Author: @SoDakCampaigns

Defending the Defenseless
By Sen. John Thune

Each year, I’m encouraged by the tens of thousands of Americans who travel to Washington, D.C., around the Roe v. Wade anniversary to participate in the annual March for Life, and I’m particularly proud of all the South Dakotans who, over the years, have made the trek to our nation’s capital to let their voices be heard.

The March for Life, of course, is just one small facet of the pro-life movement, which works every day in this country to offer help and hope to moms in need. But events like this are fundamentally important, because they provide a public witness to the truth about abortion. They remind all of us that in this country we are denying our most vulnerable citizens their most basic right – something that can be all too easy to minimize or ignore. Perhaps most importantly, these marchers, and other people in the movement like them, lead by example to underscore our responsibility to speak up and stand up for unborn babies in this country.

The CDC reports that almost 630,000 babies were killed by abortion in 2019 alone. That number is so big it’s almost unfathomable. Sadly, it could be an underestimate as state reporting to CDC on abortions is not required or consistent. To put 630,000 in perspective, that’s equivalent to roughly 70 percent of the population of South Dakota – killed in one year.

Abortion advocates would like to obscure the fact that unborn babies are human beings, but they face an uphill battle. Because every person knows, on some level, that when we’re talking about abortion, we are talking about killing a human being.

It is reprehensible that a country like ours, dedicated to the defense of human rights, has some of the most extreme abortion laws in the world. The United States is part of a handful of countries that allow elective abortion past 20 weeks of pregnancy. Among those other countries are China and North Korea – not exactly the kind of company we want to be keeping when it comes to protecting human rights.

I will continue to work in Washington to protect the right to life of unborn human beings. As we anticipate the Supreme Court’s ruling on Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, I am working with my pro-life colleagues to advance legislation like the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act and the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act. It is unthinkable that the law allows unborn babies who are capable of feeling pain to be killed by abortion. I’ve co-sponsored this legislation in previous Congresses, and I will continue to be a fierce advocate for it until the day we can get it signed into law.

I am proud to stand beside all those who work so hard to secure the right to life of unborn Americans. I know that it is not always easy. But I am confident that in the end, right and justice will prevail. Because we have the truth on our side – the truth that every human being, born and unborn, old or young, of every race and religion and political persuasion, is created in the image and likeness of God and has infinite dignity and value.

I will be keeping all birth mothers and children in my prayers, and I hope you’ll join me.

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This week marked one year since President Biden took office. I wish I could say happy anniversary, but it isn’t that happy. Let’s be honest, it’s been a bumpy ride.

I’m not somebody who just complains. I also focus on solutions, so I’m going to identify four areas where I think this administration has failed and how we can do a better job as a country.

For one, during his first few days in office, President Biden reinstated catch and release policies and ended the Remain in Mexico policy put in place by President Trump. I support this policy because it significantly decreased illegal border crossings and essentially ended the crisis at the border. In 2021 alone, there were over 1.7 million illegal border crossings. While a federal court recently blocked the administration’s action on this policy, I am hoping we will see illegal crossings come down as soon as possible.

Secondly, inflation is higher than it has been at any point in the last 40 years – that’s a long time. Because we have a federal government that continues to spend. I’ll continue to vote against trillion-dollar package after trillion-dollar package. We’re thirty trillion dollars in debt. President Biden should focus on needs as a country rather than on wants.

Rising prices due to inflation have only increased more due to shortages from the supply chain delays. I’m sure many of you have run into issues trying to buy lumber, your favorite items from the grocery store, or furniture for your home. While supply chain disruptions have mostly been caused by COVID-19, the President’s administration has not enough steps to reduce the backlogs at American ports.

Foreign flagged ocean carriers have been discriminating against American manufacturing and agriculture products. When I saw how this was affecting businesses in South Dakota, I teamed up with U.S. Rep. John Garamendi (D-CA) to introduce the Ocean Shipping Reform Act (OSRA). OSRA holds these folks accountable and prevents discrimination against American exports. Our bill passed the House in December 2021 and I’m hopeful it will pass the Senate.

Due to the shortage of truck drivers, I’ve also requested the administration re-up stalled pilot programs put in place by previous administration to expand the number of eligible truck drivers who can drive across state lines.

Speaking of worker shortages, there are currently 10 million job openings in America. The workforce participation rate is the percentage of adult Americans that are working – it’s gone down and has not returned to what it was prior to the earliest days of COVID-19 – in fact, it’s as low as it has been in any point since women entered the workforce in large numbers. We are still paying people a lot of money not to work. We need a social safety net in this country – I believe in it, but it needs to be one that encourages work. We have a help wanted sign around every corner in every country. Let’s get Americans back to work.

There are a lot of strong solutions out there to fix the problems our nation is facing – I’ll continue to stay focused on those solutions.

It is no mistake that when Thomas Jefferson declared all men are endowed with the “right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” LIFE came first. The Constitution clearly delegates defending the lives and safety of the people to the government as its chief role. That includes defending the rights and the lives of unborn children.

