Author: @SoDakCampaigns

Pillow guy cyber symposium has few South Dakotans in attendance *Updated*

@SoDakCampaigns

Right now Dakota News Now’s Beth Warden seems to be winning at the local coverage for Pillow Guy Mike Lindell’s Cyber Symposium, as she’s keeping a blow by blow twitter feed of the event.

But.. I’m not sure you could call it winning. Because winning assumes a prize at the end. When the only prize might be going home. If anything noteworthy comes up, I’ll pass it on. The event started about an hour late because of technical difficulties, noted as ‘hacking’ by event sponsors.

So far representing South Dakota officials, it only appears that State Senators Larry Zikmund & Jim Stalzer are attending.. and I thought I saw Julie Frye-Mueller.  So, there you go.

Otherwise, you can watch it at xyz.frankspeech.com yourself.

Update..  Looks like South Dakota State Rep. Kevin Jensen is also there.    But honestly, I had to turn it off when Mike Lindell started a bizarre version of “mean tweets,” reading off media stories, and yelling at the media in attendance that they were scum.

And another update.. Did I just see State Rep. Tina Mulally walk across the screen?

Thune: Democrats Take First Steps to Raise Taxes and Permanently Expand Government

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Thune: Democrats Take First Steps to Raise Taxes and Permanently Expand Government

“From the way Democrats have been governing, you would think that voters had given them a resounding mandate to permanently expand government and implement the socialist fantasies of the far-left.”

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

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today vowed that Republicans will do everything in their power to defeat the Democrats’ reckless tax-and-spending spree as he spoke on the Senate floor against the Democrats’ budget resolution. Thune warned that the Democrats’ push to raise taxes and permanently expand the federal government will harm the economy and severely increase the rate of inflation.

Legislative candidate calls to defund South Dakota Public Broadcasting. This is not the first time it’s been brought up

@SoDakCampaigns

Former, and likely future State Legislative Candidate Joel Koskan is in the news with a topic that hasn’t been mentioned in a couple of years, but has certainly come up before with a call to defund South Dakota Public Broadcasting:

Joel Koskan of Wood used Twitter to criticize talk-show host Lori Walsh for her Thursday segment with Ibram X. Kendi, author of several books on black history including “How to Be an Anti-Racist.”

Koskan tweeted on Saturday, August 7, “I’m thinking that @MomentSDPB is forgetting who pays her salary. #SDleg needs to defund these radical loving liberals in our media. @govkristinoem@IanTFury@SDPBNews“

Koskan, who’s made several runs for the state Senate in recent years, didn’t give any ground when another SDPB commentator subsequently engaged him on Twitter. Kevin Woster tweeted, “Did you listen to the interview with Kendi? Nothing radical at all. Measured and thoughtful. And he went out of his way to not be critical of the governor, saying if there were were errors in his book, as the governor says there are, he would welcome the chance to correct them.”

Read the entire story here.

That’s throwing down a big gauntlet, as defunding or privatizing South Dakota Public Broadcasting has definitely come up over the past 20-30 years.

Larry Pressler loudly called for it in the US Senate back in 1995, which saw Governor Janklow defending SDPB in the legislature in 1996, after the legislature cut $100,000 of their budget, noting that..

(Argus Leader, Sept 12, 1996) 

Governor Janklow also noted that “In a Democracy, what could be better than a well informed public?”

Defunding Public Broadcasting also came back in 2005 in Congress, so it’s one of those issues that never seems to go away.

Should SDPB fend for themselves, or are they a vital part of communicating in a rural state? What are your thoughts?

Thune Statement on Senate Infrastructure Bill

@SoDakCampaigns

Thune Statement on Senate Infrastructure Bill

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today released the following statement after voting against H.R. 3684, the infrastructure proposal considered by the Senate:

“For months, senators from both sides of the aisle engaged in good-faith negotiations to produce an infrastructure bill for the Senate to consider, and I applaud them for their tireless efforts,” said Thune. “I have said from the very beginning that this bill should be fully paid for, and unfortunately, that is not the case. While I support investments in our nation’s infrastructure, I could not support this final product that will further increase the national debt and financially burden future generations.”

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Reps. Johnson, Garamendi Introduce Ocean Shipping Reform Act

@SoDakCampaigns

Reps. Johnson, Garamendi Introduce Ocean Shipping Reform Act
Bipartisan Bill Overhauls Federal Rules for Global Ocean Shipping Industry to Better Support U.S. Exports 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representatives Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) and John Garamendi (D-CA) introduced the Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2021. This bipartisan legislation is the first major update of federal regulations for the global ocean shipping industry since 1998. The legislation would support American exports by establishing reciprocal trade opportunities to help reduce the United States’ longstanding trade imbalance with China and other countries.

“Foreign ocean carriers aren’t playing fair, and American producers are paying the price,” said Congressman Dusty Johnson (R-SD). “It’s time for updated rules of the road. That’s what our bill does.”

