This week KSFY News had a story about how the backers of one pro-pot legalization measure was not happy with the other pro-pot legalization measure being prepared for the ballot.  And they’re mad at the Attorney General too:

“Signer beware” is the message from a pro-pot organization in South Dakota that’s hoping to bring the issue of marijuana legalization to the ballot next year. New Approach South Dakota isn’t talking about the two petitions they have circulating to legalize marijuana for medical and recreational purposes – they’re talking about a separate effort that would accomplish the same thing, but with some major differences.

According to the Attorney General’s explanation, differences like a lot less tax revenue for the state and a whole lot less regulation of the drug, but New Approach isn’t happy about their AG explanation.

Read that here.

“New Approach,” the group fronted by former Democrat District 19 House candidate Melissa Mentele is complaining about the pot legalization measure from the John Dale and his group “Cannabis Consumers for Liberty (CC4L)” competing against her own, bemoaning it’s “less tax revenue for the state and a whole lot less regulation of the drug.”

I’m forced to ask the obvious: “Is she kidding?”  Both are about legalizing drugs.

I’m not going to get into the weeds on which pot legalization measure is the worse measure, the CC4L measure which mandates April 20th as “pot day” at South Dakota State Parks, or the New Approach measure which mandates that all non-violent pot sentences be re-worked:

I did ask Attorney General Marty Jackley for his thoughts:

As Attorney General, it is my position that the legalization of marijuana creates significant public health and safety concerns.   If research determines there is a medical value in marijuana or its derivatives, it should be prescribed by a physician and dispensed by a pharmacist just like any controlled substance.

My office is required to prepare a fair and concise explanation for proposed ballot measures and to defend such measures if passed and challenged in court, whether I agree with them or not.  In the proposed marijuana measure that includes reviewing previous criminal convictions, I have set forth “Because its full scope and effect are unclear, judicial or legislative clarification will be necessary.  A court may find provisions of the measure unconstitutional.”  I would point out that Article IV, Section 3 of our State Constitution vests the authority and discretion for criminal sentence commutations with the Governor.

There is currently a national drug epidemic that is also affecting South Dakota, rather than weakening our State laws, I encourage us to focus our efforts and resources on strong enforcement against drug traffickers and prevention efforts especially for our youth such as “No Meth Ever” and the anonymous texting “Standup Project.”

Whether it is the CC4L measure promoting a state park recognized Pot Day, or the pot related get-out-of-jail free cards New Approach wants, both measures are so phenomenally awful, that forget any impending campaigns, anyone who signs the petitions to put them on the ballot should be questioned for not having the sense that God gave them.

When it comes to both pot and pot petitions, the best course of action is to “Just Say No.”

I’m kind of wondering if I need to place an “unclassified” sign around my neck, as the South Dakota Democrat Party seems awfully concerned about classifying everyone into groups, so they can designate their social worth and possibly give some special privileges based on which class they belong to.

Never let it be said that all Republicans oppose a state income tax. (Just most of us).

This morning, the same Republican candidate who has his sights set on universal healthcare and repealing the State Bar exam has another proposal he’s offering up to the prospective voters who might elect him. He wants to impose a 15% State Income Tax with no refunds.

From Facebook:

Thoughts? Is he in the right political party?

South Dakota Businesses Would Benefit From Pro-Growth Tax Reform
By Sen. John Thune

The United States is long overdue for a major tax reform bill. After eight years of economic weakness, we need a tax code that works for workers and job creators, not against them.

Our current tax code is strangling business growth, job creation, and higher wages. Our nation has the highest corporate tax rate in the developed world, putting American businesses at a competitive disadvantage in the global economy. Meanwhile, small businesses and family farms face high tax rates and other burdensome tax policies that make it difficult for them to expand and create new jobs.

The most important tax-related measures we can take to boost economic growth are lowering business tax rates and allowing businesses to recover their investments faster. This week, I’m introducing a tax bill in the U.S. Senate to address the second part of that equation. My bill, the Investment in New Ventures and Economic Success Today (INVEST) Act, focuses on helping small and medium-sized businesses by allowing them to recover their investments more quickly – in many cases expensing them immediately – thus freeing up capital to reinvest in the company.

The INVEST Act would allow new businesses to deduct a substantial part, if not all, of their startup costs within the first year. Currently, new businesses can only deduct $5,000 of these costs. My bill would substantially increase that amount to $50,000. This would significantly improve the stability of new businesses by freeing up cash they can use to grow. Plus, it would help encourage new business creation, an essential feature of a healthy economy.

A second part of my bill focuses on increasing cash flow for small and medium-sized businesses, farms, and ranches – in particular those that operate as corporations and partnerships – by allowing them to use cash accounting instead of accrual accounting. This would allow a business to be taxed on income when it receives the cash from the customer and to deduct an expense when it pays its supplier.

That means that businesses with inventories would be allowed to deduct investments in inventory up front, rather than having to wait until the inventory is sold, leaving them with more cash on hand to put back into their companies. It would also reduce the need for businesses to employ armies of lawyers and accountants to ensure that they’ve properly adhered to complex accounting rules.

