Category: Uncategorized

And the money starts flowing in.

Out of state group ‘Open Primaries’ is apparently sending a pile of cash to its South Dakota allies who want to prevent independents and third party candidates from making it to the November ballot by eliminating them in the June primary:

A national nonprofit has pledged $140,000 to help supporters of a constitutional amendment that would move South Dakota to an open primary system for many races.

New York-based Open Primaries spokesman Jeremy Gruber said Tuesday that the group is supporting the amendment campaign’s signature-gathering efforts.

The proposed amendment would have the top two finishers in a primary advance to the general election regardless of party

Read that at KSFY.

This type of measure it’s been an absolute disaster in the states where it has passed, such as California. It means that the person who can write the biggest check is more likely to be guaranteed a spot on the November ballot.

It also ensures that the dominant political party wins both June and November, and virtually eliminates any competition from third-party candidates who are often vastly under funded. Independent candidates who have traditionally not been able to get beyond the third-place position in this state will also be eliminated from the November general election ballot.

As a Republican, I will be the first to tell you that this would probably be a very good measure for Republican dominance in deep red SD. But, as a Republican who cares about a balanced system of government, shutting out independents and third party candidates from the November ballot seems to violate a basic sense of fairness.

No one except for the out-of-state group and the people who are taking their money are asking for this great overhaul of our political system.

And that might be the best indication that this is not a change that a majority in South Dakota are looking for.

When they come around, don’t sign on the petition line. Your fellow citizens will thank you for it.

Gov. Daugaard Orders State Capitol Flags At Half-Staff For Former State Superintendent Gordon Diedtrich

PIERRE, S.D. – Gov. Dennis Daugaard is ordering flags to fly half-staff at the State Capitol on Wednesday, Aug. 23, to honor the life of Gordon A. Diedtrich who served as state superintendent of public instruction.                

Diedtrich served as South Dakota’s state superintendent from 1967 to 1971. The position was a statewide elected office from 1889 until its abolition in 1975.

Diedtrich passed away earlier this week and his funeral was held on Tuesday, Aug. 22, in Arizona.

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I caught this on facebook over the past day.

Ryan Howlett, the current CEO of South Dakota Friends of Public Broadcasting in his role as a private citizen is calling and encouraging others to call and attempt to put pressure on the Empire Mall, because he noticed that a retailer is selling t-shirts and other items imprinted with the Confederate Battle Flag:

My immediate thought was that despite it being done privately, it’s a fairly public advocacy action that some might find controversial wth his post for people to call up the Empire Mall and demanding the imposition of his views of what he believes to be politically correct from a corporation against a local retailer…when his job is to raise money from retailers & corporations.

Why are we at a point in our country where we feel we need to be our brother’s censor?

Our society seems to be moving away from embracing the rights enshrined in the constitution into using heavy handed tactics to punish and muzzle the opinions of people we disagree with.

Ryan is certainly entitled to his views, but I can’t help but go back to concerns about infringing upon free speech, and freedom of expression.  

When it comes to matters of economic censorship, shouldn’t retailers have a right to sell items that are legal to sell, letting the marketplace decide whether they wish to endorse the product via a purchase?  (I.E., If you don’t like it, don’t buy it.)

United States Senator Mike Rounds will be holding a Environment and Public Works (EPW) Subcommittee on Superfund, Waste Management and Regulatory Oversight hearing today in Pierre, which will be livestreamed by South Dakota Public Broadcasting, starting at 10 a.m. CT.

WHAT: Rounds to chair hearing entitled, “Oversight of the U.S. Army Corps’ Management of the Missouri River”
WHEN: Tuesday, August 22, 2017, at 10:00 a.m. CT
WHERE: South Dakota State Capitol, Room 413, 500 E. Capitol Ave., Pierre, SD

LIVESTREAM LINK: http://www.sd.net/home/

I see the liberal left is winning friends and influencing people at the Brown County Fair, as Democrat Senate Candidate Cory Heidelberger, who is still in mourning over losing to Al Novstrup this last election, apparently got into it with someone at the fair:

Does it serve a purpose to get in people’s faces and antagonize them to the point of a near shouting match at the fair?  Not really. (But don’t tell Cory, he’s doing a great job of helping Republicans win elections).

I see there’s yet another letter to the editor today in the Argus Leader attacking John Thune and Republicans:

History will not look kindly on this era of American politics, especially the extremist, misogynist, racist, classist wing driving the GOP. Senator Thune’s picture will be there, with Speaker Paul Ryan, Sen. Mitch McConnell and President Trump for our children and grandchildren to see.

Read that here.

Since many of these seem to be coming as part of an organized campaign, out of curiosity I tried to google this person, who is obviously active politically in South Dakota to write a letter of this nature.

But… curiously, there’s no record of this person on Google.  I went and tried to look up this “Ted Hollelkus” on Facebook. Nothing there, either.  I even went to the voter database. And no one with that last name in the entire system.

So, someone deeply concerned with South Dakota politics. Who isn’t registered to vote.

