Author: Pat Powers

Governor Noem Signs Executive Order to Extend COVID-19 Emergency Declaration

PIERRE, S.D. – Today, Governor Kristi Noem signed an extension of her previous executive orders to continue South Dakota’s fight against the spread of COVID-19.

The new Executive Order (EO 2020-15) extends Governor Noem’s initial State of Emergency declaration from March 13^th.  A State of Emergency declaration allows the governor to activate certain emergency powers so that the governor and state agencies can respond to this emergency to the fullest extent necessary and use all resources available to fight the virus’ spread.  The Executive Order also clarifies that other previous executive orders are extended through the duration of this emergency.

The State of Emergency in South Dakota is now extended until May 31, 2020.

To learn more about executive orders to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, please visit COVID.sd.gov.

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This might be the most horrible thing I’ve read this week. And it’s a good indicator why the left is dying in the state.  Blog author, South Dakota democrat/socialist, and Bernie-bro John Michael Glanzer of Brookings authors a blog “The South Dakota Worker” where he writes to shed “light on both national and local news from a socialist and dialectical perspective.”

Unfortunately, the young socialist and blog author Mr. Glanzer appears to have shed his humanity along with his capitalist beliefs in a recent facebook post sent to me where he was not only chortling over the tragic passing of State Representative Bob Glanzer from the COVID-19 virus, but seemingly wishing similar harm on all Republicans for… well simply for being Republicans.

For someone claiming “I am a socialist because I love humanity,” it would not appear that he’s found any humanity as he practices socialism or being a Bernie-bro.

Just received this in my mailbox for the District 30 State Senate primary in the race against Julie Frye-Awful.  – PP

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George Kotti Announces State Senate Campaign

The Mayor of Hot Springs announced he will be a Republican candidate for the vacant District 30 state senate seat. Early voting begins April 17 for the Republican primary election on June 2.

Hot Springs, SD – Hot Springs Mayor George Kotti announced today he will seek the Republican nomination for the District 30 South Dakota state senate seat left vacant when Senator Lance Russell withdrew from the race. Absentee voting begins April 17 for the Republican primary election on June 2.

“As a past Chairman of the Board of the Black Hills & Badlands Tourism Association, I understand the challenges our tourism industry is facing,” said Kotti. “We will eventually recover, but we need a strong voice in Pierre working to ensure we have the resources necessary for a speedy recovery and a brighter future.”

When asked what makes him best for the job, Kotti cites his ministerial training and military experience as an Air Force base commander. “Life is a good teacher,” Kotti said, “and I have a broad range of experience solving problems both large and small. You can learn more about a situation by listening than by talking. I enjoy the process of bringing people together to work towards achieving shared goals.”

Born and raised in Lead, Kotti attended the U.S. Air Force Academy, becoming an engineer. Kotti served our nation in the Air Force for 30 years – including tours of duty in Vietnam and Desert Storm. A command pilot with nearly 3,000 flying hours in Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker refueling aircraft and jet attack trainers, Kotti eventually served as a base commander and also a stint as Inspector General at Ellsworth Air Force Base.

Following his retirement as a Colonel in the Air Force, Kotti entered the ministry, served as an associate pastor and co-founded a church in Rapid City. In his job as Executive Director of the Hot Springs Area Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development, George was instrumental in Hot Springs being named one of America’s Distinctive Destinations by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Now serving his second term as Mayor, Kotti was a vocal advocate for saving the Hot Springs campus of the Black Hills VA healthcare system, and has provided positive, steady leadership as the city navigates the COVID-19 pandemic.

George Kotti and his wife Marilyn reside in Hot Springs and have two children, a son, Dr. George Kotti III and his wife Kathryn, a daughter, Kimberly, and three grandchildren.

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Hot off the press, the Secretary of State will be mailing absentee ballot applications to every registered voter in the state. This moves things up for campaigns, as they’re going to have to get information in front of voters ASAP as many will be making their selection earlier than usual.

From: Barnett, Steve <[email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, April 8, 2020 5:14 PM
To: Elections <[email protected]>
Subject: Absentee Ballot Request Mailing

Good afternoon, Auditors,

Attached you’ll find documents pertaining to the mailing of absentee ballot requests to all registered voters.  Separate instruction letters will accompany the applications depending on active vs. inactive voter status.  Also attached is a draft press release concerning this mailing.  Please review and let us know if you have any concerns.  As these documents are drafts, please do not share with the press or constituents at this time.  Once the logistics of the mailing are set with the vendor and USPS, we will relay it to you.

You’ll note the letters and press release are encouraging voters to submit their applications as soon as possible to allow for delivery and processing times.  We will let you know when a date (or date range) has been finalized for these to be mailed out.  We would also like to record a video that we’ll push out concerning this topic.  We will forward that to you to post if you’d like as well.

Please let us know if you see any issues or concerns.  Thanks for all of your efforts as we all try to navigate these unprecedented times.

