A few hits from last weeks’ “Electric Services in an Annexed Area” interim legislative committee hearing

There was some noteworthy commentary from last weeks’ “Electric Services in an Annexed Area” interim 4 1/2 hour committee hearing that is worth a listen.

First up, Democrat State Senator Susan Wismer notes she has her hackles up and claims that communities have figured out how to do economic development without involving municipal government decisions:

Apparently she lives in one of those communities that’s just an open field where municipal governments don’t do things such as roads or sewer, or building permits.

Next up, Republican State Senator Lee Schoenbeck has some more than choice words about the people wanting to revisit the current arrangements on power territories, and a new tax being proposed in a piece of legislation before the body:

And finally, more deep thoughts from State Senator Susan Wismer as she directly follows up to Senator Schoenbeck’s points, and expresses that she’s upset that Madison serves a cornfield, and Brookings having a municipal utility should affect Aberdeen. And Madison is serving corn fields:

With logic like Wismer’s, why do I not think this issue is going away?

US Senator John Thune: Bursting the Internet “Filter Bubble”


Bursting the Internet “Filter Bubble”
By Sen. John Thune

Imagine walking into a local hardware store for its grand opening. As the door closes behind you, you look around and realize that almost all of the products in the store seem uncannily familiar. Those that aren’t, they pique your interest. As the store manager greets you, it’s as if he knew you were going shopping that day, and he directs you to the products and services you didn’t know you needed or wanted. In fact, you were surprised to learn that he knew your dishwasher needed to be repaired, and you didn’t even know it was broken.

You come to find out that the store was designed for you – the only customer – and its entire inventory was assembled based on statistically driven predictions about the stores you’ve visited, the items you’ve purchased, the magazines you’ve subscribed to, and the conversations you’ve had with friends and family. But you didn’t realize anyone was even paying attention.

While the hardware store example seems relatively innocuous, the reality is that something like this is happening in the vast majority of Americans’ online experiences, from simply trying to catch up on the news to socializing with friends.

As technology has evolved and made life easier for the American people, so too have consumers’ concerns over privacy and how their data is being collected, shared, and used by third parties. That’s where my hardware store analogy might start to make a little more sense. As you use your smartphone, smart speaker, or computer to click, share, surf, download, purchase, post, or watch online, internet platforms are learning about you, and as they do, they use artificial intelligence to gorge on your data and create an engineered, just-for-you experience based on statistical predictions about what these platforms think you’ll want to see or do next. When we’re on our smartphone or on the internet, we’re constantly being measured, receiving engineered feedback to keep us engaged on the platform.

As internet platforms deliver this customized online experience, users can become ensnared in what one person in the technology industry coined a “filter bubble” – the online version of the hardware store that was constructed just for you. These filter bubbles can be created on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram, search engines like Google and Yahoo, or even entertainment platforms like Netflix and Hulu.

Now don’t get me wrong, a personalized experience on these platforms isn’t necessarily a bad thing. For example, I like when Netflix suggests which program I might like to watch next. If I haven’t checked Twitter in a while, it can be helpful to see the top tweets I’ve missed, which are curated based on the content with which I’m most likely to engage.

Other times, though, I might want to opt out of that filter bubble and experience the platform without viewing content that has been selected based on my personal data and behavior. Think of this opt-out experience as a competing hardware store that’s been built for the entire community, where a wide range of products and services exist, not just the ones that were strategically selected and placed in front of you.

For example, Twitter currently allows its users to toggle between a customized newsfeed – based on what it thinks you’ll like to see – and another newsfeed that’s a chronological view of content as it’s being posted. Another example, in a filter bubble experience, if you and I each searched the same term – “shopping,” for example – we’re likely to be delivered vastly different results. In a filter bubble-free experience, we should be delivered the same results, no matter who we are.

Like a customer who might enter one of my imaginary hardware stores, I think consumers should have the option to choose between a personalized, filtered view of content and a view that is filter-free. Or, at the very least, consumers should know which “store” or experience they’re about to enter. That’s why I recently introduced the bipartisan Filter Bubble Transparency Act in the Senate, which would give consumers more control over their digital experience and provide them with more transparency about what they’re seeing online.

My bill is pretty simple and straightforward. It would require large-scale internet platforms to let consumers know when they’re being given a personalized user experience designed by artificial intelligence (filter bubble transparency), and it would give users the option to escape the filter bubble and consume information that has not been engineered specifically for the user to see (consumer control). That’s it.

