FARM Act Necessary to Prevent Farmers and Ranchers from Being Subject to Needless EPA Regulations
By U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.)

Farmers and ranchers in South Dakota work hard to grow and raise quality products for consumers. They also take great pride in caring for our natural resources and making sure they are available for future generations to use. The federal government should not needlessly get in the way of the work they do to help feed and fuel a growing population.

I recently co-sponsored the Fair Agricultural Reporting Method (FARM) Act, a bipartisan bill to protect farmers and ranchers from EPA reporting requirements for animal waste emissions. This legislation, which was introduced by Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) and now has 33 bipartisan cosponsors, also prevents activist interest groups from attempting to redefine congressional intent related to the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) in the future. Our bill would provide producers with greater certainty by reinstating the status quo producers have been operating under since EPA’s 2008 final rule exempting them from this reporting rule.

Let me take a moment to explain why our bill is necessary. In 1980, CERCLA was established to manage hazardous waste and respond to environmental emergencies and natural disasters. It was meant to be used to clean up land that was identified by the EPA as hazardous or contaminated, and make sure that local communities are able to safely manage hazardous waste. Animal waste contains ammonia and hydrogen sulfide, which are both considered hazardous substances under CERCLA, so in 2008, the EPA amended the rule to exempt animal waste at agricultural operations from CERCLA reporting requirements.

However, in 2017, a court case against the EPA initiated by an environmental activist group resulted in a decision that reversed the animal waste exemption, leaving approximately 200,000 ag producers subject to burdensome, time-consuming and costly reporting requirements for animal waste emissions. Congress never intended these be imposed on family farming operations, who are already responsibly and safely working to produce enough food and fuel for a growing global population.

As the chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Subcommittee on Superfund, Waste Management and Regulatory Oversight, I recently held a legislative hearing on the FARM Act. We were able to hear from witnesses involved in farming and ranching about how EPA reporting requirements on animal waste have impacted their businesses, including Todd Mortenson who runs a ranch in Stanley County. Todd explained to the committee that the FARM Act will help make sure farmers and ranchers are able to focus on doing their jobs, rather than complying with unnecessary paperwork requirements.

South Dakota’s farmers and ranchers are some of the hardest working people I know. The FARM Act prevents them from being subject to needless regulations that have no environmental benefit – so they can focus on working on their land and feeding the world. I look forward to working with my colleagues to get it across the finish line in a timely manner.

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Not for Sale
By Rep. Kristi Noem

There was a sting operation conducted in Watertown in February 2013. Undercover ads were placed on a website that’s known for trafficking young girls for sex called Backpage. Over the course of two days, the ad received 110 responses.

This is not a major city. It’s someone’s hometown. It’s a place with a sense of community – a place built on the idea of a strong family and an understanding of what’s right and what’s wrong. And yet even in this community, websites like Backpage have been able to facilitate the buying and selling of our children.

As we saw in the Watertown sting operation, criminals use the internet to hide their disgusting requests. In fact, studies have shown around 70 percent of child sex trafficking survivors were at some point sold online. Websites like Backpage are profiting immensely because of it.

By some reports, Backpage is responsible for 70 percent of prostitution advertising among the major websites that carry such ads. And it’s believed that more than 90 percent of Backpage’s profits come from their adult advertisements.

These “adult advertisements” may have contained adult content, but in many cases, it was children they were selling. According to court documents filed with the California Department of Justice, these sales earn the owners of Backpage between $1.5 million and $2.5 million a month in California alone.

With this evidence in mind, it’s clear Backpage is a standout in this area. Their business model relies on the buying and selling of human beings, and it needs to end.

Knowing this, the House passed the Allow States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act, which I cosponsored. This bill aims to crack down on websites that knowingly facilitate the buying and selling of our children. It makes sure states and victims have the tools they need to hold these sickening websites legally accountable. After all, sex predators should never be able to find immunity by hiding behind a computer screen.

Additionally, work continues on legislation I introduced to expand housing opportunities for survivors. In many cases, those who have been trafficked require stronger security protocols and different support services than other victims of violence. My legislation is designed to extend transitional housing, healing and hope to many more trafficking survivors.

But not every solution to human trafficking is a federal solution. You too can play a role by learning what to look out for. The U.S. State Department includes these among the red flags: living with an employer, poor living conditions, multiple people in a cramped space, inability to speak to an individual alone, signs of physical abuse, and submissive or fearful behavior. For urgent situations, dial 911. You may also call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888.

