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Memories Of Christmas
A column by Gov. Dennis Daugaard:

I have many fond memories of Christmas. One year, I remember singing Christmas carols in Dell Rapids with my 4-H club. Afterward, we ended the evening at the Lutheran Church where we sang Silent Night with all the lights out and only the Christmas tree lit.

Some of my memories are of the one-room country school I attended as a child. Every year, all eight grades joined together to perform in a Christmas program. We stretched a wire across the front of the schoolroom and hung burlap curtains. When the curtain opened, Mrs. Hainje played the piano and we’d sing songs, or we’d recite poems, or perform little one-act plays. Our program lasted about an hour or two, and every year, my parents faithfully attended.

When I was in eighth grade the country school closed, and I began to ride the bus to school in Dell Rapids. I joined band, and when we had band concerts at Christmas time, my parents would always come to those too. We’d assemble on the stage in the gym, and all the parents sat on grey folding chairs in rows on the gym floor. I remember looking out into the crowd to find them, and they were always there. I also sang in the chorus, and my parents came to those concerts too.

Now, you may be thinking: That’s nothing special, parents should always come to their children’s Christmas concerts – and that’s true. What’s unusual, though, is that my parents didn’t come to hear me perform. You see, my dad couldn’t hear at all, and my mother could barely hear anything either. They were both deaf.

They came to those concerts and sat, sometimes for hours, not hearing a thing. Concert after concert, year after year, they came – not because they could hear me, but rather because I could see them. They came to show that they loved and cared about me.

Among all my Christmas memories – whether of a special gift I received or of a favorite dish at dinner – it was my parents and my sisters who made Christmas special. Christmas was a meaningful time of year because I celebrated it with the people I loved, and who loved me.

For some, the holidays are a difficult time. The parents of a son or daughter serving abroad, the person who just received a grim diagnosis, or the family who recently lost a loved one may not be looking forward to Christmas this year. This season, remember others like that. Do what you can for the sick and the poor and the lonely. Go Christmas caroling at the nursing home, invite someone new over for Christmas dinner, call that friend you haven’t heard from in a while or give to a family in need. As my parents taught me, at Christmastime you don’t just show up to the concert to hear the music. You’re there to show that you care.

Merry Christmas.

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Merry Christmas to everyone from South Dakota’s Governor Dennis Daugaard and family, via his Christmas card for 2017:

Today, Things Got Better for Americans, Says Noem of Trump’s Tax Reform Bill Signing

Washington, D.C. – Rep. Kristi Noem today applauded President Donald J. Trump on his signing of H.R.1, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Noem was instrumental in crafting the legislation as a member of the House Ways and Means Committee and then a member of the small negotiating team that made the final deal. A farmer, rancher, small business owner and mother, Noem fought to double the Child Tax Credit, maintain the Child Care Credit, provide ag producers with better expensing tools, and lower tax rates across the board.

“I’ve thought back often on the South Dakotans I’ve met who have asked when it was going to get better. Today, things got better for the American people,” said Noem. “I am proud to have fought beside President Trump for a tax reform plan that puts real money in people’s pockets. A family of four in South Dakota making $54,000 will see a difference in their after-tax income of at least $1,600. That’s $1,600 that can go back into our state and our communities, rather than into the greedy hands of Washington. I thank President Trump for his leadership and for working with us to give the American people more control over their paychecks.”

The average household income in South Dakota is $54,000. Under current law, that family of four would face an $833 tax liability. Through the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, however, the standard deduction is doubled, meaning the first $24,000 they earn would now be tax free. The Child Tax Credit is also doubled to $2,000 per child. And tax rates are lowered for that family to 12 percent. As a result, that same family would now receive a $781 tax refund, meaning there is a $1,614 difference in after-tax income.

Additionally, families can still take advantage of the Child Care Credit, home mortgage interest deduction, Adoption Tax Credit, charitable contribution deduction, and popular retirement savings options. The medical expense deduction and 529 Education Savings Accounts have also been enhanced.

