Author: @SoDakCampaigns

Thune Secures Several Key Agriculture Subcommittee Assignments

“With the next farm bill right around the corner, I am ready to get to work.”

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), a longtime member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, was recently chosen to serve on several key agriculture subcommittees: the Subcommittee on Commodities, Risk Management; the Subcommittee on Conservation, Climate, Forestry, and Natural Resources; and the Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, Poultry, Local Food Systems, and Food Safety and Security.

“As long as I’ve served in Congress, I’ve fought for South Dakota’s hardworking farmers and ranchers,” said Thune. “With these key subcommittee assignments, I can continue building off the work I’ve done in previous farm bills to ensure farmers and ranchers have a strong safety net through programs like the Agriculture Risk Coverage Program and the Livestock Indemnity Program as they continue to feed the world.  I’ll also keep working to improve conservation programs like the Conservation Reserve Program, among many other important provisions. With the next farm bill right around the corner, I am ready to get to work.”

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ATTORNEY GENERAL RELEASES EXPLANATION FOR AMENDMENT TO THE SOUTH DAKOTA CONSTITUTION PROVIDING FOR A TOP-TWO PRIMARY ELECTION

PIERRE, S.D. — South Dakota Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg has released the following Attorney General’s ballot explanation for the November 2022 general election.

(a.k.a., another dumb amendment that was already rejected at the ballot box – editor PP)

The amendment is entitled An Amendment to the South Dakota Constitution Establishing Top-Two Primary Elections.

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3.19.2021 AG Statement. Initiated Const. Amend. Top Two Primary Elections by Pat Powers on Scribd

One Family Farm Lost to the Death Tax is One Too Many

By Sen. John Thune

Last week I introduced a bill to permanently repeal the death tax. I’ve been pushing to repeal the death tax for a long time, because I’ve seen the consequences the tax can have for family farms and ranches and for family businesses. I’m proud that we protected a lot of family farms and businesses three years ago with the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act by doubling the death tax exemption, but the death tax is still a big problem.

First, the change we made to the death tax in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act isn’t permanent – the increased exemption level expires at the end of 2025. Second, Democrats – always eager to seize any possible revenue source – have proposed not merely returning the exemption to its previous level, but reducing it even further. That would be a big problem for a lot of family farms and businesses.

Every American, of course, has an obligation to pay what he or she owes in taxes, but there should be a limit to how many times the government can tax you. Death should not be a taxable event. The money you leave at your death has already been taxed by the government at least once, which makes the death tax double taxation.

People who support the death tax tend to talk as if the death tax only affects the fabulously wealthy, which isn’t the case. Small and medium-sized businesses, family farms, and ranches spend a lot of time and money on estate planning to avoid being hit by this tax.  Farmers and ranchers in my state know that without careful – and costly – planning, the federal government can come around after their death demanding a staggering 40 percent of their taxable estate, and their children won’t have the money to pay without risking the farm or ranch.

Why? Well, farming and ranching is often a cash-poor business. A farmer might technically be worth several million dollars, but the vast majority of that is land and farming equipment, and only a small fraction of it is money in the bank. The Farm Bureau reports that over the past 10 years the value of farmland has increased by nearly 50 percent. It’s completely possible that a farmer’s land might have substantially increased in value over the past decade while his income has barely increased at all. In fact, it’s perfectly possible that in a bad year, a farmer with several million dollars’ worth of land might barely break even income-wise.

So what happens when a farmer dies? Well, the federal government will claim up to 40 percent of his taxable estate. But his liquid assets – in other words, the cash he has available – will likely not come close to covering the tax bill from the federal government. And so the only thing left for his children to do will be to start selling off farm equipment and land. In some cases they will be able to keep the farm – just a smaller version of it. In others, they may have to sell off the family farm entirely.

On top of all this, the death tax is an inefficient tax that raises a very small amount of revenue – while placing a very large burden on farmers and ranchers and small businessmen and women.

Repealing the death tax is an idea that has won bipartisan support in the past – including support from more than one sitting Democrat senator. I hope it will win bipartisan support in this Congress as well, and I will continue to fight to ensure that no family farm or business has to worry about this punishing tax.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: One family farm or business lost to the death tax is one too many.

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Rounds, Smith Lead Bipartisan Push to Repeal Outdated, Discriminatory Laws Against Native Americans

 WASHINGTON—U.S. Senators Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and Tina Smith (D-Minn.), both members of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, have reintroduced the Repealing Existing Substandard Provisions Encouraging Conciliation with Tribes (RESPECT) Act.

The RESPECT Act would repeal a number of outdated federal laws that are discriminatory against Native Americans. Examples include laws that allow for the forced removal of Native American children from their homes to be sent to boarding schools and laws subjecting Native Americans to forced labor.

“Throughout history, Native Americans have been subjected to federal laws that are offensive, immoral and outright racist,” said Rounds. “In many cases, these laws are more than a century old and do nothing but continue the stigma of subjugation and paternalism from that time period. Clearly, there is no place in our legal code for such laws. The idea that these laws were ever considered is disturbing, but the fact that these laws remain on our books – is at best – an oversight. While we cannot rewrite the past, we can help write a better future for generations to come. I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to pass the RESPECT Act this session of Congress.”

“This is about justice for Native communities in Minnesota and across the country,” said Smith. “The fact that these racist, shameful laws still exist is yet another sign of the federal government’s failure to live up to its treaty and trust obligations. There is much more work we need to do to reckon with our country’s history of disparaging, disrespecting, and erasing Indigenous communities, and this bill is one of many steps we must take. I will continue to lift up the voices of Minnesota’s Ojibwe and Dakota nations, its urban Indigenous population, and all the sovereign Tribal Nations across the country as Congress works to right these past wrongs and strengthen the government-to-government relationship going forward.”

