Author: @SoDakCampaigns

Rounds Statement on Senate Passage of Bill to Combat Prescription Drug Addiction

WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) today voted for S. 524, the bipartisan Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA) of 2016, which passed out of the Senate today by a vote of 94-1. CARA seeks to address the growing opioid abuse epidemic in the United States by authorizing state and local grants for treatment, stronger law enforcement and recovery programs. Opioids is another term for heroin and prescription painkillers.

“The number of Americans addicted to heroin and prescription painkillers has more than doubled in the last 15 years,” said Rounds. “It is a devastating dependency that has spread to all corners of our society, impacting not only those who suffer from addiction, but their friends, families and entire communities. Fortunately, opioid addiction is treatable and preventable. Our bipartisan Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act provides a comprehensive, evidence-based approach to help Americans combat this epidemic beginning at the local level. By expanding prevention efforts, enhancing support for law enforcement and increasing access to treatment, we can begin to reverse and stop the growing epidemic of opioid addiction.”

The Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act of 2016 will:

• Expand prevention and educational efforts—particularly aimed at teens, parents and other caretakers, and aging populations—to prevent the abuse of opioids and heroin and to promote treatment and recovery.
• Expand the availability of naloxone to law enforcement agencies and other first responders to help in the reversal of overdoses to save lives.
• Expand resources to identify and treat incarcerated individuals suffering from addiction disorders promptly by collaborating with criminal justice stakeholders and by providing evidence-based treatment.
• Expand disposal sites for unwanted prescription medications to keep them out of the hands of our children and adolescents.
• Launch an evidence-based opioid and heroin treatment and intervention program to expand best practices throughout the country.
• Launch a medication assisted treatment and intervention demonstration program.
• Strengthen prescription drug monitoring programs to help states monitor and track prescription drug diversion and to help at-risk individuals access services.

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Assisting Indian Country in the Fight
Against Drug Epidemic a Priority for Thune

“Tackling the drug epidemic from all sides – from helping the victims of addiction dealing with their disease to supporting the law enforcement officers fighting the traffickers who put these drugs onto the streets – is the only way we’re going to succeed.”

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) issued the following statement after the Senate passed S. 524, the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act. This bipartisan legislation expands drug prevention efforts, supports law enforcement, combats overdose, and expands access to treatment.

“It’s no secret that addictive substances like misused prescription painkillers or other illegal drugs like heroin and meth can have a devastating effect on people,” said Thune. “They tear apart families, crush hopes and dreams, and ruin lives.

Tackling the drug epidemic from all sides – from helping the victims of addiction dealing with their disease to supporting the law enforcement officers fighting the traffickers who put these drugs onto the streets – is the only way we’re going to succeed.

“Though I’m thankful this important legislation passed the Senate, I’m disappointed Democrats blocked my amendments that would have benefited Indian Country. We must ensure that Indian Country is not forgotten, which is why I remain committed to finding a path forward to ensure our tribal citizens have greater access to these programs and initiatives.”

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Noem to Host Women of Influence Conference

Sioux Falls, S.D. – Rep. Kristi Noem today announced she will be hosting the Women of Influence Conference.  Noem will be joined by keynote speaker and South Dakota native Mary Hart, formerly of Entertainment Tonight, and special guests Angela Kennecke (KELOLAND), Karla Santi (CEO, Blend Interactive), Melissa Johnson (Founder & CEO, Oh My Cupcakes!), and Dr. Amy Novak (Dakota Wesleyan University).  To RSVP, please visit noem.house.gov/WomenOfInfluence

“More and more women are rising into leadership positions across South Dakota and our nation,” said Noem.  “I am hopeful our conference will give women in our community the tools, advice, and contacts they need to take their next step, regardless of whether they are just starting off or backed by years of experience.  I hope you or a woman of influence in your life will be able to join us in Sioux Falls on March 31.”

The Women of Influence Conference is a networking and education opportunity for women across South Dakota who are interested in changing the minds and hearts of those around them.  During the event, attendees will have the opportunity to hear from female leaders in business, entertainment, and journalism, as well as explore the conference’s resource fair.  Breakfast will be provided.

RSVP TODAY: noem.house.gov/WomenOfInfluence

DATE:  Thursday, March 31
TIME:  7:30AM – 12:30PM
LOCATION:  Central Baptist Church, Sioux Falls (3102 W. Ralph Rogers Road)
SPECIAL GUESTS:

• Mary Hart, South Dakota native and former star of Entertainment Tonight
• Angela Kennecke, KELOLAND
• Karla Santi, CEO of Blend Interactive
• Melissa Johnson, Founder and CEO of Oh My Cupcakes!
• Amy Novak, President of Dakota Wesleyan University

ADDITIONAL NOTES: Breakfast will be provided.  To RSVP, visit noem.house.gov/WomenOfInfluence

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I suspect we should have guessed with the utterly unpredictable presidential primary which has an obnoxious and sometimes profane candidate leading the Republican field, and an avowed socialist captivating the imagination of Democrats far, far longer than anyone would have credibly thought.