Finally, the INVEST Act would substantially reform the depreciation and other expensing rules. Traditionally, farms and businesses have been forced to deduct expenses like machinery, property, or agricultural equipment over an extended period – anywhere from five to 10 years, and as much as 39 years for commercial buildings – which can leave a farm or business with its cash tied up for years in all the property it takes to run a successful enterprise.

My bill would permanently allow all businesses to deduct 50 percent of their investment in equipment, vehicles, machinery, and most other property during the year in which it is purchased. Small and medium-sized businesses would be allowed to immediately deduct 100 percent of new investments in business property up to $2 million.

For farmers and ranchers, who may reach the limit on full expensing, the bill substantially increases the rate at which they can depreciate the cost of tractors, combines, and other farm property. The bill also helps farms and businesses that rely on cars, light trucks, and vans by substantially increasing the amount they can deduct when investing in a new business vehicle.

Forcing business owners, farmers, and ranchers to lock up their capital for years or even decades, as our current tax code does, discourages growth and job creation. We need to free these individuals up as much as possible to redeploy that hard-to-raise capital back into business expansion, increased wages, and new jobs.

The weak economic growth of the past few years doesn’t have to be the new normal, but full economic recovery is only possible if we remove the obstacles facing our nation’s businesses. We need a tax code that works for American businesses, not against them.

I hope the INVEST Act will become an essential part of a broader tax reform package in the Senate that will help create the strong, sustainable growth Americans have been waiting for.

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South Dakota Students Taking the Next Steps
By Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.)

Every spring, a new group of students takes a big step into the next phase of life upon graduation. Whether students are moving on from high school, college or a technical institute, each graduate has an opportunity to use his or her talents, education and determination to shape their future and begin a new journey in life. I congratulate all 2017 graduates as they step out into the world to make a mark of their own.

We are fortunate in South Dakota to have good, quality grammar and high schools and more than a dozen universities and technical colleges, allowing our young people to receive a top-notch education right here at home. We are grateful for the teachers and professors across the state who dedicate their lives to educating our youth. Their commitment to education and teaching plants the seeds for a brighter, stronger South Dakota in the future.

As they step out into the world, I hope this year’s graduates remember the values and lessons instilled in them by their teachers, families, communities and neighbors.  When our four kids graduated high school and college, Jean and I gave them as much guidance and advice as we could, but at the end of the day, it was their responsibility to choose what they wanted to do in life and to make it happen. We are tremendously proud of the people they have become, and we are glad they have all chosen to stay right here in South Dakota to put their talents to use and raise families of their own. One of our greatest joys in life is watching them raise our grandchildren, the next generation of South Dakota students.

The United States truly is the land of opportunity, and receiving an education is the first step that allows us to achieve our dreams. Graduation opens up a brand new world to discover, and I encourage graduates to explore each opportunity that comes their way.

Regardless of our graduates’ next plans, I hope they will move into their next chapter with a problem-solving, kind and generous attitude about whatever happens in life. A motto that I come back to time and again, especially in my current job as a senator, is, “leave this world better off than when you entered it.” I work to do that as I represent South Dakota in the Senate and I hope that South Dakota’s young people will follow a path in life that gives them the opportunity to make this a better world for themselves and for all future generations of Americans.  They have been given the tools they need to succeed; the future is now theirs to shape.

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Sharing Our Agricultural Traditions
By Rep. Kristi Noem

 

For nearly 100 years, my family has farmed the land we live on. It’s more than a business to us. It’s a tradition, a way of life – one that we share with many across the state.

Earlier this month, I was pleased to welcome U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue to South Dakota and give him a peak into our tradition of agriculture and the people behind it. While it was his first official visit to the state as Secretary, it wasn’t his first trip here altogether.  We’ve actually hunted pheasant near my home in the state’s northeastern corner a few times before (he’s a really good shot, by the way) and he’s ridden in the combine with me while I harvested our crops.

South Dakota was a natural stop during his first few weeks on the job, as it’s a microcosm of the many issues under the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) jurisdiction. From farm and ranch policy to forestry to hunting and fishing, we have a little of everything.

To start the day, we sat down with tribal leaders, who have a significant number of farmers and ranchers within their constituencies.  Because of the unique relationship between tribal governments and the U.S. government, I wrote legislation to establish a permanent Office of Tribal Relations within USDA. That provision was successfully rolled into the 2014 Farm Bill and we continue to monitor its implementation today.

Additionally, Secretary Perdue was shown the Black Hills National Forest and the damage done by a decades-long pine beetle infestation. While the Forest Service announced the beetle had finally been beat this April, work remains. Helpful provisions were included in the 2014 Farm Bill at my request, but we will need the continued support of USDA to repair the damage and make the forest more resilient against future outbreaks.

Following the tour, we sat down with producers. While the current Farm Bill will run through 2018, work has already begun on the next one and Secretary Perdue will be essential in implementing that legislation.

