Author: @SoDakCampaigns

It’s been a few months, so it’s time to update our election infographic on who we can expect is running for what in the 2022 Republican Primary. While it has largely stayed the same, there are a couple of notable updates, including a possible opponent emerging for Congressman Dusty Johnson, and US Senator John Thune’s opposition firming up. If they can get on the ballot, that is.

And with that, it’s time for the Tale of the GOP Tape Summer 2021 edition!

Any updates or new information? Drop me a note!

This week, Sanford Health announced that they are requiring their employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19 by November 1, in an effort to make sure that their own employees aren’t exposing already sick people to the virus which has already proven deadly in many cases, and seems to be mutating into some stronger versions (i.e. the Delta Variant). According to the Argus Leader:

According to a press release by the healthcare company, more than 90% of clinicians and 70% of nurses are already fully vaccinated. The new requirement also includes employees at all of Sanford’s Good Samaritan Society locations.

“This is the right thing to do for our patients and residents, people and communities,” said Bill Gassen, president and CEO of Sanford Health. “As more contagious COVID-19 variants continue to spread and threaten our communities, we must do everything we can to protect each other and our loved ones.”

Read the entire story here.

Of course, not every one is going to agree, which is entirely their right.

And since Sanford is a private organization, and we’re a free country, those that disagree have the right to go work elsewhere.

But for those that disagree, long-time anti-vaxxer and gubernatorial candidate Lora Hubbel stands ready to assist them in countermanding this action by telling them to go back at their employers with a stack of complete gobbledygook, encouraging them to make “a citizens arrest”:

She gave this to the Sioux Falls PD? How long do you think it took them to roll their eyes, and put it in the circular file?

If you look at the actual laws she’s citing, it makes even less sense than this crazy-person packet already did, as 34-22-6 says you can’t hold someone down and use physical force to vaccinate them against their will, and 34-22-45 is a law that offers first responders vaccines on a voluntary basis if they’re deployed to areas of bioterrorism attacks.  Neither of which apply to a health care employer saying that their employees need to be vaccinated so they don’t infect and possibly kill the sick and elderly who walk through the door.

So, waving this pile of nonsense will likely have no effect to those who choose to wave it at their employer.

Except maybe to hasten the amount of time until the HR Person asks for security to escort them from their office.

A Spending Spree at South Dakotans’ Expense
By Sen. John Thune

If you’ve noticed the cost of everyday items going up lately, you aren’t imagining it. Inflation, which describes consumers’ purchasing power and the price of goods, grew in June to its highest level in 13 years. As a result, American families are – literally – paying the price. In South Dakota and across the country, families are seeing increases in rent, grocery bills, and gas prices – the list goes on. Unfortunately, this is a direct result of many of the policies coming out of Washington, D.C.

Most students learn the concept of supply and demand early in their education. Perhaps even on the kindergarten playground if the number of kids ever exceeded the number of toys. When demand is high and supply can’t keep up, it causes tension. This is a natural occurrence on any playground, or in any economy. However, the inflation we’re seeing today isn’t a reaction to the natural pendulum of supply and demand.

In the last six months, the economy has been flooded with trillions of federal government dollars. This money is driving demand to a significantly high level – throwing off the balance of our economy and driving prices up for Americans.

So, how did we get here? Senate Democrats’ first order of business after gaining the majority was using the coronavirus pandemic as an excuse to pass a massive “relief” bill that was filled with unnecessary government handouts. Republicans, and many respected economists, warned that this massive spending plan could overstimulate the economy, but Democrats plowed ahead anyway. Flash forward to today, and it’s no surprise that their flood of unnecessary federal spending is causing problems in the economy.

With inflation on the rise, Democrats are now preparing to double down on that strategy. Despite passing a largely unnecessary nearly $2 trillion bill just four months ago, Democrats now want to spend another $3.5 trillion in reckless spending. One estimate suggests that the Democrats’ new proposal is likely to be closer to $5 trillion or $5.5 trillion. That’s an inconceivably large amount of money. To put that number in perspective, the entire federal budget for 2019 was less than $4.5 trillion. Consider that for a moment. Some members of Congress are just casually tossing out a new spending bill that might very well exceed the ENTIRE federal budget for all of 2019.

South Dakotans are smart, commonsense people. They know that dollars and cents don’t grow on trees and that the grocery store clerk won’t take monopoly money to pay for this week’s food. They know what it means to live within a budget and the consequences of living irresponsibly outside of one. Unfortunately, it seems that many of my colleagues in Washington either don’t know these fundamental truths or they’re simply unwilling to accept them. I’m open to working with Republicans and Democrats to find solutions to today’s problems, but by unnecessarily adding trillions of dollars to our national debt, we’re only creating new challenges for future generations.

