Support South Dakota’s Small Businesses
By Sen. John Thune

Soon after the snow starts in South Dakota, Thanksgiving ushers in the holiday season. I love this time of year: gathering around the Thanksgiving feast with my family, throwing the football around outside, and giving thanks to God for our many blessings.

Of course, the holiday season also means a long to-do list: picking up groceries, finding the perfect gift, and getting gas for the trip to see family. Whatever it is you need and wherever the holidays take you, South Dakota’s small businesses will have you covered.

For a number of years now, the Saturday after Thanksgiving has marked Small Business Saturday. It’s a special opportunity to support the roughly 95,000 small businesses that are the backbone of our state’s and many communities’ economies. Shopping small has a big impact. Small businesses are often a lot more than a storefront on Main Street, they are a big a part of our communities. Dollars spent at a small business stay local, and small businesses often turn around and support their communities through booster clubs, Chambers of Commerce, or even offering a young person his or her first job.

I also have a great appreciation for the important role small businesses play in helping people achieve the American Dream. After immigrating from Norway and helping build the railroad across South Dakota, my grandfather and his brother opened a hardware store in Mitchell. My grandfather opened another location in Murdo, and my parents worked there after World War II. I also got my start working at a small business: the Star Family Restaurant. I worked my way up from busboy to cook, and it taught me invaluable lessons about hard work and what it takes to run a small business.

As I’m traveling around South Dakota, it’s always a pleasure to drop in to small businesses wherever I am. It’s great to have a chance to hear directly from business owners and see what their operation is all about. Just recently I stopped into the Daily Grind in Lemmon for a cup of coffee, and got some treats for my grandkids at Grandma’s Chocolates. I was at the Meathouse in Andover, and popped into Mike’s Food Center down the road in Webster. And I grabbed lunch at Toby’s Lounge in Meckling on my way to tour Masaba’s manufacturing facility in Vermillion.

These visits give me valuable insight when I return to Washington. Small business owners need pro-growth policies that help them reinvest in their businesses, hire more workers, and grow. Next year, Congress will have an important debate about tax policy as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act expires at the end of 2025. President Trump and Republican majorities in Congress are committed to preserving lower tax rates and policies that ushered in a strong economy and grew paychecks during the first Trump administration. As always, I’ll rely on the input from South Dakota small businesses for this important debate.

Small businesses are at the heart of the American spirit. Whether they’re working out of a storefront on Main Street or working late nights at their kitchen table to get a business off the ground, small business owners are preserving the American Dream. I hope you’ll join me in supporting South Dakota’s small businesses this Small Business Saturday, throughout the holiday season, and all year round.

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Making Washington Work for You
By Rep. Dusty Johnson
November 21, 2024

 BIG Update

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Director testified in the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee this week to address concerns about the Agency’s response to disasters. It was recently reported that employees were directed to skip homes that displayed Trump signs or flags.

I joined Fox Business to discuss the hearing. You can watch my conversation by clicking here or the image below.

BIG Idea

Our veterans served to keep America the way the Founders intended—free. In return for their service, they deserve the best support and care we can provide. I’ve heard from veterans and veterans’ groups in the past that the current system isn’t doing enough to meet their needs. To address these concerns and remedy deficiencies in the VA, I voted to pass the Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act which covers a broad range of veterans’ health care and benefits policies.

To name a few, the bill would streamline the Veterans Community Care Program, including the patient scheduling system, dental treatment availability, and outreach to veterans. It also provides much-needed support for caregivers, increases assistance for nursing home alternatives and establishes a program to provide in-home care services. The bill also provides resources and support to Native American veterans and homeless veterans.

The Elizabeth Dole Act is a huge win for veterans to provide overdue updates to make sure our veterans don’t get the short end of the stick during and after their service.

BIG News

Earlier this year, the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) announced it would be restructuring post offices across the country, including two in South Dakota. Following opposition to these changes from Congress and citizens, the USPS put the plan on pause to reevaluate their decision. This week, the USPS announced it will not be changing the services at the Sioux Falls post office. This is great news for those in Sioux Falls who won’t experience drastically higher processing times for local mail. I’m glad the USPS is changing its course.

