Protecting the US Senate’s home-state prerogative in land use fights is essential for South Dakota

By: Brad Johnson

Outlets: South Dakota Searchlight

Published: March 2, 2026

Words: 722

Last Updated: 1 week, 2 days ago

Body Text Preview

Twenty years ago, the Base Realignment and Closure Commission gave Ellsworth Air Force Base a 12% chance of survival.

Washington technocrats had their charts and “authorities.” They didn’t have Box Elder on a map and probably couldn’t find it if they tried.

Then-freshman Sen. John Thune and then-Gov. Mike Rounds refused to accept that distant bureaucrats understood the strategic value of western South Dakota better than the people who live there. They challenged faulty assumptions, …

Create a free account to access this story and more

Join Plucky Wire to access full stories, collaborate with newsrooms, and discover content from networks around the world.

Email Us