315 Questions Put Forth by the Governor’s Office 

Tim Goodwin • August 27, 2019

to the Hemp Committee for your review ...

As a follow-up to the article I published yesterday, I am publishing the 315 questions put forth by the governor’s office to the Hemp Committee that met at our capitol in Pierre on August 19. Because of the length of these questions, I couldn’t get the local papers to publish them even though I believe that the citizens of South Dakota should have the opportunity to review them.

Please review the 315 questions below and we'll talk again next week.

Industrial Hemp Considerations (315 Items)

Agricultural and Processing Issues

1. What will USDA requirements be for testing protocols?

2. Would South Dakota have additional requirements for testing?

3. What will USDA requirements be for sampling?

4. Would South Dakota have additional requirements for sampling?

5. Will USDA require any processing regulation?

6. Would South Dakota require processing regulation?

7. How much information will need to be submitted back to USDA?

8. How often will state plans need to be reviewed by USDA?

9. How will USDA ensure states have the ‘resources and personnel’ to run a hemp

program?

10. What will initial program set-up cost?

11. What have other states’ true set-up costs been?

12. How will initial program set-up be funded - license fees, general funds, other?

13. What states are running solvent programs?

14. How are those states’ programs funded?

15. How long have other states provided general funds if licensing fees have not covered

the program cost?

16. What is the ratio of personnel to program size (e.g. number of participants) adequate

to run a hemp regulatory program?

17. How many additional inspectors will a hemp regulatory program need?

18. How many additional support resources (e.g., legal, fiscal, secretarial, law

enforcement, testing, other) will a hemp regulatory program need?

19. What is the range of FTE devoted to hemp programs in other states?

20. How are those staff broken out (i.e. inspectors, lawyers, support staff, program

managers, etc.)?

21. How have other states estimated program costs in order to set fees appropriately?

22. How have other states estimated program participants in order to estimate costs?

23. How will South Dakota estimate program costs and program participants in order to

run a solvent program?

24. Who runs the background checks on program participants?

25. What additional resources will be needed to run those background checks?

26. Will only applicants need to submit to a background check?

27. Will any farm worker that comes into contact with the crop need a background

check?

28. Will a truck driver/hauler need a background check?

29. How often will people need to submit to a background check?

30. If a renter is growing hemp on rented land will the landowner need a background

check?

31. Will the state require that growers renting ground have the approval of landowners to

participate?

32. What rights or obligations does a landowner have in the event that a renter is growing

hemp on their land?

33. If a crop needs to be destroyed, what entity (landowner, renter, etc.) needs to be

notified?

34. Will agricultural lab personnel running THC tests need have specialized training or be

certified?

35. Will the agricultural lab be a state lab or private?

36. How will training or certification be paid for?

37. Will the lab running THC samples from SDDA need additional equipment?

38. Can a private agricultural lab in South Dakota run THC samples legally?

39. How much does agricultural lab equipment cost?

40. How will new agricultural lab equipment be paid for?

41. Will samples gathered by SDDA inspectors be able to be mailed to the lab?

42. If not, how will samples be delivered and chain of custody be maintained on field

samples should the crop need to be destroyed?

43. What methods do other states use to destroy hemp that is above the THC threshold?

44. What process will growers have before the state destroys a crop?

45. Will samples that come back above the threshold need to be automatically retested?

46. Who pays for additional testing?

47. How soon will crops need to be destroyed when there is confirmation that a grower is

in violation?

48. Who takes custody of the field or growth area once a test comes back above the

threshold?

49. Does a landowner receive compensation for a destroyed crop?

50. Will crop insurance cover destruction of a crop?

51. Who will be eligible to grow hemp in South Dakota?

52. What kind of additional requirements (other than background check) will applicants

need to meet?

53. What role, if any, will the SDDA play in seed variety selection?

54. How does a grower know that the seed variety purchased is a low-THC producing

variety?

55. What protection or recourse does a producer have if they are sold seed that is a high-

THC producing variety?

56. How are other states regulating the growth of different varieties?

57. If South Dakota were to also regulate varieties, do we have the expertise to do so?

58. If we do not have the expertise, how is that expertise developed and what is the cost?

59. Who is that resource?

60. How is it paid for?

61. What is the impact of saline soils on THC levels?

62. What is the impact of soil PH on THC levels

63. What is the impact of heat on THC levels?

64. What is the impact of moisture on THC levels?

65. What is the impact of humidity on THC levels?

66. What does regulation of hemp products once they leave the farm look like?

67. Should there be minimum number of acres per applicant?

68. Should there be maximum number of acres per applicant?

69. What are other states doing to manage acres?

70. How quickly would the agricultural lab be able to process SDDA samples?

71. What would happen if all samples come in at the same time, but samples must be

analyzed in a timely manner?

72. Would it be acceptable to prioritize sampling and/or testing (e.g., not sample/test all

fields)?

73. Should CBD processing be allowed in South Dakota?

74. What type of licensing will be required?

75. Who will do inspections, if anyone?

76. What do companies do with the pure THC that is a byproduct of CBD production?

77. Should some type of additional license be required in such a situation?

78. Who takes custody of the THC processed out of CBD?

79. How is it properly destroyed?

80. What is the timeline for destroying the THC?

81. What does chain of custody look like?

82. Are there permits required for possessing THC as a byproduct of CBD production?

83. How do you ensure that the state takes possession of all the THC a facility has?

84. Should companies have reporting requirements so the state knows the type of

processing happening and the amount of CBD and THC produced?

85. What would those requirements look like and who administers them?

86. What kind of expertise will state employees enforcing these regulations need to have?

87. Is there training available for employees?

88. How is all of this THC regulation and destruction paid for?

89. What are other states doing with THC byproduct?

90. Would we allow only certain types of CBD processing?

91. If so, how do we decide what’s ok and what’s not?

92. Would we prohibit growth and processing in residential areas/areas zoned residential?

93. How would that be enforced?

94. What entity would be responsible for checking addresses against zoning areas?

95. How would residential restrictions work in areas of the state without zoning?

96. How is enforcement of residential processing restrictions paid for?

97. Will SDDA provide timely information to all law enforcement in the state on growing

and processing locations?

98. If so, how will that information be provided?

99. How are other states providing information to law enforcement?

100. What kind of education or training would law enforcement need on hemp

regulations?