The livestock disaster and crop insurance programs have given many South Dakotans an essential safety net, but changes to the commodity programs are needed. We’ll also be looking to improve the Farm Bill’s wetland determinations provisions.  Under existing regulations, producers have been delayed in making improvements to their land because of a years-long backlog. I’ve sponsored bipartisan legislation to address this and am hopeful we’ll see it included.  Corrections must also be made to CRP (the Conservation Reserve Program), which only accepted 101 acres in South Dakota during the last sign-up period despite thousands of acres being submitted for consideration.

The day also included a stop at Ellsworth. To make the point that the Farm Bill is really a food bill, I often tell folks that while not everyone farms, everyone eats. I also like to mention that good farm policy is essential to our national security. If other countries control our food supply, they can control us. Food security is national security.

I’ve always been proud to be part of South Dakota’s tradition of agriculture, making it all the more special that I could show our newest Secretary of Agriculture how we do it with excellence.

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South Dakota Works
A column by Gov. Dennis Daugaard:

In South Dakota we have the third lowest unemployment rate in the nation. This is a source of pride, but it’s also a double-edged sword. Because so few South Dakotans are unemployed, we have a shortage of qualified workers to fill job openings. We lack skilled workers in accounting, engineering, information technology, health care, manufacturing trades and elsewhere.

Workforce development is not a new challenge for South Dakota, and it’s an issue that states across the nation face. In recent years, we have been working to identify the components of an effective workforce system and develop strategies to meet employer needs.

Thanks to the insights gained from conversations with business, education and government leaders at regional workforce summits, we concluded that a new job site software program was necessary. After careful research and evaluation of available technologies, the Department of Labor and Regulation launched a new virtual one-stop system, SDWORKS, last month.

Our old software was not as able to quantify workforce needs. The old system used job titles and only represented the employers who chose to use the system to list jobs. This hampered our ability to make informed policy decisions. The new software searches the internet to “scrape” job listings from other South Dakota employer sites. We are no longer limited to data listed only by employers who use our system. The system also details both job titles and needed skills, allowing any user easily to identify skill supply and demand information in real-time. We can now view, at any given time, everything from the most in-demand skills for job listings to the education level of current job seekers to occupational wage data.

This intuitive, state-of-the-art technology has created an exceptional customer service experience. By helping job seekers and businesses, it’s a win-win.

Southdakotaworks.org was designed to be a job seeker’s number one resource for finding the perfect career in South Dakota. The virtual one-stop system offers a more comprehensive list of job openings, a more robust resume builder and a better internal messaging system. The Department of Labor and Regulation also offers education opportunities and personalized job advisors.

SDWORKS is the state’s largest and most comprehensive jobs board, so there is no need to reinvent the wheel at a local level. New tools allow employers to create job listings based on actual skills and experiences, competencies, and preferences. This allows job seekers and employers to make better matches using the same terminology. Qualified applicants can also be viewed and contacted faster in this system.

Filling workforce gaps is not an easy task, and it’s not something that can be solved immediately. It’s going to take continued dedication from people of all sectors over a long period of time. Still, the new SDWORKS program is a giant step forward. Whether you’re an employer or a job seeker, give it a try, at Southdakotaworks.org.

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Congresswoman Kristi Noem addressed the 2017 graduating class of Wessington Springs today, sending the new graduates off into the world with words of encouragement.

An odd filing has been made in the past week with the Federal Elections Commission where a man, Eric Terrell, (Brand New?) has filed to run as a Republican in the US House race, while claiming a Knoxville Tennessee address on his campaign finance form:

I’ve been around the track a time or two, and I have to say, I’ve never stumbled across Mr. Terrell. I checked with the SDGOP, and this one is a mystery to them as well.

I did look up his campaign address – of 714 South Gay Street in Knoxville,Tennessee, Suite 201… and I’m not sure I’d call it a ‘suite’ or ‘sweet,’ given the boarded up windows of the neighbor, as it looks like a rough part of town, and not a hub of campaign activity.  But, that’s where this supposed Republican hopeful campaign is claiming as his current mailing address.

Investigating it further, I did note on facebook that there is a Rapid City man who goes by Eric Terrell on facebook who seems to be part of an organization called “Brand New Congress.”

This group may correspond to the odd “Brand New” under the name position of the Statement of Candidacy:

The Brand New Congress Group is launching a national campaign effort to recruit 400 candidates across the country to promote their goals, which are as follows:

“Brand New Congress is a campaign to run 400+ non-politician candidates for Congress in 2018 in one unified campaign behind one plan to rebuild the economy, repair our communities and radically reform our institutions.”

Read that here.

This promotional material for Brand New Congress is all over Mr. Terrell’s Facebook page, so we might safely assume that he’s one of the 400+ hopefuls participating in this process.

Of course, he also has material such as this…

Sooo….. I’m not sure how well he might fare among the red meat conservatives that make up the SDGOP’s primary electorate.

I have a note into him asking about his candidacy as a Republican running for Congress, so when I hear more, you’ll hear more.

Until then, stay tuned.