No Better Place to Live and Work
A column by Gov. Dennis Daugaard:

 When people around the country think about South Dakota, the first image that comes to mind is probably Mount Rushmore. Though we’re proud to be the home of Gutzon Borglum’s masterpiece, the truth is that we are much more than the stone-carved presidential tribute. South Dakota is a great place to live and work.

 First, we have a very low unemployment rate at 3 percent, compared to the national rate of 4.4 percent. We are a state of hard workers and productivity of our workers is high. In fact, many multi-state employers with locations in South Dakota tell us their South Dakota location is their most productive.

 Second, the tax burden in South Dakota is low. We are among only a few states without an income tax. We also have no corporate income tax, no business inventory tax, no personal property tax and no inheritance tax. This puts more money in the pockets of our businesses and citizens, creating a more favorable environment for growth.

 Third, not only do people keep more of the money they earn in South Dakota, but that money will buy more here than in other places. Type “Regional Price Parity” into your web browser, and you will find the U.S. Department of Commerce report which shows South Dakota is among the states that experience the lowest cost of living. We don’t spend as much money on housing, insurance, food and the other everyday needs. 

 Now some people will say, “There may a low tax burden and low cost of living, but I won’t get paid as much if I live in South Dakota.” Actually, when it comes to per capita personal income, we fare pretty well. Nationally, we rank in the top half and we do better than states like Texas and Florida. If you adjust the per capita personal income to consider the low cost of living and the lack of income taxes, we rank sixth in the nation.

A person who earns $45,000 annually in South Dakota is actually better off than the person living in New York or Los Angeles who makes $65,000 per year. When factoring in after-tax wages and cost of living, the South Dakotan who makes $20,000 less still has a greater purchasing power.

Beyond the financial reasons, though, South Dakota is a great place to live because we have a good quality of life here. Our communities are safe, our schools are high-quality and our people are friendly. We also have clean air, beautiful scenery and wonderful recreational opportunities.

I know I’m lucky to have spent most of my life in South Dakota. In fact, it took a multi-year absence from the state to help me realize just how lucky I am and how good we have it here. Now I wouldn’t trade this place, with its wide open spaces and down-to-earth people, for anything. 

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From Keloland News:

South Dakota’s House speaker plans to pursue ballot measures to raise tobacco taxes for technical schools and ban out-of-state political contributions to ballot question campaigns.

And..

The Sioux Falls Republican this week formed a ballot question committee for the out-of-state donation ban and says he hopes to start gathering signatures for both measures in August.

Read it here.

Last election Mark Mickelson enjoyed popular support on his Tech School measure, earning deference from many Republicans who otherwise opposed almost all other ballot measures. But, supporting tech schools was a far different proposal than what’s proposed for ’18.

This election the playing field may be different for the Speaker, with a tax increase on tobacco proposed, as well as an out of state ban on ballot contributions the LRC has cautioned may not survive a constitutional challenge. 

Neither proposal may dissuade some groups from promoting an anti-ballot measure message that some major groups & players demurred on in ’16.

Matt Michels Elected As National Lieutenant Governors Association Chair

PIERRE, S.D. – Lt. Gov. Matt Michels today was selected by his peers to serve as chair of the National Lieutenant Governors Association. The election took place at the lieutenant governors’ annual meeting in Nashville, Tennessee.

“It is an honor to have the opportunity to serve NLGA in this capacity,” said Lt. Gov. Michels. “Being a part this organization has been a valuable experience and as I continue in this position of leadership, I look forward to sharing South Dakota’s point of view with NLGA and learning about other states’ initiatives.”

NLGA is a national bipartisan association for the lieutenant governors of all 50 states and U.S. territories. Lt. Gov. Michels previously served the organization as treasurer and chair of the policy resolutions committee.

“Lt. Gov. Michels has been consistently selected, bi-partisanly, by his peers from every region of the nation as a trusted leader, and they have now elected him chair,” said NLGA Director Julia Hurst.

As chair, Lt. Gov. Michels has selected the organization’s initiative for the year to focus on connecting veterans with opportunities in the arts.

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Congressional candidate Dusty Johnson takes on the rattlesnakes at TAR camp.

(The campers had sent this earlier, but my coverage ans ability to pull the code necessary to post it during my vacation is a bit spotty)

As I was born in 1960, I came of age during the Vietnam War. It was the lead story every night on the news and we watched the news before sitting down for supper. Except for family, in my youth, there was probably nobody we prayed more for than the POW’s. Similar to how people say regarding the plane crash “George Mickelson seven others,” we said “Leo Thorsness* and the POW’s.”

These men were the heroes of my childhood. I met three of these heroes.
• I shook the hand of Leo Thorsness during his Senate campaign outside the Ben Franklin in Pierre.
• Because I dated a staffer of Senator Jeremiah Denton, his office was directly one floor above Senator Abdnor and we often saw each other at Mass during Lent and other Holy Days (took the elevator down, walked to and from Mass, sat together, and elevator again just the two of us once), I got to know Senator Denton personally which gave me some level of insight in what being a POW does to a person and their family. When I heard of his death a few years ago, I actually teared up.
• John McCain was elected to the US House and on two occasions I had the privilege to shake his hand. Like Thorsness, no real conversation but thrilling just the same.

With that background, I need to give some other background. Senator Abdnor had two “mads.” One was his “let me tell you something friend” mad which wasn’t good because you sensed he wanted to tear your head off but wasn’t going to because you were his friend. The other is hard to describe but he would pull his lips close to his teeth and almost seeth when he was talking. This was really, really bad.

Anyway, Senator Abdnor was on the House side “doing business” and I was the staffer trailing him and taking notes. One of the people he spoke to was Congressman McCain. The conversation was private so I couldn’t hear but I could see. It was heated and before it ended I could see the “seething mad.”