101. How will that be funded?

102. What is the right entity to conduct law enforcement training?

103. What kind of documentation do haulers/transporters need to have with them?

104. How do we ensure documentation is not forged?

105. Will processors need to apply to the SDDA for a license?

106. Will processors be inspected?

107. Which agency, if any, would inspect processors?

108. What regulations would processors have to follow, other than hemp-specific ones?

109. For producers growing grain hemp for human consumption, what other regulations do

they need to meet?

110. Who enforces those additional regulations?

111. Would there be impacts to other regulatory programs based on hemp?

112. How are those additional costs paid for?

113. How will tribes communicate with law enforcement on movement of hemp, should

tribal plans be approved?

114. What should be done with the meal byproduct of both CBD processing and hemp oil

processing, as it is not an approved feed?

115. Who provides advice/instruction to individuals on how to properly dispose of meal

byproduct?

116. How is that resource paid for?

117. Is there a risk the meal contains CBD and/or THC?

118. If so, is testing needed on the meal before it leaves a processing facility?

119. Who conducts those tests?

120. How are they paid for?

121. If dairy cattle consume hemp or hemp byproducts, does the milk need to be dumped

due to contamination?

122. If beef cattle, sheep, goats, etc. consume hemp or hemp byproducts, is there a

quarantine period before they could go to slaughter?

123. If so, who is ensuring that happens?

124. What resources would that entity need to make sure that happens?

125. If livestock consumes hemp and there is a loss of product (dumped milk or slaughter

delays), who, if anyone, is liable for the livestock producers’ lost revenue?

126. What is the impact from wildlife consuming hemp?

127. Would a hemp field that is impacted by wildlife (e.g., deer) be eligible for animal

depredation money?

128. Would we restrict growth of hemp solely to open-air operations?

129. What kind of restrictions have other states put in place?

130. How do restrictions on growth change the economics of planting hemp, such as input

costs?

131. Have growers in other states been able to access credit?

132. Has growing hemp impacted growers’ access to credit for other parts of their

operation?

133. What policies have bankers, Farm Credit, etc. put out on lending to hemp growers

and/or processors?

134. Have growers had issues in other states with purchasing seeds or plants from a

banking perspective?

135. What kind of impact has the growth of hemp had on other states’ pesticide regulatory

programs?

136. How would increased costs to South Dakota’s pesticide regulatory program due to

additional hemp-related activities be covered?

137. What third party auditors exist to do THC testing and verifications for labeling of

final products?

138. Are there any criteria to judge credibility among auditors?

139. How many labs in the state have the capability to do THC testing if producers and/or

processors wanted to do their own testing?

140. Are there standards for running THC tests?

141. If yes, who has developed those?

142. If yes, are those standards acceptable for South Dakota?

143. If no, what are other states doing? Are they establishing their own standards?

144. If so, what do those look like?

145. How many times per year will fields and processing facilities need to be inspected?

146. How long will it take to properly inspect a field and a processing facility?

147. What sort of specialties will be needed by inspectors?

148. What sort of training would be needed?

149. How many inspectors will be needed per field?

150. How many inspectors will be needed per processing facility?

151. Will inspectors need to partner with law enforcement to conduct inspections?

152. Will there be a limit on the number of growers and processing facilities?

153. Should fees will be assessed to the growers and processing facilities through

licensure, renewal, and inspection? Per product produced?

154. How much would the fees be? How will this be determined?

155. What assumptions should be used when setting fees?

156. How often would the fees need to be reevaluated and changed?

157. Will there be any other revenue streams besides fees?

158. Will hemp crops be taxed differently?

159. How will the inspection and licensure information be stored?

160. Will it require the development of a new database?

161. Will all agencies involved use the same database or will a different database be

developed for each depending on use and need?

162. What type of operational costs would be involved?

Laboratory Testing

1. Will hemp-derived CBD products be routinely tested by the State to verify they have

less than 0.3% THC?

2. What laboratories will perform testing on hemp and hemp-derived products?

3. Will private laboratories be allowed to conduct testing?

4. If private laboratories conduct testing, who will regulate these laboratories that

perform testing on hemp and hemp-derived products?

5. Will we require certification or accreditation for laboratories to perform testing on

hemp and/or hemp-derived products?

6. How are hemp and hemp-derived products submitted for laboratory testing?

7. Will there be a sampling protocol for pre-harvest THC testing?

8. What will the sampling protocol be?

9. What testing is performed on hemp and hemp-derived products?

10. What testing is performed specifically on those products intended for human use or

consumption?

11. Will testing of hemp-derived products not intended for human use or consumption

differ from that intended for human use?

12. If a distinction is made in the testing of hemp-derived products for human use, how

do we ensure the distinction is not abused by sellers claiming a product is not for

human use?

13. Will the State perform quantitative THC testing to ensure hemp and hemp-derived

products comply with state and federal laws?

14. If hemp or a hemp-derived product is found to possess more than 0.3% THC, is

testing repeated, or is independent confirmation testing performed?

15. Will we require hemp and/or hemp-derived products to be tested for heavy metals?

16. Will we require hemp and/or hemp-derived products to be tested for infectious

disease agents such as pathogenic mold and bacteria?

17. What instrument(s) and method(s) will be used to perform testing on hemp and hempderived

products?

18. Who receives test results, and how are those results communicated?

19. Will we have labeling requirements for hemp and hemp-derived products intended for

human use or consumption?

20. Will we have a reporting process for adverse events attributed to the use of hemp or

hemp-derived products?

21. How many additional lab technicians would be needed?

22. How will the additional lab technician positions be funded?

23. If with fees, what fees will be charged?

24. Will the fees be charged to another state agency or will they be part of the inspection

fees?

25. What will the process be for determining the amount for the fees?

26. How often will the fees be reassessed and changed?

27. Will the fees fund all of the additional services needed in DOH?

28. What additional drug locker storage is needed?

29. What have other states done with drug locker storage?

30. How will the amount needed for drug locker space be calculated?

31. What is extraction and gas chromatography equipment?

Pharmacy / Pharmacology

1. Should the State act to regulate CBD or hemp products in advance of FDA

regulations?

2. How will the State sunset rules and/or statutes if the FDA implements widespread

regulations?

3. How will the State resolve discrepancies between state and federal laws?

4. Will the State be given wide rule-making authority to have some flexibility to adapt

to this ever-changing market?

5. How broad or narrow does the State’s rule-making authority need to be to ensure

effective regulation?

6. How will the State fund the enforcement, monitoring, drafting of rules, updating

regulations, software and hardware needs, staffing, registering, and other

miscellaneous expenses relating to hemp, CBD, and THC ingredients in medications

and food products?

