Thune Statement on Senate Democrats’ Vote to Block 20-Week Abortion Ban

Thune Statement on Senate Democrats’ Vote to Block 20-Week Abortion Ban

“Today, Democrats voted to keep the United States as one of only seven countries in the world, including China and North Korea, that allow elective abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy – an age at which the baby can feel pain.”

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today released the following statement after Senate Democrats voted to block the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, Thune-supported legislation that would protect unborn children who have reached the age of 20 weeks from being killed by abortion.

“Every child, born and unborn, should be protected in law,” said Thune. “Today, Democrats voted to keep the United States as one of only seven countries in the world, including China and North Korea, that allow elective abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy – an age at which the baby can feel pain. While the outcome of today’s vote is not what I had hoped for, the fact remains that a majority of the U.S. Senate and a majority of the American people agree with what we’re trying to do, and I will continue to be a voice for the most vulnerable among us and support efforts in Congress to get this bill passed.”

Earlier this month, Thune delivered a speech on the March for Life, the annual event that brings tens of thousands of Americans to Washington, D.C., to stand up for the right to life. He discussed why now is the time to pass legislation like the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act.

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Rounds Statement on Senate Vote on Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act

Rounds Statement on Senate Vote on Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act

WASHINGTON—U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), an original cosponsor of the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, today made the following statement after it failed to receive enough votes to advance in the Senate:

“We have an obligation to defend the dignity of all life, from conception to natural death,” said Rounds. “Unborn children feel pain at the 20 week mark of pregnancy, and are even able to begin to hear at that point in the second trimester. The United States is one of only seven countries, including China and North Korea, which allows abortions after 20 weeks. I am proud to have been an original cosponsor of this legislation. Despite today’s failed vote, I will continue fighting for an end to this inhumane practice.”

The Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act would limit abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy, as it has been found that unborn children can feel pain at that stage of pregnancy. Exceptions are included for rape, incest or to save the mother’s life.

Rounds was also an original cosponsor of the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act when it was introduced during the previous congress.

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Ten Haken for Mayor of Sioux Falls releases “2026 plan” outlining challenges and goals for next 8 years

The Paul Ten Haken for Mayor campaign in Sioux Falls released a document today with the candidate’s “2026 plan” outlining his plan for Sioux Falls for the next eight years:

TenHaken+for+Mayor+2026+Plan by Pat Powers on Scribd

Ten Haken notes in the introduction “The next eight years will be transformative for our city. As our community continues to grow its population across various demographic and sociographic segments, that growth will bring challenges and opportunities requiring a mayor with vision and executive leadership experience – one who has run businesses, grown large teams, managed multi-million dollar budgets, and has demonstrated effective leadership in our community.

You can download the document from his website here.

Release: Jamison Turns in Petitions to Qualify on April 10 Mayoral Ballot

Jamison Turns in Petitions to Qualify on April 10 Mayoral Ballot

SIOUX FALLS, SD – January 29, 2018 – South Dakota State Representative and former two-term city councilman, Greg Jamison, turned in his nominating petitions to the Sioux Falls City Clerk at 8:10 a.m. this morning to qualify to have his name officially on the ballot for the April 10th Sioux Falls City Mayor’s race.

Friday, January 26, was the first day nominating petitions were allowed to be taken out to collect signatures.  Jamison turned in 20 pages of petitions today, and is the first mayoral candidate to turn in his nominating petitions.

Candidates who desire to be on the Sioux Falls mayoral ballot have until 5 p.m. on February 23rd to collect the 200 signatures needed to qualify for inclusion on the ballot.  The official petitions have space for 20 registered voters to nominate the candidate.

While some see the petition gathering as a legal formality, Jamison understands the value of generating community support for his campaign.

“This is a very exciting day for our campaign and Sioux Falls taxpayers,” Jamison said, “I promised a grassroots campaign when announcing my candidacy and this shows our campaign is ready to win on April 10th.”

“I’m the only candidate who can bring people in our city together.  I have big plans for Sioux Falls and possess the vision and experience to lead ourcity into the future,” Jamison added.

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Release: Jackley Leads All Candidates in Fundraising for 2017

From the Campaign:

Jackley Leads All Candidates in Fundraising for 2017

PIERRE, SD: South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley announced his campaign for governor raised over $1 million in 2017, 92 percent of which came from South Dakotans. The historic number breaks the single-year record for money raised by a gubernatorial campaign in a South Dakota primary.

“This is a campaign by South Dakotans for South Dakotans,” Jackley said. “The outpouring of support from across the state is humbling, and the fact that nearly all of our donations have come from South Dakota shows just how much momentum we have moving forward.”

Marty Jackley for Governor raised $920,016.99 in 2017 and Friends of Marty Jackley raised $118,000 for a combined total of $1,038,016.99.

