Dakota Town Hall

Back again, and after an election cycle that felt like it would never end, South Dakota finally has some answers. Governor Larry Rhoden’s Chief of Staff Mackenzie Decker joins the show to talk about what comes next for the administration, from cabinet reappointments and parole reform to the policy work already taking shape ahead of session. Plus, Elevate Rapid City President and CEO Jack Valentine breaks down the massive opportunity surrounding the B-21, South Dakota’s growing defense industry, the push for an F-35 mission and how Rapid City could turn military investment into a whole new economic lane for the state.

Then the votes are in. Lieutenant Governor Tony Venhuizen joins Jake and Murdoc for the post-election autopsy, including Republican wins statewide, Democrats making real gains in the House, some genuinely surprising Sioux Falls results and what unusually low turnout may have changed. We also get into the huge class of new legislators headed to Pierre, the coming leadership fights, John Thune’s future and whether Democrats left even more winnable seats on the table. And of course, Task Force Tony survives another election, the burger bit nears retirement and the hippo agenda lives to fight another session.

@DakotaTownHall

@Jakeshoenbeck

@MurdocJ

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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Back again! This week on Dakota Town Hall, Whitney Rencountre II, CEO of the Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation, joins the show for a fascinating look at what's happening on the mountain, why the project is moving faster than people think, and the bigger mission behind preserving Native American history and culture. We get into the massive scale of Crazy Horse, the future of its university and museum, criticism of the carving, record-breaking Black Hills Powwow attendance, and why the next decade could be a game changer for the Black Hills.

Plus, District 16 House candidate Lisa Bogue jumps in to talk education, agriculture, data centers, door knocking, and what she's hearing from voters as November closes in. Then Jake and Murdoc hit the statewide board: Heather Baxter and Terrence Davis square off in the Secretary of State race as the hand-counting debate heats up, Smithfield's $1.3 billion Sioux Falls project hits another hurdle, Brian Bengs makes his independent pitch, and a DUI involving farm equipment gives the guys plenty to work with. Election Day is closing in, and South Dakota politics isn't slowing down.

@DakotaTownHall

@Jakeshoenbeck

@MurdocJ

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Back again! Former Sen. Erin Tobin, District 4 Sen. Stephanie Sauder, and Dakota War College’s Pat Powers jump into the fight over South Dakota’s data center future, from AI, local control, and looming legislative battles to whether moratorium politics will survive another session. Then the Watertown forum takes center stage after Neil Tapio bows out just hours before it starts, setting off a debate over moderators, tough questions, campaign strategy, and whether avoiding the room is ever the smarter political move.

Plus, the Minnehaha County GOP rolls out a general election loyalty questionnaire, Jim Eschenbaum wants another term running the state party, and the crew wonders how Republicans rebuild donors, trust, and an organization that increasingly seems to be getting outworked by everyone around it. We also hit Secretary of State endorsement ping-pong, politicians flooding the feed with carefully curated normalcy, vicious campaign ads, and, naturally, another round of South Dakota’s best burger debate.

@DakotaTownHall

@Jakeshoenbeck

@MurdocJ

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Back again! Senator Taffy Howard and Representative Eric Muckey join Jake and Murdoc for a full ballot-amendment brawl, starting with Amendment J and whether South Dakota needs to put an explicit citizenship requirement for voting into the state constitution. Then comes the rare moment of bipartisan harmony on Amendment K and the proposed unclaimed property trust fund, before things heat right back up over Amendment I, Medicaid expansion, federal funding, affordability, work requirements, and just how much fiscal risk South Dakota should be willing to carry.

Then Amendment L takes center stage, with Howard arguing South Dakota’s constitution deserves a 60 percent threshold and Muckey making the case that the change would weaken a century-old voter check on the Legislature. Plus, Brian Bengs’ viral C-SPAN confrontation gets the Town Hall treatment, the Senate race gets a temperature check, and the crew somehow still finds time for Buffalo Roundup bar reviews, a mystery hoodie giveaway, and bachelor-party survival odds.