7. What infection control quality control measures and testing will be put in place for

hemp-based products?

8. What happens if hemp or hemp-based products are found to contain salmonella, other

infectious agents, adulterants, misbranding, or other poor quality control?

9. Which entity is charged with responsibility for that testing and follow-up?

10. Who will be responsible for updating the definition of marijuana and stratifying all

derivatives?

11. Will the State determine specific registration requirements for growers,

manufacturers, distributors, transporters, patients, prescribers, and waste haulers?

12. Will the State determined specific qualifications for growers, manufacturers,

distributors, transporters, patients, prescribers, and waste haulers?

13. Who maintains and continually updates regulations as new products become

available, and/or potentially abused?

14. How will the State assess the citizens of SD for determining the ongoing appropriate

usage of hemp/THC/CBD or combinations of products?

15. What are the penalties for selling, distributing, or possessing the various products if

they are found to be out of compliance?

16. How do we measure and determine the impact to public health of using hemp and

hemp-based products?

17. How do we fund the appropriate registration and tracking of sales of hemp-based

products?

18. How do we regulate the sale of over-the-counter drugs versus approval as a legend

drug, versus a legend scheduled drug?

19. Regarding the controlled substances schedules, how do we determine the scheduling

language to separate CBD, CBD with THC, when it is in its natural state, or when a

product is in its altered state?

20. How to we distinguish between a hemp-based product obtained from a prescription

versus a similar illicit product?

21. Will we distinguish between Cannabis Indica and Cannabis Sativa, and the products

thereof?

22. How will we distinguish them?

23. What authority will we use to mirror our scheduling of these substances?

24. Will we allow pharmacies to dispense CBD oil?

25. If so, will the products need to be FDA approved?

26. Will we allow prescriptions of hemp-based products that are not recognized at a

federal level?

27. Will we allow seeds or hemp derivatives from Canada or another foreign country to

be used by the citizens of SD?

28. Will we allow hemp-based products to be sold in nutraceutical products?

29. What products will be authorized or prohibited for use in the nursing home, assisted

living, and hospital settings?

30. Will we regulate cannabidiol medications which are prescribed by a physician

practicing at a university-affiliated hospital or clinic?

Controlled Substances Laws

1. Will both definitions of marijuana (SDCL 34-20B and SDCL 22-42) be amended to

match?

2. If the definition of marijuana is amended to match in both the controlled substances

and criminal code, what language will be used?

3. How will changing the definition of marijuana affect prosecutions of actual drug

users and dealers?

4. How does industrial hemp legislation affect our possession by ingestion statute?

5. How does the federal government’s statutory language defining marijuana fit into our

controlled substances and criminal code?

6. Will dry weight be defined such as amount of allowed moisture in a percentage? Or

will there be a different procedure used to determine percentages of different

substances in a sample?

7. Will the definition of hash and hash oil be adjusted in SDCL 34-20B to further clarify

its distinction from other hemp-based products? If so, will it use the term “dry

weight”?

8. Will the definition of THC be adjusted in SDCL 34-20B? If so, will it use the term

“dry weight”?

9. Will 0.3% by dry weight be defined as total THC or just THC (not to include THC

acid)? Will it depend on whether it’s a product or a plant?

10. Will seeds be only available through select companies?

11. How will those companies be selected?

12. Will a hemp grower have to show a license or other credential to purchase seeds?

13. How long will plants be allowed to be stored?

Law Enforcement

1. How will law enforcement deal with testing of CBD?

2. Is CBD testing paid for by the State, local jurisdictions, or other mechanism?

3. Where does the money come from to pay for the testing?

4. Can individuals be detained if law enforcement seizes CBD for testing?

5. If so, for how long?

6. If law enforcement seizes CBD for testing and it tests at THC levels exceeding limits,

who pays for extradition of individuals back to our state when charges arise but the

individual was released before testing?

7. Is it possible to be impaired through use of CBD?

8. If so, what are the ramifications of driving while impaired under CBD and how is this

charged?

9. How will hemp legalization affect the flow of illegal marijuana into our

communities?

10. How does law enforcement decide whether an individual is growing hemp for fiber

purposes or an illegal marijuana THC plant operation?

11. How will law enforcement identify legal hemp from marijuana?

12. If complaints are filed on the legitimacy of hemp operations, who investigates those

complaints at the onset?

13. If they are determined to be credible complaints, who pays for the personnel and

operational costs to conduct further investigation?

14. What impact does investigating hemp-related complaints or issues have on other

investigations we prioritize (e.g., meth)?

15. What constitutes reasonable suspicion and probable cause if a law enforcement

officer sees a substance 1) outside an authorized field,; 2) that looks like marijuana;

but 3) the possessor says is hemp?

16. If the processor or transporter has paperwork, how is it determined to be legitimate?

17. Will our police service dogs still be able to be relied upon during a sniff of a vehicle

if hemp or CBD products are now legal?

18. If law enforcement needs to replace our police service dogs that indicate to hemp,

who will pay for that?

19. Who will pay for training of the dog handler, in addition?

20. Will South Dakota pay for experimental THC field tests to determine levels of THC?

21. Who will pay for the testing of THC levels following a drug arrest?

22. Do we have the manpower and resources to test for THC levels following a drug

arrest?

23. Are field tests sufficient to establish probable cause for an arrest in other states?

24. How will South Dakota establish experimental field tests as legally reliable?

25. What permits should regulators require for hemp and hemp products traveling

through South Dakota as part of interstate commerce?

26. Who will develop those permits?

27. Who will train the approximately 1,800 law enforcement officers in the state on those

new permits?

28. Will law enforcement be allowed to require special routes for hemp and hemp

products traveling through South Dakota as part of interstate commerce?

29. What does regulation of hemp products once they leave the farm look like?

30. Who will train law enforcement on the details about hemp transportation and the

regulations set up by the Department of Agriculture or the Federal Government?

31. How will that training on Department of Ag or federal regulations be paid for?

32. Will there be a distinction between hemp-derived products for human consumption

and those which are not (in dog food for example)?

a. Who would regulate that?

b. What would the cost be for the FTE?

33. Would we have labeling requirements for hemp and hemp-derived products intended

for human use or consumption?

34. Would the State routinely test hemp and CBD products sold at retailers to verify they

have less than 0.3% THC?

