Thursday, March 26th
5:30 Food and Social Hour,
Meeting at 6:30-7:30
Thunder Road Event Center, 201 N. Kiwanis Ave., Sioux Falls, SD 57104

Thursday, November 13. Food and Social Hour 5:30, Meeting 6:30-7:30 in the Balcony (through the west door and up the stairs. )

Thunder Road Event Center, 201 N. Kiwanis Ave, SF, SD 57104

Sunday, Sept. 21

Doors Open at Noon • Local Speakers at 12:45pm CST

Funeral Livestream at 1:00pm CST

Public Welcome

Ramkota - Grand Rushmore Room

3200 W Maple St, Sioux Falls, SD 57107

Learn more, sign the petition, or carry a petition and collect signatures here: Stop The Opt Out Facebook Page

The Sioux Falls School District (five elected School Board members) unanimously passed a resolution on June 23 to opt out of the tax cap imposed by a statute in the general fund. This opt out is for $2,100,000 each year for ten years ($21,000,000). It’s important to understand that this is on top other opt outs that total well over $170,000,000 since 2017.

It’s time for voters to act! State law allows for referendum where voters can petition to have the opt out brought to a public vote.

6,500 confirmed petition signatures needed (5% of registered voters in the school district) and due by July 17, at 5 pm.

Read the Resolution: The GOVERNING BOARD OF THE SIOUX FALLS SCHOOL DISTRICT 49-5 do state that the above said Board is unable to operate under the tax limitation measure currently in statute in the general fund. We therefore OPT OUT of such tax limitation in the amount of $2,100,000 starting with the calendar year 2025 taxes payable in calendar year 2026. This opt out will be for ten years, which will be through taxes payable in calendar year 2035. This action has been taken by the Board and approved by at least two-thirds vote of the Board.

The IM is being refined with the SD Legislative Research Council, and our guests are traveling across the state educating voters on an alternative option to property taxes that will not impact the amount of revenue in the state budget.

“Thank you, Adam, and Patriot Ripple Effect for what you've done for this state. From the VAX mandate protests to the pipeline, Amendment G, and protecting life, you’ve made a difference. There are people alive today in part because of this organization. What you’ve shown is when we stick together, focus on what unites us, and fight, we can win. And even when we don’t win right away, we fail together—and we rise together. It’s been an honor to be part of it.” - Jon Hansen

Hansen Lems Campaign Website

Transcript

Narrator
Welcome to The Patriot Ripple Effect, a conservative grassroots podcast discussing the politics and policy most impacting South Dakota. Let's join our host.

Adam Broin
This is Adam Broin with Patriot Ripple Effect. I am pleased to be here today with Speaker Jon Hansen and Speaker Pro Tempore Karla Lems.

Jon Hansen
How are you doing, Adam? Thanks for having us.

Adam Broin
As I was thinking about our conversation today, I’ve been reflecting on how you two really represent a paradigm shift in South Dakota politics. Until recently—at least in my memory—most politicians in South Dakota primarily represented business interests, the Chamber of Commerce, and so on. But no one has really captured the grassroots like you two have. I'm excited for today's discussion. I'm very passionate about grassroots politics myself, so why don’t you kick things off, Jon?

Jon Hansen
Yeah, it’s funny you say “captured the grassroots.” For me, it’s not so much about capturing anything—it’s just being part of the grassroots. It’s who we are. I never came from a background in politics or money or establishment circles. I was just a guy who saw a particular issue—at the time, it was the life issue—and it disturbed me so much that I felt compelled to act. That’s how a lot of folks in the grassroots find their way into this crazy world of politics.
Over the last five years or so—maybe it was COVID, or the pipeline issue, or something else—these moments arise where people are just living their lives and something happens that makes them say, “No, I’m not going to stand for that.” That was me. And once you're in, more and more issues arise—COVID, the pipeline, woke ideology—and you just keep fighting. That’s what it’s all about.

Adam Broin
Love that. Karla, how about you? What was your impetus?

Karla Lems
I grew up in a very patriotic family. Politics and God were regular dinner table conversations. We always recognized Veterans Day, Memorial Day, and especially the Fourth of July with big celebrations at our farm. We often invited people from town and even hosted politicians for meet-and-greets.
So I was exposed to that environment. Not every day or even every year, but enough to make an impact. We were a very Republican family.
I started getting more involved in county-level politics around 2014 or 2015. And then, around 2020, things got really strange—whether it was the election, January 6, or just the overall political atmosphere. I was on the Central Committee at the time and began to realize not everyone who claimed to be Republican actually stood by the platform. That was eye-opening.
At the same time, there was an open seat in my district, and I felt like it was time to get more involved.

Adam Broin
That’s awesome. Talk about your journey since then—running for office and where you are now.

