If you haven’t flipped on the TV News, this is all anyone is talking about this AM, where Republican Congressional Whip Steve Scalise was among those shot in an attack ont he Republican Congressional Softball team as it practiced in Alexandria Virginia this morning.:

“I was on deck about to hit batting practice on the third base side of home plate, and I hear a loud bam,” Representative Mo Brooks, an Alabama Republican, said on CNN. “And I look around and behind third base, in the third base dugout, which is cinder blocks, I see a rifle and a little bit of a body, and then I hear another blam, and I realize there is an active shooter.”

Brooks, who said the shooter appeared to be a white man, said that he heard Scalise scream as he was shot near second base.

and…

The shooter’s motive was not immediately known. The gunman reportedly asked the men if they represented Republicans or Democrats before he began shooting.

Read it all here.

Early reports are that five people have been transferred to the hospital after the shooter was subdued, including Congressman Scalise.

Hot off the press, I managed to get my hands on the latest fundraiser invite from Attorney General Marty Jackley for his Rapid City fundraiser at the Alex Johnson Hotel on June 22nd:

In case you were wondering what yesterday’s special session on meandered waters cost, here’s a breakdown provided to me by one of the legislators in attendance:

Gov. Daugaard Signs Open Waters Compromise

PIERRE, S.D. – Gov. Dennis Daugaard this evening signed into law House Bill 1001, the compromise bill on nonmeandered waters.“I thank the Legislature for recognizing the urgency of passing the Open Waters Compromise,” said Gov. Daugaard. “With the signing of this bill, we are opening up tens of thousands of acres of nonmeandered waters to public recreation, while respecting the property rights of landowners.”

Gov. Daugaard convened the Legislature today for a special legislative session to consider legislation relating to public recreational use of non-meandered waters overlying private property. The bill immediately opens more than two dozen bodies of water to the public while giving landowners the ability to post and close certain areas of nonmeandered waters.

An amendment to the bill “sunsets” the legislation on July 1, 2018, which will require the Legislature to take up the issue during the next legislative session.

The bill, which included an emergency clause, passed both houses with the required two-thirds majority, making the law effective immediately.

The Department of Game, Fish and Parks will release further information about the reopening of these lakes tomorrow morning.

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Thune Statement on Announcement That China Will Accept U.S. Beef Imports

“While the agreement is long overdue, it will nonetheless come as welcome news to all of South Dakota’s farmers and ranchers who not only help make agriculture our state’s top industry, but help feed the world.” 

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), a longtime member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry and the Senate Committee on Finance, which has jurisdiction over trade, today issued the following statement after the Trump administration announced that a final agreement has been reached for China to accept U.S. beef imports after a 13-year ban. Today’s announcement follows a May 11, 2017, announcement that China was willing to negotiate reopening its borders to U.S. beef.

“After urging the Trump administration to take quick action on this and other important agricultural trade issues, I’m glad to see that it has been resolved,” said Thune. “While the agreement is long overdue, it will nonetheless come as welcome news to all of South Dakota’s farmers and ranchers who not only help make agriculture our state’s top industry, but help feed the world.” 

On April 5, 2017, Thune joined nearly 40 of his Senate colleagues in sending a letter to President Trump ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to the United States. Thune urged the president to push President Xi Jinping to end the U.S. beef import ban. Thune similarly pressed U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Director of the National Trade Council Peter Navarro to find a solution that would allow U.S. beef into China.

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Noem: China’s Acceptance of U.S. Beef Imports Is a Welcome Change for the Market

Washington, D.C. – Rep. Kristi Noem, a member of the House Ways & Means Committee which has jurisdiction over trade policies, today released the following statement after the Trump administration announced the end of a 13-year ban on U.S. beef imports to China:

“Around 95 percent of the world’s consumers live outside U.S. borders. As the world’s largest beef producer, gaining market access is critical. I welcome the administration’s proposal and am hopeful this renewed access to Chinese consumers will help boost the long-depressed cattle markets that have threatened many South Dakota cattle operations.”

The U.S. has been banned from China’s beef market since 2003. Until the ban took effect, the U.S. provided 70 percent of China’s total beef intake. Today, Chinese beef imports total $2.5 billion.

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Rounds Statement on End of Ban on U.S. Beef Imports to China

WASHINGTON—U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) today made the following statement after the administration announced the end of the ban on U.S. beef imports to China:

“Agriculture is South Dakota’s number one industry, with nearly 3.85 million head of cattle,” said Rounds. “I am pleased with the administration’s announcement and am glad we are now able to export our high-quality beef to China. Opening up this new, lucrative market will create substantial opportunities for South Dakota ranchers and bring a much-needed boost to the ag economy.”

On September 22, 2016, the process was started to end the ban on U.S. beef, which began in 2003.

On April 5, 2017, Rounds joined 38 of his Senate colleagues in sending a letter to President Trump requesting that he prioritize opening up China’s market to U.S. beef exports prior to his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

On May 12, 2017, an agreement was reached to open Chinese markets to U.S. beef no later than July 16, 2017.

On May 17, 2017, Rounds sent a letter to U.S. Trade Representative, Ambassador Robert Lighthizer, to stress the importance of expanding exports, in particular opening up U.S. beef to China, the world’s second-largest importer of beef.

 

Rounds met with then-U.S. Trade Representative nominee Robert Lighthizer on May 4, 2017, to discuss the importance of trade to South Dakota’s agriculture industry.

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From a my voices column from this past weekend, on behalf of the South Dakota Wildlife Federation, Chris Hesla is arguing against the proposed legislation, operating under the assumption that farmers’ flooded land should belong to everyone but the person who physically holds title to it:

Further, this bill allows mass commercialization of a public resource. Although this bill prohibits landowners from receiving financial compensation in exchange for granting permission to fish closed public waters, it does not prevent other types of compensation; does not apply the same restrictions to lessees; does not prevent an owner from receiving financial compensation in exchange for granting other access including hunting; and does not prevent individuals from forming a legal entity that purchases submerged property and then allows exclusive access to members/shareholders. This is not balance. Balance is either opening public waters to all or closing public waters to all.

SDWF has other concerns still unaddressed, including no specific recognition that recreational use is a beneficial or lawful use of water; not allowing certain recreation activity on the bed of nonmeandered lakes or their frozen surfaces; and amending criminal trespass in the light of inconsistent marking standards. Further, though well-intended, the sunset provision gives SDWF no solace given the political climate where a passed bill would likely be subsequently continued to avoid conflict. Nor does SDWF find solace in the hope landowners will not post public waters closed – under this bill, once public waters are closed they can be closed forever. But, SDWF is willing to work through those issues so long as the public has the right to petition to open closed waters and recognition that if waters are closed, they are closed to all.

Read that here.

If the measure provides that the bill “prohibits landowners from receiving financial compensation in exchange for granting permission to fish closed public waters,” then that’s a serious error that legislators should remedy today.”  Why should someone be denied the ability to rent their own land, especially when they did not ask for millions of gallons of water to be standing on it?

Those conditions could change with a shift in weather patterns – as they did to create the lakes. If they were allowed to obtain a profit from the land when it grew corn or beans, they should be allowed to continue to make a livlihood while that potential lasts.