35. If so, what agencies would conduct the testing?

36. Where will samples be analyzed?

37. Where will the sample be kept after testing?

38. If hemp or a CBD product is found to contain more than 0.3% THC, will the test be

repeated or is independent confirmation testing performed?

39. What happens to samples containing more than .3% THC after they are tested?

40. Where is the evidence stored?

41. Who pays for the storage?

42. What are the additional costs to law enforcement and how is that revenue collected?

43. If the product is damaged during storage, who will pay for the damaged product if in

fact it’s determined to be legitimate?

44. Who is paying for the testing of the samples?

45. Would we allow samples testing at some margin greater than 0.3% THC to pass due to

variability/unreliability of tests?

46. If law enforcement allows for a variability in the hemp testing, how does that impact

our approach to variability in other drug or substance testing?

47. Would we have a threshold that triggers an automatic retest? If so, what would that

threshold be?

48. How does law enforcement enforce this if we are allowing more than .3% THC

products to pass?

49. What is the limit with THC amounts over .3%?

50. Are there techniques to estimate THC byproduct yield based on their crop size?

51. What type of seed labeling will be in place?

52. Who regulates how CBD products get delivered to the customers?

53. Who pays for replacement of plants that may be destroyed in error?

54. Could law enforcement reliably utilize aircraft to identify hemp fields?

55. If so, who would pay that cost?

56. If not, why not?

57. What happens when a person tests positive for THC on a drug test while using CBD

oil and other products?

58. How will officers determine roadside whether it’s legitimate hemp or marijuana since

industrial hemp and marijuana cannot be distinguished by appearance and odor?

59. How many roadside testing kits would be needed to accommodate the needs for 1,800

law enforcement officers in the state?

60. While officers are detaining people roadside to determine legitimacy, how does that

impact lawful detention times?

61. If someone is held based on the officers discretion and investigation and it’s

determined to be a legitimate load, who defends the officer and the agency when a

lawsuit is filed?

62. Will this create unfavorable case law for other roadside investigations into criminal

activity?

63. If so, what is the potential impact and negative consequences of that case law?

64. When law enforcement is sued for seizing an industrial product that is above

the .3%THC, but has the proper documentation, who will defend the state of South

Dakota, our law enforcement officers, and where will those funds come from?

65. What if someone is jailed for the wrong thing?

66. Who will defend the state of South Dakota and the law enforcement agency who

makes an honest mistake?

67. How do we prevent marijuana dealers from taking advantage of the huge loopholes

created by the legalization of industrial hemp prior to the proper safeguards?

68. What safeguards will be put in place to ensure this doesn’t lead to more legalization

of marijuana efforts?

69. How will we prevent people using a CBD farm for a front/cover for their illegal

marijuana THC plant production?

70. What happens if the state invests millions of dollars to handle the issues associated

with all these issues burden and the industry never materializes?

71. How many FTE for additional highway patrol troopers would be needed?

72. How many additional service dogs would be needed?

73. How often do the portable test kits need to be replaced?

74. Can the portable test kits be used multiple times?

75. Can the test kits be used year-round?

76. Can the test kits be stored within the HP vehicle?

77. Are there other supplies needed for testing? If yes, what are these supplies?

78. What is the process of testing the evidence?

79. Do troopers process the tests or are other staff required to complete the process?

The 50-dollar question is ...

By Tim Goodwin • November 30, 2022
Greetings! Let’s start off with a big “Whew!” as the election is over. Some states are still tabulating which makes no sense to me. In South Dakota we do not have our voting machines hooked up to the internet, so it is IMPOSSIBLE to hack the voting machines. A hard copy of the ballot is kept on hand and can be audited at any time. The voting machines are just a faster automated way of tabulating the votes. Listed are four areas we could implement the extra revenue South Dakota is realizing, basically from a booming economy. Of course, the conservative point of view is that if extra taxes are collected over and above what was budgeted, the excess tax should go back to the taxpayers. The other view is to grow government. So, here are the 4 areas where we could use the extra tax dollars. 1. Eliminate tax on groceries. 2. Eliminate video lottery. 3. Pay for Medicaid expansion. 4. Reduce home assessment values by $100 thousand. Let’s go through each one, shall we? 1. Eliminate tax on groceries. Some call this food tax, but that would include restaurants. The estimated $100 million is counting only groceries. One question I always ask when some group approaches me about eliminating grocery tax is, “Why do you want to do this?” The answer I’ve always received was, “because of the poor people.” OK, fair enough. However, poor people don’t pay tax on groceries, and for that matter, get their groceries for free via food stamps, now called EBT cards. 2. Eliminate video lottery. Yep, the video lottery casinos on every corner. Not Deadwood. Just the casinos that have video lottery machines. The state gets 50% of the profit and the proprietor gets the remaining 50%. I just have a hard time with our state running on losses from those who can least afford it. That being those addicted to video lottery. This is dirty money (in my opinion) and could be eliminated with this extra revenue. 3. Pay for Medicaid expansion. Yep, this was a ballot measure that passed in the General Election. Initially, there are federal funds, but eventually, as early as next year, the federal government is going to pull the rug out from under the states, making each state responsible for funding Medicaid expansion. 4. Reduce home assessment values by $100 thousand. This, again, is about $100 million. I included this one in here because of the Summer Study on Property Tax. The committee came up with this solution. I personally would like to eliminate Property Tax totally with a usage tax, but that’s an article by itself in the future. The 50-dollar question is, “If it was up to you, which one of the four would you vote for?” You can email me at TGoodwin1955@gmail.com . Just pick 1, 2, 3, or 4. If you want to explain your reasoning, that would be great, but not necessary. To the citizens of South Dakota and to the men and women in uniform, in honor of all who served, in respectful memory of all who fell, and in great appreciation to those who serve today, Thank You, for giving me the opportunity to represent you. Representative Tim R. Goodwin District 30 Majority Whip Lt. Colonel, U.S. Army, Retired

