Author: @SoDakCampaigns

It’s election day for several municipalities and school districts in South Dakota, so make a point to get out and vote!

Rounds Introduces Iran Cyber Sanctions Act

 WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) today introduced the Iran Cyber Sanctions Act, which would require the president to submit a report to Congress detailing significant activities conducted by Iranians to undermine U.S. cybersecurity.

“Some of the most serious threats facing the United States today are cyber-attacks,” said Rounds. “Iran and our other enemies currently use sophisticated technology to carry out cyber-attacks against U.S. businesses and our government. By reporting and sanctioning perpetrators, we can stop additional cyber-attacks before they happen and identify where future threats may come from.”

The bill would also require the president to add any individual included in his report to Congress to the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Specially Designated Nationals List. When someone is added to this list, his or her assets within a U.S. jurisdiction are blocked from being accessed and U.S. individuals are prevented from doing business with listed individuals. If the president chooses to exempt an individual from the Specially Designated Nationals List, he must explain to Congress why he or she was not included.

Rounds’ legislation would require the president’s report to Congress to include:

• The identity of individuals who have knowingly engaged in efforts to undermine U.S. cybersecurity.
• A description of the conduct engaged in by each person.
• An assessment of the extent to which Iran or another foreign government has provided material support for significant activities undermining cybersecurity.
• A strategy to counter efforts by Iranian individuals to conduct significant activities undermining cybersecurity.

On March 24, 2016, the U.S. Justice Department indicted 7 Iranian individuals, who were employed by two Iran-based computer companies, involved with a 2013 cyber-attack against the Bowman Avenue Dam in New York and a 2011 Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) campaign against the U.S. financial sector.

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This morning a story is coming to light on the Democrats trying to use the EB5 issue that was such a winner for them in the last election, and repackaging it to use against Senator John Thune, and Congresswoman Kristi Noem.

Noem’s challenger, State Representative Paula Hawks, claims that Noem voted to extend EB-5 without first trying to reform the federal program. Hawks claims Noem broke her word.

The State Democratic Party is doubling down on Noem with an attack video that claims Noem broke her word on EB-5.

Noem’s Chief of Staff, Jordan Stoick, responded to the charges by saying that Noem supports EB-5 reforms.

“The nine-month extension of the program was included in a broader bill that Rep. Noem thought contained provisions that benefited South Dakota,” Stoick said, “including additional resources to take care of veterans and increase border security, a pay raise for our troops, funding for the Lewis & Clark water system and rural schools in South Dakota, and flexibility for the Indian Health Service to address the health care crisis facing tribal members in our state.

Read it here.

Sorry Dems, but I think Kristi gets to drop the mic on you there, especially with the demands today for improving IHS:

Optimists and skeptics sat down Tuesday with the new head of the Indian Health Service to hash out plans for improving care for Native Americans in Iowa, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota.

At a tense two-and-a-half-hour meeting, IHS Principal Deputy Director Mary Smith outlined plans for short and long-term changes at IHS hospitals and clinics in the Great Plains region.

The visit follows a federal investigation into IHS hospitals in South Dakota that found poor sanitation and improper record-keeping and lead to the closure of the emergency room in Rosebud.

Read that here.

So, Paula Hawks and the Democrats think this is the time to shackle IHS, and cut services?  Talk about tone deaf.

And next year when the new edition comes out, when you look up ‘ineffective partisan attack’ in “World Book Encyclopedia,” you’ll probably see a picture of unsuccessful Congressional Candidate Paula Hawks.

Youngberg Announces Candidacy for District 8 Senate

MADISON, S.D. – Jordan Youngberg of Madison has filed his nominating petition to run for the South Dakota Senate, representing District 8.

“I couldn’t think of a greater honor than to represent a district I care so much about,” said Youngberg. “The time has come for me to get involved and I look forward to providing a conservative, pragmatic voice in the Senate.”

Youngberg currently serves as manager of High Plains Apache, an implement dealership in Madison. He is a graduate of Dell Rapids High School and also owns a Madison-based pest control business.

“I can’t wait to get out and talk with the voters of District 8,” added Youngberg. “There are a lot of important issues to discuss and I’m looking forward to a positive campaign.”

District 8 is comprised of the counties of Lake, Miner, Moody and Sanborn.

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Another Milestone for Ellsworth Air Force Base
By Sen. John Thune

Ellsworth Air Force Base is well-known to all South Dakotans, especially those who live in West River. It’s not only home to two B-1B Lancer combat squadrons and MQ-9 Reaper ground control stations, but it’s a staple of the community and is something in which our state takes great pride. The base has a $350 million impact on South Dakota’s economy and is the state’s second largest employer, and thanks to the recent Powder River Training Complex (PRTC) expansion, Ellsworth is saving taxpayers millions of dollars per year and can now conduct advanced training closer to home.

