Author: @SoDakCampaigns

Paul Erickson was sentenced to jail today.  And I get the distinct impression that Judge Schreier does not care for him:

Schreier said she was surprised, given the number of victims and amount of money he had cheated, that the pre-sentence report in the case suggested a sentencing range of only 33 to 41 months.

Schreier did give credit to Erickson for pleading guilty and taking responsibility for his crimes before handing down the 84 months sentence. That sentence will be followed with three years of supervised release. A decision on restitution for victims was deferred.

Read it all here.

Over twice the length of the upper end of the sentencing recommendations? Whoof.

It’s always worth watching the postscripts in how candidates assess the results of their own race. Because sometimes you catch a whiff of the truth. Or in this case, a quick whiff of something.

In case you’ve blinked and may have forgotten Kevin Quick, he was the candidate who was recently slaughtered in the District 35 State Senate primary on a 72-28% basis by current State Senator Jessica Castleberry.

He was also the candidate who – about a year ago – was featured as Pennington County’s Most Wanted/Felony alert for Drug and Assault charges.

Castleberry didn’t just take Quick to campaign school – she took him to campaign reform school and just punished him. Castleberry ran a tight campaign where she worked hard, and smashed Quick to the sidewalk.

But there might be another reason that contributed to why District 35 State Senate Candidate Kevin Quick was ground up in one of the worst defeats of the primary election.  Because it appears his role in the race was less about representing the people of the District, and more just a weak attempt to deny Senator Jessica Castleberry the election.

After his shellacking, Quick is being quite open about his alliance with the person running as an independent in the race to do just that:

So, after getting his hat handed to him, Quick is claiming some sort of unholy alliance between himself and Independent District 35 candidate Brian Gentry, and wants us all to support Gentry?  Republicans should take note that Kevin can’t even come out and say “the better Republican won” in the primary. Instead, he’s out shilling votes for the Independent.

If we’re to believe Quick, Indy candidate Gentry is a candidate who took a back bench in running to Quick, a state senate candidate who just got his drug felonies wiped away via suspended imposition just DAYS before his run. Not exactly a lead many Republicans I know would want to follow.

I think we can all take a hard pass in joining the opportunist in supporting the Independent in the race. As well as the Indy candidate who played second fiddle to him.

Long-time Thune staffer and midwestern scholar Jon Lauck earned a nice recognition for a book he edited on the Midwest which won recently won the Midwest Book Award. According to the Capitol Journal:

The Importance of Mount Rushmore, the Shrine of Democracy
By Sen. John Thune

(Sen. Thune is pictured with his wife, daughters, and sons-in-law.)

There are a number of presidents who have come to Mount Rushmore through the years, starting in 1927 with Calvin Coolidge when he authorized the first funding for the carving of the memorial. I’ve been there with two former presidents, and I imagine that every president who has served since the monument’s completion has looked up there and eyeballed whether or not there might be room for one more face.

Having grown up in western South Dakota, I know firsthand what the monument means to our economy. Everyone in my family, and everyone in most families in my hometown, worked in businesses that served travelers who were heading to or coming from Mount Rushmore.

I had two brothers who worked in filling stations. My sister waited tables. My younger brother worked at my hometown’s local attraction, the Pioneer Auto Museum. I cooked at a restaurant, the Star Family Restaurant. My parents, who worked in the school system during the school year, managed a motel during the travel season, where all of us kids pitched in whenever we could.

We didn’t have time or money for a vacation, except for one thing – our annual Labor Day weekend visit to the Black Hills, which always included a trip to Mount Rushmore. I have to say, it never got old, and I’m still in awe when I see it today.

Mount Rushmore is one of the most unique sculptures on the entire planet, and it never disappoints. From the father of our country – George Washington – to the author of the Declaration of Independence – Thomas Jefferson – to the man who preserved the Union through the tumult of the Civil War – Abe Lincoln – to the Rough Rider, the “man in the arena,” who helped tame the west – Teddy Roosevelt – Mount Rushmore captures the greatness and the uniqueness of this American experiment. This monument continues to remind us of our past and inspire our future.

Tens of millions of Americans have passed by this shrine of democracy over the past 80-plus years, and may tens of millions more come this way for decades and centuries to come as we continue to celebrate freedom’s eternal spirit.

Ready Reserve Corps Reestablished to Help During Health Care Emergencies
By U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.)

As we enter into the summer and continue working to get our economy back on track, COVID-19 continues to impact our country. Addressing growing public health needs has become a priority for the federal government over the past several months. We continue to be incredibly grateful to the healthcare workers who have been on the front lines throughout this pandemic—they are doing a critically important job.