Steve Barnett
Secretary of State
500 E. Capitol Ave
Pierre, SD 57501
Phone: (605) 773-3537

 

PRESS RELEASE DRAFT  

For further information, contact:
Secretary of State Capitol Building
500 East Capitol Avenue, Ste. 204
Pierre, SD 57501-5070
605-773-3537                                                                                                     April xx, 2020

SECRETARY OF STATE TO DISTRIBUTE ABSENTEE BALLOT APPLICATIONS TO ALL SOUTH DAKOTA REGISTERED VOTERS 

PIERRE – South Dakota Secretary of State Steve Barnett announced today that his office will mail absentee ballot applications to all South Dakotans registered in the statewide voter registration file except those that have already applied for the 2020 election cycle. “Ensuring every South Dakota voter has access to exercise their right to vote is the goal of all election officials in our state. In response to the current pandemic, we are encouraging all South Dakotans to utilize our state’s absentee vote-by- mail option for our upcoming elections. Absentee ballot applications will be mailed to each registered voter at the mailing address used on their voter registration form,” Barnett stated.

Absentee ballot applications will be mailed on April xx. Voters are encouraged to complete their application as soon as possible to allow for delivery and processing times. Once an application is verified by the county auditor, a ballot will be mailed to the voter.

State law requires completed absentee ballot applications to be notarized or include a photocopy of an acceptable photo identification card. Acceptable photo identification cards include a South Dakota driver’s license or non-driver ID card, tribal photo ID, passport or other picture ID issued by the United

States government, or a current student photo ID issued by a South Dakota high school or postsecondary education institution. Voters lacking access to a copy machine or notary public may take a photo of their ID using their phone or camera and email it to their county auditor. Please contact your county auditor for more information regarding this option. County auditor contact information can be found on the Secretary of State’s website at www.sdsos.gov.

Voters that don’t receive an application and wish to obtain an absentee ballot may request an application from their county auditor or download the form on the Secretary of State’s website at www.sdsos.gov. South Dakota’s primary election will be held June 2, 2020.

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It appears that this was not meant to hit the public just yet, BUT, when you send it out to 60 some auditors, it’s going to range a bit wider than a person might have intended.

This post has been making the rounds on facebook, criticizing Sioux Falls City Councilman Patrick Starr for allegedly making on-line comments ridiculing what is being cited as a possible treatment for the coronavirus:

Always good to see elected officials open to new ideas.

Thune Urges Department of Justice to Investigate Price Manipulation in the Beef Market

“The widening gap between cattle producer and packer profit margins raises serious concerns about potential instances of price manipulation and other unfair practices within the beef industry, especially considering that four meat packing companies control more than 80 percent of the beef supply in the United States,” 

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today urged Attorney General William Barr to investigate price manipulation and other anticompetitive activities in the beef market. Thune’s request comes as cattle producers in South Dakota and across the country are facing significant market volatility in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Yesterday, Thune sent a letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Sonny Perdue to request that USDA’s Packers and Stockyards Division investigate the cattle market volatility due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which Perdue announced yesterday USDA would pursue.

“The widening gap between cattle producer and packer profit margins raise serious concerns about potential instances of price manipulation and other unfair practices within the beef industry, especially considering that four meat packing companies control more than 80 percent of the beef supply in the United States,” wrote Thune. “With these concerns in mind, I respectfully request that the DOJ Antitrust Division investigate the cattle market volatility following the Tyson plant fire and during the COVID-19 pandemic to determine if any anticompetitive behavior has occurred.”

Full text of the letter below:

The Honorable William Barr
Attorney General
U.S. Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20250

Dear Attorney General Barr:

I write to request that the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Antitrust Division investigate potential instances of price manipulation and other anticompetitive activities in the beef industry.

Cattle producers in South Dakota and across the country have faced significant market volatility in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.  In recent weeks, consumer demand for beef products in grocery stores has grown, which has led to significant increases in boxed beef prices.  However, cattle cash prices and futures have taken dramatic hits.  During the same time period, beef packer profit margins reached record highs of more than $600 per head of cattle.¹  The cattle industry experienced similar market volatility less than a year ago following the Tyson beef processing plant fire in Holcomb, Kansas, in August 2019.

The widening gap between cattle producer and packer profit margins raises serious concerns about potential instances of price manipulation and other unfair practices within the beef industry, especially considering that four meat packing companies control more than 80 percent of the beef supply in the United States.  With these concerns in mind, I respectfully request that the DOJ Antitrust Division investigate the cattle market volatility following the Tyson plant fire and during the COVID-19 pandemic to determine if any anticompetitive behavior has occurred.

I know you have also heard from several of my colleagues in recent weeks. I share their concerns and urge you to act quickly to announce an investigation. Ultimately, trends in the cattle market that have left producers in South Dakota behind can no longer go unchecked. Thank you for your prompt consideration of this request.

Sincerely,

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From Facebook:

Governor Noem Signs Executive Order to Fight COVID-19

PIERRE, S.D. – Yesterday, Governor Kristi Noem signed an executive order to fight the spread of COVID-19 in South Dakota.

