Author: @SoDakCampaigns

Rounds, Colleagues Introduce Iran Sanctions Resolution

WASHINGTON – Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Representative Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.) and 42 other members of Congress introduced a resolution to oppose lifting sanctions on Iran.

“Iran’s aggressive behavior and nuclear ambition puts our regional allies and our own national security at risk,” Rounds stated. “The U.S. must continue to maintain sanctions on the Iranian regime until it abandons its nuclear ambitions. The Biden Administration should not repeat the same mistakes of the Obama Administration.”

Cosigners of the resolution include Senators John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Kevin Cramer (R- N.D.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Ben Sasse (R-Neb.), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), John Thune (R-S.D.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Todd Young (R-Ind.) and 19 member of the House of Representatives.

###

Governor Noem Signs Bills into Law

PIERRE, S.D. – Yesterday, Governor Kristi Noem signed ten bills into law:

• SB 81 authorizes certain flags and flagpoles to be located on residential property regardless of any private covenants, restrictions, bylaws, rules, or requirements.
• SB 82 revises certain regulations pertaining to dealers of motor vehicles, boats, snowmobiles, or manufactured homes and mobile homes.
• SB 92 requires that certain proposed rules include a housing cost impact statement.
• SB 94 revises requirements to the publication of milk regulation ordinances.
• SB 101 revises provisions regarding warranty agreements with certain repair facilities.
• SB 102 protects voter registration information for certain voters.
• SB 136 changes the criteria for a petition to vacate a highway.
• HB 1034 revises certain youth hunting requirements.
• HB 1068 revises the requirement for written findings of fact and conclusions in certain judicial proceedings involving a child.
• HB 1109 modifies requirements and restrictions related to certain alcoholic beverages.

Governor Noem has signed ninety-two bills into law this legislative session.

###

A couple of weeks back, I’d written on my household’s bout with COVID and the experimental infusion treatment that I’d been given.  If you recall from my post, COVID for me was mainly in the form of body aches and low-grade fever.  My oldest son who got it mainly experienced it in the form of ridiculously chapped lips.. and his deployment to the Navy now being pushed back 2 months.

Of course, the youngest ones bounced back in a matter of days like they never had it.  What COVID?

For me, receiving the experimental monocyte treatment seemed to have been at the same time the viral tipping point where a lot of fatigue has set in, coinciding with the point in the COVID cycle where people reported that symptoms start raging.

After some challenges in managing bronchial irritation which has been my biggest cross to bear (think hacking cough that never wants to leave), 3 ½ weeks out I think I’m rounding the bend and on the uphill track. I’m definitely out of quarantine, but there’s still this sense of my body constantly telling me that it has a ridiculous drive for constant hydration (and lean protein – think tons of chicken breast), and not as much tolerance for my daily work schedule as I want.

At 54 years old, as I told a friend yesterday, if the worst thing I feel is needing to rest and it’s taking a while to get back to 100%, that’s ok. There are a lot of people who are far worse off than I am.

With the course of experimental treatment telling me I can go get a vaccination 3 months after, it looks like I’ll be in line in mid-May, and gladfully getting poked if it stands a chance at preventing any reinfections until COVID has run it’s course.

And as before, kudos to the care & service from the medical community at Avera Clinic.

Thune, Hassan Reintroduce Bill to Improve Railroad Infrastructure

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.), a member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, and Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) today reintroduced the Railroad Rehabilitation and Financing Innovation Act, legislation to improve the Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing (RRIF) loan program by providing dedicated funding for RRIF financing costs, streamlining the application process, and extending loan terms for certain assets.

“States like South Dakota rely on shortline railroads to transport agricultural products and other goods to market, and the RRIF program was originally designed to provide stable financing to small railroads for infrastructure investment,” said Thune. Unfortunately, shortlines are often unable to afford the time and expense associated with the current RRIF application process, discouraging them from using the program. This legislation makes necessary updates to RRIF so shortlines are better able to use the program as originally intended.”

“Infrastructure investments will be a critical part of our economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Hassan.“Passenger rail has significant potential in New Hampshire, expanding options for commuters and helping our towns to thrive, and short line and smaller rail lines play a key role in our state’s economy. This bipartisan bill will improve financing options for both, and I look forward to continuing to work across the aisle to invest in infrastructure, create jobs, and grow our economy.”

“This legislation would improve the RRIF program and make it more viable for short lines,” said Chuck Baker, president of American Short Line & Regional Railroad Association. “It addresses several important issues that have been hurdles to participation in the RRIF program for our short line members, including some solutions that are being piloted in the RRIF Express program. Short lines will especially appreciate the streamlining of the application process, including the mandating of regular updates which will improve visibility, the extension of loan terms out to 50 years which will lower annual costs and better match asset lives, increased flexibility regarding collateral requirements which is important when working with small businesses, and perhaps most importantly the authorization of funds to reduce both the direct cost of applying and also the credit risk premium charges that have frequently been a hurdle to completing successful loans. This last change would bring the RRIF program more in line with the comparatively more successful TIFIA program.”