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Great Places
By: Governor Kristi Noem
July 23, 2021

In the past when Americans were planning their vacations, their top destinations were always beaches and big cities. For the first time in decades, that’s changing. Now, the American people want to visit the great outdoors. They want to see beautiful parks and small towns that remind them how life used to be. Well, South Dakota has that in spades.

It’s no wonder that South Dakota is No. 1 in America in year-over-year tourism. Our state record for visitations was set in 2019, and we’re on pace to blow that number out of the water. People are looking for freedom and fresh air. And word has gotten around that South Dakota is the place to get it.

Given that tourism is our state’s 2nd largest industry, this is tremendous news for our economy. Visitor spending so far this year is 9% higher than 2019, our record-setting year. And that visitor spending leads to higher tax revenues for our state, helping drive our record surplus announced earlier this month.

What’s really remarkable is how many folks are taking road trips to South Dakota. In fact, even though airport arrivals are down 24% compared to 2019, we’re still on pace to shatter visitation records, meaning that more folks are driving here than ever before. We love to see license plates from all across the country decorating our roads!

As South Dakotans, it can be easy to forget that these beautiful national treasures are right in our own backyard. Don’t forget to take some time and enjoy them with your family. We have beautiful summers here, but the summer is already halfway gone. So take in the fresh air. Catch a baseball game. Visit a state park. Celebrate the great places that make South Dakota special. If you can’t go on a full family vacation, visit some of the natural beauty that’s not too far from home – we have it in every corner of our state. Summer is a fantastic time to make memories together.

I’m sure that many of you have friends and family visiting our state, maybe for the first time. Show them around. Share our state’s breathtaking landscapes with them. Make a day trip to Mount Rushmore. These folks are coming to South Dakota to make memories. I’m glad that they have such wonderful South Dakotans to share those memories with.

Above all, remember to be happy. We woke up this morning in the United States of America. Better yet, we woke up in South Dakota, the freest state in the Land of the Free. As record-breaking visitors continue to roll into our state, remember to greet them with smiling faces. After all, “great faces” isn’t just about Mount Rushmore; it’s about the fantastic people that make our state so special.

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This one came out of the blue today, as long, longtime leader of the SD Corn Council Lisa Richardson is gone from the corn council in what appears to be an organizational shake-up:

Lisa Richardson, the longtime executive director of South Dakota Corn and one of the most recognizable names in the state’s agriculture industry, is no longer with the organization.

A press release issued by the organization Friday afternoon said that Richardson had resigned. She had been in the position since 1997.

and..

On the South Dakota Corn website, Richardson and Teddi Mueller, the organization’s legislative director, are no longer listed on the staff page. According to the group’s most recent tax filing, Richardson made $230,805 in base compensation as well as $52,990 in other compensation. Mueller earned $212,336 in base compensation and $48,421 in other compensation.

Read the entire story here.

This evening brings terrible news of former GOP House Majority Leader David Lust passing away of a heart ailment at the age of 53.

Lust served two different terms, from 2007-2014, and from 2016-2018. He was Republican House Majority Whip 2009-2010 and later as Majority Leader from 2011-2014. Lust also had the distinction of being doubly appointed in connection with the passing of Dan Dryden, as he was appointed September 27, 2016, to fill the vacancy of one term, and then appointed on November 18, 2016 to fill the Dryden vacancy after the election.

Lust has been a partner with Gunderson, Palmer, Nelson & Ashmore law firm.

Please keep his family in your prayers, and I will make note of more information as it becomes available.

Remember the big John Thune/Tom Cotton fundraising lunch event held a few weeks back?

I’ll let you in on some inside baseball. Because of Senator’s schedules, sometimes events like that come together fast, and with only a little notice. And the Thune/Cotton event held earlier in July was no exception.

With a lightning fast turnaround, I believe they had about 2 to 2 1/2 weeks lead time, and they had a crowd of 200-300 for a mid-week lunch, with people scrambling to participate in the round table held earlier and driving in from across the state to be there.

Why do I bring it up? Because there was another event that was just held tonight. And that’s an event we’re not hearing anything about.

I’m talking about tonight’s rally that the group of goofy facebook anti-John Thune people had been working on and promoting for over a month. They had Bruce Whalen in his first US Senate Campaign appearance. Also speaking at the event was State Rep Taffy Howard, who seems to be dipping her toe in the water to maybe run for Congress. And it was headlined by self-styled conservative social media person Scott Preseler.

The only photos filtering out of the event I have been able to find so far appears to show maybe 10 to 15 people – in addition to the speakers – under the farmers market picnic shelter.

For an event they had months to prep for, it seems to have been a complete flop.