Every 30 seconds, a child is sold for sex. While we often think of it as a problem that primarily exists overseas, the reality is that it occurs in our backyards too. We have to fight back. We have to let the world know that our kids are not for sale.

2018 Legislative Session Accomplishments
A column by Gov. Dennis Daugaard: 

As I write this, the South Dakota State Legislature is concluding the main run of its legislative session.  This has been a productive year in Pierre, and I think South Dakotans can be proud of what has been accomplished.

Most importantly, our state continued its streak, going back to statehood, of a balanced budget.  Our budget is honestly balanced.  We used ongoing revenue streams to fund ongoing expenses, and one-time revenues only for one-time purposes.  We do not rely on accounting tricks.  We maintain a budget reserve fund equal to ten percent of expenditures.  It is for this reason that our state has earned and maintained a AAA bond rating, which speaks to our fiscal strength.

When I proposed a state budget in December, revenue growth was very slow.  For that reason, I was not able to propose inflationary increases for education, Medicaid providers, or state employee salaries.  Fortunately, our state’s economy has ticked upward in the last three months, so the state budget we passed will include increases for all of those recipients.  We were also able to allocate dollars to the state employee health plan, to keep employee costs as low as possible.

The budget also includes funding to continue the dual credit program for high school students, to contribute toward a new Precision Ag facility at SDSU and a health education building at Lake Area Tech, and to construct a state veterans cemetery near Sioux Falls.  The Building South Dakota economic development also received a reliable, long-term revenue source.

This year, the legislature passed numerous bills to modernize our state’s alcohol industry.  The emerging micro-brewing industry will be able to expand and to sell their products to bars and consumers.  Farm wineries gained greater flexibility to operate as well.  For the first time in decades, the entire alcohol title was rewritten, increasing clarity and easing the regulatory burden.

We also recognized that the open waters compromise, which the legislature passed last summer in a special session, is working, and we passed legislation to make the compromise permanent.  Although access to public waters will always be an issue, after twenty years we have finally brought certainty and found an answer that is working for landowners and sportsmen.

Bills were also brought to strengthen our ties to our tribes.  Legislation was passed allowing tribal governments to extradite their members back from county jails, if they choose.  We also passed legislation recognizing the right of tribal members to wear traditional regalia, such as an eagle feather, at high school graduations.

Significantly, every single accomplishment I have mentioned was passed on a bipartisan basis.  With the partisan gridlock in Washington, South Dakotans can be proud that our legislature takes on big issues in a practical, bipartisan fashion.

I first came to Pierre for the legislative session in 1997 when I was first elected a state senator.  I spent six years as a senator, eight years as lieutenant governor, and now eight years as governor.  Over those twenty-two sessions, I have served with hundreds of good people – men and women, Republicans and Democrats, farmers, teachers, nurses and attorneys.

South Dakota’s legislators are not career politicians.  They come to Pierre for a few weeks to serve their friends and neighbors, and then they return home to live amongst the people they serve.  In the coming days, if you happen to see one of your legislators, please say thank you for a job well done.​

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Sioux Falls Mayor Mike Huether apparently sent Lora Hubbel a Cease and Desist Letter for libeling him on facebook:

A South Dakota gubernatorial candidate has been accused of making libelous social media posts that say Sioux Falls Mayor Mike Huether has committed treason and loves the Muslim Brotherhood.

The Argus Leader Thursday obtained a copy of a cease and desist notice sent last year from Huether’s private attorneys to Lora Hubbel, a Republican candidate in the 2018 South Dakota governor race, for a series of Facebook and Twitter posts allegedly calling Huether “treasonous,” a “lover” of the Muslim Brotherhood, and “selling our state to the Islamic cause.”

Read it here.

Mike Huether is accusing Lora Hubbel of going on Facebook and saying ridiculous, offensive things? Perish the thought.

Say offensive, untrue things? Lora would never do that.

Maybe.

Gov. Daugaard Orders Flags At Half-Staff To Honor Hal Wick

PIERRE, S.D. – Gov. Dennis Daugaard is ordering flags to fly half-staff  at the State Capitol on Tuesday, March 13, to honor the life of former state Rep. Hal Wick on the day of his funeral.

