Author: @SoDakCampaigns

ALEX JENSEN THANKS VOTERS FOR ELECTING HIM TO SERVE

Sioux Falls –  Alex Jensen, declared winner of last Tuesday’s Sioux Falls At-Large City Council election, announced today his sincere appreciation to the voters of Sioux Falls for electing him to serve. With nearly 30,000 votes cast in the city election, participation in this year’s election was double the expected turnout.

“When I started this campaign almost a year ago, I made it a point to meet with as many citizens, businesses and organizations as possible.” Councilor-Elect Alex Jensen said. “My family and I were humbled by the positive response and support we received during this campaign and we couldn’t feel more honored to be entrusted to serve after the final votes were tallied last week.”

Alex Jensen defeated incumbent, At-Large Councilor Theresa Stehly in a close race by a margin of just over 100 votes. The official results mark just the third time a challenger has unseated the incumbent Councilor in almost thirty years and is also one of the closest city elections in decades.

“In addition to expressing my sincere appreciation to the citizens of Sioux Falls for their support, I want to thank Theresa Stehly,” said Councilor-Elect Jensen. “Theresa worked to do what she thought was best for Sioux Falls. Her dedication and passion is something I admire, along with her civility and professionalism throughout the campaign.”

Any results that finish within two percent when the final votes are tallied can be subject to a recount, should the defeated candidate make the request formally. With almost 30,000 votes cast, city officials would need to dedicate significant time and money to any recount efforts.

“We’ve worked hard to get to this point,” Jensen stated. “We’ll do whatever we need to do in order to carry out the will of the Sioux Falls voters and get to the finish line.”

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Rounds, Smith Lead Bipartisan Group of Senators to Introduce Legislation Expanding Mental Health Services in Rural America 

WASHINGTON—U.S. Sens. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and Tina Smith (D-Minn.) today led a bipartisan group of senators to introduce legislation to expand telemental health services in rural areas. The Home-Based Telemental Health Care Act of 2020 would establish a grant program for health providers to expand telemental health services for those specifically in rural populations working in farming, forestry and fishing industries. Additional cosponsors include U.S. Sens. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Susan Collins (R-Maine) Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) and Michael Bennet (D-Colo.).

“Those living in rural areas may live far away from a mental health facility, making in-person visits difficult for those seeking care,” said Rounds. “Utilizing telemental health capabilities will allow South Dakotans in rural areas to receive quality care from the comfort of their homes. Not only does this save time and resources, it provides an important mental health service during a difficult period for our farmers and ranchers, who for years have suffered economically due to low commodity prices, trade disputes and price disparities.”

“Now—especially as our nation continues dealing with a pandemic—we need to help rural America overcome the unique obstacles that small towns and rural communities face in providing mental health,” said Smith. “Our bipartisan bill will help health providers in rural areas expand tele-mental health care services for farmers, ranchers and foresters, and many others in local communities who are experiencing stress and burnout caused by the pandemic, difficult weather, low commodity prices and more. It’s important that they get the services they need during this uncertain time.”

This legislation would direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Office for the Advancement of Telehealth of the Health Resources and Services Administration, in coordination with the Rural Health Liaison of the Department of Agriculture, to award grants to entities to establish demonstration projects for the provision of tele-mental health services for rural populations, specifically those working in the farming, fishing and forestry occupations. It would authorize up to $10 million for each fiscal year through 2025, using current funds.

The Home-Based Telemental Health Care Act of 2020 is supported by the American Farm Bureau Federation.

“The recent pandemic, challenging weather, destructive pests, trade disputes, labor shortages and market volatility over the past few years have brought an unprecedented level of pressure on America’s farmers. A 2019 Farm Bureau survey shows that an overwhelming majority of farmers and farmworkers say financial issues, farm or business problems and fear of losing their farm negatively impact their mental health. Farm Bureau supports the Home-Based Telemental Health Care Act and thanks Senators Mike Rounds and Tina Smith for their leadership in addressing the topic of mental health in rural communities,” said RJ Karney, Director Congressional Relations, American Farm Bureau Federation.

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Thune, Baldwin Introduce Bill to Improve Paycheck Protection Program for Agricultural Producers  

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.) and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) today introduced legislation that would revise the way producers calculate their Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan award. PPP was created by Congress in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to help small businesses retain their employees and cover other qualifying business expenses, and it provides forgivable loans to small businesses under 500 employees, totaling 2.5 times their average monthly payroll. Independent contractors, sole proprietors, and the self-employed are eligible for a loan through this program.

