Author: @SoDakCampaigns

Johnson, Biofuels Caucus Co-Chairs Introduce Legislation to Showcase Environmental Benefits of Biofuels 

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representative Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) introduced the Adopt GREET Act, a bill which would require the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to update its greenhouse gas modeling for ethanol and biodiesel to more accurately reflect the environmental benefits of agriculture and biofuels.

The GREET model is a tool which examines the lifecycle impacts of vehicle technologies, fuels, products, and energy systems.

“It’s time for the bureaucracy to catch up to science,” said Johnson. “We know biofuels are an integral part of protecting our environment and building up our economies in rural America. Including the entire lifecycle from a farmer’s field to the fuel pump will allow consumers across this country, and the world, to better understand the benefits biofuels offer.”

Specifically, this bill would require the EPA to adopt the Argonne National Lab’s Greenhouse Gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy Use in Transportation (GREET) Model for both ethanol and biodiesel. EPA would also be required to update its modeling every five years or report to Congress to affirm its modeling is current or otherwise explain why no updates were made.

Johnson introduced this bill with fellow Biofuels Caucus Co-Chairs Reps. Rodney Davis (R-IL), Mark Pocan (D-WI), Adrian Smith (R-NE) and Angie Craig (D-MN). The Senate companion, S. 193, is led by Senators Thune (R-S.D.) and Klobuchar (D-MN).

This bipartisan, bicameral bill is also supported by POET, South Dakota Corn Growers Association, Growth Energy, American Coalition for Ethanol, National Corn Growers Association, and the Renewable Fuels Association.

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From Twitter via KELOland:

BREAKING: The House State Affairs committee voted 13-0 to amend HC7001, the impeachment of Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg. The amendment halts impeachment proceedings until after a Hyde County criminal proceeding is finalized, at the earliest. https://t.co/B2TwYJG1NM

— KELOLAND News (@keloland) March 3, 2021

Apparently the State House Speaker wants to put the brakes on the articles of impeachment against Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg until the misdemeanor criminal charges have been resolved in court:

Speaker of the House Spencer Gosch will ask his fellow House State Affairs members Wednesday morning to amend a resolution calling for the impeachment of the attorney general for his role and conduct since he killed a pedestrian with his car in Hyde County last fall.

That would mean any impeachment proceedings wouldn’t take place until after the courts determine whether he’s guilty of the three misdemeanors traffic violations.

Read the entire story here.

This could definitely protract this out for a while…

I’ve noticed recently that some rocks have been lobbed from writers on the left towards Governor Noem regarding the belief that the administration should be doing more for the disability community during this time of COVID, as if the Governor somehow doesn’t care or is non-responsive to the needs of those with disabilities.

At least from my own experience, I don’t believe this could be farther from the truth. And you don’t have to go back very far to prove it so.  Back just before this crisis that we collectively call COVID, when families of those with Autism and other disabilities were seeking relief for expensive treatments not covered by insurance, it was Governor Kristi Noem who moved the needle.

Her hand wasn’t forced. She was not compelled by action or inaction of the legislature. But she listened, empathized and made things happen in her administration to change the status quo.   And not to take anything away from her predecessors in the Governor’s office, but Kristi made things happen that had not happened before.

In 2017 after 2 years of battling out measures in the legislature against insurance carriers, Governor Daugaard signed HB1195, which was an enhancement of Autism Insurance reform previously passed to help cover payment for Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) treatment. It was a continuation of a previous effort.. but in a way it was a baby-step, because these things never cover everyone and all insurance plans because of the patchy nature of how plans are regulated (state v federal), etc.

2018 was largely quiet on the issue.. but in 2019 during Governor Kristi Noem’s first legislative term, a new bill was back to extend that coverage to additional insurance plans under House Bill 1236.    That years’ fight was to attempt to extend the protections to all insurance plans. Naturally, the insurance carriers trotted out their same arguments against it, and the bill met the same fate as when the battle was first started several years back.

But, unbeknownst to a lot of people, the fight wasn’t over. If anything, it had only begun, and it moved from the legislative venue to the battleground of Governor Noem’s administration.  And things happened. Big things that Governor Noem’s administration had initiated on their own.

