Author: @SoDakCampaigns

Thune: Democrats’ Radical Agenda Threatens Families, Faith, and Life

“Government money rarely comes without strings attached.”

Click here or on the picture above to watch the video.

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today highlighted how Democrats’ out-of-touch child care provisions in their reckless tax-and-spending spree would reduce the number of child care options for parents and harm faith-based providers across the country. Thune also noted how the Democrats’ bill would allow taxpayer funding for abortions against the wishes of a majority of the American people.

 ATTORNEY GENERAL ANNOUNCES HE WILL JOIN SUIT TO HALT BIDEN ADMINISTRATION’S PRIVATE EMPLOYER VACCINE MANDATE 

PIERRE, S.D. – South Dakota Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg announced today that he will be bringing litigation on behalf of the State of South Dakota, along with the state of Missouri and a coalition of other states, to halt the Biden Administration’s vaccine mandate on private employers. Ravnsborg plans to file suit first thing tomorrow morning when OSHA’s Emergency Temporary Standard” (ETS) is officially published in the federal register.

“This is an excessive burden to place on the businesses and citizens of South Dakota,” said Ravnsborg. “It is our belief that the federal government does not have the authority to unilaterally force private employers to mandate their employees get vaccinated or foot the bill for weekly testing.” 

-30- 

Austin Goss of Dakota News Now had this story earlier this AM about the Governor being sued, because a group decided to try to have a rally in Pierre, but claim they were denied a permit:

Governor Noem is being sued by the Institute for Free Speech on behalf of a group trying to protest vaccine mandates on State Capitol grounds. They say they were denied a permit for the dates of November 8th and 9th on the basis that Christmas decorating is going on. pic.twitter.com/vixbrUUhaN

— Austin Goss (@AustinGossSD) November 4, 2021

However, as reported by Joe Sneve at the Argus..

The governor’s office pushed back Thursday, saying the administration continues to work with the organization to allow a demonstration to take place.

“Nobody is denying the opportunity to speak,” said Ian Fury, a spokesman for the governor. “We are working with the protesters to accommodate their request.”

Read it here.

I was hoping to scoot over to Pierre for the Special Session  just to watch the fireworks, but I’m stuck in Brookings to manage the home front. It looks like it’s going to be a circus maximus!

Before Tuesday, President Biden declared “We’re going to win.”

The Dems are in disarray. #RedWave pic.twitter.com/w8zh3MhuT6

— GOP (@GOP) November 4, 2021

And with a very loud voice, voters replied “Let’s go Brandon!”

It’s going to be a wild election!

From Twitter, via Morning Consult, stick a fork in Bruce Whalen, Bruce Mowry, and the other guy whose name nobody remembers. US Senator John Thune’s popularity among Republican voters has surged from 69% to nearly 90%:

Despite Trump’s calls for a primary challenger, John Thune of South Dakota has seen a sharper recovery among GOP voters than any other Senate Republican up for re-election next year. https://t.co/DbxX8H3M4j pic.twitter.com/uRRt72Ej5I

— Morning Consult (@MorningConsult) November 4, 2021

“Polling conducted in the third quarter of Biden’s presidency found that 88 percent of Republicans in the Mount Rushmore State approve of Thune’s job performance, up from 69 percent in the first quarter of the year. This marks the best quarterly improvement of any governor or senator up for re-election in 2022, according to surveys in each state conducted from Jan. 21, Biden’s first full day in office, through Oct. 20. This leaves Thune roughly matching Noem’s popularity among GOP voters in the state (86 percent approval), though they are less likely to strongly approve of their senior senator than they are their governor (33 percent to 53 percent).”

Yeah. None of those guys are going to even come close to touching this.

Plan ahead for 3G Phase Out in 2022

PIERRE, S.D. – The South Dakota Public Utilities Commission wants South Dakotans to be aware that all major mobile carriers, including AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile, plan to phase out their 3G networks in 2022. The decommissioning of 3G networks, which rely on older technology, is part of a larger plan that will allow providers to focus more of their resources on building out newer networks, like 5G, to meet consumer demands instead of maintaining an older one. As a result of this change, older phones that require 3G networks to operate will lose service.

“If you have an older mobile phone, you may need to upgrade your device before mobile carriers shut down their 3G network to avoid losing service. Once your carrier makes this change, older phones, including 3G mobile phones will be unable to use data services and make or receive calls and texts, including calls to 911,” explained PUC Chairman Chris Nelson. “Some older 4G mobile phones that don’t support faster technology may also be affected,” Nelson continued.

Specific deadlines for this transition vary by company. Sprint, which is owned by T-Mobile, has announced that it will shut down its 3G network by Jan. 1, 2022. AT&T will follow suit phasing out 3G by February 2022. Verizon will end 3G service by Dec. 31, 2022. T-Mobile also plans to phase out its 2G and 3G networks, but has not yet announced a deadline.

“It’s important to understand that the dates these major carriers have provided are deadlines for retiring their 3G networks. Some may begin retiring parts of their 3G networks sooner,” said PUC Vice Chairperson Kristie Fiegen.  “Keep in mind that many other carriers, like Cricket Wireless, Straight Talk and several Lifeline mobile service providers, utilize AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile networks for service, so their deadlines may impact your service even if your contract is with a different provider,” Fiegen stated.

Phasing out older networks isn’t a new concept for wireless carriers; similar transitions have happened before. Many wireless providers shut down 2G networks in favor of building out the 4G network we now use. Benefitting from past experience, many service providers have developed programs and resources to help customers through this process.