Later, when I had a chance, I asked Abdnor what happened with McCain that caused him to get so mad. Jim looked at me with as an ashamed look as I ever saw him have and he said, “John McCain is a hero and didn’t deserve what I said.” That was it. I don’t even know the subject much less what was said.

When I got the news text Senator McCain (with Collins, Murkowski, and 100% of the Democratic Caucus) had voted against any reform of Obamacare, I seethed. I wanted to strike out. But, I’m trying to be like Jim Abdnor. John McCain is dying and he is a hero. I’ve prayed for him both in my youth and as an adult.

I know I can never be the man Jim Abdnor was but every now and then I have my moments where I step up. But it is really hard right now. Really hard.

*Leo Thorsness was from Minnesota, graduated from SDSU, married a SD girl, and I faintly remember somehow our family knew him or someone close to him. My guess is that is why we said his name and not the others.

GOAC chairwoman State Senator Deb Peters (who happens to be president of the National Conference of State Legislatures) testified before Congress this week. And of course, State Senator Stace Nelson must have thought, “it’s a great opportunity to attack her.” And the results are on Twitter.

And it continues downhill from there with Nelson attacking Peters, claiming corruption and complaining about procedure, and Peters telling him if he’s got evidence, to provide it.

Rounds Statement on Health Care Reform Legislation Vote

WASHINGTON—U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) today made the following statement after the Senate voted against passing a bill to repeal parts of Obamacare:

“The fight to relieve American families from our current failing health care system is far from over. I will continue working with my colleagues to stabilize the insurance markets and prevent premiums from continuing to skyrocket. The American people deserve better than the failing Obamacare disaster that has forced millions off the health care plans they enjoyed, driven up the cost of health care – 124 percent for South Dakotans in just the past four years – and caused insurance companies to leave the marketplace in droves.”

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Thune Welcomes Additional Sanctions on Iran, Russia, North Korea

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) issued the following statement regarding passage of the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (H.R. 3364), legislation that gives the Trump administration an essential tool for deterring threats from Iran and North Korea and expands current U.S. sanctions on Russia.“

The continued hostile behavior of Iran and North Korea must be met with action. By imposing tough sanctions on Iran for its continued support for terrorism, prohibited arms transfers, and ballistic missile testing, this legislation sends a powerful message that our nation stands firm against Iranian aggression. This legislation also shows North Korea that its unrelenting efforts to develop a nuclear missile that can threaten America and our allies, as well their continued human rights offenses, will not be tolerated.

“By expanding sanctions against the government of Russia, Congress is taking necessary action to check Russia’s continued aggression in Syria and occupation of Crimea, its brazen cyberattacks and interference in elections, and its alarming suppression of human rights. I look forward to the president signing this significant piece of bipartisan legislation.” 

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Noem Seeks to Bring Greater Integrity to IRS Hiring with New Legislation

NEW REPORT: IRS rehired 200+ former employees who had been previously terminated for misconduct 

Washington, D.C. – Rep. Kristi Noem, a member of the House Ways & Means Committee, today introduced the Ensuring Integrity in the IRS Workforce Act, which would prohibit the IRS from rehiring an employee who has been fired for certain forms of misconduct. The legislation comes in the wake of a Treasury Department report released this week that shows the IRS rehired more than 200 former employees between January 2015 and March 2016 that had previously been terminated for misconduct or performance issues.

“This is about having a basic respect for hardworking taxpayers,” said Noem. “An agency with access to our most sensitive financial data has repeatedly rehired employees who had already been fired for things like accessing taxpayer information without authorization, threatening their coworkers, or repeatedly falsifying documents. If the IRS won’t instill commonsense hiring practices within the agency, we will work to write them into law.”

The Treasury Department report found “former employees were selected for rehire without fully considering prior conduct and performance issues.” The report went on to detail examples of the misconduct that was overlooked:

“Two rehired employees had repetitively falsified employment forms by omitting prior convictions or terminations.”

“Two rehired employees were previously terminated for failure to maintain a successful level of performance in multiple critical job elements as tax examining technicians. However, both of these employees were rehired as tax examining technicians less than six months later.”

“One rehired employee had several misdemeanors for theft and a felony for possession of a forgery device.”

“Another rehired employee had threatened his or her co-workers.”

“Three rehired employees had ‘excessive’ absence without leave for more than 270, 150, and 140 hours respectively.”

Moreover, around 7 percent of those rehired faced new conduct or performance issues within one year. 

Noem first introduced the Ensuring Integrity in the IRS Workforce Act in the 114th Congress. While the legislation was passed with broad bipartisan consensus in the U.S. House of Representatives in 2016, the legislation did not receive a vote in the U.S. Senate before the 114th Congress gaveled to a close.

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Noem, House Pass Bill to Build Border Wall, Invest in Military, Support Vets, Stop WOTUS

Washington, D.C. – Rep. Kristi Noem today joined the U.S. House of Representatives in passing H.R.3219, the Make America Secure Appropriations Act. Among other initiatives, the legislation fully funds President Trump’s request for a wall along the southern border. It also offers service members a 2.4 percent pay raise (the largest increase in eight years); strengthens support for the Department of Defense, making investments into updating equipment and weapons; and bolsters the VA’s ability to care for veterans. Additionally, the bill authorizes the EPA to withdraw the controversial Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule. 

“Today’s legislation supports some of the federal government’s most fundamental responsibilities: our common defense, our national security, and our veterans,” said Noem. “We offer the resources necessary to build a strong border wall, invest in our military, and support those who have served. At the same time, by authorizing the EPA to ditch the WOTUS rule, we take yet another step toward eliminating the harmful, regressive, Obama-era regulations that have shackled small businesses, farmers, and ranchers for far too long.”

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