The executive order (EO 2020-14) suspends certain regulations, namely:

• The regulatory provision governing teacher evaluations;
• The requirements that a public body conducting a meeting by teleconference must provide a physical location for the public to listen and participate and that require a bid to be opened in the physical presence of a witness;
• The statutory provision requiring the Department of Corrections to impose certain sanctions for parole violations regarding a positive urinalysis test for a controlled substance. This will allow the department to institute a policy in the best interests of the health and safety of the state’s institutions and inmates.

To learn more about executive orders to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, please visit COVID.sd.gov.

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Gov. Noem Proclaims Wednesday, April 8, 2020, as Statewide Day of Prayer
Encourages South Dakotans to Share Prayers on Social Media

PIERRE, S.D. – Governor Kristi Noem has proclaimed Wednesday April 8, 2020, as a Statewide Day of Prayer.

“I’m encouraging all South Dakotans to join together to pray for an end to this pandemic,” said Noem. “We should pray for the success of our fight against this disease; for comfort to those who have suffered loss; and for strength to all those who continue this fight, both in South Dakota and around the world.”

As part of the Day of Prayer, Noem has encouraged South Dakotans to share their prayers on social media using the hashtag #PrayforSD.

“South Dakota will get through this together. Please share your prayers to encourage our fellow South Dakotans during this difficult time,” Noem continued.

To learn more about resources to fight COVID-19, please visit COVID.sd.gov.

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Thune, Rounds Join Bipartisan Group of Senators in Calling on USDA to Allocate Additional Funds for Biofuel Industry During COVID-19 Crisis

“Keeping plants open is vital for our states and we ask that you use the authority given by Congress to assist the biofuel industry during extremely difficult times.”

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.) and Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) today joined Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) and ten of their Senate colleagues in sending a letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) requesting additional funds be allocated to the biofuel industry through the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) during the unprecedented economic circumstances brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Farm income and prices for corn and other crop commodities are directly linked to the health of the renewable fuel industry. Ethanol plants use 40 percent of all corn grown in the United States. Among other feedstocks, biodiesel and renewable diesel producers currently use over 8 billion pounds of soybean oil a year, creating demand that adds 13 percent to the cash price of a bushel of soybeans,” the senators wrote. “We have seen a significant drop in the price of corn and soybeans because of the decline in demand. Keeping plants open is vital for our states and we ask that you use the authority given by Congress to assist the biofuel industry during extremely difficult times. We are supportive of the proposals the biofuel industry has put forward to reimburse feedstocks and also believe that adding additional CCC funds to the Higher-Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program will drive future biofuel demand.”

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Stabilization (CARES) Act provided an additional $14 billion in borrowing authority for the CCC to help stabilize, support, and protect farm income and prices while also maintaining balanced and adequate supplies of agricultural commodities. The CARES Act also provided $9.5 billion in emergency assistance for agriculture.

Joining Thune, Rounds, Grassley, Duckworth, and Ernst in cosigning the letter were Sens. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Ben Sasse (R-Neb.), and Jerry Moran (R-Kan.).

Full text of the letter below:

The Honorable Sonny Perdue
Secretary
1400 Independence Avenue SW
Washington, DC 20250

Dear Secretary Perdue,

We are concerned about our nation’s biofuel sector during the unprecedented economic circumstances brought on by the national pandemic of COVID-19.

As the country follows the advice of local and state governments and remain at home, motor fuel use has rapidly decreased. This dynamic comes on top of EPA’s failure to implement the RFS in accordance with the law, including the issuance of illegal small refinery waivers and the recent failure to enforce ethanol blending requirements. As the consumption of motor fuel continues to decrease in response to COVID-19, it is important to note that most U.S. gasoline contains at least 10 percent ethanol.

We are concerned for the many farmers and producers who will bear the impact of this decrease in consumption, further damaging an already hurting rural economy and resulting in the closing of production facilities that employ many people in rural communities in our home states.

As the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) considers the allocation of additional funds provided to the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Stabilization (CARES) Act we ask that you use the authority provided to assist the biofuel industry.

The decrease in fuel consumption has left production facilities little choice but to idle production or close completely. Since March 1, industry sources show more than four billion gallons of ethanol production has ceased production. The CCC was created to stabilize, support, and protect farm income and prices while also maintaining balanced and adequate supplies of agricultural commodities and aids in their orderly distribution.

Farm income and prices for corn and other crop commodities are directly linked to the health of the renewable fuel industry. Ethanol plants use 40 percent of all corn grown in the United States. Among other feedstocks, biodiesel and renewable diesel producers currently use over 8 billion pounds of soybean oil a year, creating demand that adds 13 percent to the cash price of a bushel of soybeans. We have seen a significant drop in the price of corn and soybeans because of the decline in demand. Keeping plants open is vital for our states and we ask that you use the authority given by Congress to assist the biofuel industry during extremely difficult times. We are supportive of the proposals the biofuel industry has put forward to reimburse feedstocks and also believe that adding additional CCC funds to the Higher-Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program will drive future biofuel demand.

Thank you for considering our request and for your dedication to rural America. We look forward to working with you on deploying the additional resources that Congress gave you in the CARES Act.

Sincerely,

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