South Dakota
Republican leader’s call to civil war shows extent of South Dakota’s conspiracy infection | Opinion
In recent years it felt like the rest of the world was going crazy. There were conspiracy theories about the weirdest things: Barack Obama’s birth certificate, the existence of a deep state that secretly controls the federal government, Donald Trump’s supposed fight against a Satanic group of child molesters.
Surely, these theories sprang from the cities where the friction of daily life in such confined quarters led people to believe the oddest things. Out here on the prairie, where there’s plenty of room to roam, we seemed immune to those ideas. We seemed safe from conspiracy theories.
Those days are over, if they ever existed.
For me, the first hint that South Dakotans could be just as addled as the rest of the nation came in 2022. In one of the first commentaries ever published by South Dakota Searchlight, the writer described how he tried and tried to get secretary of state candidate Monae Johnson to admit that she believed the 2020 election was stolen from Donald Trump. He likened her artful dodging of his questions to trying to nail Jell-O to a tree.
As a story, an election denier running for an office that oversees elections had a certain man bites dog quality to it. As an indication of what was to come, having a Republican candidate for statewide office embrace a conspiracy theory was just the tip of the iceberg.
In 2023 the Legislature considered House Concurrent Resolution 6006 that called for the fair treatment of the Jan. 6, 2021, defendants who besieged the United States Capitol. Sponsored by Rep. Phil Jensen, a Rapid City Republican, the resolution was based on the conspiracy theory that those prisoners endured inhumane conditions; were subjected to cruel and unusual punishment; and were deprived of adequate food, medical care and access to religious services and attorneys.
Concurrent resolutions don’t have the weight of law, but are a reflection of the mood of the Legislature. The House State Affairs Committee wasn’t in the mood, defeating the resolution 12-0. That doesn’t change the fact that an elected representative sought to give a conspiracy theory legislative legitimacy. Since President Trump pardoned the insurrectionists, don’t be surprised if a new resolution comes along, asking for reparations for the Jan. 6 “patriots.”
Meanwhile, the conspiracy theory that the 2020 election was somehow stolen from President Trump caused a flurry of activity in South Dakota as “election integrity” backers made life miserable for county commissions across the state and pressured lawmakers to do more to make sure that the state’s already squeaky clean elections were beyond reproach. In effect, a conspiracy theory has led to an unneeded movement that still has momentum.
The level to which conspiracy theories have been accepted among elected leaders in this state can be found in an episode of the Ken Matthews podcast, which was called out for criticism on the South Dakota War College website. In that episode, Matthews interviewed Aberdeen Rep. Brandei Schaefbauer, a Republican majority whip in the House. In the last legislative session, Schaefbauer sponsored House Concurrent Resolution 6009, which sought to have the attorney general file a lawsuit against China to seek damages related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
China, however, isn’t the only pandemic culprit, as Schaefbauer told Matthews. Referencing the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Anthony Fauci, Schaefbauer said, “He should be on death row for killing millions and millions of people.”
She also had something to say about the way the Trump administration is handling the Jeffrey Epstein files, which have been the topic of conspiracy theories about underage girls provided to high-ranking officials. Schaefbauer said “if something doesn’t happen” to satisfy people calling for the Epstein files, “there is going to be, I believe, a revolt of the American people. Because they have, I mean, we have all been promised that something is going to happen, and we get this little, you know, give us this little nugget, and then it’s a pacifier for us. Well, no, I think the way things are going — people are so upset and they have nothing else to lose — so why not let’s just start, you know, a civil war again.”
There you have it, a call to civil war by a leader in South Dakota’s Republican Party. That almost makes Johnson’s refusal to answer questions about who won the 2020 election seem quaint and harmless.
Dana Hess spent more than 25 years in South Dakota journalism, editing newspapers in Redfield, Milbank and Pierre. He’s retired and lives in Brookings, working occasionally as a freelance writer. This column was originally published by South Dakota Searchlight.
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) – The governor’s Correctional Rehabilitation Task Force, which aims to determine the best path forward for expanding services, will hold its second meeting on Wednesday.
The meeting will continue the dive into what programming should look like for the new prison. Officials in the Department of Corrections say they appreciate the attention to the issue shown over the year.
“The focus is in the right place. I think people are asking the right questions. I think that it’s being noticed that reentry in totality is a group effort,” Justin Elkins, DOC Chief of Behavioral Health, said.
