Author: @SoDakCampaigns

Commerce Committee makes Thune Chairmanship official

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Thune Officially Designated as Commerce Chairman

WASHINGTON, D.C.— The U.S. Senate yesterday officially ratified U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) as chairman of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee for the 114th Congress. Sen. Thune issued the following statement on taking the gavel for the committee:

“It is an honor to serve as chairman of the Commerce Committee at the forefront of the new Congress as we work to create jobs and grow our economy. I am eager to begin work with the new ranking member, Sen. Bill Nelson, and my colleagues on both sides of the aisle on pressing business before the committee. Continuing to serve South Dakota in the United States Senate is the highest public service opportunity afforded to me, and I look forward to addressing several issues important to our state during this session of Congress including, rural broadband, rail service, aviation, cybersecurity, and an overhaul of our telecommunications policy.”

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John Thune: Obama’s Keystone Excuses Hit Another Dead End

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Obama’s Keystone Excuses Hit Another Dead End

WASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S. Senator John Thune (R-S.D.) today issued the following statement on the Nebraska Supreme Court decision on the Keystone XL pipeline:

John_Thune_official_photo“The president’s litany of excuses for delaying the Keystone XL pipeline has hit yet another dead end. This court decision further erodes the president’s obstruction of the bipartisan, job-creating Keystone XL. Soon the president will have a clear opportunity to sign a bipartisan bill into law approving the construction of this common-sense infrastructure project. The president is out of excuses, and it is time for him to act. Will he stand for the American people, or will he continue to stand for his far-left liberal allies?”

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Press Release: Matching Funds Awarded by Governor To Communities For Workforce Plans

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Matching Funds Awarded To Communities For Workforce Plans

DaugaardPIERRE, S.D. – Gov. Dennis Daugaard has awarded nearly $1 million in matching funds to help communities across the state take an active role in addressing their own workforce issues.

In September, the Governor challenged the business, education, government and other sectors to work together to submit plans for the South Dakota Workforce Development Council to consider. Sixteen applications were received.

“I wanted to hear community-specific ideas and innovative plans to meet communities’ workforce needs,” said Gov. Daugaard. “Applications addressed a variety of topics, such as housing, internships, certification and training programs, and English as a Second Language classes.”

Communities receiving awards include:

  • Aberdeen Development Corporation, $60,000
  • Associated General Contractors of South Dakota, $50,000
  • Belle Fourche Development Corporation, $175,200
  • Black Hills Community Economic Development, $70,000
  • Brookings Economic Development Corporation, $174,750
  • City of Pierre, $20,480
  • DeSmet Development Corporation, $8,100
  • Greater Huron Development Corporation, $125,000
  • Gregory Business and Industrial Development Corporation, $7,000
  • Mitchell Technical Institute and Mitchell School District, $115,332
  • Wagner Area Growth, Inc., $22,239
  • Watertown Development Company, $50,000
  • Yankton Area Progressive Growth, Inc., $60,000
  • Yankton Rural Area Health Education Center, $50,000

The council evaluated the proposals on several criteria, including cross-sector involvement, sustainability in the community, consistency with statewide initiatives and quality of matching funding. The application narrative needed to detail the targeted workforce need and the proposed activity, as well as the cross-sector engagement each community used to develop the proposal.

The program is being administered by the Department of Labor and Regulation and the Governor’s Office of Economic Development. For more information and to view all submissions, visit www.SouthDakotaWINS.com.

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Minnehaha GOP holds elections, elects strong slate to lead county’s efforts.

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The Minnehaha County GOP elected officers last night, and it sounds like they’re once again returning a strong slate to run Republican afffairs in the state’s largest county.  Elected were…

Chair: Dave Roetman
Vice-chair: Elizabeth Reiss
Secretary: Dane Bloch
Treasurer: Tony Reiss
Committeeman: Hal Wick
Committeewoman: Nancy Neff

My correspondent tells me that the Chair, Vice-chair, Secretary and Treasurer all were unopposedm abd that the board represents a fairly good cross-section of Minnehaha county and the Republicans that live there. A number of them have a strong grassroots and campaign past.   I’m also told that the committeeman race was suspected to be between Gary Dykstra and TJ Nelson. There was a bit of surprise nomination of Hal Wick from the floor which turned the committeeman race into a three-way race.

