Author: @SoDakCampaigns

Dusty Johnson should send Liz May a thank you card for declaring her candidacy.. Especially the part where she runs, and then stayed home.

Because it allowed Johnson to raise and not have to spend anything resembling a fair amount of cash against a candidate who ultimately didn’t amount to anything more than a cow’s release of global warming gases in the wind.

Dusty Johnson Pre Primary 2020 by Pat Powers on Scribd

Dusty Johnson raised $148,736.56, with a tremendous 89% of it coming from individual donors, plus $126.19 in interest.  Against that Johnson spent $76,794.75, leaving him a tremendous $815,776.28 in funds for the fall.

Compared to Liz May who is upside down at this point with $8,812.62 cash on hand and $15,608.82 in debts and obligations, Dusty is easily moving forward to June 2.

The only question remaining is whether May will break 20% or not. Because she’s certainly not competing on the same playing field.

Looks like the rank and file of the Democrat Party are unhappy with the SDDP today, as Tom Lawrence – Communications staffer for the last unmemorable Democrat Candidate for Congress – goes after the Democrat Party for falling down on the job of being a political party:

The failure of the South Dakota Democratic Party to find someone — anyone — to run for the state’s lone congressional seat could have implications for many years.

and..

The state party, of course, is broke. It had to move out of its offices in Sioux Falls and Rapid City last year, unable to afford the rent, much less salaries for staffers. It now has an office in Sioux Falls at 4320 S. Louise Ave., and two paid staff, Pam Cole, the new executive director of the South Dakota Democratic Party, told me Sunday.

Cole tried to whistle past the political graveyard when I spoke with her Friday and reiterated her optimism on Sunday. Cole said Democrats should not despair — there are better days ahead, she said.

and..

The South Dakota Democratic Party is at rock bottom. No money, no offices, no elected statewide official and no candidate for a federal race.

Read the entire story here.

Interesting that they’re claiming they’ve re-opened an office on South Louise. I don’t think I’d heard that.  The story did mention Whitney Raver who slightly fell short, but ignored the other Democrat who was running. We shouldn’t forget early opponent Ellee Spawn who was of course the blog-story gift that kept on giving while it lasted.

The whole point of the article is that the failure to run anyone will make Dusty all that much stronger in the future (with Liz May relegated to the status of a speedbump).  Given the state of the SDDP for some time, I really don’t think anyone the Democrats might have ran would have presented a significant challenge in any case.

Aside from Democrats taking a bye in the Congressional race, we’ll see if Democrats can muster up enough elective offices to fill a table at Perkins this fall.

And right now it looks pretty bleak for them.

Preparing the United States for the 5G Future
By Sen. John Thune

The internet has been a part of our daily lives for quite a while now: Netflix. Twitter. Amazon. But the internet has taken on new importance during the coronavirus pandemic. It’s become the main source of connection with friends and family. It’s enabled many people to work from home to help reduce the spread of the virus. It’s the main reason schools and colleges have been able to continue teaching students. And it’s drastically expanded nascent services like telehealth, which has allowed doctors and other medical professionals to provide patient care remotely.

With all of this new internet traffic, of course, has come a much greater load on networks. And not all countries’ networks have held up to the strain. In Europe, networks have had to slow streaming and ask providers like Netflix to diminish the quality of their videos. But here in the United States, our networks have faced very few problems. And there’s a reason for that. Europe and the United States have very different regulatory regimes for the internet.

In Europe, the internet has been regulated using outdated communications rules designed for telephone monopolies. The regulatory situation in the United States, on the other hand, has been much different. With a few exceptions, like the brief imposition of so-called net neutrality regulations in 2015, our country has taken a light-touch approach to internet regulation. This has encouraged companies to invest in the latest communications infrastructure and new technologies to make more efficient use of spectrum. And thanks to that investment, when coronavirus hit and internet usage soared, American networks were ready.

Despite the additional burden on networks during the pandemic, Americans have been able to enjoy the same high speeds and streaming quality that they typically enjoy.

Right now, most Americans are using 4G networks. But the next generation of internet – 5G – is here, and 5G networks are starting to be deployed, including in South Dakota. But if we want the United States to handle 5G the way we’ve handled 4G – if we want our 5G networks to be as successful as our 4G networks – we still have some work to do.

One thing that is absolutely essential is maintaining the light-touch regulatory approach that has produced so much U.S. investment and innovation. While 4G relies on traditional cell phone towers, 5G technology will also require small antennas called “small cells” that can often be attached to existing infrastructure like utility poles or buildings. Last year, I introduced legislation – the STREAMLINE Act – to make it easier for companies to deploy these small cells so we can get the infrastructure in place for 5G technology.