Update of Property Taxes

By Tim Goodwin • October 6, 2022
Greetings! How was everyone’s summer? The temps finally feel like fall, along with the colorful foliage. How beautiful are the black hills, especially in the fall! We are very fortunate to live in this part of the country! So, what have I been up to? Well, as you are aware, I lost the Primary Election to Sen. Frye-Mueller by 47 votes. The reason I ran for the Senate is that I thought I had a better chance of getting my Property Tax Bill, eliminating all property taxes, passed. Now that she is our senator for District 30, I will support her 100%. I have already visited with her regarding prime-sponsoring a property tax elimination bill in the Senate. Rep. Ladner is the chair of our Property Tax Subcommittee, so she would be prime sponsor in the House. We have our next Summer Study meeting on Property Tax on 10 and 11 October, so I will know more then. I would like to thank every Republican who voted in the June 7th primary, not just the tremendous support you had for me but for the voters who voted for Sen. Frye-Mueller as well. You exercised your constitutional right and I salute you for it. Let’s talk about our rock star governor we have for a moment. Last Friday I attended a press conference held at Dakota Butcher by Menards in Rapid City. (Do you pronounce it May nards or Men ards? LOL) Anyway, Randy Gruenwald out of Clark, SD is the owner of Dakota Butcher. He also has butcher shops in Watertown (Go Arrows!), Pierre and the Rapid City location. To call it a small butcher operation is definitely an understatement as the place is huge. At the governor’s press conference, she announced a repeal of tax on food. This would be specifically on groceries, with an estimated price tag of $100 million in lost revenue. This has come before the legislature the six years I’ve been there in some form or another. My initial question, I always asked in committee testimony, is why they want to eliminate tax on groceries.? The answer always was “because of the poor people.” My answer to that was that for those with lower income limits, (I don’t like the word POOR because most of us are or were poor at some time in our lives.) was that they receive food stamps, now issued on EBT cards which take the monies out of their account where the state deposits for them an allocation each month. Thinking a little deeper about these proposed tax cuts on groceries probably makes sense with our current inflation-ridden economy under the Biden administration. State sales tax is 4-1/2 cents. It was 4 cents until the Partridge Amendment went through in 2016 and was supposed to be repealed with a sunset clause but the problem was the sun never set on the ½-cent because of creative bookkeeping in the Dept. of Revenue. But I digress. Yes, I think the legislature should support Gov. Noem and give all the citizens needed financial relief through stopping grocery taxes. Does that mean municipalities would also drop their add-ons to state tax, in some cases 2%? With inflation skyrocketing, fuel doubling, and who knows what propane and natural gas will be this winter, I think the old Nike slogan “Just do it” applies here. To the citizens of South Dakota and to the men and women in uniform, in honor of all who served, in respectful memory of all who fell, and in great appreciation to those who serve today, Thank You, for giving me the opportunity to represent you. Representative Tim R. Goodwin District 30 Majority Whip Lt. Colonel, U.S. Army, Retired Tgoodwin1955@gmail.com

Inflation Reduction Act (IRA)

By Tim Goodwin • August 17, 2022
Greetings! Isn’t anyone just a little upset about the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) just passed by Congress?? There are things to be upset about like the one-year anniversary of the disastrous pull-out from Afghanistan when we left $8 billion worth of high-tech military equipment behind. Actually, the figure is much higher than that when you figure in all the research and development costs to make all of that military equipment now in the hands of the Taliban, Iranians, Russians and Chinese! Other reasons to be upset include our energy independence. Two short years ago we had energy independence. We were exporting oil and gas and gas prices were around $2 per gallon. Interest rates on home loans have gone from 2.25% to over 5% now. Consumer goods have all kinds of shortages. I can’t ever remember going to grocery stores and seeing empty shelves of certain items until now. The Inflation Reduction Act has to be the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back. I know it’s been a busy summer and some of us, me included, don’t pay much attention to the news, but this you have to see! The Inflation Reduction Act is a 739-billion-dollar expenditure. Yes! Our federal government thinks it can spend its way out of debt and inflation!! Inflation, that’s another failure, when it was 2% or less 2 years ago and now is at 8.5% and rising. Inside this monstrous boondoggle (Sen. Rounds term) is 80 billion dollars to hire 87,000 more IRS agents. This more than doubles the number of IRS agents currently on our payroll. Yes, it is ours. We pay for it out of our taxes. Digging a little further in the job announcement for these additional IRS agents, it says: Requirements include working 50 hours per week, which may include irregular hours and be on call 24/7, including holidays and weekends and “CARRY A FIREARM AND BE WILLING TO USE DEADLY FORCE, IF NECESSARY”. No, this isn’t the KGB in Russia. This is our own United States Government. Yes. Yours and mine!? The point here, in my opinion, is to intimidate us so we “don’t criticize or else you’re getting audited.” The IRS knows our tax code is so large and cumbersome that the average wage earner can’t keep up with it, so “be quiet because no way do we want to be audited” and now, with armed agents who agree upon hiring to use deadly force if needed. Our Treasury Secretary, Janet Yellen says these additional IRS agents aren’t going after the household or business that makes less than $400,000. Really, if you take out all the households that make more than $400,000, do we need 87,000 more agents? Of course not. Don’t kid yourself. They are coming after us average wage earners. To back this up, the nonpartisan joint committee on taxation says the additional income from all these audits (How many audits per agent per year?) is projected that 90% of this additional revenue will come from small wage earners and businesses, making 200,000 or less per year. That’s us folks. This isn’t, or shouldn’t be, a partisan issue but it is. The IRA passed in the Senate with 50-50 votes making our Democrat Vice President pass it 51-50. In the U.S. House of Representatives 220 yes votes (all Democrats) and 207 no votes (all Republican) with 3 absent and 5 seats that are vacant. That should add up to 435 Congressional seats. Noteworthy is that 160 of these votes were done by proxy, meaning someone else voted for 160 Congresspersons who were absent. The 3 absent votes are unexplainable to me. Senators Thune and Rounds voted against the IRA, as did Congressman Johnson. So, there you have it. Our Internal Revenue Service is going to have more agents than our United States Marine Corps has marines, and, by the way, they are going to be armed and have agreed to use deadly force if necessary. No, I am not making this up! To the citizens of South Dakota and to the men and women in uniform, in honor of all who served, in respectful memory of all who fell, and in great appreciation to those who serve today, Thank You, for giving me the opportunity to represent you. Representative Tim R. Goodwin District 30 Majority Whip Lt. Colonel, U.S. Army, Retired Tim.goodwin@sdlegislature.gov