A great team in Minnehaha County to lead us through the 2016 elections!

GOAC proposing addition to state conflict law adding 1 year ban to interest in state contracts.

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The Government Operations and Audit Committee has introduced House Bill 1023 to address the EB-5 controversy in part that was brought up again and again during the last election cycle to prevent state employees from signing state contracts and then going to work for the people they’ve been signed with.

In part…:

FOR AN ACT ENTITLED, An Act to prohibit a state officer or employee from having an interest in any contract that the state employee or officer approved, awarded, or administered for one calendar year following termination of state employment.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF SOUTH DAKOTA:
Section 1. That § 5-18A-17 be amended to read as follows:

5-18A-17. No state officer or employee who approves, awards, or administers a contract involving the expenditure of public funds or the sale or lease of property, may have an interest in a contract that is within the scope of the officer’s or employee’s official duties. This prohibition includes any state officer or employee who, in his or her official capacity, recommends the approval or award of the contract or who supervises a person who approves, awards, or administers the contract. This prohibition is in effect for one calendar year after the state officer or employee terminates his or her office or employment with the state.

Follow the bill here. The underlined part is the addition to the law.

The only problem with the measure?  None logistically, but it could face amending because it’s a measured, reasonable, and sane response. A sane response to a ridiculously overblown issue that dominated the political scene for the last year.

Anyone care to speculate on how much showboating and grandstanding we’ll see on the issue?

Pierre residents want their Hy-Chi, petitioning at moveon.org.

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I caught this in my facebook feed this morning.

Coming on the heels of the consolidation of Dakotamart and Sutley’s in the Pierre/Ft. Pierre area, nearly 1000 Pierre/Ft.Pierre residents are petitioning the HyVee corporation at Liberal Democratic web site MoveOn.org to “Let the corporate offices for Hy-Vee know there is a want for a grocery store in Pierre/Fort Pierre, SD.”

I can’t blame them for wanting their Hy-Chi (HyVee Chinese Deli counter), but corporations don’t make decisions on petitions. They look at traffic. They look at numbers, and make decisions on the basis of whether they can make a profit.  There was a chain grocery store in Pierre one point, but it didn’t make it.  And that was long before Wal-mart expanded, and increased their grocery offerings nearly ten-fold

I love my local Hy-vee. And considering what I spend there for my pile of kids, I’m sure they love me too.

But, it’s not a field of dreams. If you build it, there’s no guarantee they’ll come. But if you have the numbers, that’s a different story.

Gordon Howie says he’s not doing a hit piece on Marty Jackley. (So yes, it’s a hit piece.)

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In an odd passive-agressive manner directed towards Attorney General Marty Jackley, independent Senate Candidate Gordon Howie continues to press his line against law and order and says that Jackley can’t win Governor if he prosecutes Annette Bosworth.

It’s no secret that Attorney General Marty Jackley would like to be Governor.

Before you read further, dispel from your thoughts any idea that this is a “hit”” piece.

and…

What I am hearing is that this case strikes people as akin to the Obama and Nixon use of IRS to attack conservatives. It’s like the ever-less popular Boehner now punishing his rivals.

Whether that is true or untrue is not the issue. The PRECEPTION of whether it is true or untrue is significant. It has been said that in politics, perception is reality. It is true that even ONE felony conviction would cost Bosworth her license to practice medicine. That seems like a pretty extreme penalty to most people, and makes the AG look like a vengeful bully in the eyes of many watching this case.

and…

The reasonable thing to do in the Bosworth case would seem to be a misdemeanor charge with a penalty and no felony charges. That would be a win-win situation. Bosworth accepts a reasonable consequence and the integrity of the election process is preserved.

Another “win” might be for the Jackley for Governor committee.

Read this silliness here.

It’s pretty early in the day to declare this the dumbest thing I’ve read today. But, this is by far the dumbest thing I will read today, and a good testament to why Gordon should not be ever elected to anything ever again.