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Apprenticeships in Action: Celebrating Opportunity
By: Sec. Marcia Hultman  
November 22, 2024  

This year, 2024, marks 10 years of raising awareness and celebrating “National Apprenticeship Week.” Apprenticeships are an effective approach for South Dakotans to gain on-the-job training plus classroom instruction to earn a nationally recognized credential while continuing to earn a living for their family. In the last two years, we have taken apprenticeships to a whole new level in our state.

A year and a half ago, Governor Kristi Noem invested just under $8 million to increase the number of apprenticeship opportunities available in South Dakota. Since this investment, South Dakota has significantly increased the number of programs available, growing from 102 programs to 145. Nearly 300 South Dakota businesses have inquired about starting a registered apprenticeship program. And 50 new programs are in development. I’m so proud of my team who has put in the hard work to make this happen.

I want to give an example of one profession that has especially benefited from apprenticeships and is near and dear to my heart: teaching. Just like my grandmother and mother before me, I was trained to be a teacher. However, the options to get there look quite different today. 

In many recent years, teachers have been hard-to-fill positions with some of the highest number of job openings in South Dakota. To address this need, the Department of Labor and Regulation (DLR) worked with the Department of Education and our post-secondary education partners to launch a Teacher Apprenticeship Pathway.

The Teacher Apprenticeship Pathway keeps costs low for current paraeducators as they continue to gain work-based learning experience combined with technical instruction to become licensed teachers. The program allows individuals to earn and learn while staying in their home community. All coursework is offered virtually at convenient times, so participants can continue to work while enrolled. School districts provide a local mentor to support the apprentices throughout the process. Northern State University and Dakota State University offer the necessary coursework over a two-year period to earn a bachelor’s degree in education, as well as a teaching certificate. 

This pathway has already achieved great results. 88 participants joined the program in the first year. More than 90% of these teacher apprentices are sticking with the program, and 100% say they are very likely or somewhat likely to stay in South Dakota throughout their education career. That will make a real difference in our teacher workforce well into the future. And thanks to support from the legislature, this effort is expanding as a second cohort of teacher apprentices began this fall. 

Our first graduate of the Teacher Apprenticeship Pathway, Kandy Flowers, is now teaching in Wessington Springs. When she graduated, Kandy thanked everyone involved in the program and shared how she is now able to continue working with the students she has been assisting – but with the addition of her teaching certification. Kandy shared her hopes for the continued success of the Teacher Apprenticeship Pathway because “it works.”

This is but one example of the ways apprenticeships are launching careers and changing lives in South Dakota. It’s simple; apprenticeships work. And DLR is here to continue advancing apprenticeship opportunities in South Dakota for years to come. We thank Governor Noem for her support of these efforts. I can’t wait to see how opportunities continue to grow and evolve for the people of South Dakota.

Marcia Hultman is Cabinet Secretary of the South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation.

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South Dakota’s branch of the US Term Limits organization is joining us on advertiser’s row as chaired in the state by the always awesome State Senator Erin Tobin.  For those of you who aren’t familiar with her group, US Term Limits encourages people to contact their legislator and encourage they pass a resolution applying for an Article V convention for the sole purpose of enacting term limits on Congress.

Please click and support Erin and her group, as well as our other advertisers including Summit Carbon Solutions as they seek to keep our ethanol markets competitive worldwide, Governor Kristi Noem, US Senator John Thune, Dusty Johnson for US Congress, and Senator Mike Rounds.

And don’t forget if you have questions on ad prices, ad positions, and ad commitments, you can direct those to me by clicking here.  (Advertising is available on a first-come first-served basis, and discounts are provided for extended commitments.)

Attorney General Jackley Praises Selection of Pam Bondi as AG Nominee

PIERRE, S.D. – South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley praises President-elect Trump’s selection of Pam Bondi as his Nominee for Attorney General.

“I served with, and was impressed, with Pam as Florida’s Attorney General,” said Attorney General Jackley. “She is an experienced prosecutor who will strengthen the relationship between federal, state, and local prosecutors and bring respect to the Department of Justice.”

In 2017, then-Attorney General Bondi served as the keynote speaker at the South Dakota Law Enforcement Charitable Game Feed held in Sioux Falls.

Attorney General Jackley, who is also a former U.S. Attorney, is one of several Attorneys General advising the Trump transition team on legal issues.

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Senate Passes Thune-Rounds Resolution Honoring Former Senator Tim Johnson

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.) and Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) announced that the U.S. Senate passed their resolution honoring former Sen. Tim Johnson.

