Category: Uncategorized

Rounds Statement on Meeting With Dr. Ben Carson

WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) today made the following statement following his meeting with Dr. Ben Carson, who President-elect Trump recently announced he will nominate to be Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD): 

“I thank Dr. Carson for taking the time to meet with me this morning to discuss his ideas for the Department of Housing and Urban Development. During our visit, we discussed ways to streamline HUD and make it more effective, as well as housing priorities in South Dakota, particularly in our tribal communities. I thank Dr. Carson for his willingness to take on this important role in government and look forward to his confirmation hearing.” 

Rounds is a member of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, which has jurisdiction over HUD and will hold Carson’s confirmation hearing. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has pledged to consider all of President-elect Trump’s nominations in a thorough and timely manner in order to assure a smooth transition between administrations.

 

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Attorney General Marty Jackley had a fundraiser in Rapid City last night towards his campaign (with checks payable to Marty Jackley for Governor)

And from his facebook page, it looks like he had a nice crowd there.

Never let it be said that State Dems passed up an opportunity to take taxpayer money, according to KCCR Radio:

Republican Governor Dennis Daugaard urged the State Legislature in Pierre Tuesday not to fund a major part of Initiated Measure 22 approved by the voters. Democrat Leaders say that is “a little bit dangerous.”

The leaders of the small contingent of Democrats in Pierre insist there is enough money to fund public financing of election campaigns, the so-called Democracy Credits, without hurting other budget areas.

State House Democratic Leader Spence Hawley of Brookings says they need to hash out the measure. State Senate Democratic leader Billie Sutton of Burke suggested Daugaard is going against the will of the people.

Read it here.

Serious? Or a momentary musing?

Update – Apparently Todd is serious.

19th Annual Pie Day Scheduled for Saturday December 10th

PIERRE, S.D – Attorney General Marty Jackley announced today that the 19th Annual Pie Day will be held on Saturday, December 10th. The event begins at 11:00 a.m. at the Capitol building in Pierre.

“I want to extend an invitation to the 19th Annual Pie Day. It is the perfect opportunity to take in “Christmas at the Capitol” and enjoy a slice of pie,” said Jackley.

The event will include free pie, cookies, coffee and ice cream. This event is free and the public is encouraged to stop by the Capitol and enjoy. Area talent will provide entertainment throughout the day.

If you have any questions regarding this event please contact Sara Rabern at 605-773-3215.

Top Priorities for Next Congress: Repealing Obamacare and Confirming a Supreme Court Nominee

“Repealing Obamacare and confirming a Supreme Court nominee are two important things we’re going to do next year, but they’re just the beginning.” 

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today discussed the remaining items the 114^th Congress will tackle this year, including the National Defense Authorization Act, which is important legislation that would provide our troops with the resources they need to keep Americans safe. Thune also discussed two important issues that Republicans plan to take on at the beginning of the 115^th Congress: repealing Obamacare and confirming a Supreme Court nominee.

Governor Dennis Daugaard makes no bones about the fact that IM22 would divert badly needed funds away from education – and he’s not going to propose that they fund political campaigns from state coffers.

Daugaard on Monday told Argus Leader Media that he plans to ask lawmakers to support him in opting out of funding a so-called “democracy credit” program that could cost the state close to $4.91 million. Under the law passed last month by voters, the state is required to fund a program that grants two $50 vouchers that let voters support political campaigns of their choice.

“I’ll be up-front in my speech and ask them not to fund that,” Daugaard said of the program. “Especially in a year that’s so tight for revenue, I just can’t believe that voters would want us to reduce the money we could be spending on education or Medicaid or nursing homes.”

Read it here.

Attorney General Jackley Issues Official Opinion Relating to Marsy’s Law

PIERRE, S.D. – Attorney General Marty Jackley has issued an Official Opinion on the implementation of Marsy’s Law as it relates to release of auto accident reports to the public, the release of street addresses where crimes occur, and the names of victims in crime report logs or law enforcement radio traffic requested.

“While there is more work being done, this opinion is intended to help victims and those assisting victims in carrying out our new law,” said Jackley. “I would like to thank the individual Task Force members for their willingness to serve and for their assistance on these issues that have affected law enforcement and the public statewide,” said Jackley.

marsyslawAGop16-02 by Pat Powers on Scribd

Noem Votes to Send Thune Legislation Addressing Prescribed Burn Concerns to President

Washington, D.C. – Rep. Kristi Noem today helped the House pass S.3395, the Prescribed Burn Approval Act, sending it to President Obama for his signature. First introduced by Sen. John Thune and subsequently passed by the Senate, S.3395 would prohibit the U.S. Forest Service from authorizing prescribed burns in an area labeled as an extreme fire danger, except under certain circumstances with local coordination. The legislation is in response to the April 2015 Pautre Fire, which scorched more than 10,000 acres in western South Dakota.

“The extremely careless mishandling of the Pautre fire resulted in more than 10,000 acres of privately and publicly held land being unintentionally consumed by wildfire. Families were devastated. Multiple firefighting units and personnel were put in harm’s way. This burn should not have occurred that day without the collaboration and additional precautions such a burn requires,” said Noem. “The Prescribed Burn Approval Act is a step in the right direction, helping ensure necessary precautions are taken while also adding additional transparency and accountability measures for the Forest Service to adhere to. I thank Senator Thune for his work on the bill and encourage President Obama to promptly sign this legislation.”

Energy Transfer Partners and Sunoco Logistics Partners Respond to the Statement from the Department of the Army

Energy Transfer Partners, L.P. (NYSE: ETP) and Sunoco Logistics Partners L.P. (NYSE: SXL) announced that the Administration’s statement today that it would not at this time issue an “easement” to Dakota Access Pipeline is a purely political action – which the Administration concedes when it states it has made a “policy decision” – Washington code for a political decision. This is nothing new from this Administration, since over the last four months the Administration has demonstrated by its action and inaction that it intended to delay a decision in this matter until President Obama is out of office. 

For more than three years now, Dakota Access Pipeline has done nothing but play by the rules. The Army Corps of Engineers agrees, and has said so publicly and in federal court filings. The Corps’ review process and its decisions have been ratified by two federal courts. The Army Corps confirmed this again today when it stated its “policy decision” does “not alter the Army’s position that the Corps’ prior reviews and actions have comported with legal requirements.”

In spite of consistently stating at every turn that the permit for the crossing of the Missouri River at Lake Oahe granted in July 2016, comported with all legal requirements, including the use of an environmental assessment, rather than an environmental impact statement, the Army Corps now seeks to engage in additional review and analysis of alternative locations for the pipeline.

The White House’s directive today to the Corps for further delay is just the latest in a series of overt and transparent political actions by an administration which has abandoned the rule of law in favor of currying favor with a narrow and extreme political constituency.

As stated all along, ETP and SXL are fully committed to ensuring that this vital project is brought to completion and fully expect to complete construction of the pipeline without any additional rerouting in and around Lake Oahe. Nothing this Administration has done today changes that in any way.

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