Welcome to 2016. An election year we may have to dub “the year of chaos.”

It appears that we’re going to have a significant number of primary elections on the Republican side, and in some cases, Democrats are giving the illusion that they may actually field a few candidates, but they’re still few and far between, and some of the candidates they’ve come up with are just awful.

Did I say awful? I meant really awful. When, leading the ticket, you have Paula Hawks the invisible candidate who spends her time campaigning & fundraising on liberal facebook memes and Jay Williams who recently demanded on twitter that we need to “Stop Using Fossil Fuels! Period,” it shows they have a small bench, and the people sitting on it aren’t your friend and neighbor. They’re the guy writing letters to the editor on how “we need to pay more in taxes,” and “isn’t that President Obama doing a nice job?”

I don’t know about you, but that’s nobody I know.

In talking with people, when I refer to “chaos,” there seem to be tidal forces pulling Republicans apart. Moving into the campaign season, for Republicans, it’s hard to campaign on a platform of not raising taxes when you look at what we have done over the past two sessions – raise taxes.

It’s not as if we haven’t had to do so before during the Janklow or Mickelson years. But there seems to be this “mood.” Maybe it’s caused by watching the bad behavior of the presidential candidates. Maybe it’s caused by years of cuts then followed by a couple years of taxes. Or there could be an entirely different cause. But people at the grassroots seem to be “angst-y” for lack of a better term.

And it’s hard for a lot of Republicans to reconcile. I’m not saying we shouldn’t have fixed our highways. We should. I’m not saying we should not do something about being a distant last in teacher pay. We needed to. But doing what we did – governing – and doing what we needed to do to fix two big and chronic issues as we did is causing a lot of rumbling at the state legislative level for the Republicans I’m talking to. There seems to be a bit of unrest.

Raising taxes for teacher salaries is ok for Republicans on the 1-29 corridor, and in other urban centers. But get west of the river… that gets to be a tougher issue.

If it’s going to manifest itself, I think much of this angst is going to come out in the number of Republican primaries. Last election we ended up with 5 GOP Senate Primaries and 12 Republican House Primaries. This year, I’m already counting based on what I know and what I’ve heard coming, and 20 days out from the filing deadline, we’re already at about 7 primaries in the Senate.

For all the rumbling, if Republicans can take heart in anything, it’s that while people might want change, in South Dakota they do it on an educated basis. They’re willing to consider choosing between one Republican over another. Thankfully, there’s no way most would consider voting Democrat.

They might rumble, and have angst. But they aren’t crazy.

The Brookings County States attorney announced his retirement today, opening up a job that he’s held for over 40 years. And you know, things could get a little hectic.

On the Republican side, Dan Nelson, an Elkton native who is currently working in the Beadle County States Atty office, has petitions out, and is looking at coming home to Brookings County where he will be a candidate for the States Attorney Office being vacated by the current States Attorney, Democrat Clyde Calhoon.

In Beadle County, Nelson serves as deputy state’s attorney where he prosecutes most magistrate and circuit court matters.

On the Democrat side of the aisle, Calhoon’s Deputy Abigail Howard is apparently running for the post in her second attempt for elected office. Prior to going to law school (and marriage), Howard was a Democrat candidate for the State House in 2008, under her maiden name of Abigail Howell, running against Larry Tidemann & Carol Pitts where she finished 4th an a field of 4.

Keep an eye on things, as when a race opens up once in 40 years, this could get competitive.

From the Argus Leader, it sounds as if Stephanie Herseth Sandlin’s employer Raven Industries is having a bad couple of days:

Sioux Falls-based Raven Industries Inc. took a 73 drop in net income for its fiscal year, driven by continued market challenges and a big decline in sales in the Aerostar division.

Net income was $8.5 million, or 23 cents per share, compared with $31.7 million, or 86 cents per share in the previous fiscal year.

The fourth quarter, which ended Jan. 31, was particularly challenging with sales declines in all three divisions.

Raven reported net income of $1 million, or 3 cents per share in the fourth quarter, compared with $6.2 million, or 16 cents per share, for the same time in the previous year.

Read that here.   And in trading so far today…

I don’t think that arrow is going in the direction they want it to be.

I see that the SDDP has tapped former Democrat Legislator Quinten Burg to challenge Joshua Klumb for the open Senate Seat being vacated by Mike Vehle due to term limits.

Off and on, Burg spent about 10 years in the legislature between 1999 through 2010 out of Wessington Springs.

Things could get interesting. That is, if voters in 20 can be convinced to pick a Democrat residing somewhere near the edge of their district, as opposed to Davison County.

