Americans for Prosperity Applauds Advancement of Microbrew Bill

Grassroots group commends Senate Commerce and Energy Committee for passage of bill to promote small businesses and entrepreneurs.

PIERRE, S.D.—Americans for Prosperity-South Dakota (AFP-SD), the largest free market, grassroots organization in South Dakota, on Tuesday applauded the Senate Commerce and Energy Committee’s passage of Senate Bill 169, which would allow small businesses to grow and thrive in South Dakota.

“Government at any level should work to promote the prosperity of its people,” said AFP-SD Deputy State Director Andrew Curley. “This bill would reduce the current barriers our state’s microbrewers and their employees face as they work to grow and serve their customers. Not only would this legislation open the market and bring South Dakota more in line with our neighboring states, it would also be a signal to others that South Dakota welcomes your small business and will be a partner, not inhibitor, to your success. We raise our glass to the Senators on the committee for advancing this bill, and we urge the full Senate to support this bill as it comes to the floor.”

Curley testified before the committee on Tuesday in support of this bill. The transcript of his testimony can be found here.

13 Republicans, 6 Democrats Vote to Reject Notion that Radical Islam is the Root Cause of Global Terrorism

South Dakota Congressional Candidate and Watertown State Senator, Neal Tapio  this week introduced a  concurrent resolution formally acknowledging the full implementation of Islamic Law, known as  Sharia Law, as  the root cause of the global war on terrorism and challenging South Dakota businesses, organizations and political leaders to support the resolution in a show of unified support of America’s military personnel.  After an  orchestrated effort to limit discussion Tuesday on the Senate floor, lawmakers voted to reject the resolution by a vote of 19-16. Tapio says the vote and the events that framed it illustrate both the broken nature of a legislative process fixated on avoiding tough issues, and the way process and procedure are used to provide cover for the lack of courage and leadership in facing truth about a difficult topic.

“I offered this very simple resolution on behalf of the American patriots, soldiers and their families after countless hours in personal conversation with legislators who claim to understand the threat of Islamic terrorism, but who either think it is not their responsibility to confront this issue, or are afraid to talk about this issue in public,” Tapio said.

“It is important for the people who care about the costs of the endless war on terror, and its affect on our loved ones and our communities, to understand the dysfunctional nature of the process in Pierre, and also to highlight the lack of courage of those charged with protecting the good people of South Dakota,” Tapio said.

“The war on terror is real. Last year, legislators were afraid to say they support ‘President Trump in his effort to keep America safe from radical Islamic terrorism.’ Legislators, along with lobbyists for Sanford and Avera hospitals, and the leadership of the Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce and Lutheran Social Services, pushed hard to remove the term “Islamic” out of the resolution.” Tapio said.

“The question is why would these organizations be afraid to address this issue head on and call it by its name, in light of the overwhelming evidence that we see every night on the nightly news. What alternate reality are they living in?”

“If we can’t acknowledge the root cause of the war on terror, and understand those people we are fighting subscribe to a hateful and deadly ideology of the full implementation of Islam Law, then we will fail to recognize those Islamic terrorist organizations intend to infiltrate the entire world with their hateful and deadly ideology.”

“I’m disappointed and saddened to see an utter lack of recognition or resolve on the part of some of South Dakota’s Republican elected leadership,” Tapio said.

The resolution which identified Islamic laws of apostasy and the belief in capital punishment for anyone who leaves the Islamic faith as the driving doctrine behind the violent Jihadist tendencies in both Europe and North America also made a formal request that businesses, organizations and political leaders in South Dakota stand up and be counted as supporters of that message in order to facilitate a renewed dialogue. Tapio says seeing even narrow defeat of his resolution sends a troubling signal about the moral resolve of leadership to show even a basic understanding of an existential threat.

“I tried to work within this system, now it’s time to go around the system,” Tapio said. “We simply don’t have the luxury to play nice and do and say the comfortable things during these extraordinary times.”

“We can either fight to win a petty popularity contest within the GOP establishment and the lobbyists who control them in Pierre, or we can continue to fight everyday on tough issues for the people of South Dakota,” Tapio said.

“I simply choose not to be distracted by the dog and phony show of the political circus when there are real threats and challenges to be faced.”

JACKLEY TO HOST SIOUX FALLS OFFICE GRAND OPENING

SIOUX FALLS, SD: The Marty Jackley for Governor campaign will host a grand opening of their Sioux Falls campaign office on Friday, Feb. 9 from 5-7 p.m.

“My team has been putting in an incredible amount of work to spread our message to every corner of the state,” Jackley said. “Friday is an opportunity to meet with our supporters in the Sioux Falls area, talk about the issues that are the foundation of this campaign, and celebrate the momentum we’ve had so far this year.”

Supporters can find yard signs, bumper stickers and volunteer information at the office, which is located at 3508 W 41 Street.

Refreshments will be served.

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Thune: More Benefits and Opportunities for the American Worker on the Way

“And as the tax law helps U.S. businesses, large and small, grow and thrive, we can expect to see a lot more benefits and opportunities for American workers in the future.”

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WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), a member of the tax-writing Senate Finance Committee and a key voice during the tax reform debate, this week discussed the positive news that continues to be announced as a result of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Thune explained that small and medium-sized businesses, including farms and ranches, will also see positive results from the new tax law by expanding their ability to recover investments they make in their businesses, which will free up cash that they can reinvest in their operations and their workers.

Here’s an interesting letter that was just posted to the Secretary of State’s website:

So, the Democrat organization ActBlue is not a PAC but merely a “donation processor,” …which is not defined in South Dakota campaign finance law that I’m aware.