In South Dakota, we took great strides toward protecting those lives.  The total number of abortions declined more than 80% over the last decade. Credit goes to our legislators, who proved that abortion does not need to be a divisive issue. Last year, we earned unanimous, bipartisan support for my bill to guarantee protections for unborn children with Down syndrome.

But we cannot rest until we protect every unborn life.  The Supreme Court has a historic opportunity to make that a reality. As soon as the High Court overturns Roe v. Wade, our state laws already in place should protect every unborn South Dakota child. But until then, we can take steps to protect South Dakota children today. And we will do it from the very first heartbeat of every child.

Each human life carries a beautiful uniqueness from the moment that life is conceived. Before long, they have their own unique heartbeat, too. Science tells us that an unborn child’s heart starts beating as early as six weeks after conception. And any abortion after that point stops that heartbeat — stops that life — stops that gift from God.

That gift must be protected. I am bringing a bill this session to ban abortions after a heartbeat has been detected in the womb. This law, similar to the Texas Heartbeat Act, will save lives and ensure that South Dakota remains a staunchly pro-life state.

We must do more to uphold South Dakota’s culture of life, protect the unborn, and defend women against dangerous procedures. That includes stopping the movement toward telemedicine abortions which pose a serious threat to women in our state.

Chemical abortions happen when a woman ends an unborn life with a pill. These unsupervised procedures expose women to four times the risk of ending up in the emergency room.

We all know how important it is to see a doctor, especially when concerned about health risks. Under the Biden Administration, the federal government removes the safeguards that protect women in our country by easing requirements for telemedicine abortion and chemical abortion pill-by-mail. But as the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists warns, an “in-person visit is medically necessary and sound medical practice because it ensures that every woman receives a full evaluation for any contraindications to a medication abortion.” Telemedicine strips away those visits—those safeguards.

I will not stand by while the federal government jeopardizes women’s health. Last year, I signed an executive order banning telemedicine abortions in South Dakota. The legislature approved the rule for our Department of Health to take action immediately. I am bringing legislation to codify this rule permanently into state law. I am asking lawmakers to take action to protect South Dakota women from this dangerous procedure.

We respect life in South Dakota, and I look forward to the day when we protect all unborn lives.  Our laws must reflect our values and our commitment to protect the unalienable rights of all of our citizens.

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Time to catch back up on things, as I’ve been away from my desk for most of the last week in Florida on a sort-of vacation, while my wife did a presentation on research she’d done at a conference.

(That’s me pictured in a display in front of the American experience part of Epcot).

I would definitely term it a sort-of vacation, as it’s not very relaxing when of the two children at home, one gets sent home from school with a rotten cold and COVID tests (he didn’t have it), and the other one was giving the caregiver a hard time all week long. Kind of hard to relax with that going on in the background.

We got back Friday night, and I’m exhausted enough that I need a vacation after my vacation.

Gov. Noem Announces Two Pro-Life Bills

PIERRE, S.D. – Today, as tens of thousands of pro-life Americans participate in the annual March for Life in Washington, DC, Governor Kristi Noem announced the text of two pro-life bills to protect unborn lives. The first will ban abortions once a child’s heartbeat can be protected; the second will ban telemedicine abortions in South Dakota.

“Every human life is unique and beautiful from the moment it is conceived. Every life is worthy of our protection, worthy of the right to live,” said Governor Kristi Noem. “We hope that this year’s March for Life will be the last and that the Supreme Court will finally protect every unborn life. But until that comes to pass, these bills will ensure that both unborn children and their mothers are protected in South Dakota.”

Governor Noem previewed her heartbeat legislation last year when she directed her Unborn Child Advocate to review South Dakota laws and ensure that we have the strongest pro-life laws on the books in South Dakota.

Governor Noem blocked telemedicine abortions via executive order last year. This procedure happens when a woman is prescribed a pill to perform a chemical abortion over the phone or internet. Chemical abortions are a dangerous procedure that are four times more likely to cause the woman getting the abortion to end up in the emergency room.

Over the last decade, abortions have declined by approximately 80% in South Dakota. Last year, Governor Noem signed eight pro-life bills into law, including a ban on abortions based on a diagnosis of Down syndrome and a bill to protect children born alive, regardless of the circumstances of that child’s birth.

You can read the draft heartbeat legislation here. You can read the draft telemedicine abortion ban legislation here.

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If you hadn’t heard, long time telecommunications lobbyist Greg Dean passed away suddenly this week:

“Kind of hard to believe,” Schoenbeck says. “You can even see in the hall when I came in this morning. There’s a real damper. It’s sort of top of mind with everybody here. It’s a community here, amongst the legislature and Greg was a really fine member of it.”

Bill Van Camp is a fellow lobbyist and friend of Dean’s. He says Dean was a straightforward and honest guy.

