Category: Uncategorized

Gov. Daugaard Seeks Advisory Opinions On Senate Bill 136 And Senate Bill 159

PIERRE, S.D. – Gov. Dennis Daugaard has requested advisory opinions from the South Dakota Supreme Court on Senate Bill 136, “An Act to permit certain cropland along lakes, rivers, and streams to be assessed as noncropland” and Senate Bill 159, “An Act to provide a tax credit to insurance companies that contribute to an organization providing educational scholarships to certain students.”

Both bills were passed by the South Dakota State Legislature and are currently under the Governor’s consideration.

Article V, section 5 of the South Dakota Constitution authorizes the Governor “to require opinions of the Supreme Court upon important questions of law involved in the exercise of his executive power.”

“Questions about the constitutionality of each of these bills were raised during the legislative debates,” said Gov. Daugaard. “My request for advisory opinions will allow these questions to be resolved before I decide whether to sign or veto these bills.”

The Governor is required to take action on both SB 136 and SB 159 by Saturday, March 26, 2016. The state Legislature will return for a final day on Tuesday, March 29, to consider any vetoes.

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In two weeks, plus one day, we’re going to know 95% of the people running on the ballot this year, excepting those few stragglers who will be sending in their petitions via registered mail.

Aside from Democrats falling woefully short of the 105 people Ann Tornberg boasted would be running on the Democrat ticket for legislature, does anyone have any predictions?

Making Air Travel a Little Less Stressful
By Sen. John Thune

This won’t come as any surprise to most South Dakotans, but flying to and from rural America can be a challenging and oftentimes frustrating experience. Even on the best flying days, travelers often face fewer options at smaller airports. Add the seasonal threats of inclement weather to the mix, and all bets are off, because with many flights from South Dakota connecting through major hubs in other parts of the region, one stray storm can have a ripple effect that leads to missed or canceled flights on future legs of a trip.

Legislation I recently introduced, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act of 2016, addresses some of the issues that disproportionately affect rural air travelers. This bipartisan legislation, which would reauthorize the FAA through the next fiscal year, takes on the important task of enhancing consumer protections, investing in our airport infrastructure across South Dakota, and makes needed reforms to advance priorities of the general aviation community.

In an increasingly interconnected world, business, commercial, and general aviation play an important role in economic development – particularly in South Dakota where wide open spaces make transportation options critical. This legislation reauthorizes the Airport Improvement Program, which provides necessary funding to airports in communities large and small across the state, and it increases funding for the Small Community Air Service Development Program, which helps airports attract commercial service.

Additionally, a number of general aviation priorities are reflected in this bill. Specifically, an important safety provision would require small towers, not currently regulated by the FAA, to be properly marked so pilots who operate at low-altitude, like agriculture-applicators, can easily spot and avoid them. The bill also adopts the Pilot’s Bill of Rights 2, which makes several reforms to the Third Class Medical Certificate process to reduce regulatory burdens for recreational pilots, while still maintaining safety.

My legislation would advance a number of provisions aimed at protecting airline passengers, ensuring they are treated fairly. For example, airlines would be required to provide consumers with information about seat availability at the time of booking, which would help families that prefer to sit together during a flight pick an option that best satisfies their needs. This bill would also require airlines to return baggage fees when items are lost or delayed, create a standard method for airlines to disclose common fees, and take steps to help improve the travel experience for passengers with disabilities, who often face unique and difficult challenges during air travel.

The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, a committee I’ve chaired since the beginning of last year, will soon consider this reauthorization bill, and I’m hopeful the full Senate will pass it shortly thereafter. These important reforms are within reach, and I’m proud that we were able to build such a broad coalition of support for this bill. It’s one of many pieces of legislation our committee has worked hard to advance this Congress, and it won’t be the last.

Note: Click here for more information about the FAA Reauthorization Act and how it would benefit South Dakota.

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The Opioid Epidemic Affects All of Us
By Senator Mike Rounds

Across South Dakota and the United States, prescription painkiller and heroin abuse is increasing. In the last 15 years, abuse of opioids has risen more than 200 percent. It is tearing apart families, ruining lives and killing individuals who suffer from addiction throughout the entire country. It’s important to address this growing epidemic and reverse this dangerous trend.