Groundbreaking Ceremony B21 Raider

By Tim Goodwin • June 2, 2022
Greetings! Rep. Trish Ladner and I had the distinct pleasure of attending the groundbreaking ceremony for the new B21 Raider coming to Ellsworth Air Force Base. The actual buildings are being called “low observable restoration facilities.” General Anthony Cotton was the keynote speaker. He is the Commander of Air Force Global Command and also Air U.S. Strategic Command stationed at Barksdale Air Force Base located in northwest Louisiana. This base is just south of Shreveport, Louisiana. Just a quick General Officer understanding: a Brigadier General has one star, a Major General has two stars, a Lieutenant General has 3 stars and a General has 4 stars. General Cotton is a 4-star general! An easy way to remember this is this mnemonic: Be My Little General. Be is Brigadier, My is Major, Little is Lieutenant, General is General. This is not meant to be derogatory or disrespectful in any way. It is just an easy way to equate stars with each rank of generals. So, back to General Cotton. Any time I get a chance to listen to a general, I get excited. Regardless of the branch of service, I’ve never met or heard a general who wasn’t simply the best of the very best! They are absolutely outstanding human beings and always very impressive! General Cotton was no exception. One thing he said that hit home with me was that the United States is the only country that has bomber fleets in the free world. This deterrent, of course, is designed to keep China and Russia at bay. The B21 Bomber will replace the B1 Bomber currently in use at Ellsworth Air Force Base and the 20 B2 Stealth Bombers stationed out of Whiteman AFB in West Central Missouri, about 60 miles SW of Kansas City. Now, being a retired soldier, I know little about Air Force aircraft. However, I do know the B in front of the B1, B2 and B21 stands for Bomber and the F in front, like the F16 that our Air Guard has at Joe Foss Field in Sioux Falls, stand for Fighter Aircraft. Not bad for an Army guy, huh? The B21 Raider will have stealth bomber capabilities, delivering both conventional and nuclear munitions. Once fully fielded, the B21 and the 52 will be the two bombers in existence in the Air Force fleets. “The exciting part is that Ellsworth is getting a tactical fighting squadron of 20 each B21 Raiders and a training squadron with an additional 20 each B21 Raiders. The Air Force is only fielding 100 B21s initially. The training squadron mission is to train every airman who works on that airframe in their specialty. In the Army we call it MOS, Military Occupation Specialty.” The B21 Raider is not named after the Stevens High School Raiders, but instead after the historic Doolittle Raiders who in WWII were known for their surprise attack against Japan. This forced Japan to recall combat forces for just homeland defense. Because of the Doolittle Raiders’ success, the Allied Forces morale was drastically boosted. The designation of the B21 Raiders recognizes the Doolittle Raiders as the first bombers of the 21st century. Isn’t that hoo-rah hoo-rah? Lastly, changing subjects, please exercise your honor and duty to vote. Many men and women have fought, and some have died giving us this sacred opportunity. Polls are open now at the county courthouses through June 6th, then vote at your respective voting locations on Primary Election Day June 7th. To the citizens of South Dakota and to the men and women in uniform, in honor of all who served, in respectful memory of all who fell, and in great appreciation to those who serve today, Thank You, for giving me the opportunity to represent you. Tim R. Goodwin, District 30 Representative and candidate for Senate Tim.goodwin@sdlegislature.gov

FLDS Compound ...

By Tim Goodwin • May 26, 2022
Yep, the FLDS (Fundamentalist Latter Day Saints) compound, located at 11584 Farmer Road outside Custer, South Dakota (57710) is up for sale. It is actually a long way from the closest town of Pringle. Of course, everyone knows where Pringle is, right? Cell service, internet service and GPS is intermittent at best, so here are my directions: Go to Pringle and stop in at the Hitchin’ Rail (or Hitchin’ Post?) restaurant/bar and ask the local patrons how to get to the compound. If you can’t find Pringle, maybe it is best you don’t venture out. LOL. Once you are close to the compound, you will see a lookout tower. It almost looks like an air traffic control tower. This lookout tower is inside 140 acres of high fence with barbed wire on top encompassing the entire complex. “Inside the wire” like we’d say in the Army, you will find six log structures with 77 bedrooms and 74 baths, a huge meeting hall with 15-20 offices and 10 or 12 restrooms, a huge storage shed about 15,000 square feet in size, another huge machine shed, a greenhouse, generator building to live off the grid if needed, two pump houses with multiple wells and several other miscellaneous structures. It is on 140 acres. A quarter section of land is 160 acres, so this is 20 acres shy of a quarter section. The price is $6.9 million. How did this place go from a FLDS compound to being sold to the public? Good question. Three former members bought the property at a sheriff’s foreclosure sale last year for $750 K, (that’s $750,000). The way they were able to do this was that they won a multi-million-dollar federal lawsuit against the FLDS hierarchy for indiscretions done to them by the FLDS cult. This auction took place while Legislative Session 2021 was in session. I told Marcia we should play hooky from Session and attend the auction. Of course, the distance of over 200 miles from Pierre would have made it at least a 2-day if not a 3-day absence so we did not attend. The compound, built in Custer County in 2005, was one of the main reasons I ran for office in 2016. In 2019 I prime-sponsored House bill #HB-1110. This bill identified the problem of the cult not ever filing a birth certificate or death certificate of any member of the compound. Remember, this place started in 2005, so at the time of the bill, they hadn’t reported any births or deaths for 14 years. This was a very precarious position as if you don’t have a birth certificate in our society, you don’t exist. This was not the worst thing about the cult. Some other issues were that young girls 12-15 years old were forced to marry elders aged 50 years and older. They believe in polygamy, so as many as 14 wives isn’t all that uncommon. The compound by Pringle was the headquarters with subordinate compounds in Hilldale, Utah and Colorado City, Arizona. They would transport young girls to and from the three locations. What HB-1110 did was establish a penalty for certain persons who failed to file a birth certificate or provide the notice required for filing of a death certificate. The penalty for not doing this was a Class 2 misdemeanor that could be ratchetted up to a felony if multiple infractions occurred. HB-1110 passed in the House 67-1 with 2 members absent and in the Senate 33-0 with 2 members absent. Our Governor Kristi Noem signed HB-1110 into law. Little known to the legislature at the time was that this new law was the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back. Less than two years after passage the compound was sold at the sheriff’s foreclosure sale. There you have it. Being in the legislature can have a positive impact on our great state that we call South Dakota. To the citizens of South Dakota and to the men and women in uniform, in honor of all who served, in respectful memory of all who fell, and in great appreciation to those who serve today, Thank You, for giving me the opportunity to represent you. Tim R. Goodwin, District 30 Representative and candidate for Senate Tim.goodwin@sdlegislature.gov