Shortly out of that legislative disappointment Governor Noem’s administration dropped a bomb into the discussion, and blew up the coverage question when the administration announced in April of 2019 that they had filed a proposal that has been filed which would potentially add coverage for applied behavior analysis (or ABA therapy) for children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder within certain limits for individual and small group ACA compliant health.

It may have been such a technical change to come off as wonky or gobbledygook to many – but to advocates who had been fighting to add coverage for ABA treatment it was literally a holy grail, as it added the coverage as a mandatory benefit in the individual and small group market.  And as of July 2019, it was made official.

The Governor made a promise to help families of children with Autism – and this was a promise kept.  And that would have simply a tremendous thing on its own. But she didn’t just end it there.  In October of 2019, as Governor Noem announced…

Governor Kristi Noem, in conjunction with Avera Health Plans and Sanford Health Plan, is pleased to announce health insurance coverage options that include Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) therapy in the South Dakota insurance market for 2020.

“As governor and as a mom, I understand how important it is to get kids the kind of care they need,” said Noem. “After talking with parents of kids with autism and assessing the coverage options available, we recognized the need for an alternative option. I’m thrilled to announce Avera and Sanford have found a way to provide added coverage options for kids and families with autism.

Not only did Governor Noem’s administration update the Essential Health Benefits benchmark plan, the Governor took the lead to work with Avera and Sanford health plans to offer at least one option for plans to cover ABA therapy to help fill the gap in the interim.

These solutions came about because Governor Noem saw the needs from families, recognized that solutions were needed, and she acted in ways that the administration could unilaterally do so on their own, as well as acting in collaboration with insurance industry and health care partners.

And really, this is just one example, as Governor Noem continues to advocate for children as well as the families of those with disabilities, whether they are those affected by autism as my own family is, or advocating for those with Downs Syndrome as she has been active with this session.

Are advocates always going to get everything we want right away? As much as I wish it were so, I know we’re not, as we’re competing against others who seek funds, and sometimes competing interests such as the insurance industry.

It’s a give and take. That’s why we all go to the legislature, often register to lobby, and try to make the best case we can. We cheer our victories, and lament our defeats, and pick ourselves up to try, try again.  But make no mistake – In the victories that I’ve watched over the past 2 years – these victories have been because Governor Kristi Noem has been interested, and actively stepped in and made solutions happen.

It has been Governor Noem whose heart has always been open for advocates listened, advocated and moved the ball down the field for those with Autism and other disabilities. Kristi Noem made it happen for families.

And I could not be happier that she is in the Governor’s office continuing to advocate and solve problems for families of those with disabilities.

Yes, Xavier Becerra Fought Nuns in Court

Nitpicking the word ‘sued’ ignores the basic truth: Becerra spent years challenging Catholic nuns’ religious liberty.

By Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.) and Tom Cotton (R-Ark.)

National Review

In the midst of a global pandemic, Americans would expect the White House to nominate someone with a public-health background or expertise in virology or vaccines to lead the Department of Health and Human Services.

President Biden instead nominated California’s attorney general, Xavier Becerra, whose most notable health-care experience involves unconstitutional lockdowns and a years-long lawsuit against the Little Sisters of the Poor. This order of Catholic nuns – who spend their lives caring for the elderly poor – sought an exemption from Obamacare’s contraceptive mandate in court for years, until the federal government granted an exemption in 2017. Becerra fought this exemption in court for the next three years.

A number of senators asked Becerra about this at his confirmation hearings. “I’ve never sued any affiliation of nuns,” he said, choosing his words carefully. “My actions have always been directed at the federal agencies.”

His misleading answer ignores the basic truth: Becerra took legal action for years intended to strong-arm Catholic nuns and others into complying with a federal contraceptive policy that violates their religious beliefs.

It’s a matter of public record that cannot be erased, and it’s just one example of Mr. Becerra taking religious liberty and freedom of conscience to court.

He vigorously defended a California law that targeted pro-life pregnancy centers and forced them to advertise abortions, arguing it all the way to the Supreme Court, which overturned the law because it violated the free-speech protections of the First Amendment.

He lost again at the Supreme Court last month, when the court ruled that California’s ban on indoor worship – which Becerra defended and enforced – was unconstitutional.

Justice Gorsuch wrote, “If Hollywood may host a studio audience or film a singing competition while not a single soul may enter California’s churches, synagogues and mosques, something has gone seriously awry.”