In order to make sure vital health care jobs remain staffed during times of crisis, we worked to make sure my legislation to establish a Ready Reserve Corps within the United States Public Health Service (USPHS) Commissioned Corps was included in our COVID-19 relief legislation. The Ready Reserve Corps will be able to step in to fill positions at places like the Indian Health Service (IHS), which provides care to tens of thousands of South Dakotans, when USPHS Commissioned Corps officers are deployed to assist during a national emergency.

So why is this important? Let’s start by explaining the role of the USPHS. The USPHS Commissioned Corps is made up of more than 6,100 full-time officers who work in public health and disease prevention programs. Many of the officers work at federal agencies such as IHS, the Food and Drug Administration, the Bureau of Prisons and the U.S. Coast Guard. During times of crisis, Commissioned Corps officers are sent to help with public health emergencies, leaving a vacancy for the time they are relocated.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, thousands of USPHS workers have been deployed from their regular duty stations. This leaves a large percentage of vital public health roles empty across the country. Because of the bipartisan legislation I introduced with Sen. Doug Jones of Alabama, which was included in the CARES Act, the Ready Reserve Corps was reestablished to help make sure any open positions are filled with temporary workers.

When we introduced our legislation last year, we didn’t know the severity of the health care emergency that we’d be facing in our country with COVID-19. However, we knew that not filling vacant positions at federal health care facilities like IHS would hurt the people who rely on those facilities for their care. When the Senate passed the CARES Act this spring, we pushed to make sure our Ready Reserve Corps legislation was included in it.

Recently, the Trump administration recognized and thanked the USPHS workers for their vital role in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. More than 4,500 of the 6,100 officers have deployed since the outbreak started. Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar stated, “Creating a Ready Reserve for the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps will improve our capability to respond to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis and future public health emergencies. One of HHS’s paramount responsibilities is to protect Americans from public health threats like infectious diseases, and Congress and the Trump administration have come together to give us a new capability for accomplishing that mission with the Ready Reserve.”

Until our scientists and doctors are successful in finding vaccines and therapeutic treatments to combat COVID-19, it will remain a public health crisis in our country, and USPHS Commissioned Corps officers will be deployed to help out. The Ready Reserve Corps will make our public health system stronger and more prepared to deal with emergencies like this in the future.

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Stars and Stripes. Forever.
By Rep. Dusty Johnson

The Fourth of July is a big deal in our house. More often than not, you can find Jacquelyn, our boys and myself out in the Black Hills around a campfire, toasting marshmallows in honor of our nation’s birthday. And plus – I’m not one to turn down some good fireworks. But more importantly, July 4 is an annual reminder of the bravery and unbelievable determination it took for our Founding Fathers to create a more perfect union.

We know our union is far from perfect – but it is a free union. A union where its citizens can protest decisions the government does or does not make, where citizens can freely celebrate their own opinions and beliefs, and where we all can collectively debate on the best path forward for our nation. We are the lucky ones.

This weekend, I’ll be celebrating with the President of the United States and thousands of other South Dakotans at Mount Rushmore – and what a sight it will be. In stark contrast, some in our state, and across the country, have called for Mount Rushmore to be removed. There’s no doubt we have work to do as a country, but the presidents honored on Mount Rushmore championed the cause of freedom. Those seeking to remove these iconic faces are undermining the contributions these leaders made in pursuit of equality.

Removing Mount Rushmore would further divide this country, which is why I introduced the Mount Rushmore Protection Act last week. My bill would prohibit the use of federal funds to alter or destroy Mount Rushmore in any way. These men were not perfect – none of us are. But focusing on the imperfections fails to honor the incredible accomplishments these presidents made during their tenures.

There was a point in time where “red, white and blue” were just colors. But now, the phrase is synonymous with American freedom. Selected to represent the valor, vigilance and innocence of its people, our nation’s colors have carried us through victory and defeat. They have carried us from the dark shadows of our past and will carry us into a better future. As you and your family watch red, white and blue fireworks light up the sky this weekend, I hope you’ll take a moment to pause, to reflect and remember why we all should be proud to be Americans.

From Fox News, Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg is featured speaking on Independence Day:

This is largely a vacation week for me, as I’m actually just returning from a couple of days at my B-I-L’s in Missouri, and have my sister & kids coming to town today, so lots of family activities. But in the midst of not posting so much, I did want to wish everyone a Happy 4th of July!

In addition to being our independence day, July 4th it’s also the day when the Constitutional Convention was held in 1889 (it was our 3rd one) in Sioux Falls that finally made us a state on November 2, 1889.

State Paid Family Leave to Take Effect on July 1st

PIERRE, S.D. – On July 1, 2020, Paid Family Leave for state employees will take effect. The South Dakota State Legislature passed and Governor Noem signed SB 186 during this past legislative session to put this benefit into effect.