Jackley led all gubernatorial candidates with the highest total raised and the highest percent of contributions from individual donors.  Jackley also received the least amount of PAC contributions.

“Our campaign is being funded by South Dakotans,” Jackley said. “I don’t think South Dakotans want out-of-state special interests picking their new governor. That’s why we’re running a positive, visionary campaign built on ideas that come from the people who live here.”

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How do the numbers stack up in Noem v. Jackley?

How do the numbers stack up in the contest of Congresswoman Kristi Noem versus Attorney General Marty Jackley as each pursue the Governor’s chair?  Here’s a simple head to head of their main campaign committee’s efforts in the latest campaign finance filing:

Kristi Noem Marty Jackley
Starting Balance  $1,807,135.40  $1,000,922.28
INCOME
Unitemized Contributions $58,656.51 $30,340.18
Itemized Contributions $695,659.41 $812,002.74
Loans Made to this Committee $0.00 $0.00
Contributions from Entities $0.00 $8,000.00
Contributions from Political Parties $0.00 $0.00
Contributions from In-State Political  Action Committees $0.00 $30,500.00
Contributions from Ballot Question Committees $0.00 $0.00
Contributions from Out-of-State or Federal Political Action Committees $75,500.00 $36,000.00
Contributions from Candidate Committees $68,500.00 $2,590.00
Other Income $2,436.05 $584.07
TOTAL INCOME $900,751.97 $920,016.99
EXPENSES
Operational Expenditures $565,192.56 $366,994.85
Contributions to Candidates and/or Committees $1,000.00 $1,000.00
Independent Communication Expenditures $0.00 $0.00
Ending Balance $2,141,694.81 $1,552,944.42

There’s also the matter of the candidates’ other committees to take into account. Marty Jackley has a Political Action Committee which is raising money which will likely go towards the campaign, and Kristi has her Federal Account, which she uses for her Congressional activity… which could contribute towards her Gubernatorial effort.

But as it sits, both of these candidates are competing hard. And it doesn’t take a crystal ball to predict that it’s going to get intense.

Kristi Noem for Governor in 2017: $901K raised, $566k Spent, $2.1 M Cash on Hand

The Year End report for Kristi Noem for Governor is finally posted, and it appears that this race is going to be the challenge everyone expected.

Kristi Noem for Governor 2017 Year End Report by Pat Powers on Scribd

In the race for Governor, Congresswoman Noem (who I ran into at the Sioux Falls Airport this AM), has posted that in 2017, she raised $900,75.97, Spent $566,192.56, and ended the year with $2,141,694.81 Cash on Hand.

More to come…

Marty Jackley for Governor 2017 Year End Report: 920k Raised 368k Spent, 1.55M Cash on Hand.

Here’s one of the two Campaign Finance Reports that everyone is looking for. Here’s Marty Jackley for Governor’s Year End Report for 2017:

Jackley for Governor 2017 Year End Campaign Finance Filing by Pat Powers on Scribd

Jackley for Governor raised $920,016 during the 2017 reporting period, with $367,994.95 spent, leaving him $1,552,944.42 Cash on Hand for the 2018 Election year.

Stay tuned for Kristi Noem’s Report!

SD’s Pot Queen calling self ‘pro-life Democrat’ in running for State House, despite trying to legalize suicide.

I swear you can’t make this stuff up.

South Dakota’s Queen Bee of legalizing pot, Melissa Mentele, just announced she’s running for District 19 State House as “Your Pro-Life, 2nd Amendment Supporting Conservative Democratic Candidate.” She notes in her announcement:

I have decided against switching and will be running as a Democratic candidate. I feel that switching parties would have been dishonest and would start a relationship with voters that was tainted by a lie. That goes against everything I believe in. Honesty and Transparency are the key to the start of any good relationship.

I pride myself on being an honest and trustworthy person. I hope you will take the time to get to know me and my values before you write me off because of a D behind my name.

It is going to be fun getting to know each other.

Sincerely,

Melissa Mentele

Your Pro-Life, 2nd Amendment Supporting Conservative Democratic Candidate

I think you are going to like me.

Read that here.

Now I can’t say I have any insight as to her position on the Second Amendment. But I do feel fairly safe in pointing out if you were one of the prime people behind trying to put a measure on the ballot to legalize killing grandma via assisted suicide, then by no stretch of the imagination can you consider yourself pro-life. It would be the opposite. You would be pro-death. I would almost guarantee groups such as South Dakota Right to Life might take some offense at her trying to paint herself otherwise.

But that might have been too honest a statement for the not-so-conservative Democrat.

Update… just because I had to check, here’s some further information on Mentele’s position on being “pro-life” from the 2016 South Dakota Right to Life Voter’s Guide:

So… I’m not sure where promoting Grandma Killing, and declaring that she’s “pro having the choice” exactly qualifies for calling yourself pro-life?