Second, the United States still has more work to do to free up the spectrum – what we commonly call the airwaves – that is necessary for 5G. In 2018, Congress passed my MOBILE NOW Act, which helped lay the groundwork for freeing up more mid-band spectrum. And this past November, Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and I introduced the 5G Spectrum Act to require the Federal Communications Commission to free up a critical portion of mid-band spectrum, commonly referred to as the C-band, for 5G use.

Finally, we need to ensure that we have the workforce in place to handle the demands of installing and maintaining 5G technology. That’s why earlier this year I introduced the Telecommunications Skilled Workforce Act. My bill would help increase the number of workers enrolled in 5G training programs and identify ways to grow the telecommunications workforce to meet the demands of 5G.

The coronavirus has shown us the results of robust investment in 4G infrastructure and spectrum – strong networks that can handle even a steep surge in internet traffic. We need to make sure that we’re putting in the necessary work and investment to ensure that our 5G networks are just as strong. The 5G future is here. Let’s make sure that the United States is ready.

###

COVID-19 Bill Provides Temporary Economic Relief While States Prepare to Safely Reopen
By U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.)

When the Senate passed emergency COVID-19 relief legislation—called the CARES Act—in late March, our country was experiencing the early stages of the pandemic. Businesses were closing to the public, people began to stay home and our economy took a nosedive. The CARES Act provided direct financial assistance to businesses, individuals and families to lessen the impact on the economy, so that when our country reopens, our economy will be able to bounce back more quickly.

After the president signed the CARES Act, the federal government began working to implement the many different parts of the law. While it has been a bumpy road to get certain programs up and running, the CARES Act has been able to help millions of people across the country get needed relief during this time. The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) has provided loans to more than 20,000 small businesses in South Dakota. These loans are forgivable if employers use most of the proceeds to keep their employees on the payroll. This is not only good news for small businesses, it is also good news for the employees—and their families—who won’t have to file for unemployment assistance.

Congress has an oversight responsibility of the federal government. In the Senate, we have been working over the past two months to make sure the different federal agencies are properly administering the $2.4 trillion of COVID-19 relief funding included in the CARES Act. Because it is such a large amount of money, it’s important that the government remain transparent about how it is being used. Our Senate Banking Committee recently held a hearing, where Treasury Department Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell reported on the economic impact of the CARES Act so far. We discussed changes that could be made in future COVID-19 response legislation, including revisiting the June 30 deadline for when payroll can be reimbursed under the PPP.

As states begin to reopen, we’ll continue to monitor the need for additional relief. We’re also keeping a close eye on the CARES Act provisions to determine which programs are working as intended. If we do pass a “phase four” bill, I have asked Senate leadership to include legislation I introduced that would allow state, tribal and local governments the ability to use up to 25 percent of their original CARES Act funding to make up for lost tax revenues, so they don’t have to raise taxes on citizens to fund schools, law enforcement, fire departments, road construction and Medicaid services. We’d also like to see additional relief for beef, hog and dairy producers, as well as bipartisan legislation I’ve introduced that would allow for state-inspected meat and poultry to be sold across state lines.

The “phase four” bill that passed the House of Representatives recently is a non-starter in the Senate. Speaker Pelosi’s $3 trillion bill is a socialist wish list that includes taxpayer funding for abortion, funding for cannabis, incentives for illegal immigration, and the federalization of our election system among other things.

If we do take up another COVID-19 relief bill in the Senate, it won’t look anything like Speaker Pelosi’s bill. Any future legislation we pass will be strategic, targeted to COVID-19 and will fix some of the issues that have come up during the implementation of the CARES Act.

###

Focusing on the Wins
By Rep. Dusty Johnson

The world has had a rough few months. It’s easy to harp on the negatives, especially as infections and job losses continue to rise. Our country still needs to make substantial improvements in our response to this crisis, but we also should take time to focus on the positives — what we’ve gotten right.

First, I need to begin by saying thanks to South Dakotans. It didn’t take a forced stay at home order, you all took personal responsibility, stayed home, and flattened our curve. You’ve heard the phrase “South Dakota commonsense” a lot lately, but it rings true.

We have to remember; we are doing what we’ve never done before. In the last seven days, testing in the United States has increased by 28%. Moderna Therapeutics Clinical Trial announced this week that a vaccine candidate showed participants in the trial received antibodies to COVID-19. Moderna will begin Phase 3 of this trial in July for a potential vaccine. That’s the hope and the news we need.