“South Dakota’s agricultural producers are the heartbeat of our state’s economy, and they are feeling the negative economic effects of COVID-19,” said Thune. “We need to ensure that our agriculture community can weather this pandemic. By making this fix to PPP, more of our country’s producers will be able to keep their farms and ranches operational, make ends meet, and continue to feed the world.”

“I’ve heard from family farmers who are fighting every day to make it through this crisis,” said Baldwin. “They are falling through the cracks in the Paycheck Protection Program, and that’s not right. Now more than ever, we must get federal support to the Wisconsin family farmers who need it. I’m working with Senator Thune to quickly take action and make sure farmers have better access to the PPP, because doing right by our farmers and their communities isn’t a partisan fight—it’s just common sense.”

“The Paycheck Protection for Producers Act will provide welcome relief for farmers rendered ineligible for PPP under the CARES Act as a result of financial losses caused by 2019 weather conditions,” said Jeff Thompson, president of the South Dakota Soybean Association. “Special thanks to Senator Thune for addressing this concern.”

“It’s important that the rules for critical programs like the Paycheck Protection Program reflect that farms are often structured differently from businesses in other sectors,” said Nic Schoenberger, Wisconsin dairy farmer. “I would like to thank Senators Baldwin and Thune for working to ensure that PPP rules can work for dairy farms like the one I run with my family in Wisconsin as well as the thousands of other farms across the country.”

On April 24, 2020, the Small Business Administration (SBA) and U.S. Department of the Treasury issued guidance for how producers filing a Schedule F must calculate their PPP loan award. It requires anyone without employees filing a Schedule F to use the following calculation:

• Use the net income amount from 2019, up to $100,000.
• Divide the net income by 12 and multiply by 2.5.
• Add the outstanding amount of any Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) made between January 31, 2020, and April 3, 2020, that the borrower seeks to refinance, minus the EIDL advance, which is a grant.

Under this guidance, producers filing a Schedule F and showing a negative net income are ineligible to obtain a PPP loan award. To help ensure that more producers can obtain a PPP loan, this legislation would allow producers filing a Schedule F to use their 2019 gross income (up to $100,000) when calculating their PPP loan rather than net income since many producers showed a net loss on their 2019 Schedule F due to the wet planting season and low commodity prices.

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State Senator John Wiik is likely to sail to re-election.. and after reading this, I get the feeling his fall opponent is the motor oil in the engine that’s going to propel Wiik to the win:

When your Libertarian opponent is posting on facebook that doing meth and prostitution should be decriminalized as ‘victimless crimes’ because the people participating in them are willing.. I just don’t think that’s an easy sell among the church going folks in District 4.

Wiik’s campaign expenditures this fall might consist of sending his Libertarian opponent a thank you card.

Former Gubernatorial Candidate and Constitutional Party crackpot Lora Hubbel was chirping about something nutty on facebook yesterday, and I had a thought…

Lora spends a lot of time posting crackpot theories about Bill Gates mythically wanting to track people by injecting them with tracking devices.  Of course, Lora spends all her time complaining about the Bill Gates tracking us conspiracy on Facebook, where they actually do track what you’re doing.

Just sayin..

Governor Kristi Noem’s leadership during recent national turmoil was recently recognized by National Review in an article as being based in science and fact rather than being driven by media hysteria:

Among the governors whose reputation has clearly been enhanced is South Dakota’s Kristi Noem. The 48-year-old Republican, who still ranches her family’s land, didn’t issue a shelter-in-place lockdown order for her state. “The people themselves are primarily responsible for their safety,” she said in a public statement in April. She added that the state and national constitutions “prevent us from taking draconian measures much like the Chinese government has done.”

But that didn’t mean South Dakota didn’t take clear steps to control the virus. Noem issued an executive order in March urging the elderly and those with preexisting conditions to stay home and encouraging employees to practice social distancing and to telework if possible.

and…

Most recently, Noem has acted to reduce tensions over the killing of George Floyd and the resulting protests. The local protests in South Dakota have been peaceful, and the governor says they were “legitimate and raised important concerns.” But in other places people were perpetrating violence in an effort “to shortcut public debates through fear,” she warned. “They want people scared.” She made clear that such behavior wouldn’t be tolerated in South Dakota.

Noem’s steady approach is attracting more national attention. Of course, her critics are still there. Stu Whitney, the media columnist of the Sioux Falls Argus-Leader, dismisses her policy on the virus as “mired in many of the strategies of President Trump” but concedes it has also made her “a darling of right-wing media icons.”

Read the entire story here.

It might not seem like it to the media during their fits of mania, but Governor Noem’s leadership style is pretty even keeled. She’s not easily swayed, and that’s a good thing, as she has been rock-stead during these turbulent times,

A nice and well deserved profile of Governor Noem.