Indeed, something has gone seriously awry in California when its attorney general spends his time attacking, instead of defending, Americans’ freedom of speech and religious liberty.

Xavier Becerra is the wrong pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services in the worst health crisis our country has faced in a century. Senators will have many reasons to oppose his nomination: his lack of relevant experience, his determined assault on religious liberty, his record as chief lockdown enforcer in California, his radical support for unrestricted and taxpayer-funded abortion, and his positions in favor of socialized medicine and decriminalizing illegal immigration.

But at the end of the day, all you need to know about the man is that he sued the federal government to force organizations like the Little Sisters of the Poor to violate their religious beliefs. His disdain for the First Amendment alone should sink his nomination.

John Thune represents South Dakota in the U.S. Senate and is the Senate Republican whip.
Tom Cotton represents Arkansas in the U.S. Senate and earned a J.D. from Harvard Law School.

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Thune, Klobuchar Urge Investigation of Potential Violations by Ocean Carriers 

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), members of both the Senate Commerce Committee and Senate Agriculture Committee, today urged the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) to continue to investigate reports of unreasonable practices by ocean carriers, including refusal to carry certain agriculture products from U.S. ports back to Asia. The Thune, Klobuchar-led letter expressed support of the FMC’s current fact-finding efforts and asked that they take appropriate action against ocean carriers deemed necessary.

“The need is urgent, especially with record container volumes at the nation’s major ports. These volumes, and the resulting congestion, will only grow as the global economy recovers from the coronavirus pandemic,” the senators wrote. “Producers rely on competitive access to foreign markets, and the reported actions by certain VOCCs to undermine this access pose significant ramifications for agricultural exporters and the industry at large.”

Joining Thune and Klobuchar in sending the letter were Sens. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).

Full text of the letter below:

The Honorable Michael Khouri
Chairman
Federal Maritime Commission
800 North Capitol Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20573

Dear Chairman Khouri,

We write to express concern with the reported practices of certain vessel-operating common carriers (VOCCs) related to the denial of carriage for agricultural commodities.   If the reports are true, such practices would be unreasonable, anticompetitive, and hurt millions of producers across the nation.  We support the Federal Maritime Commission’s current efforts to investigate these reports, and call on the Commission to quickly resolve this critical issue.

As you know, ports across the United States are experiencing unprecedented congestion and record container volumes, which alone pose significant challenges for agricultural exporters seeking to deliver their products affordably and dependably to foreign markets.  In the midst of this challenge, reports that certain VOCCs are returning to their origin with empty containers rather than accepting U.S. agriculture and forestry exports not only greatly exacerbates the problem, but potentially violates the Shipping Act as an unjust and unreasonable practice.[1]

We understand that the Commission in March 2020 initiated Fact Finding No. 29 – led by Commissioner Rebecca Dye – which was expanded in November 2020 to investigate reports of potentially unjust and unreasonable practices by certain VOCCs discussed above.  We support this investigative effort, and – in the event that unjust or unreasonable practices by certain VOCCs are discovered – urge the Commission to take appropriate enforcement actions under the Shipping Act to put an end to such practices.

The need is urgent, especially with record container volumes at the nation’s major ports.  These volumes, and the resulting congestion, will only grow as the global economy recovers from the coronavirus pandemic.  Producers rely on competitive access to foreign markets, and the reported actions by certain VOCCs to undermine this access pose significant ramifications for agricultural exporters and the industry at large.

We look forward to reviewing the findings of Fact Finding No. 29 and other related FMC proceedings, and to working with the Commission to address this growing problem.

Sincerely,

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Thune: Democrats Pursuing Liberal Wish List Under the Guise of “COVID Relief”

“Democrats are presenting this as a COVID relief bill, but in fact a lot of this bill has nothing to do with responding to the pandemic.”

Click here or on the picture above to watch Thune’s speech.

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today discussed the Democrats’ $1.9 trillion COVID spending bill, noting that only 10 percent of the legislation is directly related to public health funding to combat COVID and that a large portion of it would contribute to their liberal wish list. Thune also underscored the harm this legislation could do to America’s already bruised economy and expressed his desire to work in a bipartisan manner to pass targeted COVID-19 relief funding that actually meets the needs of the American people.