Noem served as the only farmer/rancher on the final negotiating team, making her a critical advocate for South Dakota’s number one industry. The legislation gives producers access to enhanced expensing tools, immediate deductibility, and like-kind exchanges. It also creates a 20 percent small business deduction that will benefit many farms and ranches as well as agricultural cooperatives. Death Tax exemption levels are also doubled, although Noem continues to push for full repeal.

State of South Dakota Files Final Brief in United States Supreme Court Tax Fairness Case

PIERRE, S.D. – Attorney General Marty Jackley confirmed today that the State  of South Dakota has filed its final Reply Brief in State of South Dakota v. Wayfair, Overstock and Newegg.

“Based upon the significant impact this issue has on every main street business, it remains my hope that our highest Court will let us be heard. We have received extraordinary support from the State Attorneys General, the National Governors Association, educational leaders, and the business community in the national fight to bring tax fairness for our local retailers and to help support main street businesses,” said Jackley.

With the filing of the Reply Brief, it is now up to the United States Supreme Court to decide whether it will hear the case.  The Court will likely make this decision in January.

Reply Brief in State of South Dakota v. Wayfair, Overstock and Newegg

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Is it a miracle that Government was moved to help out a church in need? Probably not, but it makes a nice Christmas Story as State Senator Al Novstrup and US Senator John Thune helped out a church in Aberdeen with their nativity scene:

The feds were holding up the 9-month-old dromedary who lives on a farm east of Pierre. His owner, Mike Roman, had canceled Walter’s appearance because Roman hadn’t been able to attain an exhibitor’s permit in time to display the exotic animal. Roman notified the Aberdeen church that Walter wouldn’t be joining Cocoa the donkey and a lamb who had been provided by other farmers.

The church staff was discussing the unfortunate cancellation and that fodder made it’s way to Al Novstrup’s ear. The state senator is also a long-time member of the church and tapped some connections for Roman and Walter. The inquiry made its way to U.S. Sen. John Thune’s local office and eventually to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

“Between everyone talking to each other, it’s my understanding the Department of Agriculture called Mike and said, ‘We can solve that, that’s no problem of all,’” Novstrup said.

Read that all here.

Rounds Statement on CFPB Decision to Delay HMDA Enforcement

WASHINGTON—U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), a member of the Senate Banking Committee, today issued the following statement on the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) announcement to delay enforcement of the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act:

“As the Senate sponsor of the Home Mortgage Disclosure Adjustment Act, I am keenly aware of the burden that HMDA data reporting requirements pose for small banks and credit unions in South Dakota. Today’s decision to delay penalties for the collection of HMDA data will give the Senate enough time to consider the Senate Banking Committee’s economic growth legislation, which includes my provision that would provide a long-term fix for this problem. This will allow banks to focus on servicing consumers rather than on complying with unneeded federal reporting regulations. I thank Acting CFPB Director Mulvaney for his leadership on this issue and look forward to getting our economic growth legislation signed into law.”

Today, the CFPB announced it will not require HMDA data resubmission unless errors are material, nor will the CFPB assess penalties with respect to errors for data collected in 2018 and reported in 2019. The Bureau also announced it intends to open a rulemaking to reconsider changes made to the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act by the Dodd-Frank Act. Senator Rounds’ Home Mortgage Disclosure Adjustment Act, S. 1310, provides an exemption from new HMDA data reporting requirements for small financial institutions that originate 500 closed-end mortgage loans or 500 open-end lines of credit.

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The Legislative Research Council is beginning the process of posting pre-filed legislation on their website, mainly coming from the work of interim committees over the course of the past year.  In case you’re interested in seeing what legislators will be discussing early on in the session, here’s the list as of this morning:

House Bill

House Joint Resolution

Senate Bill

Senate Joint Resolution