Observing how Marty has conducted his office (Believe me, I know), he makes his prosecutorial decisions based on evidence, and whether he believes there is sufficient evidence to move forward. It’s not a matter of playing favorites. It’s not a matter of using his office to rack up a scorecard to campaign.

Just yesterday, he announced they were not going to proceed with a case of someone they had already convicted of a traffic fatality. Why? Because there was new evidence to the contrary.

It might be Gordon’s “PRECEPTION“, but that doesn’t strike me as prosecutorial zeal. That strikes me as being reasonable.

Instead of spouting a line of silliness telling Marty he won’t be able to run for Governor if he prosecutes Boz, maybe Gordon’s commentary should be directed elsewhere. Such as towards the person being prosecuted.

If Annette had wanted to accept a plea deal for a lesser charge to save her license to practice medicine, I suspect the time would have been several months ago, when she was choosing to play musical lawyers and using a former pornographer to go on the attack.

I, like many South Dakotans look forward this this being resolved, and the Bosworth Family Circus finally going away. But, it needs to be resolved the right way. Not, as Gordon suggests, for political gain.

And with Marty at the wheel, I trust that’s it’s being handled towards the ends of justice.

Rounds Signs onto Keystone XL Pipeline Legislation, Disappointed by President’s Veto Threat

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Rounds Signs onto Keystone XL Pipeline Legislation,
Disappointed by President’s Veto Threat

roundsWASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-SD) today announced he is one of 60 bipartisan cosponsors to a bill approving the Keystone XL pipeline project. The bill, S. 1, is the first piece of legislation being considered in the Senate and the first bill Rounds is sponsoring as a Senator. Yesterday afternoon, President Obama indicated he would veto the legislation.

“Approval of the Keystone XL pipeline is long overdue. South Dakotans – and all Americans – overwhelmingly support it,” said Rounds. “I’m disappointed the President failed to listen to the will of voters by threatening to veto this important project. Instead, he’s pandering to the extreme left minority of his party. My hope is that cooler heads will prevail at the White House as we send this and other commonsense bills his way in the future.”

Offered by Sens. John Hoeven (R-ND) and Joe Manchin (D-WV), S. 1 authorizes TransCanada to construct and operate the Keystone XL pipeline from Alberta, Canada, to the U.S. Gulf Coast, transporting an additional 830,000 barrels of secure North American oil per day to U.S. refineries. The U.S. State Department estimates that Keystone will create 42,100 American jobs. Upon passage, a presidential permit would no longer be needed to approve the project. It is expected to pass the Senate with broad bipartisan support.

The Keystone XL pipeline project has been under review for more than six years, with five State Department issued environmental impact reports determining that the pipeline poses no major environmental risks.

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Press Release: Thune Bill Provides Incentive to Hire Long-Term Unemployed Americans

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Thune Bill Provides Incentive to Hire Long-Term Unemployed Americans

John_Thune_official_photoWASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S. Senator John Thune (R-S.D.) today introduced S. 38, the Helping Individuals Regain Employment Act (HIRE Act), a bill that would provide an incentive for employers to hire long-term unemployed Americans by permanently exempting those employees from the government-mandated ObamaCare employee count.

“The HIRE Act is a win-win for employers and long-term unemployed Americans who continue to feel the pain from ObamaCare and six years of President Obama’s failed economic policies,” said Thune. “Congress should be doing all it can to enact policies that help unemployed Americans find good-paying jobs, and ObamaCare shouldn’t stand in the way.”

Under ObamaCare, any business with 100 or more full-time employees must provide government-approved insurance or pay a fine in 2015. Beginning in 2016, any business with 50 or more full-time employees must comply with the mandate.

According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, there are 9.1 million unemployed Americans, of which 2.8 million have been unemployed for 27 or more weeks. While the official unemployment rate is 5.8 percent, the “real” unemployment rate, which considers the number of people who have stopped looking for work, is 11.4 percent.

The HIRE Act was originally included in Thune’s “Good Jobs, Good Wages, Good Hours Act,” which he introduced last year as an alternative to the unemployment insurance extension bill.

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