Gov. Noem Outlines Lessons Learned from COVID-19 

PIERRE, S.D. – Today, Governor Kristi Noem outlined some of the lessons that South Dakota has learned from our fight against COVID-19. Key quotes from Gov. Noem’s remarks include:

“Perhaps the most significant takeaway so far is that more freedom, not more government, is the answer… Freedom is a better friend of true science than government-centered and government-controlled science. Freedom, not government, is the best friend of innovation. Freedom focuses our politics on persuasion and the intellectual strength of our positions, not on control, coercion or the heavy hand of government. And if someone is interested in the common good in all its iterations and complexities, freedom is the one and only choice.”

“My approach to this virus was to provide South Dakotans with all the information I could and then trust them to exercise their freedom to make the best decision for themselves and their families. We took a unique path – we haven’t locked people up, forced businesses or churches to close, or ordered a statewide shelter in place.”

“The mainstream media attack those who push for freedom and for people to be able to make the best decisions for their families.  But politicians who take away people’s freedoms and enforce lockdowns are praised – and shielded from real scrutiny.”

“Some think COVID-19 will accelerate the move of people out of cities. That story is still being written, but one of the few things we know about this virus is that density is one of the key factors contributing to its spread. Because of that, New York and Silicon Valley may look very different in the future.”

“Not all Governors trusted their people, but I did. Different paths mean people have different choices, and South Dakota chose common sense solutions.  If you want freedom, personal responsibility, and a government that works for you rather than dictates to you, South Dakota is the place to get it.”

“Our new normal may be very different from the past, but don’t ever forget this one fundamental truth – the windshield is so much bigger than the rearview mirror for a reason. In South Dakota, we always confront adversity and emerge into even greater prosperity. The future – our future – is bright. Hope is in front of us. We will come out stronger than ever before. And to those concerned about what the future might hold for you if you stay where you are right now, come to South Dakota – the air is fresh, the people are free, and the possibilities are endless.”

You can see the full video of Governor Noem’s remarks here and download them here.

We Hear You, and We Are Listening
By Sen. John Thune 

On May 25, 2020, George Floyd died at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer. This senseless death left Americans reeling, most of all because there have been too many George Floyds. And Breonna Taylors. And Ahmaud Arberys. As a nation, we need to work to ensure that what happened that day in Minneapolis never happens again, and that the perpetrators of crimes like this one are held accountable and brought to justice. We also need to acknowledge how deeply many of our fellow citizens are suffering in the wake of George Floyd’s senseless death.

A lot of our fellow Americans are afraid right now, shaken by another death and worried that that could easily have been their son, or husband, or brother. Too many Americans feel unsafe in their own communities. We need to listen to them with humility.To listen to those whose experience of America has often been very different from many of ours.

In the wake of George Floyd’s death, Americans took to the streets in cities across the country to express their outrage. They joined a powerful tradition, and exercised a cherished right. Peaceful protest is an American institution, and, as the Civil Rights movement demonstrated, a powerful agent for change. And these protests aren’t relegated to big cities. We’re seeing them in towns across South Dakota and in many other places in the United States.

Unfortunately, though, there has also been counterproductive and unnecessary violence. Arson, looting, and destruction of property have happened in cities around the country, and communities have suffered damage that will be felt for years.Community spaces and community buildings have been damaged. Local businesses have seen their shops defaced and their aisles ransacked, and innocent bystanders have been injured. This is not a solution to the problems highlighted by George Floyd’s death, and this violence needs to end. Putting other lives in danger cannot be an acceptable response to an unjust death.

Around our country, our law enforcement officers have been called out to respond to these riots. It was a police officer who caused George Floyd’s death, and around our country, other police officers are sickened by that officer’s actions and the tragic result. Most of our nation’s police are like Houston’s police chief, who went out and marched in solidarity with protesters. Or like Norfolk, Virginia’s police chief, who did the same. Or like the police officers in Camden, New Jersey, who joined locals to march, led by their police chief.

There are certainly exceptions – sadly, too many exceptions – but the vast majority of our nation’s police officers are men and women of character who care deeply about protecting everyone in their communities and who strive to do their jobs with justice and integrity.

The promise of the Declaration – that all men are created equal – was denied to many. Even in our own day, with both slavery and segregation now mercifully in our past, the effects of these great national sins still make themselves felt. We must rededicate ourselves to ensuring that the promise of liberty and justice for all is realized for every American. It will take work, but I have faith in our country and in my fellow Americans, and I believe that we can get there.