In addition to making up facts, it looks like someone has taken to making up names as well.

It must have been a letter to the editor from beyond the edge. Of course, with it’s anti-Republican biases, the Argus Leader was more than happy to feature it.

The Future is Within Our Reach
By Sen. John Thune

The 24-hour cable news cycle is typically dominated by front burner issues of the day – everything from the latest news in Washington to updates about events or instability in other parts of the world. Many of these stories rightfully deserve the American people’s attention, but whether it’s a national cable network or a small town newspaper, there’s never enough time in the day or space on the page to cover every single story.

One story that isn’t likely to generate a breaking news alert or land above the fold is the good work happening behind the scenes in our Senate committees. I’ve always believed that Congress can walk and chew gum at the same time. We can focus on the big picture issues of the day while keeping our nose to the grindstone on other priorities. For the last several years, that’s been my goal as chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

This year alone, the committee has sent nearly forty bills, almost all of them bipartisan, to the full Senate. More than a quarter of those bills made it to the House, and we’ve already had a handful signed into law. In early August, the Senate passed a half dozen committee-approved technology and telecommunications bills that are now one step closer to becoming law. Among them was my MOBILE NOW Act, which would help lay some important groundwork for next-generation gigabit wireless broadband services throughout the country.

If you grew up in the ‘80s or ‘90s or are interested in film and television, you’re probably familiar with Hollywood’s take on the future, which at the time only seemed possible on the big screen. Dick Tracy had a two-way radio wrist watch, Marty McFly had self-tying shoes, a smart jacket, and a hoverboard, and Elroy Jetson had, well, every kind of toy or gadget a young kid could imagine. While some of Hollywood’s futuristic portrayals have since become reality, thanks in large part to the explosive growth of wireless broadband technology, America’s innovators and entrepreneurs have the capability and desire to do so much more. That’s one of the main reasons why I introduced the MOBILE NOW Act.

My bill would help get the government out of innovators’ way by cutting red tape and ensuring more spectrum (the airwaves that help make today’s wireless technology possible) is made available to folks in the private sector. The government currently controls a large portion of underutilized spectrum, so my bill sets a realistic timeline for transferring a significant amount of it to the commercial sector for innovators and entrepreneurs to use. My bill would also accelerate and streamline the process for the creation of physical infrastructure projects, like antennas and towers, which will be required for next-generation gigabit wireless broadband services, like 5G, for example.

Think about all of the technological advancements that have occurred just in your lifetime. Now imagine what could be accomplished in the next 10 or 20 years if innovators had the tools and opportunities to take the next step, free from unnecessary government obstacles and red tape. I’m excited for what’s to come, and I hope I can help South Dakota be a pioneer in this upcoming digital revolution.

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Dakotafest Annual Opportunity to Bring All Ag Groups Together
By U.S. Senator Mike Rounds

For more than two decades, Dakotafest has been an annual event that brings together ag leaders and producers from across the state together into one place. With nearly 500 agribusinesses on-site to showcase their latest products, it is one of the premier ag events of the Northern Plains. I was grateful for the opportunity to join Sen. John Thune, Rep. Kristi Noem and area producers for Dakotafest’s annual farm policy forum again this year. Hearing firsthand from South Dakota producers is critically important as we work toward smarter, better policies for farmers and ranchers.

With the farm economy struggling and drought conditions affecting this year’s crop across the state, this year’s forum focused on the upcoming farm bill and how we can strengthen programs to help producers get through tough seasons. Maintaining and strengthening safety net provisions of the farm bill such as the crop insurance program remains my top priority in farm bill discussions. I also support raising the enrollment cap of the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), which was reduced from 32 million acres in the 2008 farm bill to 24 million acres by the end of the 2014 farm bill.

During the forum, I also heard concerns about conservation easements, particularly perpetual easements which are often agreements made by previous generations and may no longer serve their purpose for current farmers or ranchers who tend the land. That’s because perpetual easements are forever. I believe shorter-term easements would allow each generation to decide how they want to manage their land. During the last Congress, I introduced legislation that would make sure landowners know they have options for shorter-term easements when they enter into an easement agreement with the federal government. I will continue working to give our landowners greater optionality when it comes to perpetual conservation easements.

Farmers and ranchers are also concerned about having access to capital, particularly during tough times like this in order to keep their operations above water. As a member of the Senate Banking Committee, I have been looking closely at proposals to provide additional capital to ag lenders who provide both commercial and residential loans to producers. We have heard from producers that increasing the cap on the Farm Service Agency (FSA) loan guarantee limit will open up much-needed capital for farmers and ranchers.

With the current farm bill expiring in just over a year, it is important to begin discussions now about changes that need to be made in the next farm bill. Hearing firsthand from farmers and ranchers about their experiences with federal ag programs is crucial. We must make certain that federal policies work with – rather than against – our producers as they work to feed a growing global population.

I thank those who took time out of their day to visit with us at Dakotafest this year and I encourage all those involved in agriculture to remain engaged in the coming year as we continue to shape the next farm bill in Congress.

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