“Strong families are the key to a strong South Dakota,” said Governor Noem. “Paid Family Leave will allow state employees to invest in their families by taking the necessary time to develop stronger bonds with newborn and adopted children. The State of South Dakota is leading the way for family-friendly employers, and strong benefits put South Dakota in a better position to attract top talent to our state.”

Paid Family Leave will provide parents 60% of their normal salary for up to 8 weeks when they welcome a new child through birth or adoption. It can be used in the first 12 months following birth or adoption placement. This benefit does not set a mandate on private businesses or local governments.

For Frequently Asked Questions on South Dakota’s Paid Family Leave benefit, visit BHR.sd.gov.

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Johnson, Cuellar Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Support Meat and Poultry Producers 

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representatives Dusty Johnson (R-SD) and Henry Cuellar (D-TX) introduced the Direct Interstate Retail Exemption for Certain Transactions (DIRECT) Act. This legislation will allow state inspected meat to be sold across state lines through e-commerce, allowing small producers and processors more options to directly market to consumers.

“As a result of COVID-19, meat processing plants across the country have been forced to close or slow operations and as a result we’ve seen a renaissance in small processors,” said Johnson. “Many states, including South Dakota, have inspection standards that are at least equal to what the federal government requires. This bill cuts through red tape and allows producers, processors and retailers to sell state inspected meat and poultry direct to consumers through online stores across state lines.”

“America’s meat industry has been hit hard by financial challenges resulting from the coronavirus pandemic,” said Cuellar. “The bipartisan legislation will open up new markets for meat producers and processors by allowing meat inspected by the State to be sold online and across state lines. As a senior member of the Agriculture Subcommittee on Appropriations, I will continue to fight for the men and women who work every day to keep food on our table during these unprecedented times. I want to thank Congressman Dusty Johnson for his commitment to supporting our meat industry.”

The DIRECT Act will:

• Amend the retail exemption under the Federal Meat Inspection Act and Poultry Products Inspection Act to allow processors, butchers or other retailers to sell normal retail quantities (300 lbs. of beef, 100 lbs. of pork, 27.5 lbs. of lamb) of State Inspected Meat online to consumers across state lines.
• Allow new direct-to-consumer options for producers, processors and small meat markets.
• Maintains traceability of sales easily accessed in the event of a recall.
• Allows retail sales to consumers, minimizing the risk for further processing in export, keeping equivalency agreements with trading partners intact.
• Allow states operating under the Cooperative Interstate Shipping system to ship and label as they are currently.

This bill is supported by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, American Farm Bureau Federation, American Sheep Industry Association, U.S. Cattlemen’s Association, South Dakota Cattlemen’s Association, SD Pork Producers Council and South Dakota Farm Bureau.

“Over the past few months, more Americans looked to e-commerce to purchase essential goods like beef and an already booming online marketplace further evolved to facilitate purchases and meet consumer demands,” said Marty Smith, President of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. “The American beef supply chain must evolve to keep up with the speed of commerce and the demands of modern-day consumers. The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association supports the Direct Interstate Retail Exemption for Certain Transactions (DIRECT) Act because it helps make it easier for the American cattle producer to meet the growing demand of the American consumer to purchase safe and delicious U.S. beef.”

“Through the COVID-19 pandemic we have experienced a trend for consumers wanting to source beef directly from ranchers,” said Eric Jennings, President of the South Dakota Cattlemen’s Association. “Two of the challenges SD beef producers have faced in developing a direct sales market are a limited population of consumers and very few federally inspected processing facilities. Online sales represent an opportunity for our beef producers to expand their market beyond our limited rural population, but they have been restricted in their broader marketing efforts by prohibitions on interstate shipment of state inspected meat, coupled with few federally inspected plants. South Dakota has had an excellent state meat inspection system that is equivalent to federal meat inspection for many years. This bill will allow our producers more freedoms for interstate commerce while still providing a safe beef product for consumers. We thank Congressman Johnson for bringing forth this legislation.”

“Small, state inspected processors have filled the void for many producers this year when larger plants shut down. The DIRECT Act would allow state inspected plants to sell their product direct to consumers across state lines. This presents a new opportunity for producers to reach consumers directly through online sales,” said Scott VanderWal, Vice President of the American Farm Bureau Federation and President of the South Dakota Farm Bureau. “Consumers wishing to directly order a SD steak would be able to do just that.”

“The bill that Rep. Johnson is introducing is a step to opening up more markets for our local State Inspected Locker plants,” said Craig Andersen, President of the South Dakota Pork Producers Council. “Through the last few months these plants have gone to extraordinary levels to help keep pigs in the food chain. They are in need of extra market access for the product they produce. This bill should also make it easier for producers to harvest and give product to local charities.”

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