Joining Rounds and Smith in reintroducing this bill are cosponsors: James Lankford (R-Okla.) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.).

The RESPECT Act is supported by the Great Plains Tribal Chairmen’s Association (GPTCA) and the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI).

“We thank Senator Rounds and his co-sponsors for their leadership in bringing forward the RESPECT Act to eliminate the outdated, substandard, and anti-Indian measures from the era of Indian wars and cultural oppression,” said Harold Frazier, Chairman of the GPTCA and Chairman of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe. “Please move this bill forward to enactment.”

“The RESPECT Act is common sense legislation that is long overdue,” said Oglala Sioux Tribe President Kevin Killer. “Wopila to Senator Rounds for his leadership in reintroducing this legislation that seeks to bring reconciliation, understanding, and healing to Native communities nationwide. These revisions are much needed and appreciated.”

Rounds first introduced the RESPECT Act during the 114th Congress, where it passed out of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee. During the 115^th and 116^th Congresses, the legislation passed the Senate unanimously but failed to receive a vote in the House.

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After flirting with running for US Senate a few days ago, it looks like Lora Hubbel is back announcing on the KOTA Territory News page that she’s running for Governor:

Yeah, whatever, captain crazy. 

I would encourage you to find out more about her platform at LoraHubbel.org.  I hear part of what she claims is that she’ll never let you down.  At least, that’s what her website says.

An Endowment for Our Future

By: Governor Kristi Noem 
March 19, 2021

I recently had the privilege of hearing from two impressive young South Dakota college students. Hattie Seten is the Students’ Association President at South Dakota State University, and she was recently selected to be a Rhodes Scholar. Abuk Jiel is the President of the University of South Dakota Student Government Association. They’re both hard-working, incredibly articulate, and both come from low-income families.

Hattie and Abuk told me their stories at a very special event: I had the privilege to sign SB 171, which funds $50 million for the South Dakota Freedom Scholarship. These funds will work with $150 in private donations ($125 million have already been pledged!) to create an endowment for a needs-based scholarship in South Dakota.

Once established, this endowment will perpetually create opportunities for thousands of students like Hattie and Abuk to go to college. So many of these bright young South Dakotans just need an opportunity to succeed. I challenged the legislature to approve this funding so that we could provide just such an opportunity, and I am so glad that they followed through.

Let’s be clear – this isn’t a free handout. These students need to graduate, and then live and work in South Dakota for at least 3 years after their graduation. After that time, I am confident that many of these folks will decide to build their careers and raise their families in South Dakota. But until very recently, we’ve struggled with young talent leaving our state. This scholarship will help to reverse that trend.

With all of the new businesses flocking to South Dakota, we have a serious need for workforce development. Our unemployment rate is only 3.1%, which is incredible news! But a low unemployment rate means that it can be tough to find skilled workers to fill job openings. This scholarship will be a crucial part of training the workforce that South Dakota needs to staff up the businesses that are moving to our state.

So many people deserve thanks for their generosity in making this happen. T. Denny Sanford and the folks at First Premier Bank and PREMIER Bankcard helped get this project off the ground with the initial $100 million pledge. The legislature stepped up with an additional $50 million. And both Avera Health and Sanford Health pledged $12.5 million apiece, bringing the total funding to $175 million.

But we need $200 million to make this endowment sustainable into the future, so we will continue to work hard to raise the final funds to make this project a reality. Our young South Dakotans deserve nothing less.

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Flags at Half-Staff in Remembrance of Victims of Atlanta Shooting

PIERRE, S.D. – Today, Governor Kristi Noem ordered that flags be flown at half-staff, effectively immediately, until sundown on Monday, March 22, 2021, in remembrance of the victims of the shooting in the Atlanta metropolitan area.

This is in response to a proclamation by President Joseph R. Biden, which can be found here.

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Governor Noem Signs South Dakota Freedom Scholarship into Law
Also Signs Four Other Education Bills

PIERRE, S.D. – Today, Governor Noem signed Senate Bill 171, which provides $50 million for the South Dakota Freedom Scholarship. This money, together with other generous donations, will create a $200 million endowment for needs-based scholarships in South Dakota.

“With this historic scholarship, we’ll be giving thousands of promising young South Dakotans the opportunity that they need to succeed,” said Governor Kristi Noem. “I challenged legislators to get this across the finish line, and they got it done. These dollars will sustain needs-based scholarships for South Dakota students far into the future, setting our kids and grandkids up for long-term success. I want to thank T. Denny Sanford, PREMIER, Avera Health, Sanford Health, and everyone else who has made this project a top priority.”

Governor Noem also signed the following four education bills into law:

SB 27 revises off-campus tuition rates at institutions governed by the Board of Regents.
SB 49 revises property tax levies for school districts and revises the state aid to general and special education formulas.
SB 175 removes certain eligibility requirements for the partners in education tax credit program.
HB 1254 prohibits preferential treatment in higher education employment practices.

Governor Noem has signed 131 bills into law this legislative session.

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Thune Opposes Xavier Becerra’s Nomination for Health Secretary
“His record as chief lockdown enforcer in California poses a greater risk to churches than to the coronavirus.”

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today released the following statement after voting against California Attorney General Xavier Becerra’s nomination to lead the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services:

“Xavier Becerra is an extremist who has used the power of public office to target religious liberty, freedom of conscience, and the pro-life cause. Having him lead the federal health department is bad news for all who have been praying for the pandemic to end. His record as chief lockdown enforcer in California poses a greater risk to churches than to the coronavirus, and he is the wrong choice to lead the Department of Health and Human Services.”

Click here to watch Thune discuss his opposition to the Becerra nomination on the Senate floor.

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