Some carriers provide lists on their websites of devices that won’t be supported after 3G networks are decommissioned. Some mobile service providers may be offering special deals on new devices for those in need of an upgrade. Other devices may only require a software update to enable advanced services.

“The best way to ensure you don’t lose connectivity as a result of these phase outs is to do your research and plan ahead. Contact your mobile provider or consult your provider’s website for more information about their 3G retirement plan and how it may affect your service,” recommended PUC Commissioner Gary Hanson. “Be sure to consider any medical devices, tablets, smart watches, vehicle SOS services, home security systems and other devices that use cellular connectivity as a back-up when a wired internet connection goes down and other connected products that may use 3G as well,” he said.

While additional programs like Lifeline and Tribal Lifeline and Link Up don’t cover the cost of new devices, they can assist eligible South Dakotans with the cost of phone or internet services. The Federal Communications Commission’s Emergency Broadband Benefit program may also provide a temporary discount of up to $50 per month towards broadband service for eligible households during the COVID-19 pandemic.  To find out more, visit the FCC’s website at https://www.fcc.gov/broadbandbenefit.

For more information on the planned phase out of 3G cellular networks, see the FCC’s guide “Plan Ahead for Phase Out of 3G Cellular Networks and Service” at fcc.gov/telephone.

– 30 –

An obituary for former First Lady, and wife to US Senator Mike Rounds, Jean Rounds is on-line, and notes that services will be on Saturday with a visitation Friday night:

Jean Rounds, 65, died peacefully on Tuesday, November 2, at her home in Ft. Pierre, surrounded by those she loved. A visitation will be held on Friday, November 5th from 5:00-7:00pm at Ss. Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Pierre with a 6:00pm Prayer Service. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:00am on Saturday, November 6th at Ss. Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Pierre with private family burial to follow at Mt. Calvary Cemetery in Pierre. The family will be hosting a luncheon at Drifters Bar & Grille following the funeral mass.

Jean Renae Vedvei was born on October 4, 1956, in Lake Preston, South Dakota, to Alec and Helen Vedvei. The oldest of four siblings, she spent most of her childhood on a farm north of Lake Preston. She initially attended country school near the farm before later going to school in town. She excelled at academics and sports, and was an accomplished musician. Her father especially enjoyed hearing her play the accordion.

After graduating from Lake Preston High School in 1974, she attended South Dakota State University in Brookings. She soon graduated with a degree in office management and went to work at the university. It was at SDSU where she met her future husband, Mike. They were married at the North Preston Church near her hometown on April 22, 1978, and subsequently made their home in Pierre.

The couple had four children: Christopher, Brian, Carrie and John. All were active in sports and extracurricular activities, and Jean loved watching and supporting them in every way possible. She was absolutely committed to their success and documented every minute of it in her amazing scrapbooks.

Read the entire retrospective here.

Thune Remembers Jean Rounds

“She was an individual who carried herself with incredible grace – always kind – had a humility about her that I think people just found infectious.”

Click here or on the picture above to watch the video.

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today remembered Jean Rounds, the late former first lady of the state of South Dakota, on the Senate floor.

Thune’s remarks below:

“Mr. President, let me begin this morning by saying how sorry we were to the hear the news about the loss of former First Lady Jean Rounds of the state of South Dakota.

“Mike and Jean have been friends of ours for many, many years.

“I was involved in Senator Rounds’ first campaign for office when he ran for state Senate back in 1990 – have known Jean since I worked in the administration of late Governor George Mickelson, along with her at the Department of Transportation, and I just can’t tell you what a loss it is for the state of South Dakota.

“She was an individual who carried herself with incredible grace – always kind – had a humility about her that I think people just found infectious.

“She was very down to earth – never lost that as a first lady – conducted herself in a way that represented a great model for the state of South Dakota. Both in her character, her conduct, the style, the way in which she served as first lady is something that I think made every South Dakotan proud.

“And so today, along with all South Dakotans, Kimberley and I mourn her loss, we lift up the Rounds family in our prayers and hope and pray that through this time they’ll feel God’s grace and comfort in new and profound ways.

“But just a tremendous loss. And I know for my colleague, Mike Rounds, who has been a great partner of mine – we’ve been involved in politics together now in South Dakota for over 30 years – that he, too, is going to need our support and our prayers in the days ahead.

“This is a tough job under ordinary circumstances, but with the burden that he has been and will be carrying now and into the future, it’s going to be really important that we do everything we can do to support him and stand with him and today especially with him and his family.”

###

Hospitalizations are down, but there are several more in the ICU with COVID, as well as a couple more on ventilators in comparison to last week.

Seriously, it’s still a good idea to get vaccinated.

As we approach this next weeks special legislative session South Dakota News Watch has conducted a survey of South Dakotan’s to determine their attitude on the possible impeachment of Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg. If you look at the results, it would not appear that South Dakota is mincing many words in their support for legislative action.

The late October poll of 500 registered voters in South Dakota showed that 66.8% of respondents strongly or somewhat support the impeachment of Ravnsborg by the Legislature, with 13.8% opposed and 19.4% undecided. Of all 500 respondents, 44.6% were strongly in favor of impeachment.

When the undecided respondents are removed, support for impeachment is even stronger, with 82.8% of those who have formed an opinion supporting impeachment.

Political party affiliation was not a major factor in difference in responses, with 72.3% of Democrats supporting impeachment; 65.6% of Independents supporting impeachment; and 64.3% of Republicans in support of impeachment.

Read the entire story here.

I may find myself in the minority on having doubts that traffic misdemeanors should rise to the level of an impeachable offense for a statewide officeholder. But it certainly appears that this may be the direction things are headed.