I strongly support a light-touch approach to internet regulation that allows the free market to flourish. The internet would not have grown the way it has if it had been weighed down with heavy-handed government regulations. But in order for free markets to work effectively, consumers need as much information as possible – including a better understanding of how internet platforms use artificial intelligence and complex filters to shape the information users receive, and that’s exactly what my bill aims to achieve. 

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US Senator Mike Rounds’ Weekly Column: Supporting Veterans Every Day

Supporting Veterans Every Day
By U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.)

In South Dakota, we support our veterans every day of the year, not just on Veterans Day. Veterans actually make up 10 percent of our state’s population! Nearly all of us have a friend or family member who served, or you’re a veteran yourself. The men and women whose sacrifice and bravery allows us to live freely are among the best of the best. We owe it to them to make sure they receive the benefits they were promised when they signed up to serve.

I have the privilege of serving on the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, where we work to make sure the federal government is living up to its promises to our veterans. The legislation we consider seeks to improve the lives of veterans in all stages of life, including the transition from military service to civilian life. We work to make sure that transition is as easy and seamless as possible. We’re also working to give them better access to their benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), which too often means cutting through layers of bureaucracy and red-tape. If any veteran or beneficiary has trouble accessing benefits, our office can act as a liaison between the veteran and the VA. I encourage veterans and their families to contact any of my South Dakota offices if you need help. I have a number of veterans in both my Washington and South Dakota offices who help me with military and veterans issues we come across in the Senate. Phone numbers and addresses are listed on my website, www.rounds.senate.gov.

This year, I’ve introduced a number of bills – all bipartisan – that will help veterans as they re-enter civilian life. For some, that may mean starting or finishing their education. For others, it may mean finding a job that fits with the skillsets they acquired during their service. I joined Sen. Jon Tester of Montana to introduce a bill that would cut down on delays for student veterans trying to access the extra funds they’ve earned through the VA Work-Study Allowance Program. I also introduced a bill that would change the Small Business Act to waive up-front guarantee fees for veterans and their spouses who are participating in the Small Business Administration’s export promotion loan programs. This will help veterans who are looking to start or grow a small business.

I also recently introduced a bill that would establish a wounded warrior fellowship program in the Senate, similar to an existing program in the House. It would allow each Senate office to hire a veteran to work on important armed services and veterans affairs-related policy for a period of up to two years. This program can help veterans use the skills, knowledge and experience they gained through their service to help constituents and shape important policy that impacts the heroes who wear the uniform of the United States of America. It also creates future employment opportunities for veterans once their fellowship is over and makes sure that the perspectives and concerns of veterans are continually added to the Senate workforce.

Whenever I travel around the state, I always appreciate the opportunity to meet with veterans to hear directly from them about the issues they’re facing. We seem to always have a discussion about healthcare benefits and quality of care. We also continue to hear that the VA employees in South Dakota are doing a good job, but the VA in Washington keeps causing problems. Cleaning up the VA remains a priority for me and the other members of our committee.

We are so grateful to each and every veteran. On Veterans Day, we honor all of the men and women who have sacrificed so much to protect our freedom. Thank you.

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Congressman Dusty Johnson’s Weekly Column: Dignity in Aging

Dignity in Aging
By Rep. Dusty Johnson

It didn’t make many national headlines, but the House passed the Dignity in Aging Act this month. As someone who helped introduce this bipartisan bill, I’m proud to support the reauthorization of many critical social and nutrition services – like Meals on Wheels – to older Americans.

The Older Americans Act (OAA) has served our seniors since the early ‘60s – that’s why it was an easy decision to support the Dignity in Aging Act of 2019,which reauthorizes and updates the OAA.

For years, the OAA has provided a diverse range of services for older Americans with the greatest social or economic needs. As our nation and society have evolved, so have the needs of America’s older population. The critical programs included in the OAA help more than 41 million Americans over the age of sixty-five maintain their independence.

If the government is going to get involved, the program better work – and the OAA has proven its worth. The data is clear and reveals the OAA helps prevent costly hospitalizations and institutional care for our seniors. Nowadays, we have the tools to examine if a program is working or not. The Dignity in Aging Act adds important accountability measures – if a program isn’t proving to be effective, then it won’t continue.