It’s in this expanded PRTC, which spans the skies over South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana, and Wyoming, that airmen are able to practice the kinds of realistic engagements they expect to see in combat. I spent nearly a decade working with the Air Force and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to move the PRTC project forward and saw it through to the end. It was a long road, but following the FAA’s approval of the project in March 2015, the PRTC was charted on September 17, 2015, and flights through the area began just 24 hours later.

One of the greatest advantages of the new training airspace, now the largest over the continental United States, is the ability to conduct large force exercises (LFEs) with airmen from around the country who pilot a variety of aircraft. The larger area, which is nearly the size of Indiana, provides space to simulate enemy threats hundreds of miles away. To give a sense of this expanded area, imagine a highway patrolman moving from a training space the size of an empty parking lot to one the size of a race track fit with obstacles and gradient terrain. This will drastically increase the likelihood of successfully accomplishing future combat missions and will help bring our aircrew home safe and sound.

The first LFE was completed late last year, and I was recently able to join Ellsworth’s airmen to view the second LFE in the PRTC. What an experience it was to see it firsthand. Nearly 20 aircraft, including B-52s, F-16s, KC-135s, E-3s, and B-1s participated. One the biggest limiting factors for our flight crew readiness has been the availability of training airspace nationwide. The PRTC helps alleviate that problem, all while improving our national security and saving the Department of Defense millions of dollars too.

While I’m excited about the opportunities this presents for Ellsworth and the airmen who train there, I’ve always felt it was important to listen to the concerns of the surrounding community, and I will continue to make that a priority. These missions will go largely unnoticed by people on the ground, but the leaders at Ellsworth still provide adequate notice to the community prior to the days of these exercises, and rightly so. It’s because of this transparency, commitment to the community, and dedication to training the men and women who keep America safe that makes us proud Ellsworth calls South Dakota home.

NOTE: Click here for more information about the PRTC and Sen. Thune’s involvement in securing its expansion.

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DakotaCon Highlights South Dakota’s Role in Cybersecurity
By Senator Mike Rounds

As our daily lives grow increasingly reliant on technology, we need to understand how to best protect ourselves, our businesses and our country from a cyberattack. Governments and businesses around the world are continuously improving their cyber defense strategies, and they are being advised by companies and experts right here in South Dakota. I recently had the privilege to speak at DakotaCon 2016, a three-day cybersecurity conference at Dakota State University (DSU) in Madison, where the top minds in cybersecurity from all over the world gathered to discuss the latest cybersecurity developments.

DSU is the ideal backdrop for such an event. As one of just 14 universities endorsed by the National Security Agency (NSA) as a Center of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity Operations, DSU was the first college in the entire nation to offer a degree in cybersecurity. Today, 1 out of 3 students at DSU studies computer science or cybersecurity in some capacity. Since 2012, the university has seen an 83 percent increase in students pursuing one of its three cybersecurity degrees, and more than 80 percent of their students were raised within 100 miles of campus. It has become a national model for success in producing our cyber workforce, the demand for which is growing rapidly.

By the year 2019, Symantec CEO Michael Brown recently predicted that the demand for cybersecurity professionals would grow to 6 million and have a shortfall of 1.5 million. In order to adequately protect our nation’s networks and maintain our information security dominance in the future, we must make certain our workforce can meet these increased demands. And that is happening at DSU, which is working to keep cybersecurity jobs right here in South Dakota.

As we continue our work on cybersecurity, I believe we must establish business-friendly standards for the federal government and the private sector in order to protect consumer information. This can be accomplished by supporting public sector investment in network security, being vigilant in handling national security cyber threats, and providing legal clarity on permissible tools so cybersecurity professionals can do their job with confidence.

There is a great amount of work to be done to meet the many challenges of cybersecurity, but I am confident we will meet these challenges. Just as the American pioneering and entrepreneurial spirit founded our nation, settled the West, won two World Wars and put a man on the moon; so can we conquer the cyber world and mitigate its threats. We have the most innovative military and economy in the world. And we have men and women – like our students, teachers and business people in Madison – committed to addressing cybersecurity concerns in the 21st century.

I hope that DakotaCon 2016 has furthered the dialogue as to how we can best protect our citizens, our military and the federal government from cyber threats.

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Weekly Column: Here to Help
By Rep. Kristi Noem

Every year, hundreds of South Dakotans take the opportunity to visit our nation’s capital, to stand at the base of the Lincoln Memorial, wander through the World War II Memorial, or sit underneath the Capitol dome.  Some make the trip with their high school class, a cause they care deeply about, or a veterans’ group.  Others do it with their families or colleagues.  Regardless of the reason, the visit for many is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Our office is committed to doing everything we can to make sure this visit is as memorable and educational as possible. In fact, we consider our office on Capitol Hill as a home base for any South Dakotan in the area, so never hesitate to stop by.

One of the services we offer is a personalized tour around the Capitol building.  We’ll make sure you get a behind-the-scenes look at how the Legislative Branch operates and the halls where history has been written.