Wick, of Sioux Falls, represented his district in the South Dakota House of Representatives for a total of 20 years; serving from 1977 to 1980, 1995 to 1998, 2001 to 2008, and 2011 to 2014. Wick also served as House Majority Whip from 2003 to 2004 and 2011 to 2012.

Wick was 73 years old and passed away on Wednesday, March 7. His funeral will be held on Tuesday, March 13, at 10:30 a.m. CST at Christ the King Church in Sioux Falls.

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If you know my wife, (hopefully soon to be Dr. Powers in a couple of months) she’s more concerned about education than politics.

However there are a few things that get her Irish up, and one of them is the tax opt-out proposed for Brookings that could bring a massive raise of 675% to the school portion of property taxes, increasing the tax levy from 34 cents per $1,000 in valuation to $2.295 per $1,000.  Most of the increase is dedicated to staff, and a good portion of that is administrative staff.

Not to mention that the school board didn’t look at any cuts to the budget before they proposed their wish list to voters.

As such, my wife is on Facebook pointing out a few of those things, and is letting her opinion be known about the pay bump being given to the Superintendent one month before the school board came to voters with their hand out asking for more:

Brookings resident? Make a point to Vote NO on April 10th, and encourage the School Board to live within their means.

Former Watertown Police Chief Jo Vitek Endorses Jackley for Governor

WATERTOWN, SD: Former Chief of the Watertown Police Department Jo Vitek is adding her name to the growing list of law enforcement community members supporting South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley for governor.

“Marty is South Dakota through and through,” Vitek said. “He’s done an outstanding job as attorney general, the men and women on the front lines of law enforcement know and trust him, and we’re confident that he’s prepared to be governor on day one.”

Vitek served as Watertown’s police chief for seven years from 2005-2013. In addition to her service to the police department, Vitek has worked as an adjunct professor at Mt. Marty College in Watertown and a consultant for Lake Area Technological Institute’s law enforcement program.

Jackley has also received the endorsement of Codington County Sheriff Brad Howell and 60 other county sheriffs in South Dakota.

“Having someone with Jo’s experience on our team is an incredible asset,” Jackley said. “She’s a selfless leader with a servant’s heart, and I hope to follow her example as we campaign across South Dakota.”

You can watch Vitek’s endorsement video at the following link:

Noem Releases Transportation and Infrastructure Agenda

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Kristi Noem today released her transportation and infrastructure agenda. The proposal is designed to maximize existing resources, increase safety for South Dakota families and communities, and encourage greater collaboration between state, county, and local governments.

“South Dakota does a lot of things right, but with some smart infrastructure investments, strong partnerships, a larger skilled workforce, and the right leadership, we have a real opportunity when it comes to our transportation system,” said Noem. “Modernizing our roads, bridges, and rails will increase safety for our families and communities, but it will also help fuel our agriculture, transportation, and manufacturing economies. By collaborating with private contractors, counties, and local governments, I’m confident we can lay the groundwork for a stronger South Dakota.”

As a member of the U.S. House, Noem helped move the decade’s first fully-funded, long-term transportation bill to passage. Signed into law in 2015, the legislation cut red tape, increased support for South Dakota projects by 10 percent, and gave state and local governments more flexibility to address their unique infrastructure needs.

Click to download Noem’s transportation and infrastructure agenda.

AGENDA: BUILD SOUTH DAKOTA

Prioritize road repairs. While recent investments have helped improve overall conditions, many South Dakota roads are still in need of repair. We can meet these needs without raising taxes. As governor, I will direct the South Dakota Department of Transportation to collaborate with local and county governments in prioritizing road repairs. It’s critical the state respect local input during this process, working hand-in-hand to achieve even greater efficiency and always moving toward improved safety and the freer flow of commerce.

Maximize Bridge Improvement Grant resources. Nearly one in five South Dakota bridges were rated “Structurally Deficient” by the U.S. Transportation Department in 2017. While maintaining full funding of the Bridge Improvement Grant program, my administration will work directly with counties and local governments to build greater efficiency, where possible, into their project plans and remove roadblocks. In this way, we will stretch existing resources as far as possible.

Enhance railways to support farmers and grow the economy. While serving in the U.S. House, I strongly and successfully advocated for federal TIGER Grants that supported South Dakota projects. These grants enabled the rail upgrades necessary to move commodities to market more quickly. Under a Noem administration, we will make it a top priority to compete for and win these grants to further enhance rail service and lower the basis for grain products, putting more money in the hands of hardworking farmers and growing the South Dakota economy.