When Julie Korth, leader of the “Primary John Thune Facebook Group” spent weeks calling for her fellow facebook warriors, q-anon followers, and meme consumers to show up in Sioux Falls at the farmer’s market picnic shelter for a free event with their announced US Senate candidate and an out of state speaker they recruited in a show of force for their political movement.. this is what they ended up with:

Er.. yeah.

They might have been able to muster a larger crowd to watch if they had set a tire on fire in the parking lot.

If they were hoping for an event to demonstrate how strong they claim their movement is.. I guess they showed us all.

Rounds, Colleagues Reintroduce Bipartisan Legislation Expanding Market for Biofuels Year-Round

WASHINGTON –U.S. Senators Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) and a bipartisan group of 10 other senators reintroduced the Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act. The bill would extend the Reid vapor pressure (RVP) volatility waiver to ethanol blends above 10 percent. It would increase market access and continue to allow retailers across the country to sell E15 and other higher-ethanol fuel blends year-round, eliminating confusion at the pump. Higher blends of ethanol burn cleaner, providing a way for more Americans to be part of the climate solution.

“Consumers deserve lower-cost, lower-carbon choices at the pump,” said Rounds. “The D.C. Circuit Court’s ruling ending year-round sales of E15 hurts consumers, corn farmers and ethanol producers. Our bill will strengthen rural economies by allowing these low-carbon fuels to be sold year round.”

“The recent D.C. Circuit Court ruling was a major blow to farmers and ethanol producers, and further highlighted the need to provide them with certainty,” said Fischer. “My legislation will ensure consumers continue to have access to higher ethanol blends at the pump and that E15 can be sold year-round. It will create significant economic opportunities for the hardworking men and women in rural America who are providing the country with a low-carbon solution.”

More information:

In addition to Rounds and Fischer, this bill was also introduced by Senators Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), John Thune (R-S.D.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Jerry Moran (R-Kansas), Roger Marshall (R-Kansas), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Richard Durbin (D-Ill.) and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.).

In 2019, President Trump took action allowing E15 to be sold year-round. The recent U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit decision vacated that action.

South Dakota ranked fourth in the nation in ethanol production capacity in 2020. The state has 16 operating ethanol plants.

Full text of the legislation is available here.

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Thune, Daines, McConnell, Crapo Lead Entire Senate Republican Caucus in Urging Biden Administration to Drop Step-Up In Basis Tax-Hike Proposal  

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), and Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), members of the tax-writing Senate Finance Committee, and Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) today led the entire Senate Republican caucus in urging President Biden to abandon his effort to impose a capital gains tax increase on family-owned businesses, farms, and ranches. Repealing this part of the tax code would have a devastating effect on multi-generation operations, which could lead to job losses, liquidation, or outright closure.

“These [proposed] changes are a significant tax increase that would hit family-owned businesses, farms, and ranches hard, particularly in rural communities,” the senators wrote. “These businesses consist largely of illiquid assets that will in many cases need to be sold or leveraged in order to pay the new tax burden. Making these changes could force business operators to sell property, lay off employees, or close their doors just to cover these new tax obligations. The complexity and administrative difficulty of tracking basis over multiple generations and of valuing assets that are not up for sale will lead to colossal implementation problems and could also lead to huge tax bills that do not accurately reflect any gains that might have accumulated over time. As you will recall, a proposal to reach a similar outcome by requiring an heir to ‘carry-over’ the decedent’s tax basis was tried before in 1976—and failed so spectacularly it never came into effect. It was postponed in 1978 and repealed in 1980.”

“Passing on the family farm to the next generation is a top priority for many farmers and ranchers,” said Zippy Duvall, president of the American Farm Bureau Federation. “Eliminating stepped-up basis and increasing capital gains taxes will make it much more difficult, or even impossible, for parents to pass on their farm or ranch to their children. This is a critical tool for America’s farmers and ranchers, and we urge all members of Congress to oppose efforts to eliminate it.”

“At a time when small businesses are working to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, repealing stepped-up basis would be a devastating setback for family-owned businesses,” said Courtney Titus Brooks, senior manager of federal government relations at National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB). “The current proposal to eliminate stepped-up basis would cause significant job losses and would leave heavy tax burdens on future generations. Small businesses thank Senators Thune, Daines, and Crapo for advocating on behalf of family-owned businesses and urge Congress to keep this important policy in place.”

“We appreciate the efforts of Senators Thune, Daines, and Crapo to inform President Biden on the catastrophic impacts that the repeal of stepped-up basis would have on all family-owned businesses and are grateful to see so many in Congress are fighting to preserve the common-sense tax provisions so critical for U.S. cattle producers,” said Danielle Beck, senior executive director of government affairs of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. “The Biden Administration has made clear that bolstering the American economy is a top priority and recognized agricultural supply chain resiliency as a core component of that effort. Family-owned agricultural operations are the economic drivers of rural communities across the United States; therefore, it is imperative that this Administration understand that resiliency can only be achieved and maintained when new generations – whether their family has had a long history in agriculture, or they are breaking into the industry – can build upon the contributions of today’s farmers and ranchers.”

