Author: @SoDakCampaigns

Understanding Our Food and Those Who Produce It
By Rep. Kristi Noem

Earlier this month, people around the country celebrated National Agriculture Day.  In South Dakota, our lives and livelihoods are deeply tied to agriculture – whether we live in town or on a farm.  But in so many other areas of this country, people are fundamentally disconnected from the way their food is produced.

For most families, food is one of the top expenditures each month – often times, only falling behind housing and transportation costs. Still, a 2011 study by the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance found 72 percent of consumers knew nothing or very little about farming or ranching.  While not everyone farms, everyone does eat, so it’s important that more people understand where their food comes from.

Creating this understanding will be critical – especially as more and more pressure is put on farmers and ranchers to produce the food needed to support a growing global population. This is a national security necessity as much as it is a humanitarian mission. During a congressional hearing late last year, John Negroponte, who served as U.S. Ambassador to Iraq and then Director of National Intelligence under President George W. Bush, explained that the need for more food “could affect political stability” and could “fuel further instability in the Middle East.”  He went on to observe that “the world must increase food production by 50 to 60 percent to satisfy expected global population growth and changing consumption patterns by 2050.”

These realities make it all the more important to invest in our agriculture community.

Many reading this column likely know I have spent my life farming and ranching in South Dakota.  As our state’s only member in the U.S. House of Representatives, I try to share what it is like to live in our shoes, because it’s essential that folks have a better understanding of the risk that comes with agriculture and the significance of a stable food supply.  They should know the kind of capital farmers bury in the ground each spring, hoping to get the crop and prices needed to keep their operation going.  They ought to see the hard work, long hours, and extreme risk that come with running a ranch – especially now that calving season is upon us.

South Dakota ranchers have been blessed this year so far with good weather for calving.  But I remember many years when we were calving in sub-zero weather.  We’d stay up all night, so we could be there to get the calf somewhere warm enough to survive.  And no matter how attentive you were, there would always be those heartbreaking times where all you could say was “Maybe next year.”

Even beyond understanding the dynamics of food production and food security, I believe our country would benefit greatly from seeing how we live in an agriculture community.  I love this segment from Paul Harvey’s tribute to farmers: “God had to have somebody willing to ride the ruts at double speed to get the hay in ahead of the rain clouds and yet stop in mid-field and race to help when he sees the first smoke from a neighbor’s place.”  A little more of a farming and ranching mentality would go a long way in this country.

To all of South Dakota’s farmers and ranchers, thank you for doing what you do.  Because of your work, our families are fed, our national security is stronger, and the world is better off.

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The Fight Against Meth
A column by Gov. Dennis Daugaard:

On March 6, the United States lost a beloved First Lady.

As partner to the most powerful man in the world, First Lady Nancy Reagan chose to devote her time in the White House to a cause that is as relevant today as it was when she announced it 30 years ago. This, of course, is Mrs. Reagan’s “Just Say No” campaign.

Although Mrs. Reagan is no longer with us, we can still honor her by remembering the cause she fought so fiercely to promote. As she said in 1986, “[drug abuse] concerns us all, because of the way it tears at our lives, and because it is aimed at destroying the brightness and life of the sons and daughters of the United States.” These words still ring true today – but one drug in particular should concern us all.

Although available during the “Just Say No” campaign, methamphetamine didn’t gain popularity until the Reagans were out of office. As reported by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, the U.S. has seen an increase almost every year since the early 1990s. The West Central and Southwest states have been particularly susceptible to the trend, and South Dakota is not immune. Reports show that South Dakota’s latest spike in meth use began in 2010 and continues to increase.

Understanding the severity of the problem, the South Dakota Department of Social Services has been working to develop a State Methamphetamine Awareness Campaign to discourage the use of this drug. When I entered office in 2011, there were 128 statewide meth arrests. By 2014, the number of arrests had grown to 271 arrests –nearly a 112 percent increase. About that time, the Public Safety Improvement Act was passed, which increased the number of drug treatment programs to help those who were already users. With expanded drug treatment programs, our next objective must be re-educating South Dakotans, and especially our younger population, about the dangers of meth before they decide to try it.

A major aspect of the campaign will be to demonstrate what meth does to a person’s physical and mental health.

Physically, a user will often experience open sores, yellow skin and rotten teeth in a collapsed jaw. Seizures, heart attack and liver failure are also common occurrences in someone who uses meth. Trying meth just once can lead to death.

Mentally, a meth user is susceptible to depression, suicidal thoughts and mental impairment. Meth users will often feel intense anger towards someone, and feel anxious about life. One of the most alarming facts about the drug is how it impacts the brain chemically. Meth is very addictive because the drug causes the brain to release high amounts of dopamine, leading to a rush. The rush can last up to 12 hours before the user experiences a crash. In order to reach that high level of euphoria again, the user must ingest more of the drug. Over time, the drug destroys the brain’s dopamine receptors. Without functioning dopamine receptors, a person’s ability to feel happy is impaired.