Coming the day after State Senator Bill Van Gerpen announced that he is not going to be a candidate this next election, I had a call this morning from a candidate confirming a rumor I’d heard some time ago – that yes, this former candidate for US Senate from this past election is going to be a candidate for the South Dakota State Legislature.

No. Not that one.  The other one who didn’t go all ‘Donald Trump’ on his opponents, and placed second in the race, only behind now Senator Mike Rounds.

Former US Senate hopeful, and former South Dakota State Legislator Larry Rhoden yesterday turned in his petitions in to run for the open seat in District 29 being vacated by Speaker of the House Dean Wink who has been termed out of office.

I spoke with Larry this morning, and while he enjoyed his time away, the West River Rancher noted that he missed the opportunity to represent the point of view of the people in the area on the big issues such as raising taxes and education.

In the past, Larry has served as Assistant Majority Leader and held the office of Majority Leader in the House for four years, as well as two stints as Majority Whip in the Senate when he was there from 2009-2014.  With the current Majority Leader in the House termed out office, I would not be surprised if Rhoden becomes a member of the GOP Leadership team, given his past experiences.

His return is also remarkable, as it provides Rhoden a higher profile for future statewide elections down the line, such as serving as a Lt. Gov choice in 2018, or running for an office in his own right, such as a potential Congressional vacancy, or Constitutional office.

More candidates to come. Stay tuned!

Thune, Schumer Reintroduce Bill to Block IRS From Taxing Olympic Medals
Legislation Would Allow Olympic and Paralympic Athletes to Keep What They’ve Earned

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.) and Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) today reintroduced legislation that would exempt Team USA medalists from being taxed by the Internal Revenue Service on medals or other prizes awarded to them during the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

“We should extend a warm welcome and congratulations – not a tax bill – to our Olympic and Paralympic champions when they return to the United States,” said Thune. “These Olympians, who often become role models for younger athletes across the country, dedicate years of their life and own money representing the United States on the world stage. The least we can do in return for these athletes’ commitment and patriotism is to allow them to keep what they’ve earned during the Olympic Games.”

“Our Olympian and Paralympic medalists should be worried about breaking world records, not breaking the bank, when they earn a medal,” said Schumer. “After a successful and hard fought victory, it’s just not right for the United States to welcome these athletes home with a victory tax. I’m hopeful that this bill will earn strong bipartisan support and quickly become law.”

Beginning with the upcoming 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the United States Appreciation for Olympians and Paralympians (USA Olympians and Paralympians) Act would exempt the value of medals won from the athlete’s taxable income, as well as prizes awarded through the United States Olympic Committee (USOC), which pays monetary awards to U.S. medal-winning athletes at the Olympic and Paralympic Games. If enacted, the bill would have a negligible effect on federal revenue and would not affect taxes on any potential endorsement or sponsorship income earned by Olympic athletes.

The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, of which Thune serves as chairman, oversees the USOC and other sports organizations. Thune and Schumer are both members of the Senate Finance Committee, which has jurisdiction over tax and revenue measures.

The USA Olympians and Paralympians Act, which was first introduced in the 113^th Congress, is cosponsored by U.S. Sens. Cory Gardner (R-Colo.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), and Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.).

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Rounds Introduces Veterans Equal Cost for Care Act of 2016

WASHINGTON— U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), a member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, today introduced the Veterans Equal Cost for Care Act of 2016 to improve care for veterans who receive health care under the Choice Act program. This legislation would amend the Choice Act by eliminating the “secondary payer clause” to make certain veterans do not pay more for private care under the Choice Act than they would if they were seen at a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) facility.

“Because we are a large, rural state, South Dakota veterans are disproportionately forced to use the Choice Act program to receive care at a non-VA facility,” said Rounds. “The intent of the Choice Act, which is to provide relief to those facing long appointment wait times and those who live far from VA facilities, is undermined because of higher out-of-pocket costs and reimbursement issues. In fact, problems with the Choice Act is the number one issue my constituent services representatives handle on a day-to-day basis.

“The Veterans Equal Cost for Care Act would make certain veterans do not pay more for private care under the Choice Act program than they would if they were seen at a VA facility. If the VA doesn’t have the capacity to serve the veterans it is intended to serve, it is only right that it picks up the bill for outsourcing its duties. It is a step in the right direction toward addressing the many problems within the VA to make certain our veterans receive the best care possible.”

In response to long wait times at VA facilities, the 113th Congress passed the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act (Choice Act) in 2014. The Choice Act authorizes veterans who live more than 40 miles from a VA facility or are forced to wait more than 30 days for an appointment the opportunity to receive care at non-VA facilities. However, the Choice Act also includes a “secondary payer clause” for veterans who have private health insurance that forces these veterans to pay more out-of-pocket than they would for the same care at a VA facility. Rounds’ legislation repeals the “secondary payer clause.”

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