Author: @SoDakCampaigns

Johnson, Bourdeaux Introduce Bill to Allow Unspent COVID Relief Dollars for Infrastructure

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Reps. Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) and Carolyn Bourdeaux (D-GA-07) introduced the State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial Fiscal Recovery, Infrastructure, and Disaster Relief Flexibility Act, to make various infrastructure investments eligible for payment with unspent COVID-19 relief funds. The legislation recently passed the U.S. Senate unanimously.

Under the American Rescue Plan Act and the original CARES Act relief package, Congress provided some flexibility for how COVID funds could be spent, but most funds were not able to be used for infrastructure projects. This bill gives state and local officials additional flexibility and time to responsibly spend remaining COVID-19 relief dollars. South Dakota has more than $375 million in unused relief funds.

“State governments need flexibility, and this bill is good policy,” said Johnson. “The CARES Act restricted local governments from utilizing relief dollars on certain critical infrastructure projects and the American Rescue Plan prohibits states from returning unused dollars. These are two areas that need to be improved and this bill accomplishes that goal. I’m grateful to Senator Cornyn for his leadership on the Senate companion.”

“As we look towards the end of the pandemic, we must ensure our communities have a strong start on the path to recovery,” said Bourdeaux. “This legislation gives states and local governments the flexibility they need to use federally administered COVID-19 relief funding to meet their unique transportation and infrastructure needs. I urge the House to take up the Senate-passed legislation and give our local governments the flexibility they need to thrive.”

Additionally, the bill permits eligible governments to spend the greater of $10 million or 30% of their total fiscal relief funding for categories like the: National Highway Performance Program, Tribal Transportation Program, Surface Transportation Block Grant Program, and the Highway Safety Improvement Program.

This legislation is cosponsored by Reps. Steve Scalise (R-LA-01), Henry Cuellar (D-TX-28), Rick Allen (R-GA-12), Suzan DelBene (D-WA-01), David Rouzer (R-NC-07), Marilyn Strickland (D-WA-10), Randy K. Weber (R-TX-14), Jared Huffman (D-CA-02), Steven Palazzo (R-MS-04), Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (D-GA-02), Andy Barr (R-KY-06), Joseph Morelle (D-NY-25), Dan Meuser (R-PA-09), Albio Sires (D-NJ-08), Carlos A. Gimenez (R-FL-26), Antonio Delgado (D-NY-19), David B. McKinley, P.E. (R-WV-01), Kim Schrier, M.D. (D-WA-08), Peter Meijer (R-MI-03), Darren Soto (D-FL-09), Jerry Carl (R-AL-01), Chris Pappas (D-NH-01), Rick Crawford (R-AR-01), Betty McCollum (D-MN-04), William Timmons (R-SC-04), Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ-05), Brad Wenstrup (R-OH-02), Derek Kilmer (D-WA-06), Don Young (R-AK), and Tom O’Halleran (D-AZ-01).

You can read the bill here or the one-pagerhere.

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While the Senate members were sending out and publicizing the background information for their map, the House Redistricting Committee had it a bit more hidden, and attached to a .pdf document deep in the LRC website.

I’ve dug it out for your review, since nobody else seems to be doing it, and you have your own chance to read what the House is relying on as the logic behind their “Grouse 2.0” Legislative Redistricting map:

Grouse Support by Pat Powers on Scribd

Could we say that the document is in support of more grousing?

Thune Questions TikTok, Snapchat, and YouTube Representatives, Pushes for Increased Transparency

“One of the major problems with social media that has been increasingly concerning is social media platforms’ use of algorithms to shape and manipulate users’ experience resulting in individuals being trapped in the ‘filter bubble.’” 

 

Click here or on the picture above to watch the video. 

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), ranking member of the Subcommittee on Communications, Media, and Broadband, today questioned representatives from TikTok, Snap Inc., and YouTube during a subcommittee hearing titled, “Protecting Kids Online: Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube.” Thune expressed deep concern about social media platforms’ use of algorithms and their ability to manipulate users’ experience while online.

Thune recently questioned Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen about the dangers of big tech’s use of algorithms. Earlier this year, Thune reintroduced two bipartisan bills, the Platform Accountability and Consumer Transparency (PACT) Act and the Filter Bubble Transparency Act, that would help increase online transparency and accountability.

Replacing Catherine Barranco who stepped down to focus on her husband’s campaign for City Council, the Minnehaha County GOP has selected State Rep. Rhonda Milstead to serve as the new State Committeewoman for Minnehaha County. Congratulations!

From Facebook:

Both the Dusty Johnson and Taffy Howard Congressional campaigns have released photos of their volunteer parade crews from this last weekend’s Hobo Day Parade at South Dakota State University, and you can tell from the snapshots they’re posting that there’s a bit of disparity:

I think Taffy has some ground to make up.

And while Mark Mowry wasn’t at the parade, it does appears that he’s selling his guitar equipment to help fund his campaign plan. Which apparently involves another guitar:

Maybe he’ll be doing a campaign speech with a wah-wah pedal.

Now, that might at least be interesting, because it’s been a borefest to date.

From Facebook:

Hot off the press, Dusty Johnson serving as the Republican Leader of the Subcommittee on Livestock and Foreign Agriculture.  Here, he delivers the opening statement.