“Foreign businesses’ access to the American market and its consumers is a privilege, not a right. California’s agricultural exporters and other businesses are willing to pay to ensure that American-made products reach key markets in the Asia-Pacific. In turn, companies looking to offload foreign-made products at West Coast ports must provide opportunities for American exports. Even during a global pandemic, trade must be mutually beneficial, and that is exactly what our bipartisan bill ensures,” said Congressman Garamendi (D-CA). “Congress has not updated federal regulations for the global ocean shipping industry since China was granted permanent, normalized trade relations under the World Trade Organization in 2001. Now is the time to ensure reciprocal opportunities for American exporters in trade with other countries to reduce the United States’ trade imbalance with cheap Asian imports.”

On March 9, 2021, Congressmen Johnson and Garamendi joined over 100 Members of Congress in a bipartisan letter to the Federal Maritime Commission urging action on unfair, anti-competitive, and likely illegal business practices by some ocean carriers. Dozens of agricultural exporters contacted the Congressmen’s offices reporting that ocean carriers refused to accept cargo bookings for U.S. exports, instead choosing to send empty canisters back to the Asia-Pacific, as quickly as possible to refill with foreign exports during the pandemic.

The Congressmen serve together on the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and announced their intention to pursue this legislation during a Subcommittee hearing on June 15, 2021.

On July 20, 2021, the Federal Maritime Commission established a new audit program to assess ocean carriers’ compliance with federal regulations on detention and demurrage and to step up the federal agency’s monitoring of the marketplace for ocean cargo services.

The “Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2021” would:

  • Establish reciprocal trade to promote U.S. exports as part of the Federal Maritime Commission’s (FMC) mission.
  • Require ocean carriers to adhere to minimum service standards that meet the public interest, reflecting best practices in the global shipping industry.
  • Require ocean carriers or marine terminal operators to certify that any late fees —known in maritime parlance as “detention and demurrage” charges—comply with federal regulations or face penalties.
  • Shift burden of proof regarding the reasonableness of “detention or demurrage” charges from the invoiced party to the ocean carrier or marine terminal operator.
  • Prohibit ocean carriers from declining opportunities for U.S. exports unreasonably, as determined by the FMC in new required rulemaking.
  • Require ocean common carriers to report to the FMC each calendar quarter on total import/export tonnage and twenty-foot equivalent units (loaded/empty) per vessel that makes port in the United States.
  • Authorizes the FMC to self-initiate investigations of ocean common carrier’s business practices and apply enforcement measures, as appropriate.

Congress last updated the Federal Maritime Commission’s authority to regulate the global ocean shipping industry under the Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 1998 (Public Law 105-258). The People’s Republic of China was granted permanent normal trade relations with the United States, so-called “most-favored nation” status, in December 2001 following the country’s admission to the World Trade Organization.

In late April 2020, the Federal Maritime Commission announced “Fact Finding No. 29” to investigate congestion, bottlenecks, and fees at our ports. In November 2020, the Commission expanded this investigation (Fact Finding No. 29) to include reports of ocean carriers declining to ship American exports.

On July 20, 2021, the FMC launched a new audit program to assess ocean carriers’ compliance with federal regulations on detention and demurrage and increase the agency’s monitoring of the marketplace for ocean cargo services. This action underscores the need for legislation.

The following organizations have endorsed the “Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2021”:

  • National Endorsements: Agriculture Transportation Coalition; National Industrial Transportation League; American Farm Bureau Federation; National Retail Federation; American Trucking Associations (ATA); American Apparel & Footwear Association; Agricultural & Food Transporters Conference, ATA; American Chemistry Council; American Cotton Shippers Association; American Feed Industry Association; American Pulse Association; American Seed Trade Association; Consumer Brands Association; Corn Refiners Association; Cotton Warehouse Association of America; Dairy Farmers of America; Hardwood Federation; Intermodal Motor Carrier Conference, ATA; International Dairy Foods Association; International Housewares Association; International Paper; Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries, Inc.; Leather and Hide Council of America; Meat Import Council of America; National Association of State Departments of Agriculture; National Association of Chemical Distributors; National Chicken Council; National Cotton Council; National Council of Farmer Cooperatives; National Hay Association; National Milk Producers Federation; National Oilseed Processors Association; National Onion Association; National Pork Producers Council; North American Meat Institute; North American Renderers Association; Pet Food Institute; Specialty Soya and Grains Alliance; The Fertilizer Institute; Travel Goods Association; U.S. Dairy Export Council; U.S. Dry Bean Council; U.S. Forage Export Council; U.S. Meat Export Federation; U.S. Pea and Lentil Trade Association; United Fresh Produce Association; USA Dry Pea and Lentil Council; Western Agricultural Processors Association; Wine and Spirits Shippers Association.

The full text of the legislation is available here.

A section-by-section summary of the legislation is available upon request.

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