Tragically, 44 Americans die each day from overdosing on painkillers. And South Dakota isn’t immune: In 2014, 63 South Dakotans died from drug overdoses. That same year, 13,000 South Dakotans needed treatment from illegal drug use but failed to receive it, including 3,000 youth. As a result, communities are suffering.

The Senate has been working on a solution to tackle the opioid epidemic on three fronts: prevention, treatment and combating overdose. The Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA) of 2016 that recently passed the Senate is a bipartisan solution that will help communities combat opioid abuse at the local level. It is supported by more than 130 national anti-drug groups, as well as 38 state Attorneys General, including South Dakota Attorney General, Marty Jackley.

CARA will strengthen law enforcement and recovery programs through state and local grants. One purpose of the grant programs is to improve treatment of substance abuse disorders in the criminal justice system and strengthen law enforcement’s ability to counter the trafficking of illegal drugs. The programs will also expand prevention, education and treatment opportunities and limit the availability of prescription opioids through drug takeback and prescription drug monitoring programs. It creates two task forces and authorizes a number of discretionary grant programs to combat substance abuse and overdose deaths. This comprehensive approach is an evidence-based solution that will help communities combat this epidemic.

When we think of drug abusers, we might identify them as the disenfranchised in our communities, those who may not have a job or a home or a family. Especially in the case of opioid addiction, that stereotype just isn’t true. Studies have shown that no one in society is immune to opioid abuse, including our neighbors, our friends and our family members. Many times, addiction starts with a legal painkiller prescription from a doctor following surgery or to manage chronic pain. Because opioids are highly addictive and often result in a physical dependency, they can easily lead to abuse. When the prescription runs out, addicts often purchase them illegally on the street or turn to a cheaper, even more dangerous substitute: heroin.

Addiction is a devastating dependency that has spread to all corners of our society. The Senate’s passage of the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act is an important step toward ending the heartbreaking issue of drug abuse in the United States. It will help save lives, keep families intact and keep our communities safe and secure. By expanding prevention efforts, enhancing support for law enforcement and increasing access to treatment, we can begin to reverse and stop the growing epidemic of opioid addiction in the United States.

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The Poverty Problem
By Rep. Kristi Noem

The poverty problem in our country – in our own state – breaks my heart.  It’s more than a lack of cash flow.  It’s a deficiency of opportunity, of hope.  It’s a seemingly inescapable reality for many that is time and again passed down from generation to generation.  And the programs put in place to help often perpetuate the problem.

In the last seven years, the cycle of poverty has not only continued, it’s accelerated.  Since President Obama took office, around six million more Americans have slipped into poverty.

The path to upward mobility for these individuals and families is lined with obstacles.  We have to help break down those barriers.  As a member of the House Ways and Means Committee and as a representative of a state that includes some of the most impoverished counties in the country, I am working to move forward real solutions that restore opportunity and address the root causes of poverty.

That agenda begins with recognizing the best path out of poverty goes through the workplace.  Today’s federal programs can help to avoid crisis, but they fail to equip low-income individuals with the tools needed to move up the economic ladder.

There are very few people in this world who want to stay on federal programs their whole life.  They want to achieve their dreams.  Our system, then, should be focused on getting people back to work, out there searching for a job, or into a training program that will help them launch a career if they are to receive benefits.

But right now, the federal government often disincentives work, and by doing that, it can trap people in poverty.  The government has set up cliffs where it can make less financial sense to get a job or accept a promotion than to stay on federal programs.  That’s wrong.  The incentives system needs to be realigned.

This means we must also redefine “success” when it comes to welfare policy.  For decades, success has been defined by increasing enrollment numbers and the dollars spent. It should be defined instead by whether or not the programs are producing meaningful outcomes.

None of this can be accomplished, however, without also improving the integrity of our welfare system. It is wrought with fraud, waste, and abuse.  Today, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families – or TANF – is the predominant federal program used to support low-income individuals and transition them into the workforce. Loopholes have diluted the program’s effectiveness.  Some states have been allowed to manipulate their numbers in order to get taxpayer money without helping people find jobs. South Dakota doesn’t allow for this kind of manipulation and I’d like to see our way of doing things carried out nationwide.  I’ve introduced legislation to close this loophole and am actively working to ensure it advances through the legislative process.

Speaker of the House Paul Ryan often says: “The condition of your birth should not determine the outcome of your life.  This is who we are as a nation.”  I agree, but many – including thousands in our state – don’t see how that could be true for them.