Karla Lems
I didn’t get involved because of one specific issue, but the property rights issue quickly became central for me. Before I was even elected, I received a letter about the pipeline coming through our area, our family's land included. So I had already decided to run, and this issue just hit home.
In 2023, once I was in Pierre, landowners approached me asking if I’d run a bill for them. I was scared to death! I knew nothing about how to do that. But I felt strongly about property rights and the constitutional right to own and hold property. Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness used to be life, liberty, and property. George Washington said, “Liberty and property are inseparable.”
It's not about being anti-business. I'm totally pro–free market. But when the government starts picking winners and losers through subsidies, we’ve got to ask: Is this constitutional? If we can answer that correctly, we can move forward. Jon and I have both worked on many such issues over the past few years. It’s been quite the ride.

Adam Broin
Absolutely. Jon, let’s go back to you, what are the issues you're most passionate about in this campaign?

Jon Hansen
It starts with what I’ve seen in the legislature. You’d think in a red state like South Dakota, we’d have easy wins on things like fairness in women’s sports, protecting kids from harmful medical interventions, defending property rights, and protecting life. But instead, we have to fight tooth and nail. People from all over the state come to Pierre, plead with their legislators, and still sometimes don’t get results.
That’s why I’m passionate about making South Dakota a place where conservative values rooted in biblical truth are at the forefront. Faith, family, and freedom should be reflected in our government.
Right now, we’re dealing with huge property tax burdens. Grandparents on fixed incomes, young families, recent grads trying to afford their first home—all of them are struggling. Reducing that burden is a priority.
Property rights are still under attack, especially from federal overreach. Election integrity also remains an issue—we’ve seen too many scandals involving state employees embezzling funds. We need accountability in government. What sets Karla and me apart is that we’ve been in the trenches. We’ve fought these battles. We’re proven conservatives, and you can count on us to continue fighting, no matter what comes.

Adam Broin
We’re recording this in May, only a few months after what I’d call a fantastic session in Pierre for our movement. What were some of your favorite victories?

Karla Lems
Well, definitely HB 1052—again, not to harp only on property rights, but that was a huge win. We’ve been fighting that battle for three years. I carried the bill in 2023, Jon carried a similar one in 2024, and this session we finally got it across the finish line.
We also saw several election integrity bills pass, thanks in part to new legislators and a new committee makeup under Jon’s leadership. In 2023, I couldn’t even get a residency bill out of committee. This year, those bills got fair hearings and many were signed into law.

Jon Hansen
Yes, residency is a great example. We had people voting in South Dakota elections who had never lived here—just rented a mailbox. I saw entire absentee request lists with out-of-state addresses. One man lived in Germany, worked for the federal government, had never been to South Dakota, and still voted here.
Representative Tony Randolph helped pass strong legislation this session to end that loophole. Now, only South Dakotans will vote in South Dakota elections.

Adam Broin
That’s wild. I’d never heard the Germany story. So what’s the next big fight?

Jon Hansen
Property taxes. It’s the issue I hear about the most. Families are struggling. We have to cut government spending to provide real tax relief.
When I entered the legislature in 2011, we had a $127 million deficit and solved it by cutting 10% of the budget—not raising taxes. We can do that again. Real relief doesn’t come from tax shifts—it comes from spending cuts.
We need to put more money in people’s pockets, not government’s. The government's gotten too big. Let’s reverse that trend and reprioritize people.

Adam Broin
Exactly. The dollar is better spent by the family trying to start a life here than by the government leasing office space for $300 million. That kind of reform could make a real difference.

Jon Hansen
Yes, like the “One-Stop” building in Sioux Falls, we're leasing for $300 million over 30 years, and at the end, we own nothing. Compare that to buying an empty Citibank building for $34 million. It’s a no-brainer. We’re also wasting money trying to lure companies with subsidies—like Tru Shrimp. Millions spent, and they never came. That’s not conservative governance. We need to cut waste and let the free market work.

Karla Lems
I think Speaker Hansen could also implement a South Dakota version of DOGE oversight. There’s a misconception that there’s no appetite in the state for cuts or transparency, but there absolutely is. People want accountability. We’ve seen embezzlement cases, and the Attorney General is pursuing them. We owe it to South Dakotans to be careful and transparent with their hard-earned tax dollars.

Jon Hansen
Absolutely. And thank you, Adam, and Patriot Ripple Effect for what you've done for this state. From the VAX mandate protests to the pipeline, Amendment G, and protecting life, you’ve made a difference. There are people alive today in part because of this organization. What you’ve shown is when we stick together, focus on what unites us, and fight, we can win. And even when we don’t win right away, we fail together—and we rise together. It’s been an honor to be part of it.

Adam Broin
That’s a perfect way to end this podcast. Thank you for your kind words, and thank you both for being here, and for what you're doing for our state.

Narrator
Thanks for listening. Join us next time on Patriot Ripple Effect, or visit us at patriotrippleeffect.com.

Thursday, June 12 • 6:30 pm- 7:30 pm • Social at 6:00 pm

Public is welcome!

Thunder Road Event Center • 201 N. Kiwanis Ave, Sioux Falls, SD 57104