Letter from a constituent

By Tim Goodwin • May 19, 2022
Greetings! For discussion this week, I am, with her permission, printing the bulk of an email sent to me from a District 30 citizen: “Dear Representative Goodwin, I read with interest your piece in the paper this week that proposes the elimination of private residence property tax via an increased sales tax (or consumption tax). My family whole-heartedly supports your proposal. If South Dakota could pull this off, it would be a revolutionary step in support of private citizen rights in this country. One of the reasons my family moved to South Dakota was the unbelievable property taxes we were paying in PA (it was more than double the rate we pay in Custer). Constantly increasing property taxes are crushing the “little people” in states across our country (and of course the taxes always ever increase, they never decrease!) and I sometimes wonder how it is that we’ve strayed so far from our country’s founding principles. With the way property taxes are structured in America today, Americans never actually own their property, even after they pay off the mortgage. There just seems to be something profoundly unconstitutional about the fact that a state can take away someone’s home, even if they’ve paid for it and lived in it for decades, if they can’t meet the tax bill in any given year. My only recommendation with regards to your proposal is the inclusion of an exception for food (i.e., leave the current rate of taxation for food from grocery stores the same). [Some people] will argue that your proposal will hurt the poor the most, but if food is exempt from the increased tax rate, you will take most of the wind out of the [that] argument. Eliminating property tax and shifting to a consumption tax puts responsibility and choice in the individual’s hands – that is, if I don’t want to pay a lot in taxes, I can choose not to buy that yacht! And I like the idea that those millions of tourists who visit our great state will pay into the system every year. Deborah Hanagan, PhD Colonel, US Army, retired Constituent in Custer” Thank you to the quoted writer for your comments and for allowing me to use them publicly! To the citizens of South Dakota and to the men and women in uniform, in honor of all who served, in respectful memory of all who fell, and in great appreciation to those who serve today, Thank You, for giving me the opportunity to represent you. Tim R. Goodwin, District 30 Representative and candidate for Senate Tim.goodwin@sdlegislature.gov

Formula to “Eliminate Property Taxes”

By Tim Goodwin • May 12, 2022
Formula to “Eliminate Property Taxes” Greetings! As promised, here is a proposal to eliminate all residential property taxes statewide. Before showing this proposal, I’d like to preface this by saying I feel our current property tax system is antiquated and quite frankly broken. It picks winners and losers and is taxing homeowners out of their homes, not to mention the stress and strain it is putting on homeowners. We could discuss endless measures tweaking our property tax system, or we could look at options other states did or have done like proposition 13 in California, etc. Instead, let’s just think outside the box and come up with a property tax replacement, an elimination if you will. Are you with me so far? Here it goes. For every penny, or 1% sales tax collected, it generates approximately 300 million in revenue. Property taxes collected in 2021 were 1,492 million. So, if we increased sales tax by a nickel and ½ penny (5.5%), that would generate 1.5 billion statewide. As you can see, this is more than enough revenue TO REPLACE ALL RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY TAXES STATEWIDE. Too simple? Maybe? This would apply to residential properties not commercial or agricultural land. It would apply to the farm or ranch home because that is taxed separately from the agricultural land. Right now, our state sales tax is 4.5%. Adding the nickel would take it to 9.5%. If we wanted to be safe, we could make it 5.5% for an even dime (10%) state sales tax. If we added municipalities up to 2% more, that takes it up to 12%. The advantage of this tax shift, called a “consumption tax”, means we are only taxed on what we consume, and another advantage is that our 13-1/2 million tourists would contribute more. In visiting with business owners, particularly those in the tourism industry, they felt a dime (10%) state sales tax would have minimal, if any, effect on their business. In visiting with homeowners, they overwhelmingly supported this tax shift. So, there you have it. Recapping: This is only a proposal. Please send me your thoughts. Is it time to think out of the box? A dime state sales tax eliminates all residential property taxes within the borders of our great state that we call South Dakota. To the citizens of South Dakota and to the men and women in uniform, in honor of all who served, in respectful memory of all who fell, and in great appreciation to those who serve today, Thank You, for giving me the opportunity to represent you. Tim R. Goodwin, District 30 Representative and candidate for Senate Tim.goodwin@sdlegislature.gov

Lions ...

By Tim Goodwin • May 12, 2022
Lions Lion season is officially over in the Black Hills Fire Protection District. The quota was 60 lions or 40 females. The actual harvest came in at 26 females and 16 males for a total of 42 lions harvested. I believe this was the first season that neither of my two sons nor I got a lion or at least helped someone else get a lion. All three of us blanked. It was a bad snow season which directly effects the hunting opportunities of lions. I did collect one lion story though. I was set up on the side of the mountain with my call down below me about 40 yards. I was at the entrance of a cave that was blocked off behind me. It was in the late afternoon with about 1-1/2 hours left of legal shooting time. (You can hunt all big game from ½ hour before sunrise and ½ hour after sunset.) Where I was at, when the sun goes behind the mountain to my right, it starts getting dark. Then when it is officially sunset, it’s a little darker and a half hour after sunset, its dark. On this evening there was cloud cover, so no light from the moon or stars. I’m sitting there running my FoxPro through the remote, calling 4 minutes on and then 4 minutes off with 5 different lion calls in my repertoire. It was extremely windy, and I was hoping the wind would slow down like it sometimes does at sunset. Nope, no such luck. With about 15 minutes left of legal shooting time, I thought I heard a lion call behind me to my right. I put my call on mute and heard nothing, so started it up again and dang! It sounded like the call I had going, again up to my right. So, I’d shut off my call and the call to my right would seem to stop. It was very windy, so it was difficult to tell. Anyway, its time to quit, so I stand, pick up my remote on a lanyard around my neck and tuck it in my parka. I always leave the call going. I don’t really know why, as it’s a little nerve-wracking walking down to retrieve my FoxPro. I also had a lion decoy set up. Once I got down to the FoxPro, I shut it off manually. It was then that I realized for sure that there was a lion because up behind me my call was still going, and I had my FoxPro in my hand shut off! To make it even more interesting, the call I had going was a male growling and then a low throaty sound and then a second lion on this call was tweeting back kind of like a bird. This particular call had two lions calling in it. So, here I stand in total darkness with the call I was using still going off at 100 yards above me. What did I do? Well, I thought, “There is no way this is a live situation with two lions mimicking the exact same call I had going.” I figured it had to be one of my sons or one of my hunting buddies pulling a prank on me. Actually, it wasn’t all that funny at the time, but I had convinced myself that it was a prank and proceeded the ½ mile hike, mostly downhill, to my pickup. When I got to a crest in the hill going down, I could look and see my pickup and I was wondering who else’s vehicle was there. In the meantime, this two-lion call is parallel to me escorting me down the mountain. It was then I realized this was a live situation and that I had two lions 50 or 60 yards to my right. I hit my key fob to my pickup to unlock it and turn on the lights. Not the brightest move because now I had lost my night vision. Call me chicken but what a relief once I got inside my pickup with the doors locked!! To the citizens of South Dakota and to the men and women in uniform, in honor of all who served, in respectful memory of all who fell, and in great appreciation to those who serve today, Thank You, for giving me the opportunity to represent you. Tim R. Goodwin, District 30 Representative and candidate for Senate Tim.goodwin@sdlegislature.gov

Early Voting ...

