Former Republican legislator Jean Hunhoff of Yankton, who is running to return to the Senate in 2027, says Governor Larry Rhoden’s flat budget proposal doesn’t invest enough in the state services South Dakotans depend on:
The governor recently presented what he called “a limited budget” and encouraged lawmakers to see those limits as an opportunity. There is value in looking for opportunity, but responsible budgeting also requires honesty about what tight dollars mean for the families, schools, and providers who rely on state services every day.
…What does a 0.0% increase mean? When faced with expenses like utilities, insurance, transportation, food service, and staffing that continue to rise, that’s not holding the line. That’s forgetting to set the emergency brake on an icy hill. And just like that slippery slope, we’ll find ourselves going backwards.
…True fiscal conservatism is not only about limiting spending. It is also about protecting the essential services that allow families and communities to thrive. Strong rural schools are part of the foundation that keeps people living, working, and building their futures in South Dakota. If we want our young people to stay here, we must make sure they have access to quality education close to home [Jean Hunhoff, “Testing Our Limits with a Limited Budget,” South Dakota War College, 2025.12.09].
Hunhoff also questions Rhoden’s fiscal discipline:
The governor also left $14 million in one-time funding for legislative consideration. In a year that is described as a tight budget, that amount sends a mixed signal about the level of real budget discipline required [Hunhoff, 2025.12.09].
Todd Epp’s election robot says Hunhoff’s critique could undermine Rhoden’s reëlection campaign:
Former Sen. Jean Hunhoff’s critique of Gov. Larry Rhoden’s “limited budget” landed with people who understand state government’s plumbing. She pointed to Medicaid surpassing K–12 for the first time and highlighted the governor’s 0.0 percent increases for schools, Medicaid providers, and state employees.
Those comments now circulate among superintendents, health-care leaders, and appropriations veterans. It hasn’t shifted the average GOP primary voter yet, but it sharpened elite skepticism about the administration’s numbers [Todd Epp, “Race Lab Signals: What’s Moving Beneath the Governor’s Race—And What Isn’t,” Northern Plains News, 2025.12.10].
I don’t have a robot, but I do have appreciation for any Republican who can criticize a Republican Governor for insufficient conservatism on sensible fiscal policy grounds, without invoking any of the faux-conservative culture-war dog whistles. We need a serious debate about how to balance budget restraint with the need for effective government services, not frivolous fracases about who can join the women’s swim team or who can deregulate silencers fastest.
I’m not sure I’m ready to concede the good Senator’s premise that “true conservatives” care about investing in services like schools and the larger social safety net. Starve the beast (and keep those tax funds in the taxpayer’s pockets) really seems the true conservative proposition — especially since Reagan.
Instead, I see these remarks (in line with so called Social/Socialist-Democrats) as a reassigning of political affiliation. Politicians have to more now ask WHO they represent. The battle lines of the economy now divide the investor class and the worker class (I for the moment remove MAGA who represent the Cult of Trump). We have consciously and through legislative act decided to distribute wealth to the investors from the workers. Godspeed to any candidate who can realign worker values into the GOP. (I’m not convinced even the Democrat establishment is ready for that full embrace.)
I’d like to see who’s on the girls swim team. Our king used to pop in all his girls beauty pageants, especially the one in Moscow. He’s always liked those eastern European girls.