My prayers today are with George Floyd’s family and with all those who are suffering because of his unjust death. “And what does the Lord require of you?” the book of Micah asks. “To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”May we all seek justice and mercy and walk humbly in the days that are ahead.

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Standing Together
By U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.)

Like many Americans, I am saddened and angered by the death of George Floyd. Watching the video displaying such reckless, unwarranted brutality at the hands of law enforcement made me sick to my stomach. Those responsible for his death should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. As a nation, we stand together in opposition to the violent killing of George Floyd.

When crimes like this occur, it is important that we continue to speak out against them. Over the past few weeks, countless individuals have made their voices heard. However, we must remember that violence and rioting are not the answer. The right to peacefully protest is an unassailable right enshrined in the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. However, violence and looting – which in many cases harms local businesses and communities – is an unacceptable exploitation of the situation that undermines the intent of the legitimate and important message of the peaceful protestors. Many of the businesses that have been vandalized and stolen from are small businesses that have already been hurting for the past few months because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The rioting which has occurred in many of our country’s communities does not represent the heart of the people that call these communities home. In many cases, the violence is being perpetrated by radical outsiders trying to further divide us. We cannot let this happen. As a country, we can do better. Violence is not the answer.

We do have an important, peaceful tool available to us, which has worked in our country for nearly 250 years: our right to vote in free and fair elections. South Dakotans recently exercised this right during the June 2 primary election, and we will take to the polls again to vote in our state, local and federal elections on November 3. Voting is the most powerful, effective tool in making a difference and enacting change. I thank all those who partake in this important tradition to make sure your voices are heard, as our election system is only as good as those who participate in it.

Former President Bill Clinton, in his first inaugural address, reminded us that “there is nothing wrong with America that cannot be cured with what is right in America.” I couldn’t agree more. Despite our challenges, we remain the greatest, strongest, freest country in the world. In the immediate future, our country will continue to be pained by the recent events. We certainly have work ahead of us as we seek ways to heal and make forward progress. This starts by recognizing the criminal act causing the loss of George Floyd’s life, standing together to seek justice, and ending the violence and rioting that undermines the message.

We will continue pray for George, for his family, for our country and for a permanent healing and understanding of all Americans, regardless of race. And we will renew our resolve to make our country better for future generations.

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We Have Work To Do
By Rep. Dusty Johnson

George Floyd’s murder was unacceptable. Racism is unacceptable. Violence is unacceptable. Trampling on the rights of journalists, protestors, property owners and others is unacceptable. Using language that divides, rather than unites, is unacceptable. Ignoring the problem is unacceptable.

Much of our attention in recent days has understandably been focused on George Floyd’s death and the violence that followed. It’s easy to understand why. The images are jarring and have deeply troubled the hearts of all decent people.

Real progress toward equal justice won’t come from focusing only on horrific and headline-grabbing acts of violence, though. There is a real hurt and anger that long pre-dates George Floyd’s death.

Every day in every state, there are thousands of acts of injustice, large and small, impacting people of color and beyond. Recognizing them, processing them and eliminating them will take tremendous work. There is a role for all of us, myself included, in that labor. Progress will take years – it will be uncomfortable and there will be setbacks. But we need to act.

People tend to look toward government action when discussing the need for progress. Clearly there is a role for state, federal and local governments in building a more just society. There is an even more important role for each of us to individually examine how we can grow in this area and to intentionally modify our behavior to become better leaders.

For example, I don’t have hate in my heart. That doesn’t let me off the hook, because hate isn’t the only thing that fosters discrimination or injustice. I sometimes suffer from lazy assumptions, overly optimistic views, and a swiftness to discount ideas that make me uncomfortable or do not directly impact me. I have a trusted team from a diverse set of ethnicities, genders, and backgrounds, but we don’t have the difficult conversations nor let these conversations guide intentional action as often as we should. Clearly, I’ve got work to do.

In recent years, I’ve tried to take steps in the right direction, though it’s not been enough. I’ve listened to victims of discrimination to better understand what they’ve faced. I’ve established the Ben Reifel Internship, an opportunity for a student committed to tribal and Native American issues to serve in our congressional office. I serve on the House Civil Rights and Human Services subcommittee, and have been a leader on numerous bills affecting people of color, including serving as floor manager of the bill that provided much-needed resources to tribal and historically Black colleges and universities.

There are other steps our government must take. We need to increase the number of people of color in law enforcement and other government positions. We need to make sure the ways we hold offenders accountable within our criminal justice system are fair and proven to keep our communities safe. We must examine our government services to identify structural barriers and disparities in how they serve different communities and be brave enough to change these services if they do not hold up.

As I said, I have more to do. It’s not easy to hear, but to be honest, we all do.