Thune: South Dakotans See Right Through Democrats’ Budget Gimmicks  

“It will take 10 years of taxes – and other revenue-raising measures – to pay for programs that could last as little as one year.”

Click here or on the picture above to watch the video.

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today called out Democrats for trying to disguise the price of their reckless tax-and-spending spree through convoluted budget gimmicks that are designed to fool the American people. Thune warned that Democrats’ massive government expansion and proposed tax hikes pose serious, long-term consequences for the economy and South Dakota families.

This was a crazy tweet coming from a Sioux Falls Mayoral candidate:

A couple years ago my youngest son and I were leaving Target on the east side of town. We drove by a young woman with a baby in her arms holding a sign saying “help for food.”

I turned the car around and went back. I got out of my car and asked her what happened. She… pic.twitter.com/Y8pYOfaXQe

— Taneeza For Sioux Falls (@taneezaforsf) October 24, 2021

Sioux Falls Mayoral Candidate Taneeza Islam is critical of the City of Sioux Falls for encouraging people to support programs that help to alleviate the root causes of panhandling, because she wanted to give someone money out of her pocket instead of helping them to a women’s shelter or other welfare agency?

So what is her purpose in wanting to be mayor? Because she thinks Sioux Falls needs more beggars?

I think we all want to help people and prevent homelessness. But as noted by one university study:

Contrary to common belief, panhandlers and homeless people are not necessarily one and the same. Many studies have found that only a small percentage of homeless people panhandle, and only a small percentage of panhandlers are homeless.26, ‡

The City of Sioux Falls has an absolute interest in encouraging people to support social supports and related charities, and to discourage people standing on the corner holding a cardboard sign by WalMart, downtown, or Interstate off-ramps in Sioux Falls.

Because if they don’t, how long until aggressive panhandlers end up being a quality of life negative, as we’ve seen in many larger cities across the nation?  Literally, San Francisco and Portland are as infamous for crime and people pooping in the street as they are for being tourist destinations.  Islam claims in a follow-up tweet that she wants more taxpayer paid supports.. but how has that worked in other major cities? Because they still have the same problems.

Sioux Falls Mayoral Candidate Taneeza Islam encourages panhandling instead of charities?

Unless her platform is that Sioux Falls needs to be more like Portland, she needs to figure out that her vision is not anything like the citizens of Sioux Falls want.

Jim Soyer: The Heart of a Servant
By: U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.)

I lost a good friend last week. Lonnie lost her husband of 37 years and her soulmate. The state of South Dakota lost a legendary public servant.

Jim Soyer always listed truck driver, teacher and newspaperman first on his biography. But, he was also an extremely accomplished, humble public servant – having served as chief of staff and press secretary to the likes of former Governor Bill Janklow and former governor of Wisconsin and U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson. I worked with Jim while I served in the state legislature, he was my legislative director in the governor’s office and, up until the time of his death, he was a member of my U.S. Senate staff.

Jim believed that those private sector jobs held more weight than his public service – because those were jobs “normal people” held – it’s what paid the bills. He would always talk about the “producers” and the “consumers”. Speaking from a taxpayer perspective, he often preached that producers paid the government’s bills (taxes) and consumers spent the money. The infamous “bleeders and spenders” list was a consolidated list that Jim kept and managed every legislative session. To the chagrin of many legislators, lobbyists and special interests – the “bleeders and spenders” list was Jim’s way of tracking all of the taxpayer money that people were trying to spend. Over the years, many of those proposals met their demise – because Jim was looking out for the taxpayer. Jim would say: “normal people” don’t have lobbyists so “they need us.”

While Jim would never volunteer it, the last time I counted, he had either written or had significant input in writing 19 State of the State addresses for governors in two different states. It’s possible Jim wrote more press releases and messages for governors than any other person in the history of our country.

A man, who by all accounts, rose to the highest ranks of state government – believed in the goodness of people and the greatness of our state. He could have been anything and yet he chose to serve others. Jim never wanted the spotlight, yet his impact on our state was as great as any of the political figures he served under. He loved the work and never had an agenda except making our state better.

In 2005, Northern State University recognized Jim as one of their distinguished alumni. Of course, Jim first mentioned his work as an educator before mention came of his public service. You see, Jim Soyer was at the table when Citibank moved to South Dakota, property taxes were cut, wiring the schools in South Dakota took place and when the state started the Internet Crimes Against Children program. But one of the items I appreciated the most was his ability to tell a story. It was that skill that helped to convince the people of South Dakota to invest in an old goldmine and convert it into the world-class Sanford Underground Research Facility at Homestake. He shared the powerful message of opportunity for young people to participate in this technology or they would leave our state. Jim was at the heart of my legislative team while I was working as governor. Any success we had could be largely attributed to Jim.

Jim’s humility was on full display in 2005. Despite his many professional accomplishments – he told the story of how he believed his role was to “gather, organize, analyze and boil down accurate information so his superiors can make the most well informed decision.”

Frankly, Jim has been with me in public service for the last 30 years. With a lump in my throat, I sadly reflect that this is the first column I’ve ever written without his input.

I’ll miss my friend, Jim Soyer.

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