“Stepped-up basis has helped family-owned businesses and farms stay in the family for generations,” said the Family Business Estate Tax Coalition (FBETC) Steering Committee. “President Biden’s proposal to repeal this longstanding tax provision would saddle future generations with unsustainable tax burdens and make it that much harder to continue operating family-owned businesses and farms across the country. In addition to subjecting family-owned businesses and farms to a significant tax increase, repealing stepped-up basis also would lead to an estimated 800,000 job losses over the next decade. The FBETC appreciates Senators Thune, Daines, and Crapo for standing up for family-owned businesses and farms and we are hopeful that Congress will protect U.S. workers by preserving stepped-up basis.”

“If step-up in basis is eliminated it will be an economic disaster for family businesses, their employees, the local communities, and the national economy,” said Pat Soldano, president and CEO of the Policy and Taxation Group. “Family businesses create 59% of the workforce, 83.3 million jobs, and 54% of the GDP, $7.7 trillion. Elimination of step up and an increase in capital gains could result in an 81% tax on the business owner when he dies.”

Additional groups that support the senators’ effort include the Associated General Contractors of America, National Association of Manufacturers, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Joining Thune, Daines, McConnell, and Crapo in signing the letter were U.S. Sens. John Boozman (R-Ark), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Richard Burr (R-N.C.), Rob Portman (R-Ohio.), Pat Toomey (R-Pa.), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Todd Young (R-Ind.), Ben Sasse (R-Neb.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Mike Braun (R-Ind.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), John Kennedy (R-La.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Rand Paul (R-Ky.), James Risch (R-Idaho), Mitt Romney (R-Utah), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Richard Shelby (R-Ala.), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.).

Full text of the letter below:

The Honorable Joseph Biden
President of the United States
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, D.C. 20510

Dear President Biden,

We appreciate your efforts to address America’s infrastructure challenges, but the cost of these investments should not be borne by family-owned businesses, farms, and ranches across the country. We are concerned that your American Families Plan proposes to make drastic changes to the taxation of capital income, including a longstanding tax provision that prevents family-owned businesses, farms, and ranches from being hit with a crippling tax bill when a family member passes away.

Under current law, passing down a family business to the next generation does not impose a capital gains tax burden on the business or its new owners. Rather, the decedent’s tax basis in the business is “stepped-up” to fair market value, preventing a large capital gains tax bill on the growth in the business’s value. If the functional benefit of the step-up in basis were eliminated and transfers subject to the estate tax also become subject to income tax, as you have proposed, many businesses would be forced to pay tax on appreciated gains, including simple inflation, from prior generations of family owners—despite not receiving a penny of actual gain. These taxes would be added to any existing estate tax liability, creating a new backdoor death tax on Americans.

These changes are a significant tax increase that would hit family-owned businesses, farms, and ranches hard, particularly in rural communities. These businesses consist largely of illiquid assets that will in many cases need to be sold or leveraged in order to pay the new tax burden. Making these changes could force business operators to sell property, lay off employees, or close their doors just to cover these new tax obligations. The complexity and administrative difficulty of tracking basis over multiple generations and of valuing assets that are not up for sale will lead to colossal implementation problems and could also lead to huge tax bills that do not accurately reflect any gains that might have accumulated over time. As you will recall, a proposal to reach a similar outcome by requiring an heir to “carry-over” the decedent’s tax basis was tried before in 1976—and failed so spectacularly it never came into effect. It was postponed in 1978 and repealed in 1980.

Further, the proposed “protections” simply delay the tax liability—rather than provide any real tax relief—for those continuing to operate the business, farm, or ranch. In fact, these protections create new “lock-in” effects that could make any eventual changeover in operation or transfer of the business financially untenable. Imposing a tax increase on hardworking Americans would harm the economic recovery from COVID-19 and endanger American jobs. A recent study by E&Y found that eliminating the benefit of a step-up in basis would cost the U.S. economy 80,000 jobs each year over the next decade—and an additional 100,000 jobs per year in the long run. Additionally, for every $100 in revenue raised by this tax increase, $32 would come directly from the pockets of American workers. A study by the Texas A&M Agricultural and Food Policy Center reached equally unsettling conclusions, determining that 98 percent of the representative farms in its 30-state database would be impacted by a proposal to eliminate the benefit of the step-up in basis, with average additional tax liabilities totaling $726,104 per farm.

We respectfully urge you to reconsider your proposal to repeal this important part of the tax code. Preserving step-up in basis would save American jobs and ensure that small businesses, farms, and ranches across the country can stay in their families for generations to come.

Sincerely,

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