Most Wednesday mornings, you can also join Senator John Thune, Senator Mike Rounds, and I at the South Dakota Sunrise Coffee (the coffee is on us!)  This is an opportunity to sit down with all three members of the South Dakota delegation to talk about the issues on your mind and what we’ve been working on as of late.  I’m always surprised at just how many South Dakotans make it each week and I always look forward to getting that mid-week dose of South Dakota commonsense.

Of course, most of my days are spent meeting one-on-one with South Dakotans, having in-depth conversations about the issues impacting their families and communities.  On any given week that I’m away from South Dakota, I will meet with dozens of constituents out of our D.C. office – each sharing their story and their ideas.

Our office can also be helpful for anything you’d like to do off of Capitol Hill too.  If you’d like to visit the Pentagon, White House, Supreme Court or any of the other attractions in the area, let us know and we can set up tours for you in many cases.  Even if you’re just looking for a good hotel to stay at or a nice restaurant to take the family, reach out and we’ll do everything we can to help.  You can find a lot of this information on noem.house.gov or by calling our office toll-free at 855-225-2801.

Our local offices are also there to help.  You are welcome to come visit us in Sioux Falls, Rapid City or Watertown at any time.  We also have a regular staff presence in Aberdeen and Pierre and travel frequently to many of the surrounding communities throughout the year.

Whether you are looking for help while you’re in South Dakota or the nation’s capital, please keep us in mind.  We are here to help.

Mental Illness and South Dakota’s Criminal Justice System
A column by Gov. Dennis Daugaard:

A significant number of Americans struggle with mental illness. For many the struggle is silent. Some experience short-term mental health problems, as it’s not uncommon for individuals to temporarily face mild forms of mental illness throughout their lives. For others though, it’s a lifelong battle that requires consistent treatment. No community is untouched by mental illness. It deeply affects schools, work places and families.

According to a recent survey from the Helmsley Charitable Trust’s Rural Healthcare Program, South Dakota has a high prevalence of undiagnosed and untreated depression as well as a very high prevalence of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and anxiety. While 87 percent of survey respondents reported receiving all needed medical care, only 64 percent reported receiving all needed mental health care, and just 54 percent received all needed substance use care.

Without proper treatment, individuals with mental health problems can land in the emergency room or in jail.

When someone showing signs of mental illness behaves in ways that cause arrest, a court may order an evaluation of their fitness to be tried.  In recent years, the number of these court-ordered evaluations in our state has tripled, from 48 in Fiscal Year 2013 to 147 in Fiscal Year 2015. This is why some counties have reported a backlog of court-ordered evaluations. Backlog delays lead to increased jail costs and are a disservice to the mentally ill.

This week Supreme Court Chief Justice David Gilbertson and I joined with Walter Panzirer, a trustee of the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust, to announce a mental health grant from the Trust. This grant to the Department of Health will fund the work of the newly formed Task Force on Community Justice and Mental Illness Early Intervention.

The $302,500 award will provide the task force with technical assistance from the Crime and Justice Institute. The Institute will assist with evaluations of data from our court system, and from large counties in South Dakota, to help understand the extent to which those with mental illness are becoming involved in the criminal justice system.  The Institute will also examine practices in other states, to help us find evidence-based practices that hold promise for our state.

Three years ago, Chief Justice Gilbertson and I joined with legislative leaders to initiate a year-long review of the criminal justice system. That process resulted in a sweeping reform package that passed with broad support. Then last year, the Legislature passed a similar juvenile justice reform package, which was developed after a similar year-long process. Now we are applying that same successful process to evaluating how those with mental illness are coming into contact with the criminal justice system.

Thanks to support from the Helmsley Charitable Trust, I am optimistic the task force will identify sound proposals to improve our processes and practices. I’m hopeful of finding ways to ensure we are making the best use of our resources and treating the mentally ill as early as possible to avoid deeper involvement with the system.

We owe it to the taxpayers and, most of all, to those who struggle with mental health problems, to get this right.

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From KOTA-TV:

A tiny fish is causing giant trouble in large stretches the country and, experts warn, appears be headed for KOTA Territory. That is unless an experimental program funded by a U.S. Fish and Wildlife grant proves effective.

It was just a couple of weeks ago that first word reached authorities. An early season fisherman along the shore of Pactola Reservoir saw something that didn’t seem right. Large numbers of fish were dying off.

and…

Traditional eradication efforts have been ineffective but state and local officials quickly learned they could be eligible for an experimental program that has shown promise: Dolphins.

“The snout’s Number One natural predator is the dolphin,” said Marine Biologist Hudson Fairhope from the Marco Island Marine Institute in Marco Island, Florida. “We’ve had great success in certain closed, lake environments where dolphins have turned the tide on a snout invasion.”

If Pactola is approved for the FWS grant, officials expect to release four male fresh water dolphins into the reservoir in May.

Read it here.

You know I’m good with that if they’ll do tricks for my entertainment.  But otherwise, that’s a pretty good April Fools’ joke.