By Tim Goodwin • May 12, 2022
It’s early voting season! Yep, it began last Friday, April 22nd and goes to June 6th. The actual Primary Election Day is Tuesday, June 7th. Our General Election is Tuesday, November 8th. Early voting can be accomplished at your county courthouse. I stopped by my county courthouse (Pennington) and picked up a sample ballot along with what they call a “Primary Ballot Question Information Pamphlet.” This pamphlet is put out by our Secretary of State’s office. Does anyone remember who our Secretary of State is? It was in last week’s article as one of our constitutional officers. Yep, Steve Barnett! So, in this pamphlet, it talks about the pros and cons of Constitutional Amendment “C”. In the military we’d call the letter “C” Charlie. So, what does Charlie do? Well, Charlie raises the bar from a simple majority, which would be 50% + 1, to a 3/5th vote, or in other words, 60%. This higher threshold Charlie is proposing is for any ballot measures imposing taxes, fees, or obligating funds, of anything over $10 million dollars. I voted on the floor of the House of Representatives to put it on the ballot and let our citizens decide. Charlie’s opponents, (those against Charlie), say that it is unconstitutional and that a lawsuit has already been filed against it. Oh boy. Remember Constitutional Amendment A, or Alpha, in the General Election of 2020? Alpha was for marijuana legalization. It had hemp, medical marijuana, and recreational marijuana all bundled together under Alpha. The proponents (those for) argued that all components were about cannabis. The opponents (those against) argued that it was three separate subjects. By the way, our constitution states that any amendments must be single subject. Make sense? Anyway, the State Supreme Court finally (to an impatient person like me who thought it took for-ev-er) decided the case. Alpha was in fact 3 separate subjects so therefore it was deemed unconstitutional and was struck down. And, by the way, it passed on the ballot with a 54% approval. So, here is the fifty-dollar question. Ready? Why in the world do we have Charlie on the ballot right now when we are not even sure if its constitutional or in other words, if it is legal? My prediction is if we the people, actually we the voters, because you have no say if you don’t vote, pass Charlie, we are going to wait until it works its way through the courts to find out if it was legal in the first place!! Some of you have figured out where I’m going with this. Why don’t we have the Secretary of State get a legal reading from our court system before it goes on the ballot in the first place? Now isn’t that a novel idea? To the citizens of South Dakota and to the men and women in uniform, in honor of all who served, in respectful memory of all who fell, and in great appreciation to those who serve today, Thank You, for giving me the opportunity to represent you. Tim R. Goodwin, District 30 Representative and candidate for Senate Tim.goodwin@sdlegislature.gov

The House of Representatives 

By Tim Goodwin • May 12, 2022
At 11:04 MST, April 12, 2022, 36 of 70 lawmakers of the House of Representatives voted to impeach Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg (pronounced rounsborg). This was the very first impeachment since statehood Nov. 2, 1889. Thirty-six was a simple majority of House members elected. We did have 3 House members excused but a simple majority is figured of the number of House members elected, not the number of House members present. I was one of the 36 who voted in favor of impeachment, as was my district mate Rep. Trish Ladner. I also entered the floor debate as a proponent for impeachment. You can listen to my floor speech and the other floor speeches on the internet. Go to Youtube, then search “SD Legislature Special Session April 12, 2022”. The issue now goes to the State Senate for the trial. South Dakota has no history of impeachment like some other states, so we don’t have rules set up for the proceeding. The Senate is currently working on the proposed rules via the Legislative Procedures Committee. On April 26th they will meet, and the full Senate will act on the committee’s work the same day. The Senate impeachment trial is scheduled for June 21 and 22, 2022. Per South Dakota’s Constitution, Ravnsborg is currently suspended from all duties related to his office. He may only return to his office if he is acquitted in the Senate. Suspended Attorney General Ravnsborg has made this comment. “The House of Representatives voted, and I respect the process, but I look forward to the Senate trial where I believe I will be vindicated.” On the civil side, suspended AG Ravnsborg has already pled “no contest” to two misdemeanor charges: illegal lane change and operating a cell phone while driving. He plea-bargained a 3rd misdemeanor of reckless driving and that misdemeanor was dropped. He has already paid the $5000 in fines and fees and has settled with the Boever family. The amount of the settlement is unknown at this time. Currently, the Deputy Attorney General is filling in. If the Senate convicts and removes the suspended AG Ravnsborg from office, Governor Noem will appoint an Attorney General until this current term ends in January 2023. The Attorney General is one of the Constitutional Officers. The Constitutional Officers include the Lieutenant Governor Larry Rhoden, Secretary of State Steve Barnett, Treasurer Josh Haeder, Auditor Rich Sattgast, Commissioner of School and Public Lands Ryan Brunner, Public Utilities Commissioners Chris Nelson, Kristie Fiegen and Gary Hanson. All these Constitutional Officers serve a 4-year term except the Public Utilities Commissioners who serve a 6-year term. The Constitutional Officers are selected at each party’s convention which usually is held a few weeks after the Primary Election. This year’s Republican Convention is June 23-25 in Watertown, SD. The Republican delegates who are voted in on the June 7th Primary Election, will converge on Watertown to select the Republican Constitutional Officers. Only delegates may vote, and they must be there in person. In other words, no proxy or phone votes are allowed. Once the Constitutional Officers are selected, they then are that party’s nominee for the November 8th General Election. The same process is true for the Democrat party. Here goes my famous line. Are you ready? CLEAR AS MUD, RIGHT? To the citizens of South Dakota and to the men and women in uniform, in honor of all who served, in respectful memory of all who fell, and in great appreciation to those who serve today, Thank You, for giving me the opportunity to represent you. Tim R. Goodwin, District 30 Representative and candidate for Senate Tim.goodwin@sdlegislature.gov