Dakota Town Hall

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

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

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

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

Back again! With Murdoc off in Alaska, Ryan Budmayr jumps into the co-host chair alongside Jake for a packed conversation with Senators Tim Reed and Ernie Otten. We get into South Dakota’s EMS system and the warning that the current model is starting to “implode,” as rural communities lose volunteers, ambulance services pull back and lawmakers look toward regionalization. Plus, what that fight could mean for combining county services, who ultimately pays the bill and why lawmakers say this may finally be the year something gets across the finish line. We also hit South Dakota’s child care crunch, the workforce squeeze and the push to connect early childhood investment with literacy and long-term public safety. Then it’s a prison construction update, parole and recidivism concerns, economic development incentives, the changing makeup of the Legislature and an early look at what could drive the 2027 session. With no obvious political firestorm dominating the summer, the question becomes what fight Pierre finds next.@DakotaTownHall @Jakeshoenbeck @MurdocJ

Back again! Democratic gubernatorial candidate Dan Ahlers hits the campaign trail and joins Jake and Murdoc to make his case for shaking up 50 years of one-party control in Pierre. Ahlers talks running mate Steve McCleerey, childcare assistance, affordability, young voters, his pitch for political balance and the attacks already coming his way. Plus, he fires back at the “Biden-endorsed” label, talks crossing political lines to show up at Citizens for Liberty, and reveals the campaign trail’s most important metric: who has the best burger. Then historian Jon Lauck joins the show to talk The Missouri: America’s Longest River and his new role leading Augustana’s Center for Western Studies. We get into the forgotten history, outlaws and wild stories hiding along the Missouri before Jake and Murdoc close things out with the fallout from Julian Beaudion’s exit, his accusations against the South Dakota Democratic Party, the push for more airport funding and Logan Manhart’s latest move out of South Dakota.@DakotaTownHall @Jakeshoenbeck @MurdocJ

Back again! Rep. Nicole Uhre-Balk and Sen. Randy Deibert join Jake and Murdoc for a West River-heavy show, starting with Dan Ahlers’ lieutenant governor pick, Steve McCleerey, and what the Democratic ticket is trying to build heading into November. We get into the fallout from the GOP governor’s race, Deibert’s big question about Toby Doeden’s “Save South Dakota” pitch, the RINO wars inside the Republican Party, and what the next Legislature could look like. Plus, a tribute to longtime Rapid City legislator and community leader Stan Adelstein. We also hit the Sturgis Rally, Mount Rushmore’s $2.8 million fireworks show and whether the tourism payoff justified the price and wildfire risk. Then it’s Flock cameras, privacy, AI surveillance and Attorney General Marty Jackley’s push for new guardrails. And of course, there’s the strange story of South Dakota lawmakers heading to Washington, Travis Ismay reportedly getting turned away from the White House, Kristi Noem’s new Pierre statue, speculation about a future U.S. Senate run, and the long-awaited return of the Dakota Town Hall burger map.@DakotaTownHall @Jakeshoenbeck @MurdocJ

Back again! This week on the show, we trade the campaign trail for Main Street Sturgis as legendary moto journalist Marilyn Stemp joins us alongside Dakota Scout co-founder Joe Sneve to unpack the 86-year history of the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. We get into how a small motorcycle race grew into one of America's biggest events, the evolution from racing to concerts and camping, the Buffalo Chip's rise, why Sturgis remains unlike any other rally in the country, and the massive economic impact that stretches far beyond the Black Hills. Plus, we talk about the future of motorcycling, why getting kids on two wheels matters, and the museum's efforts to preserve rally history, including this year's Pearl's Jam celebration honoring women who helped shape the sport. And of course, we close the show with a return to politics as Joe Sneve breaks down Julian Beaudion's surprise exit from the congressional race, new details about Dusty Johnson's behind-the-scenes role in the GOP runoff, and a few thoughts on Governor Noem's new statue.@DakotaTownHall@Jakeshoenbeck@MurdocJ