Sitting at 43%, lawmakers and the Rhoden administration have dedicated a substantial amount of time to addressing recidivism in the state.
“I think people are starting to see that reentry is something our department needs help within terms of collaboration and relationships. Because we only determine part of the equation when it comes to reentry,” Elkins said.
Corrections Reentry Program Manager Scott Day says this change in perspective regarding inmates is needed.
“95% of these individuals are going to come back into your community. They’re going to be your neighbors. They’re going to work at your local fast-food restaurant or at your local store. You’re going to see them walk down the street. We just need to see as a culture that these aren’t bad people; these are just people who need an opportunity to show that they can succeed.”
The prison reset task force, which focused on the structure of the new prison, ensured that programming space increased from what is currently available, even when the location changed from Lincoln County to Sioux Falls.
“There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t constantly think about what we could do more. And the new prison is needed. We need the space, we need the opportunity to get more programming in there,” Day said.
Day says the investment into programming space is not a matter of being soft on crime but rather smart on public safety.
Copyright 2025 Dakota News Now. All rights reserved.
Link to the listing: https://www.frrmail.com/…
For more information, contact: Cory Busse, Farm & Ranch Realty, Inc., at 785-332-8345 or frr@frrmail.com
KENTUCKY, Hopkins County. Five tracts of river-bottom cropland totaling 597.9 acres sold at auction for $5.39 million, or $9,015 per acre. Tracts ranged from 16 to 255 acres, with much containing drainage tile. Soil types were primarily Karnak silty clay and loam with some Belknap and Robbs silty loam. Structures included a tool shed and a 5,000-bushel grain bin. Tracts ranged in price from $7,800 to $11,500 per acre.
Link to the listing: https://www.kurtzauction.com/…
For more information, contact: Joseph Mills, Kurtz Auction & Realty Co., at 800-262-1204 or jmills@kurtzauction.com.
SOUTH DAKOTA, Dewey County. A contiguous, 1,529-acre farm sold to a single bidder at auction for $2,600 per acre, or $3.98 million. The property was offered in four parcels, two of which were historically in crop production (wheat, oats, corn and sunflowers) and boasted Soil Productivity Indexes of 70 or higher. Another highly productive parcel was planted in grass and alfalfa but could be converted to row crops. The remaining parcel included a blend of cropland, pasture and an updated home with a steel barn, shop, two Quonset-style buildings, continuous panel corrals and water tank.
Link to the listing: https://glcland.com/…
For more information, contact: Kristen Gill, Gill Land Company, at 701.934.2732 or 605.848.4502 or kristen@glcland.com.
**
— These sales figures are provided by the sources and may not be exact because of rounding.
— Submit recent land sales to landwatch@dtn.com
Katie Dehlinger can be reached at katie.dehlinger@dtn.com
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(c) Copyright 2025 DTN, LLC. All rights reserved.
South Dakota
Former South Dakota National Guard adjutant general announces bid for state house of representatives
RAPID CITY, S.D. (KOTA) -The former top official of the South Dakota national guard under former Governor Kristi Noem has announced his campaign to become a state representative for district 33.
Jeff Marlett’s bid makes him a contender in the Republican primary for the district.
Marlett served for 36 years in the South Dakota National Guard which included combat service in Iraq and most recently spending three years as the commanding general of the national guard from 2019 to 2023.
“I’ve always considered that job, it’s not about me, it’s about the great men and women who served in the South Dakota national guard, and I got the opportunity to serve with them so, it was an honor to serve with them,” said Marlette.
Marlette also worked as the west river director under Senator Mike Rounds and served for numerous years as a superintendent of schools for districts in South Dakota. Now Marlette wants to spend his next chapter as a state representative. He explained that he thinks people are “tired of the noise” with politics. He blamed that exhaustion on people stepping away the two major parties.
“They want people that are willing to go, and, and not think they have all the answers and not be wrapped up about, well I’m more Republican thank you are or you’re a dem o.. no, it’s not about that. It’s about looking at meaningful policy, laws if needed, but governing by what’s really truly necessary and best for South Dakota,” said Marlette.
According to a press release for Marlette, he says he will support sensible restructuring of the property tax system, a strong education system and a vibrant environment for business. Marlette said during our interview that he has mixed reviews on the 19 property tax relief proposals out of the property tax task force.
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Copyright 2025 KOTA. All rights reserved.
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