Isn’t it sad? Riot boosting, petitioning, etc. Why does our state legislature continue to pass laws that are violations of our 1st Amendment rights? I will tell you why, because we are allowing a super majority to legislate us.

I have often been baffled by how South Dakotans vote for initiatives that overturn the foolishness and inaction in Pierre yet continue to send these same fools to Pierre.

Want to have fewer initiatives on the ballot? Start electing legislators that pass laws that benefit you and that can hold up to a constitutional smell test.

I told Cory when he first announced he was suing the state over this issue he would win, I considered it a ‘slam dunk’ and if you read the opinion of the judge, it is very apparent. Cory pointed out to me that this paragraph says it all in the ruling;

And that’s all our legislature really does, put’s regulations on our rights to petition the government. And instead of apologizing and vowing to stop passing these restrictions they argue they are right;

Rep. Jon Hansen, a Republican from Dell Rapids, sponsored the bill to regulate petitioners last year. He disagreed with the ruling and said the law was intended to prevent out-of-state petitioners from influencing South Dakota laws.

If Hansen and his fellow lawmakers were so concerned about out of state influence, maybe they should stop taking marching orders from ALEC and the NRA. The party and it’s members also receive millions in donations from out of state entities. I would go so far to say that Noem could not have been elected if it weren’t for out of state contributions. It’s the norm with the SD GOP, it’s okay for them to not follow the rules, but the rest of us minions have to. This time they got their butts handed to them, and rightfully so.

Unfortunate? The only thing that would be unfortunate about Noem’s mailing is if it contributes to getting her elected.

This year’s big controversy over hunting, at least so far, involves a mailing the Noem campaign sent out. Herseth Sandlin’s people are not happy. The mailing indicates that Noem has gotten an A rating from the NRA. The mailing contrasts that A rating with a D rating that Herseth Sandlin received from the Gun Owners of America, a group more militant than the NRA when it comes to gun rights. The mailing also links Herseth Sandlin to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and it indicates the speaker got an F rating from the NRA – a distinction of honor in Pelosi’s hometown of San Francisco. By extension, you’re supposed to think, Herseth Sandlin must not be in the good graces of the NRA.

What the ad doesn’t say is that Herseth Sandlin won the NRA’s endorsement. In a story by Roll Call, NRA spokesman Andrew Arulanandam called it “unfortunate” that Noem’s mailing insinuated Herseth Sandlin didn’t get its coveted endorsement.