There are a lot of bills being considered by the South Dakota Legislature today, including ones dealing with education, taxes, Second Amendment rights, abortion, and relations with Israel.

Donald Trump’s pop culture exposure for three decades no doubt accounts for a significant measure of his popularity. But there are important political reasons for his rise, and the leaders of the Republican Party can only blame themselves for their own nightmare.

Bills being considered by the South Dakota Legislature today include protecting religious liberty, the education sales tax increase, relations with Israel, and protecting persecuted religious groups abroad.

Donald Trump has had no “road to Damascus” conversion. He only wants to date the preacher’s daughter. Once he’s gotten in her ballot box, he’ll be back to his pro-abortion New York values self. I’ll play no part in this farce. – Erick Erickson, “I Will Not Vote for Donald Trump. Ever”, Resurgent

In our modern age where government has vastly exceeded its constitutional and legitimate boundaries, and corruption runs amok in both parties, a lot of capitalism has been replaced by “crony capitalism.”

During the Rapid City Legislative Crackerbarrel meeting this morning, Jim Hansen, head of the Rapid City Board of Education, asked what is the plan to get us out of the education problem we’re in, if the recommendation of the Blue Ribbon Task Force isn’t the answer. Hansen claimed legislators would “decimate our schools” if they did not fund an education funding increase.

A question was asked at the Rapid City Legislative Crackerbarrel meeting today in Rapid City about “separation of powers” and how the executive branch heavily lobbies the legislative branch of South Dakota government in Pierre.

At the Rapid City Legislative Crackerbarrel meeting on Feb. 201, 2016, a transgender woman who has mutilated her body to appear masculine asked about HB 1008, a bill recently passed by the legislature and now being considered by the governor, which requires boys to use the body’s restroom/locker room and girls to use the girl’s restroom/locker room in schools.

South Dakota Rep. Lynne DiSanto was one of the featured speakers at the Rapid City Legislative Crackerbarrel meeting today. DiSanto spoke about some of the bills she has sponsored. She also discussed HB 1182, the education tax increase bill.

South Dakota Rep. Brian Gosch was one of the featured speakers at the Rapid City Legislative Crackerbarrel meeting today  (video below). Gosch is the House Majority Leader in the South Dakota Legislature.  Gosch said there are 247 bills in the House this year, 171 bills in the Senate, 14 House concurrent resolutions, 2 Senate concurrent resolutions, 2 House joint resolutions, and 4 Senate joint resolutions.  Gosch explained that resolutions have no force of law and only make a statement, and concurrent resolutions affect both chambers.  Joint resolutions can be used to refer matters to the ballot. The deadline for action on bills is Tuesday for every bill to be through committee, and Wednesday for every bill to have been voted on in its originating house before it can advance to consideration by the other body of the legislature. This is known as “crossover day.”  There are three weeks to go in […]