Protect South Dakota’s small and regional airports. Like our highways and roads, air service is a network. Ensuring South Dakota remains connected through our smaller and regional airports must be a priority. As governor, I will protect infrastructure investments for our aviation network, as I’ve done while serving in the U.S. House. Additionally, I will work to ensure the South Dakota Civil Air Patrol, which often provides essential services during state emergencies, and the general aviation community continue to have access to the airports they need to operate.

Equip South Dakotans to fill good-paying infrastructure jobs. We already face a labor shortage, and still, even greater workforce demands are on the horizon. In South Dakota, the average tradesman is 41 years old, meaning many will be at or near retirement by the end of the next decade. To meet our long-term needs, I’m committed to:

• Bolstering Governor’s Office of Economic Development investments in programs that build awareness of the industry’s career potential and aid in recruiting new talent;

• Expanding access to experience-driven technical training at the high-school level; and

• Strengthening partnerships between state technical schools and employers to graduate 25% more apprentices by 2022. This will enable us to grow our skilled workforce and better fill good-paying infrastructure jobs with South Dakota workers.

Keep the regulatory burden low. President Trump has made the streamlining of infrastructure regulations a goal of his administration, and what an incredible story South Dakota has to share on this front! As governor, I will lead by example and partner with President Trump to streamline federal permitting processes that weigh down South Dakota developers. In doing so, I will always keep five goals in mind: (1) provide clarity to project managers regarding the process, (2) improve the timeliness of project completion, (3) offer flexibility on implementation while upholding strict outcome standards, (4) reduce costs, and (5) maintain safety.

Leverage experience to maximize federal resources. More than half of South Dakota Department of Transportation funding is federal. Simply put, it is in the country’s interest to have a well-maintained national transportation network. My work on highway legislation gave me firsthand insight into how federal highway dollars flow to South Dakota. The unmatched experience I bring to the table, along with the deep relationships I’ve built with national leaders and the Trump administration, will serve South Dakota well. I will work to maximize these federal resources, defend the formula going forward, and fully justify why it is essential to continue investing in America’s Heartland.​

From the campaign comes Marty Jackley’s upcoming appearances for the next week on the campaign trail as he pursues the office of Governor:

Upcoming Events and Press Availability

• The Grand Opening of the West River Campaign Headquarters will be held March 9 in Rapid City from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. The address is 706 St. Joseph St.
• Team Jackley will have information booths at the Black Hills Home Show and the Sioux Empire Home Show this weekend.
• Jackley is holding a Meet & Greet on March 10 in Whitewood at the Mill Iron Coffee House from noon to 1:00pm.  The address is 1338 Laurel St.
• Jackley will meet with business and community leaders from Chamberlain, Kimball and White Lake for an economic round table on March 12. The lunch will be held at 11:45 a.m. at Club Vega in Kimball.
• The afternoon of March 12, Jackley will attend the AGC Gubernatorial Forum in Oacoma.
• Jackley will be in Sioux Falls on March 13 for various meetings with business and community leaders, including the City Council.
• Jackley will meet with business and community leaders from DeSmet, Lake Preston and Arlington for an economic round table on March 14. The lunch will be held at noon at the DeSmet Community Center.
• On March 14, Jackley will meet with SDSU College Republicans and Brookings supporters at Jack’s Place in the basement of the Student Union at 6:00 p.m.
• On March 16, Jackley will have lunch with USD College Republicans and Vermillion supporters at noon in the Muenster University Center.

Stay tuned!

 

Jackley to Host West River Office Grand Opening Friday

RAPID CITY, SD: On Friday South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley will welcome supporters to the grand opening of his West River campaign headquarters in Rapid City.

“We’re thrilled with the support we’ve seen West River and can’t wait to launch the official kickoff of our ground game there,” Jackley said. “Our West River campaign headquarters will be a place where volunteers can get to know one another and help spread the word about our positive campaign by South Dakotans for South Dakotans.”

The event at 706 St. Joseph St. in Rapid City will run from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Refreshments will be provided.

“Every community in our state should have a voice at the table,” Jackley said. “Friday’s office opening is a chance to spend time in one of those communities hearing feedback on our policy initatives, energizing volunteers as we hit the most important stretch of this important campaign and saying thank you to everyone who is supporting us along the way.”

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