“Easier to deal with, even when you were on the other side of the aisle from him,” Van Camp says. “Just a hell of a great guy. A great dad. A real pillar of the Pierre-Fort Pierre community and he will be sorely missed. Just a great guy.”

Read the entire story here.

It’s one year into a Joe Biden presidency, and Americans are worse off. pic.twitter.com/lTmKY35zUx

— Senator John Thune (@SenJohnThune) January 20, 2022

Caroline Woods, spouse to Family Heritage Alliance director Norman Woods, and a Noem staffer for a time, came out in the Rapid City Journal this past week with an editorial that took a surprising swipe at her former boss for taking a more measured approach on last years’ transgender participation in sports issue:

First, let’s start with last year’s women’s sports bill that promoted fairness in women’s sports. The South Dakota legislature put this strong bill on Gov. Noem’s desk prohibiting biological males from competing in women’s sports. It protected girls in K12 sports and college. She tweeted that she was “excited” to sign the bill. Well, she quickly changed her mind. She reversed course after getting woke pressure from people including Matt McCaulley, who double-dips as a Sandford Health lobbyist and a paid advisor to Gov. Noem, and D.C. elitist, Corey Lewandowski, who is just plain creepy.

Read the entire column here.

The entire column just popped up out of the blue without any prior indication of criticism on the issue from Woods, especially given the harsh tone. Which the mainstream media ate up, because of its anti-Noem tone.

But the coverage also afforded the Governor’s people the opportunity to clap back hard:

In a statement to Fox News, Noem communications director Ian Fury described Thorman Woods as a “disgruntled former staffer.”

“This op-ed is filled with misinformation and outright lies. It comes from a disgruntled former staffer that moved to SD [South Dakota] from DC and only worked in the governor’s office briefly,” said Fury. “This op-ed reflects more work than she did in her seven short months working here. Her DC agenda did not reflect SD values, and we were happy to see her go.”

And..

“Given HB 1217’s problematic provisions, there was a higher risk of the entire bill being enjoined if South Dakota were to be sued by the NCAA. If that had happened, no girls in South Dakota would have been protected (at K-12 or collegiate level),” he said. “Now that other states have linked arms, as Gov. Noem urged at the time, she is excited to protect girls’ sports at both the K-12 and collegiate level, just as she’s done with her executive orders.”

Read it all here.

After some policy disagreements over the past year, House and Senate Leadership are at least publicly telling reporters that they are trying to get along better this session, according to the Argus Leader:

To some House Republicans, Schoenbeck has been the architect of the Senate’s success in policy differences with the House.

Schoenbeck said he and Gosch are trying to set a new tone this session.

“There were obviously some bumpy roads last year,” he said. “I would tell you that this year has absolutely started off on a different foot. We’ve been texting each other, but I’m not saying we’re dating.”

Unlike the fractious Republican caucus in the House, Schoenbeck said Senate Republicans have been cohesive and fearless.

Read it all here.

Year-over-year inflation reached 7 percent in December – its highest level in 40 years. That’s seven straight months in which inflation has been higher than 5 percent. As South Dakotans struggle to keep up with steep increases in grocery prices, fuel prices, and heating bills, this record-high inflation is taking a major toll on the pocketbooks of families and those living on a fixed income. Despite growing wages throughout 2021, Americans have now experienced a de facto pay cut as they watch their wage growth get eroded by rising costs. 

Families aren’t the only ones on the receiving end of the inflation pain. According to the National Federation of Independent Business, high inflation is a top concern of small business owners across the nation, likely due to the fact that annualized inflation for wholesale goods increased by a staggering 9.7 percent, which affects business owners and families alike.

At its most basic level, inflation is created when there are too many dollars chasing too few goods in the economy. What we’re seeing today is a textbook example of it. When Democrats took office last January, inflation was at 1.4 percent. That was well within what most economists would consider to be an acceptable range – what’s commonly called the target inflation rate. And it could have stayed there had Democrats not decided to pass a massive multi-trillion-dollar government spending spree under the guise of COVID relief – passing it mere weeks after Congress had just approved a major COVID relief bill targeted toward actual COVID needs. That unnecessary government spending, of course, had serious economic consequences: a soaring inflation crisis with no clear end in sight.

Any level-headed person would think that the economic pain Americans continue to experience after months of rising prices would give Democrats pause. They would be wrong, though, because Democrats actually spent most of last year trying to double down on their reckless tax-and-spending strategy that helped lead to the inflation crisis we’re seeing today.

President Biden and congressional Democrats seem to believe that they can’t be bothered to pay attention to a real crisis – one that has real economic consequences for South Dakota families. Instead, Democrats in Washington are focused on passing their radical agenda that is full of heavy-handed and government-knows-best policies. I am hopeful that the shocking inflation numbers that were just released will resonate with Democrats and help redirect their attention to issues that are draining Americans’ pocketbooks.

It’s time for Democrats to recognize that families, small businesses, and our broader economy cannot afford any more reckless government spending.

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