Free Republic

South Dakota GOP Governor Kristi Noem’s rejection of instituting draconian “lockdowns” because of the coronavirus seems to be bearing fruit. In a survey conducted by United Van Lines in January that tracked customers’ 2020 state-to-state migration patterns, South Dakota ranked fourth in the nation, virtually tied for second behind the state of Idaho. “Black Hills area realtors and builders say there’s an influx of people who are relocating permanently or buying land in the region — and the trend isn’t expected to slow anytime soon. Newcomers from California, Washington, New York, New Jersey, Washington, D.C., Texas, Michigan, Colorado and Virginia...

It’s been a tough week for our country. Violence has no place in our American political system, and we’re all in agreement that the events that played out on Capitol Hill this week were unacceptable. There are many in the media who are eager to blame Republicans for the events that transpired. And there are many in our party who are eager to blame President Trump both for the violence in Washington and for the results of the senate elections in Georgia. But you know what? If that’s all we get out of this, our future will be no different...

resident Trump on Friday urged South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem to launch a primary challenge against the second-ranking Senate Republican, John Thune. “I hope to see the great Governor of South Dakota @KristiNoem, run against RINO @SenJohnThune, in the upcoming 2022 Primary. She would do a fantastic job in the U.S. Senate, but if not Kristi, others are already lining up. South Dakota wants strong leadership, NOW!” Trump tweeted.

Thousands of media headlines noted hospitalizations for COVID-19 in South Dakota recetly climbed sharply for several weeks. According to sources from the White House down to CNN and local press, it’s because Gov. Kristi Noem refused to institute COVID restrictions like masks, business shutdowns, and gathering limits.“The state had nearly 2.5 times the national average in COVID-19 deaths per 100,000,” local press outlet Keloland reported in early December. Joel Shannon at USA Today wrote the Dakotas “are as bad as it gets anywhere in the world.” Accompanying headlines paint Noem as reckless and uncaring, since her grandmother died in a...

Rep.-elect Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) said that some Republican senators will join an effort to challenge Electoral College votes when the joint session of Congress meets on Jan. 6. The process must be initiated by requires one senator and one House representative. In addition to Greene, Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Ala.) and a number of GOP House lawmakers have pledged to challenge the votes. “We have a very strong case, and our numbers are growing strong,” she said of the effort on Dec. 22 on Newsmax. “We talked to senators, and we’re good to go for this objection.” Greene didn’t say...

President Trump went after Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) on Tuesday as he put pressure on GOP senators to back efforts to challenge the Electoral College vote when Congress meets on Jan. 6. The president lashed out at Senate Republicans on Twitter, claiming that they would have lost seats without his endorsement. Trump also suggested that Thune, the No. 2 Senate Republican, would be “primaried in 2022.” “Republicans in the Senate so quickly forget. Right now they would be down 8 seats without my backing them in the last Election,” Trump tweeted. “RINO John Thune, ‘Mitch’s boy’, should just let it...

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem generated some buzz on social media when she posted a photo of herself holding a flamethrower with a caption asking, "Is it too late to add something to my Christmas list"? "Noem 2024. She'll torch the competition," quipped one Twitter user.

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem is inviting Minnesota bar owners to relocate to her state after a COVID-19 restrictions crackdown. “Come to South Dakota! We respect your rights. We won’t shut you down,” the Republican governor wrote Monday on Twitter. Noem, 49, is widely seen as a Republican rising star and is an outspoken advocate against lockdowns.

Employees of closed businesses have "bills to pay, children to feed, presents to gift and they're going to lose their homes." More than 150 businesses plan to reopen this week in defiance of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’s coronavirus shutdown. The businesses have organized as the Reopen Minnesota Coalition. This group has created a Facebook page and GoFundMe to raise awareness and money for business owners who will likely face legal consequences for their actions. Rural businesses involved in the effort plan to open Wednesday, Dec. 16, while metro businesses will open two days later on Friday. Walz’s current shutdown order...

Woodrow Wilson had no qualms about jailing people he disagreed with. His persecution of the Hutterites can attest to that. Campaigning for President of the United States in September 1912, “progressive” icon Woodrow Wilson said something that would gladden the heart of any libertarian: Liberty has never come from the government. Liberty has always come from the subjects of the government. The history of liberty is a history of resistance. The history of liberty is a history of the limitation of governmental power, not the increase of it. That was two months before the election that Wilson won. He garnered...

