Two Bulls work with CASA will make her an effective legislator

RAPID CITY – Kehala Two Bulls accepted the nomination to replace South Dakota District 34 Senate candidate Michael Calabrese who recently resigned from his candidacy due to family reasons, according to a press release from the South Dakota Democratic Party Communications chair Paul Sauser.  On August 9, 2024, Two Bulls nomination was warmly welcomed by more than 35 people who gathered to witness District 34 Pennington County Chair Annie Bachand gavel in a motion to accept the nomination. Two Bulls launched her campaign at a well-attended event last Saturday evening at Canyon Lake Park.  She will represent west Rapid City and portions of Pennington County.

Two Bulls has never held elected office, but she believes her experience will make her an effective legislator. “I am, by training, a mental health counselor. I have a master’s degree in counseling therapy. I have worked in non-profit management for 13 years.” It’s that experience and her seven years as the executive director of the CASA program where she learned the kind of practical knowledge needed to be a productive legislator.

The CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) program provides court advocacy for children in foster care due to abuse and neglect. CASA works in collaboration with the National CASA Association and the South Dakota Unified Judicial System, State Court Administrator’s Office who are committed to providing leadership, support and encouragement to the state’s CASA programs so every child in the state can live in a safe and nurturing home. Judges appoint a trained CASA volunteer to represent the more than 600-thousand children who find themselves in foster care in this country. There were 700 children in South Dakota who received CASA volunteer services in 2023.

Two Bulls is not new to community service, “I have worked in a lot of different social services programs, and I have a lot of experience working with on-the-ground solutions that don’t involve growing government bureaucracy but does involve keeping systems accountable for the people. I have never held office, but I engage a lot with both the legislative process as well as working with other government agencies.”

Two Bulls didn’t actively seek out the opportunity to run for office but felt compelled to step up after multiple community members encouraged her to consider it following Calabrese’s resignation. She is running because she believes the community can achieve more by working together, and she wants to provide kind, effective leadership that serves everyone in the district. The enthusiastic response from attendees at her campaign events highlights the strong support Two Bulls has garnered, according to the District 34 Democratic Party. “I’ve always been interested in the legislative process and how it impacts daily life,” Two Bulls said. “After discussing it with my husband, we felt that running for office made a lot of sense.

Two Bulls is married to artist and educator Marty Two Bulls Jr. who is an enrolled member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe. Marty Two Bulls Jr. was recently named Artist in Residence at the Sandford Underground Research Facility (SURF).

Two Bulls said meeting the needs of the residents of District 34 will be her goal. “District 34 is primarily residential and small businesses. We have a lot of great public space and a lot of park space. There’s a lot going for District 34. We need infrastructure support to keep being a place where working families can live and people can enjoy that public space, whether they live in District 34 or elsewhere.”

As for her role as a legislator, Two Bulls believes it takes a tremendous amount of listening and curiosity “to really understand where everyone is at and what their concerns and challenges are. When I reach out to elected officials whether it’s a legislator or a school board member or whatnot, whether we agree or disagree, it always makes an impression on me when people do respond. I would want to remember that and model that and engage with people whether we have different opinions, different concerns or the same ones, I would really want to expand my understanding of where everyone is at and what they are worried about for their futures.”

Two Bulls said legislators must consider the specific issues and values that impact their constituents. “We need to think about elders and people living on fixed incomes. We need to think about affordability issues for families.” She said there is always more to learn but because she has worked in children’s and family services, she understands the support systems needed for working families to thrive. “Our community faces challenges.” She said the community must pursue both short-term partnerships and long-term workforce development strategies. “Affordable housing is crucial to retaining skilled workers.” She said these things are necessary to foster a vibrant local economy. “But people need affordable housing so they can stay here and work here. There are resources that keep skilled people in our community.”

Two Bulls explained the necessity of planning and how not planning can be costly. “It is crucial that we proactively safeguard our natural resources and plan for potential events or emergencies. Being proactive through careful planning is much more cost-effective than reacting after an incident has already occurred. As a community with limited wealth, we need to prioritize maintaining a balanced budget. Effective budgeting requires strategic foresight rather than reckless spending on damage control after the fact.” She emphasized prudent resource management to mitigate impacts through affordable preventative measures, instead of being forced into costly reactive spending due to lack of preparedness. “A thoughtful, preemptive approach saves resources in the long run compared to dealing with the consequences of inadequate planning.”

Recent research in forestry management and fire prevention suggests that completely preventing all fires may not be the optimal approach. “Instead, there are various techniques we can employ to protect structures and communities from wildfire threats while allowing some level of beneficial fire on the landscape.” She said managers and stewards need to be open to learning about traditional Indigenous practices of forest stewardship and prescribed burning. Many are revisiting these time-honored methods of managing fire-adapted ecosystems. “The key to continuing to evolve our understanding through ongoing study, while drawing wisdom from Indigenous forest management interfaces that coexisted with period fire for centuries before modern fire suppression policies.

The Democratic Party is hopeful that Two Bulls can bring about positive change.

Two Bulls opponent is Republican Taffy Howard. Each district has one senator and two representatives.

(Contact Marnie Cook at cookm8715@gmail.com)

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