Earlier this month, the U.S. Commerce Department announced South Dakota’s economy grew by an astounding 9.2 percent in the third quarter of 2015 – the largest rate of growth in the nation.  That compares to just 1.9 percent growth during that same period nationwide.  Still, the poorest county in the country is in South Dakota.  These families deserve a solution and I’m committed to offering one that produces more accountability and better efficiency to protect what Middle Class Americans have earned, while also generating greater financial independence and a path to upward mobility for those who need it most. This must be a priority.

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The 2016 Legislative Session
A column by Gov. Dennis Daugaard:

The main run of the 2016 Legislative Session has just concluded.

In nine intense weeks, state legislators have grappled with some of the most important issues facing South Dakota – everything from education, to hunting, to public safety, to transportation, to health care. Many of the actions taken this year will have an impact for years and decades to come.

I am particularly proud that the state Legislature continues to uphold our state’s longtime commitment to balanced budgets and fiscal discipline. Our state constitution mandates a balanced budget, and we achieve that goal without accounting gimmicks, without spending one-time money on ongoing expenses, and without unreasonably optimistic projections of revenues or expenses.

Our state has an open legislative process, in which every bill receives an open, public hearing at which anyone can offer comment. In a very short session, the Legislature handles hundreds of bills. Decisions are rarely based on partisanship or political posturing – they are based on honest exchanges of information and argument.

South Dakota can be proud of our state Legislature and of our legislative process. Our state legislators are truly “servant leaders.” They serve on a part-time basis, with low pay and very little staff. They leave their homes, farms, and businesses to come to Pierre to represent their friends and neighbors.

As the session ends, legislators will be leaving Pierre and returning to their communities. During session, they often hear from those who have criticisms or requests. I hope that, if you see a legislator in the coming weeks, you will join me in saying “thank you” for their service to South Dakota.

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A reader pointed out the following facebook page for Drew Dennert, who is apparently running for the open seat in District 3 being vacated by Al Novstrup who will be handily winning the State Senate seat in his district this coming November.

I heard an interesting rumor today.

I was told that down in District 19 (Bon Homme, Douglas, Hanson, Hutchinson, McCook) for the senate seat being vacated by Bill VanGerpen, a primary is afoot.

As was told to me, on one side is former US Senate Candidate Stace “Hell No” Nelson who has supposedly been gathering signatures to run for the office.

On the other side is a primary opponent who in the process of announcing.

Are we ready for that fight?

And is the State Senate ready for the possibility of Nelson’s returning to the legislature to join that body?

Rounds Statement on Senate Passage of Bill to Combat Prescription Drug Addiction

WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) today voted for S. 524, the bipartisan Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA) of 2016, which passed out of the Senate today by a vote of 94-1. CARA seeks to address the growing opioid abuse epidemic in the United States by authorizing state and local grants for treatment, stronger law enforcement and recovery programs. Opioids is another term for heroin and prescription painkillers.

“The number of Americans addicted to heroin and prescription painkillers has more than doubled in the last 15 years,” said Rounds. “It is a devastating dependency that has spread to all corners of our society, impacting not only those who suffer from addiction, but their friends, families and entire communities. Fortunately, opioid addiction is treatable and preventable. Our bipartisan Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act provides a comprehensive, evidence-based approach to help Americans combat this epidemic beginning at the local level. By expanding prevention efforts, enhancing support for law enforcement and increasing access to treatment, we can begin to reverse and stop the growing epidemic of opioid addiction.”

The Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act of 2016 will:

• Expand prevention and educational efforts—particularly aimed at teens, parents and other caretakers, and aging populations—to prevent the abuse of opioids and heroin and to promote treatment and recovery.
• Expand the availability of naloxone to law enforcement agencies and other first responders to help in the reversal of overdoses to save lives.
• Expand resources to identify and treat incarcerated individuals suffering from addiction disorders promptly by collaborating with criminal justice stakeholders and by providing evidence-based treatment.
• Expand disposal sites for unwanted prescription medications to keep them out of the hands of our children and adolescents.
• Launch an evidence-based opioid and heroin treatment and intervention program to expand best practices throughout the country.
• Launch a medication assisted treatment and intervention demonstration program.
• Strengthen prescription drug monitoring programs to help states monitor and track prescription drug diversion and to help at-risk individuals access services.

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