Thune Reintroduces Bill to Improve Child Support Enforcement for Native American Tribes

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.), ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee’s Subcommittee on Taxation and IRS Oversight, and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, today reintroduced legislation to improve child support enforcement for Native American tribes by allowing the 60 tribes that currently operate their own child support agencies to access the Federal Tax Refund Offset Program to collect past-due child support from non-custodial parents. It would also create parity between tribes and states by allowing tribal child support agencies to obtain other identifiable information of non-custodial parents that can be used to enforce child support.

“State child support agencies have access to federal programs that assist them in collecting past-due child support from non-custodial parents,” said Thune. “Tribes in South Dakota that operate their own child support agencies should have access to these same programs and information. This legislation would help ensure that families in Indian Country receive child support payments that are past due and help put tribal and state child support enforcement programs on equal footing.”

“Tribes in Oregon and across the nation deserve access to the same tools as state child support agencies, especially when it comes to making sure families and children get the support they need to thrive during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond,”said Wyden. “This bill is a common-sense step to help tribal child support agencies recover past-due child support payments for children who might otherwise go without.”

“The NATCSD is extremely pleased by the introduction of the Tribal Child Support Enforcement Act,” said Susan Smith, president of the National Association of Tribal Child Support Directors. “Our sincere thanks to those who have persistently and tirelessly worked for the introduction of this Bill. We look forward to ‎the passage of this Bill as it will assist Tribal IV-D agencies in collecting child support arrears due to tribal families. The child support program is one of the most cost-effective and efficient federal programs. Through direct access to federal tax refunds, tribal programs will be able to further enhance those efforts.”

“NCSEA has long-supported and sought this much needed legislation for our tribal partners,” said Lisa Skenandore, president of the National Child Support Enforcement Agency. “Having personally worked on this legislation for the last ten years, I couldn’t be more pleased to see this advance. This legislation would give tribal child support programs the same enforcement mechanisms as the state programs and further enhance collections for children who have otherwise missed out. We believe all children deserve the same level of parity and resources within the child support program. We are very thankful to see this legislation move forward.”

“On behalf of the National Tribal Child Support Association and our members, we are once again pleased to see that federal lawmakers are addressing the current disparity in our efforts to collect child support arrearages on behalf of tribal children,”said Marsha Harlan, president of National Tribal Child Support Association. “Passage of this Act will allow Tribal IV-D programs to have equal access to the Federal Tax Refund Offset Program that states have had for many years. Tribal access to these funds ensure our programs can capture refunds of non-custodial parents and apply those dollars directly to collections for children who are desperately in need of support.”

States have several enforcement methods at their disposal to enforce child support payments, including the Federal Tax Refund Offset Program. With this program, if a non-custodial parent is set to receive a tax refund and owes past-due child support, the U.S. Department of the Treasury can withhold the refund and send it to the state child support agency for disbursement to the family.

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Yesterday ended up as a big news day for former Attorney General Marty Jackley, and this morning, the Rapid City Journal has an interview with him on the “why” of his race:

“It wasn’t about the current situation” but “some of those recent events have contributed to some of the large number of calls that I’ve been receiving encouraging me to take this next step,” Jackley said.

Jackley is not calling on Ravnsborg to resign and declined to share his thoughts on the crash, evidence in the case and how Ravnsborg has responded.

​”That’s for Jason to decide and the process that’s occurring is really up to the legislature,” he said.

Read the entire story here.

Obviously, Marty’s entrance into the race drastically changes the landscape of the contest for the 2022 election.

From my mailbox, newly minted candidate for Attorney General Marty Jackley is sending out a message tonight to potential convention delegates to the 2022 South Dakota Republican convention.:

Hello SDGOP Central Committee Members and Delegates,

After receiving countless calls and emails urging me to run for Attorney General, and I have decided to answer the call.

Many of you are like family to me and many have known me for decades. I know I need to work hard to earn and keep your support, so I will be travelling the state over the coming months to listen to your thoughts and advice. Serving as your Attorney General was the greatest honor of my life, and I will be working hard to again earn your support so I can go back to work fighting to keep South Dakota safe and defending our State and Constitutional Rights that are so dear to us.

Please let me know if you have any county meetings, Lincoln Day Dinners, picnics or fairs planned and I am looking forward to seeing you soon!

You can contact me directly at [email protected]

Sincerely,
Marty