The Railroad Rehabilitation and Financing Innovation Act would:

Streamline the application process: Building on the work done by the Department of Transportation (DOT) in creating the RRIF Express pilot program, the bill establishes an expedited credit review process for loans that meet certain financial and operational criteria. The bill also reduces applicant uncertainty by requiring DOT to provide applicants with regular updates on the status of their application.

Improve program flexibility: The bill makes several changes to improve program flexibility, including longer loan terms for certain rail infrastructure projects and increased flexibility for DOT to evaluate collateral and creditworthiness.

Provide dedicated funding for RRIF financing costs: Similar to the Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act loan program, the legislation authorizes funding to cover financing costs associated with providing RRIF loans. Half of the funding is dedicated solely to shortline railroads, while the remainder is reserved for passenger rail projects.

Yesterday the judge overseeing the Ravnsborg criminal charges ordered yesterday that the state can not release any information, and that they must remove any interview videos from their website:

KELOLAND News obtained court documents that will be filed in Hyde County Friday morning. They include a request from Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg’s lawyer asking a judge to stop the Governor and Department of Public Safety from releasing any more evidence in the case.

Senate Majority Leader Cammack was recently profiled in Council of State Governments Midwest “Capital Insights” Column, where among several topics, he spoke on what it means to lead a “Supermajority” of Republican legislators in Pierre:

Q: What do you view as some of the most important responsibilities of the Senate majority leader?

A: In South Dakota we do have a supermajority of Republicans in the Legislature, and we hold all of the constitutional offices in the executive branch. So Republicans have a very strong representation in state government, and sometimes that has a tendency to create fractures based on differing viewpoints. It’s important that we maintain some really good communication — within the [Senate Republican] caucus and also with the executive branch, the House of Representatives and the public in general. The other thing is that I think it’s really important, regardless of a personal position [on an issue], to make sure all viewpoints are heard in the caucus. Then, we agree upon a direction and move in that way so we can speak as mostly a unified voice.

You can read the entire column here (via pdf).

The South Dakota Woki-Leaks website has a several new articles that they’re promoting on their website today about their concerns over what is being promoted as social justice run amok in the state’s communities.

From my mailbox:

Woki-Leaks South Dakota has released 3 new articles, including possibly the most important to date: “Social Justice Training for South Dakota’s Children.”  https://wokisd.wordpress.com/192-2/

This article reports that there is a growing threat of children being politically indoctrinated within South Dakota public schools. Efforts are apparently underway to introduce a radical and divisive new Social Justice training program in Brookings’ public schools. Disturbingly, this same program has received some endorsement for state-wide use from the South Dakota Department of Education. Meanwhile, there are plans to introduce Social Justice indoctrination in Vermillion’s schools as well.

We think the information in this article would be of interest to your readers.

Woki-Leaks has also released 2 additional articles that may be of interest:

Extra-Legal Investigations and Woke Indoctrination Planned for the City of Vermillion

USD’s Woke activists are planning to use the city government of Vermillion to spread their ideology out into the community. They have already created a new government organization – the “Vermillion Human Relations Commission” – to conduct extra-legal investigations of townspeople, and they are working to expand its powers. Woke activists are also planning to create Social Justice indoctrination programs for city employees and townspeople. https://wokisd.wordpress.com/187-2/

USD Changes Its Official University Values

At some point over the past few days, USD posted a new statement of university values on its website. Yet important questions remain unanswered, and the causes for concern are still there. https://wokisd.wordpress.com/177-2/

Johnson Requests Information on Unspent COVID-19 Funds

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representative Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) supported a resolution to President Biden’s COVID-19 relief package to require the administration to provide accounting reports on unspent COVID-19 relief funds from previous bipartisan packages.

“Congress has dedicated more than $4 trillion to pandemic recovery and relief but data suggests there is nearly $1 trillion unspent,” said Johnson. “I have requested more information on these unspent funds from the White House and received no response as to when they will be allocated to assist struggling Americans and small businesses. H. Res. 127, requires the administration to turn over all documentation & accounting of what existing COVID related funds remain unspent.”

“As Congress debates an additional $1.9 trillion package, transparency regarding existing funds is critical. If President Biden’s bill passes, relief efforts will have cost every American $17,000. With vaccine developments and COVID cases on the decline, we need to start thinking seriously about the lasting economic impact additional stimulus may cause our country. Simply put, we need this information before asking American taxpayers to foot the bill for trillions more in stimulus.”

You can find the full text of the resolution here.

###

Governor Noem Announces ConnectSD Broadband Development Program

PIERRE, S.D. – Today, Governor Kristi Noem announced that $25 million in CARES Act funding is now available for eligible broadband projects.