“Former Senator Tim Johnson was a steadfast leader who represented South Dakota with integrity and compassion,” said the senators. “It is fitting that he be honored in this way, a tribute to his nearly 30 years in Congress and lifetime of service to the state he loved.”

Text of the resolution is available here.

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Attorney General Jackley Statement on Search for New U.S. Attorney General Nominee

“As a former U.S. Attorney and South Dakota’s Attorney General, I have a vested interest in the U.S. Department of Justice. The Nominee will need to work with federal, state, and local prosecutors, uphold the rule of law, and bring back respect to the DOJ.”

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Rounds Introduces Legislation to Eliminate U.S. Department of Education

Legislation would return education to local control, redistribute critical programs to existing federal Departments

 

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) today introduced the “Returning Education to Our States Act” which would eliminate the U.S. Department of Education and redistribute all critical federal programs under other departments.

The Department was created in 1979 with the goal of collecting data and advising schools across the U.S. on best practices. In the 45 years since then, it has grown into an oversized bureaucracy with a budget that’s 449% larger than it was at its founding. Despite the Department spending $16,000 per student per year, standardized test scores have been dropping over the past ten years, further displaying the Department’s ineffectiveness on the quality of education for American students. Any grants or funding from the Department are only given to states and educational institutions in exchange for adopting the one-size-fits-all standards put forth by the Department.

“The federal Department of Education has never educated a single student, and it’s long past time to end this bureaucratic Department that causes more harm than good,” said Rounds. “We all know local control is best when it comes to education. Everyone raised in South Dakota can think of a teacher who played a big part in their educational journey. Local school boards and state Departments of Education know best what their students need, not unelected bureaucrats in Washington, D.C.

“For years, I’ve worked toward removing the federal Department of Education. I’m pleased that President-elect Trump shares this vision, and I’m excited to work with him and Republican majorities in the Senate and House to make this a reality. This legislation is a roadmap to eliminating the federal Department of Education by practically rehoming these federal programs in the departments where they belong, which will be critical as we move into next year.”

Despite its inefficiencies, there are several important programs housed within the Department. Rounds’ legislation would redirect these to Departments of Interior, Treasury, Health and Human Services, Labor and State:

 

Department of the Interior

• Native American-Serving Institutions Programs
• Alaska Native Education Equity Program
• American Indian Vocational Rehabilitation Services Program
• Indian Education Formula Grants and National Activities
• Native American and Alaska Native Children in School Program
• Native Hawaiian Education
• Special Programs for Indian Children
• Tribally Controlled Postsecondary Career and Technical Education Program
• Impact Aid Programs

Department of the Treasury

• William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program
• Federal Family Education Loan Program
• Federal Perkins Loan Program
• Federal Pell Grant Program
• Health Education Assistance Loan Program
• Education Sciences Reform Act

Department of Health and Human Services

• Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
• American Printing House for the Blind
• Helen Keller Center for Deaf/Blind Youth and Adults
• Federal Real Property Assistance Program
• Special Education Grants

Department of Labor

• All Office of Career, Technical and Adult Education programs
• National Technical Institute for the Deaf
• Randolph Sheppard Vending Facility Program
• Vocational Rehabilitation State Grants

Department of State

• Fulbright-Hays Program

Click HERE for full bill text.

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As mentioned yesterday, the confederate group of Republicans held a forum last night for people they find acceptable to serve as the next SDGOP chair. I didn’t watch myself, as my wife made soup, and a bowl of homemade soup was far more important – and substantive – than a three-hour complete clown show.  But for those who subjected themselves to this act of electronic self-flagellation, here’s what we found out.

Starting off, imagine you asked a group of 70+ year olds to join a Zoom meeting. That was exactly what you got. One correspondent offered “So bad. Unorganized and people didn’t know how to run zoom mic or camera. I jumped ship once I realized how nutso it was being run.”

I believe it was 45 minutes –  maybe an hour later before they got into the speeches of those who want to take over the party. Three candidates each given 45 minutes. What can go wrong?

From “Attempted Conversion” Lee Qualm, what did we find out?

