A mostly anonymous group of right-wingers calling itself Landowners for Eminent Domain Reform has been promoting events protesting the use of eminent domain for carbon dioxide pipelines like the May 15 rally in Leola where Senator Al Novstrup said digital currency is more dangerous than temperature changes and the June 10 session in Aberdeen where Virginia lobbyist Tom DeWeese made multiple false statements about climate change. LEDR posts a poster for their events showing they have the support of the John Birch Society:
Toward the end of cross-partisan comity and our shared interest in property rights, I note with favor LEDR’s upcoming rally at the Capitol in Pierre, the “Property Rights Round-Up“. Several legislators are hoping to draw a crowd to the Capitol steps on Thursday, July 6, at noon to join their call for a Special Session to address eminent domain. Governor Kristi Noem has said she supports landowners but can’t do anything to help them against the land-grabbing pipeliners who sponsored her inauguration, but she could in an instant convene the Special Session to reform eminent domain that Republican Representatives Jon Hansen, Karla Lems, and Brandi Schaefbauer are supporting.
The left isn’t all quiet on the eminent domain front—also supporting a Special Session is Democratic House Minority Leader Oren Lesmeister:
Democratic Rep. Oren Lesmeister, who represents northwestern South Dakota in the House, also believes a special session is needed.
“We’ve got people that have been there for centuries, I mean literally, and this is their livelihood, and they take personal pride in their property, personal property rights,” Lesmeister said. “And they’re being trampled on right now … and it is by law. That is one thing; they do have the right to survey. We’re not saying they don’t” [Dan Santella, “Hansen Calls for Special Session as CO2 Pipeline Surveying Continues,” KELO-TV, updated 2023.06.29].
Governor Noem tweeted yesterday that she’s leaving it up to legislators themselves to muster the two-thirds majorities from House and Senate to call themselves into Special Session:
Once again, Governor Noem says she’s “with the landowners and always have been“, but she’s not going to lift her pen to put her professed support into practical action. As she told landowner Jared Bossly, she’s not going to fight this battle for them.
Maybe the Governor needs to see a lot of Birchers and wingnuts and farmers and Democrats and other people outside her office window on the Capitol steps at noon on July 6. Join the rally, call for the Special Session, and get Governor Noem and the Legislature to stand up for South Dakota property rights.
Watching the SDGOP disintegrating is a joy beyond measure.
Will Kristi actually be in her office (not campaigning or “doing the Lew”) on July 6th? I can’t get the 25 second clip to run, but I suspect it’s my antidiluvian laptop’s fault. I don’t belong to Twitter, so watching it there ain’t gonna happen.
Also, (meow) I note Kristi has updated her neck to the latest release of her face.
Firstly- Mr. Deweese further proves what I have always felt about grown men with bangs. EBGB’s.
Secondly- I’m sorry but it is hard to muster too much give a damn for this superficial call for a special session when about this same time last year half the population lost every ounce of personal property rights when our state government stole them from us, literally causing incontinence for some, and eventually death for others. So, I’d love to join up and raise hell, but where was yall when we needed that special session KN promised and never delivered?
Bonnie: I can’t get our Governor’s video to play on my laptop either though I am not burning to here her latest screed of double talking mendacity. She’s spending a lot of state money to say nothing.
Krusty is morphing into a living blow up doll one lip filler and botox injection at a time. Between that and the flamethrower, it’s no wonder the sexually repressed radical Republicans are aroused. Holy cow, there’s a million dollar idea!
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/why-is-the-john-birch-soc_b_1263528
https://missoulian.com/news/local/john-birch-society-tied-to-iclei-protest-at-missoula-city-council/article_6990948e-343a-11e1-ac9c-001871e3ce6c.html
Try this snippet from Twitter for the 26 seconds youtube won’r let you see.
https://twitter.com/KristiNoem/status/1674133755278028801
Believe you, you ain’t missing much.
Kristi says college entrance should be based on merit, but
says nothing about diplomas should be awarded on merit.
I guess degrees and nepotistic jobs is a step to far for merit.