More than 11.5 million tests for COVID-19 have been performed in the United States. Just yesterday, more than 400,000 tests were performed. This week, we saw the most tests ever reported in a single day – our response hasn’t been perfect, but we are making big progress.

As of May 15th, the federal government has coordinated the delivery of 83.3 million N95 respirators, 133.7 million surgical masks, 10.6 million face shields, 23.1 million surgical gowns, and 989 million gloves.

More than 20,000 South Dakota businesses utilized the Paycheck Protection Program – keeping thousands on payroll. States throughout the country are beginning to enter opening phases. This is welcome news. I don’t want to sound tone deaf though, I know thousands of South Dakotans have lost jobs and are struggling to make ends meet, but there’s hope on the horizon.

Like I said, our efforts as a nation and as a government haven’t been perfect. But as we strive daily to improve our response, we should occasionally recognize the progress we’ve made so far. The efforts of so many researchers, health care workers, public health experts, and frontline employees have made a real difference in the lives of millions.

###

Thanking the Fallen
By Governor Kristi Noem

This Memorial Day we once again have an opportunity to say “thank you” to those who gave the ultimate sacrifice to ensure that the United States remains the greatest country in the world.

I invite you to join me in taking a pause and reflecting on the many men and women – countless South Dakotans – who have given their lives in defense of our Constitution. As President Calvin Coolidge once noted, these brave men and women “made the cause of America their supreme choice.”

We can do them no greater honor than to thank them for their sacrifice, hold them in our memories, and fight hard to preserve the freedoms that they died to defend.

To the families that have lost a loved-one in service to our country, our thoughts and prayers are with you this Memorial Day.

South Dakota is a fantastic state, and I thank God every day that Bryon and I were blessed to raise our family in this great country. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought new challenges to freedom in this country. But it is especially in times of crisis that we need to fight for the liberties that make America special.

Our nation was founded on the principles of freedom and limited government; these are things that our Founding Fathers fought to establish and enshrine in our Constitution. Countless brave men and women throughout our nation’s history have put themselves second to the greater good. They responded by swearing an oath to support and defend the Constitution.  If they can give their lives to defend our liberties, then our response must be to cling tightly to the Constitution, to freedom, and to the things that make America the greatest country ever. This holds especially true when threats to liberty arise, even if such threat be a global pandemic.

I know South Dakotans are eager to get out of their homes and enjoy the warm weather. But while you’re out barbecuing with your family and thanking God that he has blessed our great country, let’s take a moment to remember our bravest heroes.

Have a conversation with your children and grandchildren; teach them about our freedoms and liberties. And let them know just how grateful we are for everyone who has sacrificed to make those liberties possible.

###

Not sure if someone was trolling Tom Pischke or myself.. but Tom probably should not spend that just yet.

Funny. Aside from the fact if I had sent it, it would be postmarked Brookings. And, I didn’t send it. Which would actually make it a donation from an unknown source.

 12-27-11.   Required information about contributors–Contributions from unknown source to be donated to charitable entity–Violation as misdemeanor. No person, entity, candidate, or political committee may give or accept a contribution unless the name, mailing address, city and state of the contributor is made known to the person, entity, candidate, or political committee receiving the contribution. In addition to any other information to be made known under this section, the name of the custodial parent or parents of an unemancipated minor who makes a contribution shall be made known. Any contribution, money, or other thing of value received by a candidate or political committee from an unknown source shall be donated to a nonprofit charitable entity. A violation of this section is a Class 2 misdemeanor.

I probably need to make the “not me” notice official on that.

(Update)

(Another update.) I posted it to his facebook page, so he had early notice of this.  Somehow, it appears that it was ‘accidentally’ deleted, and I was blocked. (Where’s Jeff Church when you need him?)

In case Tom didn’t see it before he ‘accidentally’ deleted that note and blocked me….

There’s a report from a Sioux Falls reader that Stehly for City Council signs seem to be popping up around graveyards today:

Clearly, Theresa is out campaigning for Democrat voters.

Liz May filed literally one of the most dismal FEC Reports of the cycle today:

Liz May Pre Primary by Pat Powers on Scribd

I can actually point to several state legislative campaigns who literally kicked the tail of Liz May’s sad campaign in fundraising. $10,020.92 raised, of which a little over $4500 was out of the candidate’s own pocket. $17,207.53 spent. $8,812.62 cash on hand against $15,608.82 in debts and obligations.

Liz May’s campaign was over before it began. If only her out of state consultants had mentioned that.

From Facebook: