mean we can get offended and sit this one out. In fact, I would argue that is exactly what the fake meat Republicans would like you to do! Get confused and sit down, rather than get educated and VOTE! I know that keeping track of all the bills can be confusing, even overwhelming.
And how do you know that in 2026 they voted the same way they did in 2025 or 2024? If you’re just now getting into the mix, it’s quite daunting. I mean, my opponent, a very public supporter of the pipelines, voted for HB1052 in 2025, which in essence shut them down here in SD. Did she change her ways?
No, she just played the career politician move. Voted wrong repeatedly and right once. But there are still ways to know if your Representative or Senator is who they say they are.
1) Who do you see them with the most?
2) As a group, where do they stand on issues that matter most to you?
3) Did they more often vote for or against the matters that you care about?
4) Do they use actual evidence when they speak of their beliefs, or do they manipulate with emotion? Gaslighting is alive and well in SD politics.
I can tell you, if they voted against you as a landowner on SB201… they haven’t changed their minds. They will now vote against you regarding Data Centers.
The folks who voted for SB201 in 2024, along with HB1185 and HB1186, also support Data Centers. You can check their votes at SD LRC. Type SD LRC in your search engine. Click the link labeled 2026 Bills. Search for HB 1246. Click the House of Representatives vote tally (30-37), and you’ll see. That’s just one example.
HB 1246 was a simple, well-crafted bill by Sioux Falls Attorney and Representative John Hughes. It simply said, “Don’t hide Data Centers and agreements.” The fake meat loving, carbon pipeline supporting, data center wanting “Republicans” voted NAY. They killed the bill.
Friends, these people are convinced that pipeline and data center corporations equal economic development, and if you disagree, you are a small, irrelevant faction that makes too much noise. And we should just sit down and be quiet.