Meth has been robbing South Dakota for decades, and this campaign is merely another step in an ongoing battle to stop the malicious fight. Rolling out next school year, the campaign will educate students and parents alike to take Mrs. Reagan’s age-old advice, and just say no. Trying meth even once is not worth it. Losing one’s health, mental capabilities, relationships and risking one’s life is not worth it.

As Mrs. Reagan told Americans back in the 1980s, “Drugs steal away so much. They take and take, until finally every time a drug goes into a child, something else is forced out – like love and hope and trust and confidence. Drugs take away the dream from every child’s heart and replace it with a nightmare, and it’s time we in America stand up and replace those dreams.”

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SDGOP Elects Delegates and Alternates for Republican National Convention

Today over 70 delegates from counties across the state met in Pierre to elect delegates and alternates to the Republican National Convention in Cleveland July 17-21. Twenty six delegates and twenty six alternates were elected from a pool of county delegates. In addition, the South Dakota Republican Party State Chair, National Committeeman and National Committeewoman are delegates for a total of twenty-nine delegates.

It sounds like the ACLU is riled up over Attorney General Marty Jackley starting the community meeting he held in Platte yesterday on the Westerhuis investigation with a pastor offering a prayer, much like they do daily during the legislative session. Except the ACLU decided to grouse about it this time.

Attorney General’s Response to the ACLU on the Constitutional
Right to Freedom of Religion

PIERRE, S.D. – On March 16, 2016, the Attorney General held a community meeting inviting the press and the community in order to provide an update on the death and financial investigation into the Gear Up program. Prior to beginning the meeting, a pastor opened with a general prayer. The ACLU has characterized the prayer as a constitutional violation. Despite positions taken by the ACLU, it is both appropriate and legally permissible.

“Joining a community that has tragically lost an entire family in a moment of prayer is both appropriate and legal. The United States Supreme Court has clearly upheld and recognized the Guaranteed Constitutional Right to Freedom of Religion. As Attorney General, I have joined with other State Attorneys General in successfully allowing gatherings which include local government and other legislative functions to open a meeting with an appropriate prayer. I invite the ACLU to join with me and other State Attorneys General in both recognizing and protecting Civil Liberties and Constitutional Rights,” said Attorney General Jackley.

In August of 2013, South Dakota Attorney Jackley joined 23 other states in a multi-state brief filed in the United States Supreme Court urging that the U.S. Constitution allows for prayer during governmental meetings and legislative session.

In the Town of Greece decision, the United States Supreme Court sided with the Attorneys General position that a township practice of opening each board meeting with a prayer did not violate the Establishment Clause of the U.S. Constitution.

The Attorneys General advocated that “The American people deserve an Establishment Clause jurisprudence that is clear, workable, and faithful to the text and history of the First Amendment.” The Court further recognized that legislative prayer, while religious in nature, has long been understood as compatible with the Establishment Clause. This includes opening of governmental meetings where prayer is meant to lend gravity to the occasion and reflect values long part of the Nation’s heritage.

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I think this was a nice way of Marty telling the ACLU to kiss his @$$, and take their complaining and put it where it will never see the sun.

As you might expect, I’ve been watching the Legislative races, knowing that they can go from 0 to 60mph in a moment’s notice. And that was the case today, where the Republican primary in District 14 went from a sleepy-no-primary-June to a hard fought battle in which the two incumbents might end up with a horse race that could threaten them.

In House District 14 in Sioux Falls, Larry Zikmund and Tom Holmes were looking as safe as safe could be in their incumbency, which was won in last election season’s primary and then general elections.

But, there were rumblings. You hear them in several races, but it’s all rumbling until it goes past that.  I had heard last week that former Citibank attorney Dave Zimbeck was contemplating the race, but little more.

And this afternoon? Boom. Not only did I hear that he has petitions out and circulating for the GOP State House Primary in District 14, but I subsequently heard that Paul Ten Haken, Founder and CEO of Click Rain, has petitions out for the contest as well.

That just turned a sleepy non-contest into a four way free for all, in which the two top vote recipients walk away with the Republican nomination, and a chance at the big prize in November, which is the primary winners’ to lose. (We are a Republican red-state, after all).

So, put the District 14 House race on your radar. As it’s the sleepy race that just woke up with a bang!

Thune Examines How Self-Driving Vehicles Could Benefit Consumers and Businesses

“Driverless vehicle technology is at our fingertips, and Congress must work to ensure that the framework through which this technology is developed encourages growth and innovation and is not stifled by regulatory red tape.”

Thune learned firsthand about the advancements of driverless vehicle technology.

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, today led a committee hearing that examined the potential safety benefits driverless vehicle technology could have for South Dakota consumers and businesses. Prior to the hearing, Thune participated in a test ride with an industry engineer who demonstrated the advancement of this technology.

“Imagine a Sioux Falls family jumping in their car for a trip to Mount Rushmore and mom or dad never have to touch the steering wheel during their entire 350-plus mile drive,” said Thune. “Or how about a small business owner in Aberdeen who needs to deliver his or her product to a store in Watertown. With this technology, rather than focusing on the road, they could be filling out paperwork, making phone calls, or sending an email. Driverless vehicle technology is at our fingertips, and Congress must work to ensure that the framework through which this technology is developed encourages growth and innovation and is not stifled by regulatory red tape.”

