Just saw this on Facebook where my friend Julie Gross with Lake Area Improvement Corporation in Madison just received an appointment from President Trump as announced by Secretary of Ag Sonny Perdue:
Julie and I worked together waaaay back when I was a Student Reserve Officer with the SDSU University Police writing parking tickets and she worked in the office. A well deserved honor for a great person.
In case your travels find you in Rapid City on Wednesday, GOP Congressional Candidate Dusty Johnson is having a meet & greet from 5-7 at the Alex Johnson. Flyer below:
Attorney General Marty Jackley was out in Rapid City yesterday for Veterans’ Day, both appearing in the parade, and giving a speech a a Veterans’ Day Event.
In an article at ArgusLeader.com this morning, apparently lawmakers are set to give raising their salaries another go for the first time in nearly 20 years:
The South Dakota Executive Board on Monday is set to consider a resolution that would tie lawmakers’ paychecks to the state’s median household income. And that would likely mean a 70 percent raise for the state’s 105 lawmakers.
Currently, South Dakota legislators receive $6,000 a year in addition to per diem payments and some reimbursement for mileage.
The resolution’s supporters want to set legislator salaries at one-fifth of the most recent median household income. According to the 2015 U.S. Census, South Dakota’s median household income was $50,957 for that year, which would put lawmakers’ salaries around $10,191 annually.
The raise is warranted, supporters said, as lawmakers haven’t seen their salaries grow since 1998, though per diem has inched up over the last two decades. Their buying power is at the lowest rate since the current payment mechanism was adopted in 1946, according to the Legislative Research Council, and some are struggling to make ends meet under the current salary.
While South Dakota’s legislative salaries are among the lowest in the nation and probably should be increased, as a stand alone item salary increases for our elected officials tend to be rejected by voters, as well as being the subject of grandstanding by those who are in campaign mode against those who supported it.
Coming in a year when we’re likely to have a long ballot when looking at the number of voter proposed measures to appear, some may argue against it on that basis, claiming that the sheer number of initiated measures is validation that they don’t deserve it, despite the measures on the ballot not having been brought to the legislative body first.
And it may face further opposition if certain groups come out with an effort to tell voters “Vote No on Everything” (VNOE for short).
Looking at it cynically, one might wonder if this is a bit of a chess move to counter the VNOE movement, as the tech school measure in 2016 caused similar dissent among those who considered banding together to oppose everything, but abandoned the idea because of popular support for tech schools.
Stay tuned. 2018 could get even more interesting, if that was possible.
Here’s one that is going to send some heads spinning:
400+ bills passed out of the House this year. Hoping to add #TaxReform to the list next. Here’s how our productivity stacks up… pic.twitter.com/bIIcWbebHg
— Rep. Kristi Noem (@RepKristiNoem) November 10, 2017
Over the past 11 months, the US House has been cranking out the conservative work, with a list of 400+ bills – including a repeal/replacement of Obamacare, pro-life provisions, the resources needed to fulfill President Trump’s border wall proposal, regulatory rollbacks, and much more.
Your thoughts?
The (likely Stace Nelson ran) GOP Accountability Project that has put out report cards that only Stace Nelson uses as reference was lobbing insults a couple of weeks ago via facebook at the Governor and outgoing Secretary of Education Melody Schopp:
Um. Yeah.. the insult kind of falls flat if you know Katy Perry wasn’t the one who sang “Call me maybe.” (Maybe Stace should vote more funding for arts education this next session?)
From The Democrat website Drinking Liberally Sioux Falls:
Turning to the South Dakota Democratic Party (SDDP), in September we noted that Democratic voter registration declined statewide from a high of 38.4% of all registered voters in 2009 to a current low of 30.5% today. In absolute terms, the Republican registration advantage over Democrats increased by 48,567, from 36,688 in 2009 to 85,231 today giving the GOP an average advantage of 2436 votes in each of South Dakota’s 35 legislative districts.
We are happy to report that, since September, the SDDP has reversed this trend and lowered the Republican advantage by 24 voters. I congratulate the SDDP. At this rate, Democrats will reach parity with Republicans in about 670 years. Patience is the word.
Good to hear South Dakota Democrats are making progress, and are ready for the 2688 election cycle 670 years from now.
For Many South Dakota Families, Every Day is Veterans Day
By Sen. John Thune
For South Dakota families that have a loved one who is either currently serving in the military, has already hung up his or her uniform, or whose beloved service member is no longer with us, every day is Veterans Day. These family members are proud of their mom or dad, son or daughter, and every day is an opportunity to celebrate and honor them. Speaking from personal experience, there isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t think about my dad and his service to the nation during World War II. And as the world has become increasingly complex and dangerous, I am reminded daily of the freedoms and security we enjoy because of the selfless service of our veterans across our state and nation.
For folks without a family connection to a veteran or the military in general, the level of respect is no less. Veterans are an integral part of our community – they’re our colleagues, our friends, and our neighbors. No matter the connection, though, every November 11, we all pause to draw special attention to the service and sacrifice made by the men and women in uniform who have served or continue to serve here and around the world.
While Veterans Day is a time for ceremonies and parades, it’s also an opportunity for all of us to reflect on the sacrifice America’s war heroes have made over the generations and the contributions they’ve made to the strength of our democracy. It’s because of them that we’re still able to call America a beacon of hope and opportunity around the world.
This year, for the first time ever, the president has designated the entire month of November as Veterans and Military Families Month. Following the president’s proclamation, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary David Shulkin said, “Our veterans and military families are an important part of our lives throughout the year, and by focusing for the first time nationally on a whole month of activities nationwide for Veterans and Military Families Month, we can more fully celebrate and recognize their contributions to the nation.” I’m glad to see the administration is focused on this important issue.
Particularly for me as a legislator, an important part of honoring America’s veterans is ensuring we’ve got their back when they leave the front lines of the battlefield and return home to potential challenges with furthering their education, finding a good-paying job, and staying healthy.
This year alone, Congress has sent several critical bills to the president for his signature, including the “Forever GI Bill,” which expands veterans’ eligibility for GI Bill benefits. We also passed the VA Choice and Quality Employment Act and the Veterans Appeals Improvement and Modernization Act, both of which have been signed into law.
I’m especially happy to report that earlier this year, Secretary Shulkin quickly acted on my request to more prominently feature the Veterans Crisis Line on the VA’s website, www.VA.gov. The line is open 24 hours per day, seven days per week, and veterans can reach out any time by texting 838255 or calling 1-800-273-8255 and pressing one. I appreciate his responsiveness on this important issue and will continue to engage with him on issues impacting South Dakota veterans.
Let’s never forget the reasons why America has so much to celebrate and be thankful for, and let’s never compromise in our collective effort to ensure America’s veterans have the tools, resources, support, and respect they need and deserve once their military service has ended.
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Honoring Native American Heritage
by U.S. Senator Mike Rounds
The rich and vibrant history of Native Americans is deeply woven into the fabric of America, especially in South Dakota. I believe we should celebrate our diversity. To honor their culture and the countless contributions Native Americans have made to our society, President Trump recently designated November as National Native American Heritage Month.
Native Americans called South Dakota home long before Europeans settled in the West. South Dakota was originally a part of the vast territory of the Dakota, Lakota and Nakota people. A number of other tribal nations include the Dakota Territory in their histories as well.
Today, our state is home to nine sovereign tribal governments, comprising more than 70,000 enrolled members. I have appreciated the opportunity to work closely with tribal government leaders on a number of initiatives both during my time as governor and now as a senator.
One priority of mine has been to improve the quality of care at Indian Health Service (IHS) facilities in South Dakota. It is well-known that IHS has failed to live up to its trust responsibility to provide health care services to Native Americans, particularly in the Great Plains Region which includes our state. Decades of mismanagement and poor leadership at IHS have resulted in a health care crisis created by government bureaucrats.
The IHS facilities within the Great Plains Region have the worst health care outcomes of any of the 12 regions nationwide, including the lowest life expectancy, highest diabetes death rate, highest tuberculosis death rate and the highest overall age-adjusted death rate. This is unacceptable.
I have repeatedly said that the first step to fixing the crisis is to understand where the problems lie within the agency itself. For this reason, I introduced a bill that calls for an outside assessment of IHS. My bill would require an in-depth look at the overall financial structure, organizational structure and quality of care at the agency. The Senate Committee on Indian Affairs recently held a legislative hearing on our bill. The hearing was productive, and the testimony from Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate Chairman Dave Flute in support of our IHS assessment bill was helpful in educating committee members about the severity of the problems at Great Plains Region IHS facilities.
Our proposal is now moving forward in the Senate. The problems at IHS are at a crisis level, and our bill is a first step toward getting the agency back on track. The federal government must live up to its trust and treaty responsibility to provide quality health care to Native American citizens.
This month, as we honor the culture of our Native American friends and neighbors, I encourage South Dakotans to also acknowledge the hardships they have faced throughout history and those they continue to face today. The health care crisis at IHS is just one example of how the government has failed to follow through on its obligations to tribal members, and I will continue fighting to fix this problem.
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True Patriots
By Rep. Kristi Noem
Every November, we set aside time to recognize those who have acted on our behalf to protect freedom and defend our liberties – those who have worn our nation’s uniform – who have earned the title “Patriot” and can call themselves a “United States Veteran.”
More than 72,000 veterans call South Dakota home. Each has spent years serving so others could enjoy the blessings of liberty that we celebrate in this country. As a small token of gratitude for their sacrifices, our office hosted a Veterans Day Open House this year in Sioux Falls. For a few hours, we sat down and talked with South Dakota veterans over cookies and coffee, helping many navigate complicated federal programs, such as Social Security and VA benefits. I’m incredibly grateful to those who took the time to stop in, and I hope others recognize our door is always open to you.
In addition to helping veterans get the federal benefits to which they’re entitled, I’ve been fighting to make sure the promises made to veterans are kept. This summer, for instance, President Trump signed legislation I supported that aims to expand whistleblower protections within the VA and streamline the process required to fire any VA employee. This is a critical step in improving VA operations.
More recently, we worked with the president to give troops the largest pay raise in years and expand veterans’ access to education and workforce training. I’m glad both have been signed into law.
Additionally, the House passed the Black Hills National Cemetery Act, which I introduced. The legislation would expand the Sturgis-area cemetery by 200 acres, ensuring we keep this important promise to veterans for decades to come. I’m hopeful the Senate will take up the bill soon.
This is all in addition to legislation we passed last Congress to increase mental health access for veterans and incentivize small businesses to hire those who have served.
There’s more work to do, however. I continue to fight to keep the Hot Springs VA open. There are changes that must be made to the VA CHOICE Program, which the House Veterans Affairs Committee is working very hard on.
There is no way to fully compensate our veterans for the sacrifices they’ve made, but this November, I encourage you to take a moment and personally thank one of South Dakota’s 72,000 patriots and their families. There is a price to freedom, and we can never forget that.