@DakotaTownHall

@Jakeshoenbeck

@MurdocJ

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Back again! South Dakota’s normally sleepy Secretary of State race just blew wide open. Democratic candidate Terrence Davis joins the show after sitting Secretary of State Monae Johnson’s headline-making endorsement sent shockwaves well beyond the state. Davis gets into the endorsement, his case for the office, the fight over hand-counting ballots, Heather Baxter’s approach to elections, and why the nuts-and-bolts work of the Secretary of State matters far beyond Election Day. Plus, Garrett Van Lear from Formula Hardrocker Racing takes us inside South Dakota Mines’ student-built race car program, carbon-fiber suspension, 70-mph machines, and the road to Michigan International Speedway.

Then Jake and Murdoc hit the week’s political fallout: Rapid City’s growing defense industry and an $18 million investment tied to the region’s aerospace future, Dusty Johnson’s newly blunt criticism of Donald Trump, Kristi Noem’s elk hunt somehow becoming national news, Toby Doeden keeping the Facebook content machine alive, and a possible Trish Ladner appearance after her trip to Taiwan. And of course, Murdoc prepares for the Buffalo Roundup by asking the question that apparently matters most: is there a bar?

@DakotaTownHall

@Jakeshoenbeck

@MurdocJ

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Back again! Lt. Gov. Tony Venhuizen and Dakota War College’s Pat Powers join Jake and Murdoc for a packed lap through South Dakota politics. Tony looks back on the Herseth family’s decades-long political legacy following the death of Lars Herseth, then the crew jumps into the legal drama surrounding former Sen. Tom Pischke, competing Republican fundraisers, Taylor Rehfeldt’s political network and what the latest legislative shakeups could mean when Pierre fires back up.

Plus, we get into the early Mike Rounds-Brian Bengs Senate chatter, the fight over AI and data centers, Rob Shoun’s lobbying work for Meta and how national political frustration could play differently in South Dakota. And of course, there’s the mystery of who’s really behind “Straight Outta Pierre,” the legendary Comfort King nickname, Buffalo Roundup plans, Rapid City’s school bond and the suddenly wide-open 2027 mayoral conversation. South Dakota politics, history, campaign gossip and just enough chaos to keep the ball moving.

@DakotaTownHall

@Jakeshoenbeck

@MurdocJ

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Back again! Murdoc is flying solo with a heavyweight bench as Sen. Casey Crabtree, Tim Rave and South Dakota Searchlight’s Seth Tupper jump into the four constitutional amendments headed for South Dakota voters. Amendment I sparks the biggest fight, with Crabtree and Rave taking opposite sides on what happens to Medicaid expansion if the federal match drops below 90 percent. Plus, Amendment L’s 60 percent threshold gets a look, Tupper digs into the surprisingly murky numbers behind mail-in ballots, and the crew finds out thousands of South Dakota habitat plates may not be putting a dime toward habitat conservation.

Then the knives come out inside the GOP. The Freedom Caucus fires back at Rep. Scott Odenbach over his post-primary assessment of the party, setting off a conversation about Republican infighting, voter turnout and what the new legislative landscape could look like in Pierre. And on the 25th anniversary of 9/11, the show closes on a different note as Murdoc, Crabtree and Tupper remember where they were, how the country changed and what Patriot Day means a generation later.

@DakotaTownHall

@Jakeshoenbeck

@MurdocJ

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Back again! This week on the show, SURF Executive Director Mike Headley and senior research scientist Dr. Marcus Horn take us nearly a mile underground for one of the strangest and most exciting science stories happening anywhere. We get into the LUX-ZEPLIN experiment, the mysterious single event that has dark matter researchers scratching their heads, what comes next as scientists dig into more data, and how the old Homestake Mine became America’s premier underground laboratory. Plus, Headley breaks down SURF’s massive economic footprint, its bipartisan support, and the multibillion-dollar neutrino experiment coming next.

Then Jessica Gilbertson of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network joins us for the politics. Amendment L is back, again, asking South Dakotans to raise the threshold for constitutional amendments to 60%, and opponents say voters have already made their feelings pretty clear. We also hit Medicaid expansion, Amendment I, the coming 2027 legislative fights, Taffy Howard’s ballot-guide blunder, Trump’s post-runoff Larry Rhoden endorsement, Kristi Noem firing back online, and the eternal Dakota Town Hall question: where’s the best burger in South Dakota?

@DakotaTownHall

@Jakeshoenbeck

@MurdocJ

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.