Qualm declared – “I support no exceptions for rape and incest.” ….because the SDGOP chair has anything to do with abortion policy…?  Well, this is the same ex-majority leader who was part of the House leadership team that the Governor had to take to the woodshed because they declared a dress code that women could not be sleeveless, had to wear nylons, and no skirts above the knees. So I’m not sure that we would expect anything else in a speech from Qualm running for chairman of the party.

And it got better. State Senator Erin Tobin made a couple of statements which triggered Qualm family members to attack her. She encouraged meeting participants to do better, and to lead with morals and values..

Of course, they booted her out of the meeting..

About the only other thing we found out is that he would have Marli Wiese as his vice chair. Bylaws require the vice-chair to be of the opposite gender of the chair, so there’s that. We will see if the nylons and no-sleeve rules still apply.

Ezra Hays was the next candidate to speak. And interestingly, no one really had anything noteworthy or memorable to remark. About the only report I got back was that he said “one of the most valuable things that I did during the amendment H campaign was going outside of the party (for fundraising).” 

Given that his fundraising numbers were less than impressive that would not bode well. At all.

Hand County Commissioner Jim Eschenbaum tried to use the word unity, but said the divide in the party can not be fixed because “we have politicians and people who are establishment players and they want to play politics” among other random words and noises that exited his voice box.

Eschenbaum spent more time attacking Sen. Thune, Governor Noem, a majority of the legislature and others, as well as declaring that the party should be involved in primary elections because that’s our wrestling match.

We did also find out some of the standards being applied by some County Republicans participating in the meeting during his talk:

Which gives you a pretty good snapshot of what the incoming chair will be dealing with.

The three-hour zoom meeting might seem like comedy, but it’s equally tragedy that any of these three options are all that’s interested in leading the state’s largest political party right now.

I and many other people active in the Republican Party hold out hope that a leader may yet emerge who is up to the challenge and willing to take on the task.

Because so far, none of the people campaigning are it.

Rounds’ Legislation Headed to President’s Desk to Rename South Dakota Post Offices after Fallen Service Members

Legislation Honoring First Lieutenant Thomas Michael Martin and Staff Sergeant Robb Lura Rolfing now heads to the President’s desk to be signed into law

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) today announced that two of his bills to rename South Dakota post offices in Huron and Sioux Falls after fallen service members have passed the House and await the President’s signature to make them law. Both of the bills passed the Senate on April 23, 2024.

First introduced in November 2023, S.3267 will designate the Huron Post Office as the “First Lieutenant Thomas Michael Martin Post Office Building.” Originally from Huron, 1LT Martin was a 5th generation Beadle County Martin whose great-great-grandfather homesteaded northeast of Huron in the 1880s. 1LT Martin was born in Huron and later moved around the country due to his parents’ active duty service that moved the family out of South Dakota. He enlisted in the United States Army in 1998 and would go on to attend the United States Military Academy at West Point. 1LT Martin died during combat operations on October 14, 2007 while serving his country in Iraq.

First introduced in June 2023, S.2143 will designate the Downtown Sioux Falls Post Office as the “Staff Sergeant Robb Lura Rolfing Post Office Building.” Staff Sgt. Rolfing was born and raised in Sioux Falls and graduated from O’Gorman High School. He was a Special Forces engineer sergeant assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) in Fort Carson, Colorado. Staff Sgt. Rolfing died from wounds sustained while conducting combat operations in Baghdad, Iraq on June 30, 2007. He was killed by small arms fire while deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom as a member of the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force, Arabian Peninsula.

“1LT Martin and Staff Sergeant Rolfing represent the best of our nation,” said Rounds. “These two men gave their lives in defense of not only our nation but the freedoms we stand for. The naming of these Post Offices in their honor will stand as a reminder to all who visit about the true cost of freedom. Thank you to my House colleagues who supported these two pieces of legislation. I look forward to seeing them signed into law.”

“Our family is so honored to have a prominent building named in memory of our son, in the city I grew up in, and where two of our four children were born,” said Ed Martin, 1LT Martin’s dad. “Our family is confident that Tom’s legacy will live on for years, as those who pass by the Huron Post Office will give cause to pause and research who he was, what he stood for, and why our beautiful historic Huron Post Office is named in memory of our Tom.”

“We would like to thank Sen. Rounds and the American Legion Auxiliary for continuing Robb’s legacy of service to his country,” said Staff Sgt. Rolfing’s parents, Margie and Rex Rolfing.

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