Thune, who has chaired the Senate Commerce Committee since the beginning of last year, has made it a priority for the committee to examine ways for the United States to remain at the forefront of the technological revolution. Earlier this month, the committee passed Thune’s MOBILE NOW Act, which would help advance the nation’s wireless broadband future, and has held hearings on the “Internet of Things” as well as the challenges facing cybersecurity.

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I caught this ad for the first time while having Lunch yesterday, and it just resurrects earlier concerns over Trump’s electability.

If he’s the nominee (God help us), can he win while facing a constant barrage of advertising like this?

Finck declares candidacy for District 19 State Senate

TRIPP, SD– Tripp native Caleb Finck announced today that he will run for State Senate in South Dakota’s 19th District. Finck is currently South Dakota State University as student body president, and recently served as a legislative intern with the South Dakota House of Representatives.

Petitions for his senate campaign were taken out on Monday, and Finck plans to share his campaign platform with voters on a one-on-one basis as he gathers signatures.

The maintenance of a strong education system in South Dakota will be a priority in Finck’s campaign. “I want our state’s education system to be vibrant and competitive,” Finck said. “The taxpayers of District 19, and the state at large, will know that if they send me to Pierre, they will have an advocate for an education system that promotes growth and opportunity.”

Finck, who grew up on a farm six miles south of Tripp, will return to the family farm upon his graduation from SDSU in May, where he will be awarded a degree in Agricultural Leadership. Finck also plans on furthering his education with an online masters in Community Development.

“I am a strong supporter of new technology and precision in farming, and I want to be a solid voice for agriculture in South Dakota,” he said. During his campaign, Finck will emphasize the pivotal role that education plays in the state’s economic development.

Finck’s rural roots guided him to select community development as his area of graduate study, and intends to put the knowledge acquired in that program to use by promoting economic growth in rural South Dakota.

“When I was a kid I heard the phrase, ‘We are only as strong as our smallest community,” Finck said. “We need to do everything we can to keep our small towns strong and continue to make them stronger.”

An active member of the South Dakota College Republicans and a volunteer for numerous statewide political campaigns, Finck is excited to begin his own campaign in District 19.

“I am absolutely ready to put in the hard work necessary to earn this seat,” Finck stated. “As I continue to meet the people of District 19, I am encouraged by my decision to pursue this path of public service, and I look forward to building a relationship with them throughout this campaign.”

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Just a note from the Editor –

If you want to support Caleb in his race for District 19 State Senate, feel free to send a donation to:

Caleb Finck for State Senate
29248 410th Ave
Tripp, SD 57376

Oh, and lest I forget – GO JACKS!!

I was hearing word last night that a second candidate may be getting into the South Dakota State House Race here in District 7.

I heard through the grapevine that former State House member Carol Pitts has petitions out. Pitts served in the House between 2001-2002, and again from 2007-2010.

With Mayor Tim Reed in the race as well, that would fill the Republican House slate with two very strong candidates, giving the GOP the toughest slate here in years – which could put Democrat House Minority Leader Spence Hawley in the position of having a race far more difficult than he might have been planning for.

Stay tuned as this develops.

The word on the street is that Kathy Tyler is planning on being a candidate this year. For at least one of the races in District 4.

What I’m hearing is that she’s carrying petitions for both the State House in District 4, and the State Senate. It remains to be seen if she’s going to drop one of them, and given her election in 2014, the case might be made for her forgoing the process entirely.

Last election had her finishing third in a field of four, about 350 votes behing John Wiik, and about 825 or so behind State Representative Fred Deutsch. That came after a bruising election for Tyler, in which statements that she made regarding…. Well, I’ll just point out the post which went into detail about the campaign that couldn’t shoot straight:

In looking at the case against the re-election of one of South Dakota’s worst legislators, Kathy Tyler, you have to consider that isn’t just one dumb thing she’s said.

It’s several dumb things. Much of it on tape.

First, there was the radio ad from the guy who Kathy tried to unilaterally overturn the court case he won on the phone, because she was a legislator.

Next, we had a re-visitation of Tyler’s explanation as to why she supported abortion – Because Jesus was pro-Choice.

And in the latest, which came out on radio today, Kathy Tyler explains that her vote against the new SDSU Swine Facility was actually “a vote of, uh,  a retaliation type of thing.”

Read that here.

Tyler’s problem is that none of the dumb things she said are going to go away, particularly the “Jesus was pro-choice” comment she made in a legislative committee hearing.

Even two years later, it’s kind of difficult to explain that kind of thing away. And instead of campaigning with the power of incumbency behind her, she’s got the extra burden of convincing voters that they need to turn out the people they’ve chosen in favor of the “Jesus was pro-choice” – “retaliation vote” lady.   I just don’t think that’s going to happen.

So, the word on the street is that Kathy Tyler may be back running for office again.

Or at least, she may be back for another shellacking.