I say it often – there is a lot of noise coming out of Washington and many of the policy wins don’t make the evening news. This is a policy win. The Dignity in Aging Act takes important steps to support caregivers, puts a greater focus on combatting senior social isolation, and promotes the ability of older citizens to remain in their homes as they age. This reauthorization empowers older Americans to live longer in the comfort of their homes instead of moving to a long-term care facility, which, in cases involving Medicare, reduces costs to American taxpayers.

Unlike many of the government’s rigid policies and guidelines that are riddled with red tape, this bill will provide flexibility to states to address specific issues impacting their individual senior communities. After all, states know what they need more than the federal government ever will.

South Dakota’s Native American population is nearly ten percent of the state’s total population and those seniors shouldn’t be left out. This bill recognizes this need and authorizes funding specifically for Native American tribes to benefit from OAA programs such as nutrition services, home care, and transportation assistance.

This is a big win for South Dakota’s seniors and their families, and I’m proud to be a part of it.

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Governor Kristi Noem’s Weekly Column: Protecting and Preserving Our Outdoor Treasures

Protecting and Preserving Our Outdoor Treasures
By Governor Kristi Noem

Fall in South Dakota really is a special time. As the days get shorter and the temperatures drop, the desire to get into South Dakota’s outdoors goes up! Fall traditions abound and our natural resources rise to the occasion. Migrating ducks and geese fill our skies, pheasants explode from a shelterbelt, bugling elk and buck deer tug at our thoughts… we can hardly wait to take family and friends out in the field.

But when we take in these extraordinary sights and sounds, it’s important to remember the role we all play in protecting and preserving these treasures for future generations.

We’ve just recently learned that zebra mussels are present in Lake Francis Case. This invasive species is primarily spread to other water bodies through live wells, bait wells, and water left in boats. As boaters and anglers, we have a responsibility to know the laws and protect our waters. Clean, drain, and dry your boat every time you use it. Boat plugs must be pulled – and stay pulled – until the next time you use it. This is especially important to remember when you’re duck hunting this fall.

We’ve also learned that Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) has been detected in Bennett County, which means this disease is spreading among deer and elk in South Dakota. In 2020, deer and elk hunters will have new rules for transporting and disposing of carcasses. CWD is transferred through direct animal-to-animal contact. However, infected carcasses that aren’t properly disposed of can, and will, spread this disease. These rules are crucial to protecting our deer and elk herds. We have a responsibility to future generations AND to our wildlife. Get to know the new rules.

Another great way to preserve our outdoor heritage for the future is to take the time to mentor. When I say mentor, I mean more than kids. Take a neighbor, coworker, friend or family member fishing, hunting and camping. Spending time with people new to the outdoors is imperative. Your knowledge, passion, and access are precious and gifts worth passing on.

If you don’t think these issues impact you, you’re wrong. If you use South Dakota’s outdoor resources for any form of recreation, you need to do your part to take care of them and pass them on. I don’t want the next generation of outdoor enthusiasts to have to solve these issues when we can do something about it today.

South Dakota’s beautiful outdoors are here for all of us to enjoy – for today and for the next generation. We must all take care of them together.

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Because Dems needed an even worse candidate for US Senate. Clara Hart to announce.

From the Argus Leader, apparently Dems needed an even worse candidate than Dan Ahlers to run for US Senate:

Clara Hart, a Sioux Falls resident who holds several leadership roles in the community, is running as a Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate.

Hart is expected to formally announce on Thursday her candidacy for the seat held by U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds, who hasn’t yet announced whether he’ll seek reelection. Former Democratic legislator Dan Ahlers of Dell Rapids is also a candidate for the Senate seat.

Read that here.

Instead of Ahlers, who has won maybe twice, she wants people to vote for herself, the candidate who has never been able to win at all.

Interestingly, in the article, Hart attempts to deride Rounds as a career politician. Despite her record of several attempts of her own:

She has previously run for the state Senate in 2008, Sioux Falls City Council in 2010 and for the state House in 2016. She fell short of receiving enough signatures to run for the Sioux Falls City Council in 2018.

Apparently she can accuse Rounds of being a career politician ….because he’s run for about as many offices as she has… but he’s actually been able to win?

I will give her this. Despite never winning, she knows how to spend massive amounts of campaign cash and accomplish absolutely nothing.

So, at least Hart, a fan favorite of Bernie Sanders, can say she’d fit in just fine with the other Washington DC Democrats.