A South Dakota 7th Circuit judge, Craig Pfeifle, has initiated a conflict with the Custer County Board. The Board created an ordinance to allow people to legally carry personal firearms in the County Courthouse, as allowed by law. In effect, the ordinance removes the legal prohibition on people carrying firearms in the courthouse. There have not been any problems. The ordinance covers the courthouse, not the courtroom. Hearings in the courtroom only occur once a week. When they do, a deputy and metal detector are used to secure the courtroom. The Custer County Courthouse includes a museum type art display...

17 States have intervened in support of the Texas Lawsuit Amici curiae are the States of Missouri, Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, and West Virginia.The President has also filed a motion to personally interveneMore information here: One Third Of US States Have Now Joined Texas SCOTUS Bid To Overturn Election

Coronavirus cases are rising in almost every U.S. state. But the surge is worst now in places where leaders neglected to keep up forceful virus containment efforts or failed to implement basic measures like mask mandates in the first place, according to a New York Times analysis of data from the University of Oxford. Using an index that tracks policy responses to the pandemic, these charts show the number of new virus cases and hospitalizations in each state relative to the state’s recent containment measures.

Sanford Health Systems CEO Kelby Krabbenhoft is stepping down after sending a controversial email about his recovery from the coronavirus pandemic. Sanford Health’s Board of Trustees announced on Wednesday that the two have “mutually agreed to party ways.” Krabbenhoft had been serving as the company’s CEO since 1996. Krabbenhoft told employees in an email last Wednesday that he believes he’s immune to COVID-19 “for at least seven months and perhaps years to come” adding that he isn’t a threat to transmit the virus, according to the Associated Press. He also said that wearing a mask was merely for show. “For...

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — The head of one of the largest regional health systems in the Midwest was replaced Tuesday, less than a week after telling employees that he had recovered from COVID-19 and was not wearing a mask around the office. ...Dr. Kathy Anderson, president of the North Dakota Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, said it was “an especially dangerous message to be sending right now in North Dakota.” ...[Krabbenhoft] believes he’s now immune to COVID-19 for “at least seven months and perhaps years to come” and that he isn’t a threat to transmit it to...

Governor Kristi Noem @govkristinoem The Christmas tree is a symbol of rebirth and renewal. Tonight, we turned the lights on to all the beautiful Christmas trees lining the halls of the State Capitol. Thank you to all who helped make this possible. Happy Thanksgiving and welcome to the Christmas season!

The head of one of the largest regional health systems in the Midwest has told his employees that he has recovered from COVID-19 and is back in the office — without a mask. Sanford Health’s president and chief executive, Kelby Krabbenhoft, said in an email Wednesday that he believes he’s now immune to the disease for “at least seven months and perhaps years to come” and that he isn’t a threat to transmit it to anyone, so wearing a mask would be merely for show. ... Sanford Health, based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, has 46 hospitals and more than...

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem laid out a “common sense” plan for families to spend time with their loved ones during Thanksgiving amid the coronavirus pandemic.

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem criticized excerpts from former President Barack Obama’s soon-to-be-released memoir, calling it a “ridiculous message.” “What a ridiculous message,” the South Dakota Republican tweeted Thursday in response to an excerpt from Obama’s latest book, "A Promised Land," posted at The Atlantic. “Obama had 8 years, including 2 with full control of Congress. He sent our jobs to China, left our healthcare system in disarray, our foreign policy in shambles & our people divided. Instead of blaming Trump, Obama should consider what led to 2016." Obama wrote that he had planned to finish writing the memoir in...

Twitter temporarily blocked links to two official South Dakota GOP domains and branded them “potentially harmful” after the party attempted to share an official statement detailing its support for President Trump’s post-election lawsuits. When the South Dakota GOP Twitter account attempted to tweet out the statement yesterday, it was told: “Your tweet couldn’t be sent because the link has been identified by Twitter or our partners as being potentially harmful.” Twitter users quickly pushed back against this act of censorship and after South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem brought attention to the link being blocked, the censorship of sdgop.com (the domain...