But if that’s the case, what happens here:

Democrat Gubernatorial candidate Billie Sutton’s recently filed campaign finance report indicates that he received over $180,000 through the ActBlue South Dakota PAC.   Which the Secretary of State indicates is not actually a PAC, so all of that has to be reported individually.

So, as we wait for the revised report…

From a release:

Sioux Falls-February 7th 2018, Tyler Swanger a Sioux Falls resident and member of the Republican party has announced his candidacy for District 14 State Senate

Tyler Swanger was born in Sioux City and spent his early childhood growing up in North Sioux City, South Dakota. He’s not just a brother but a true role model to his siblings (Emily, Alex and Madison). Tyler was an early-leader both in his family and among his peers. He was born of strong Christian faith and was one of the youngest delegates for the Northwest Iowa Lutheran Synagogue.

Tyler was later a graduate of Lincoln High School; followed by the pursuit of an education in business at Southeast Technical Institute.

He is currently one of the top, award-winning, salesman at Vern Eide Honda. Tyler is a proud homeowner in Southeast Sioux Falls where he resides with his fiancé, Sabrina. In December 2017, Tyler was blessed and became the proud father to Tucker Scott.

Tyler is passionate about family values and the core-beliefs of his constituents. In 2016, Tyler ran for State Senate against Deb Soholt and had admirable success among voters. He’s the proud fiancé to an Army Reservist and son of an Air Force Veteran.

Tyler’s hobbies involve anything related to cars and family. He has been an active participant in the Great Plains Street Rodders for eight (8) years. It’s not uncommon to see him accompanying his greatest supporters (parents Scott and Cindy Newman and siblings Emily Swanger and Alex Newman) for the Sunday morning service at Gloria Dei. He’s passionate about his commitments to philanthropic organizations such as Big Brother/Big Sister. Tyler has spent the past seven (7) years learning from and loving his responsibility with his ‘Little Brother.’

Tyler is also the Chairman of the Vern Eide Gives program. This program intentionally and actively supports the Sioux Falls community through a variety of privately funded services. Through this program and Tyler’s leadership, more than 110 families were provided Christmas presents. When asked why this program is so important to Tyler he said, “This program, along with so many other local programs, are the reason Sioux Falls is such a wonderful place to live. This is, in part, why I want to represent not only Sioux Falls, but South Dakota. South Dakotans are passionate about coming together and taking care of our neighbors. Vern Eide Gives, along with so many other wonderful, local non-profits – and individuals – provide families in our community with food, clothing, warmth, financial assistance and most of all faith and hope. It is this partnership and will or desire – to give and provide – that makes this community and state such a wonderful place to live. Nowhere else in the country will you find people that take such a vested interest and personal responsibility for taking care of – not just family, but friends, neighbors and most importantly strangers. Vern Eide Gives and Big Brother give me the chance to provide hope, inspiration and a piece of myself to our community.”

I swear something is in the water this year up in the state legislature. The latest evidence of it? House Bill 1250, which further attempts to raise the age for being considered a legal adult to 21, as it applies to tobacco use:

HB1250P – raise smoking age to 21 by Pat Powers on Scribd

The measure actually passed a Republican majority House Health and Human Services yesterday:

.. and is headed for the House floor.

This legislation is being brought in state legislatures across the country this year, but has met with success in mainly blue states such as California and Oregon. As noted in Fortune Magazine a few days ago:

Opponents to the law, which includes the Indiana Grocery and Convenience Store Association, argue young people who are old enough to vote and serve in the military should be able to make their own choices. There’s also a concern that pushing up the age requirements will shift revenue of cigarette sales to border states that allow anyone 18 and older to buy tobacco products, a move that could harm small businesses and reduce tax revenue. Supporters argue that increasing the age to 21 will reduce smoking rates, which in turn, will cut health costs for the state.

and…

Last year, Oregon became the fifth state to raise the legal age to buy tobacco products to 21. The law went into effect Jan. 1. California and Hawaii were the first states to pass a law that bars the sale of cigarettes and other tobacco products to people younger than 21. New Jersey and Maine followed in 2017.

Read it here.

Ironically, the bill to raise the age of tobacco use is also coming at the same time that legislators are trying to make the argument that we should be LOWERING the drinking age, because those who have the right to vote and serve in the military should be considered legal adults.

And as a point that came to mind… So, how exactly would tribal entities be affected? Since there’s no federal highway funds ‘hammer’ as there is with the drinking age, are they free to regulate tobacco within their borders as they wish?  (And are trying to assert with marijuana).

Would Legislators inadvertently be creating a confusing ‘patchwork’ where 18 year olds could buy Skoal just outside of Flandreau… but not in Brookings?   Ugh. What a mess.

Voting for reduced restrictions, i.e., less government, makes far more sense than increasing the heavy hand of the bureaucracy.

If we as Republicans believe in less government, then we should quit trying to make more of it.

We are a little over a month in to the petition process for candidates for the state legislature, and things are looking somewhat dim for South Dakota Democrats.

31 petitions to run for either the State House or the State Senate have been filed with the South Dakota Secretary of State’s office as of today.

30 of those 31 petitions are for Republican candidates. Only one Legislative petition has been turned in where the candidate is running under the banner of the Democrat party.

30-1 and counting. Not very good odds for Democrats at this point.

From my mailbox:

Today is President Ronald Reagan’s birthday!

To celebrate today, I wanted to share a quick video I recorded about the impact he’s had on my life – how he’s inspired me and influenced the way I view the role of government. Take a look.

I’ll leave you with one of my favorite quotes from President Reagan: “The government’s first duty is to protect the people, not run their lives.” It’s a value I’ve fought to protect as South Dakota’s lone representative in the U.S. House and one I will continue to defend if elected as your next governor.

Kristi