“South Dakotans shouldn’t have to choose between the modern economy on one hand and life in their hometown on the other,” said Governor Noem. “In addition to the $25 million in CARES Act funding, we are still working with the legislature to secure an additional $75 million in one-time funding that will bring the total state investment to $100 million. Together with federal and private matching dollars, this will be sufficient to finish connecting our state to high-speed broadband.”

To be eligible, projects must be completed by December 31, 2021. The deadline is 4 p.m. CST, Friday, March 5, 2021.

Applications for projects slated for completion after January 1, 2022, are also invited to apply. The deadline for those applications is 4 p.m. CST, Thursday, May 6, 2021.

Full details, including where to submit completed applications, criteria, award details, and the application itself, can be found onsdgoed.com/public-records/connectsd.

###

Rounds and Colleagues Urge President Biden to Withdraw Becerra

WASHINGTON— Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Senator Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Representative Dan Bishop (R-N.C.) and 72 other members of Congress sent a letter urging President Joe Biden to withdraw California Attorney General Xavier Becerra’s nomination to serve as the next Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS).

“We write to express our grave concerns regarding the nomination of California Attorney General Xavier Becerra to serve as the next Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS),” the members wrote. “Mr. Becerra’s lack of healthcare experience, enthusiasm for replacing private health insurance with government-run Medicare-for-all, and embrace of radical policies on immigration, abortion, and religious liberty, render him unfit for any position of public trust, and especially for HHS Secretary.”

Full text of the letter:
Dear President Biden,

We write to express our grave concerns regarding the nomination of California Attorney General Xavier Becerra to serve as the next Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS). Mr. Becerra’s lack of healthcare experience, enthusiasm for replacing private health insurance with government-run Medicare-for-all, and embrace of radical policies on immigration, abortion, and religious liberty, render him unfit for any position of public trust, and especially for HHS Secretary.

At your inauguration, you spoke about uniting the country and the need to address the pandemic. As these are your stated priorities, we request that you withdraw Mr. Becerra’s nomination and offer the American people a nominee equipped to successfully combat the COVID-19 pandemic and safely reopen our country.

Our nation cannot afford to lose valuable time in this battle by installing an HHS Secretary who is not up to the challenges we face. But that is exactly what you propose to do by nominating Mr. Becerra, a man with no meaningful experience in healthcare, public health, large-scale logistics, or any other areas critical to meeting our present challenges.

Mr. Becerra’s lack of qualifications is particularly alarming given the important role the HHS Secretary will play in efforts to develop and distribute vaccines, coordinate research efforts, and draft critical regulations to carry out recovery legislation.

Compounding our concerns over Mr. Becerra’s lack of experience is his ardent support of radical policies that will inflict great harm on millions of Americans. At a time when Americans can least afford it, Mr. Becerra enthusiastically supports eliminating the private health insurance market for 160 million Americans, only to replace it with a government takeover branded as Medicare-for-all. The resulting reimbursement cuts would devastate rural health care providers working to stay solvent during the pandemic and would be a slap in the face to the doctors, nurses and other health care workers keeping our communities healthy and safe.

This radical position is not a recent or passing fancy. As Mr. Becerra proudly told California Healthline in 2019, “I’ve been a single-payer advocate all my life.” As the coronavirus continues to wreak havoc on our nation, Mr. Becerra’s determination to strip Americans of their private health insurance isn’t just bad policy, it’s dangerous.

Meanwhile, Mr. Becerra seeks to decriminalize illegal immigration, which would extend expensive government benefits like Medicaid to anyone who illegally crosses our borders.

Mr. Becerra’s radical views extend to his ardent support of abortion until the moment of birth. He opposed the 2003 partial-birth abortion ban and cosponsored legislation that would force religious employers like Hobby Lobby to cover the morning-after pill, even in the face of sincerely held religious objections.

Indeed, Mr. Becerra has long shown contempt for anyone who doesn’t agree with his radical leftist agenda. As California’s Attorney General, Mr. Becerra targeted social conservatives and religious groups with legal challenges and prosecution. He unconstitutionally forced houses of worship into lockdown while Governor Gavin Newsom and San Francisco Mayor London Breed attended dinner parties at the French Laundry. He prosecuted pro-life activists who documented Planned Parenthood executives’ conversations about selling the body parts of aborted babies. Finally, he defended a California law that targeted pro-life crisis pregnancy centers while exempting clinics focused on birth control.

Mr. Becerra’s extremism and contempt for those who take a different view contradict your calls for unity. His appointment would sow further division at a time our country needs to heal and would endanger lives at a time our citizens need life-saving treatments, vaccinations, and the freedom to work and worship together.

We ask that you put our country over radical partisan objectives by withdrawing Mr. Becerra’s nomination for HHS Secretary.

Thank you for your immediate consideration of our request.

###