Category: Uncategorized

Don’t look for anything official until after session, but I’m hearing that State Senator Lance Russell may be moving forward with a bid for the office of Attorney General in the 2018 election.

The talk around the Capitol is that Lance is definitely “in,” and already starting to have discussions with potential delegates. 

As the sole West River candidate at the moment, Lance might be able to leverage that to his advantage with his deep connections to the Pennington County GOP delegation, when East River votes will likely be a bit more split.

We shall see, but it all adds up to a vibrant and exciting 2018 election for Republicans next year.

Thune Statement on Senate Confirmation of Wilbur Ross as Secretary of Commerce

“As a businessman who spent his career revitalizing struggling businesses, Wilbur Ross is an exceptional fit to revitalize our nation’s economy and create jobs as secretary of commerce.”

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, released the following statement on the Senate confirmation of Wilbur Ross as the secretary of the U.S. Department of Commerce:

“As a businessman who spent his career revitalizing struggling businesses, Wilbur Ross is an exceptional fit to revitalize our nation’s economy and create jobs as secretary of commerce,” said Thune. “His background is a valuable asset for implementing the administration’s economic agenda and helping Americans impacted by economic hard times in recent years. I look forward to working with him to boost our nation’s economy and make job creation a reality.”

Click here for information on Ross’ confirmation hearing before the Commerce Committee.

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SD District 8 Conservatives Monthly Luncheon

The monthly District 8 Conservatives Luncheon will be held Thursday, March 2nd, 2017, 11:45AM, at the Second Street Diner, 610 Washington Ave. S., in Madison.  Jim Iverson will be the guest speaker with a presentation on senior care options.

South Dakota Legislative District 8 consists of Sanborn, Miner, Lake, and Moody Counties in the East Central part of the state.

Conservatives from District 8 are invited, as well as from the surrounding area.  Order off menu, daily special available.  For information call 605-270-2991.

The liberal activist group “Indivisible” recently started a shouting match at a recent town hall in North Dakota, after inviting North Dakota US Representative Kevin Kramer, as related by North Dakota political blog Say Anything:

On Thursday last week Rep. Kevin Cramer accepted a town hall invitation from a local chapter of the national left wing group Indivisible which, per their website, was formed to “resist” the policy agenda of President Donald Trump.

The event got a little shouty, and in an interview Friday Cramer described the event to me in a radio interview as a “scheme” intended to provoke a “YouTube moment” of the Congressman saying or doing something stupid.

And..

But it’s a shame that a partisan left wing group like Indivisible would pervert the intent of such events, turning from a satisfying sort of civic engagement to a stage managed political spectacle.

Read it here.

More recently, the South Dakota chapter of the same group tried to gin up negative publicity for South Dakota’s delegation by announcing a fake town hall in Sioux Falls, placing empty chairs on the stage, aping Clint Eastwood at the GOP National Convention by trying to claim that the delegation was absent.

But was their goal actual discourse and discussion? Of course not. They’re not holding town halls. They’re holding hate rallies. Their sole goal is to attack Republicans.  Interestingly, in North Dakota, where Democrat Senator Heidi Heitkamp is, the local Indivisible Chapter has exempted her from their demands.

In case you missed the point, this sounds like an effort being organized and coordinated to attack Republicans on a nationwide basis:

Leaked audio from an anti-Trump protest group meeting reveals activists with anti-Trump group Indivisible plotting how to best manufacture a hostile environment at a town hall with Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana on Friday.

The audio, obtained by local radio station KPEL, reveals a coordinated effort to create the public impression that Cassidy’s support for Trump is unpopular with his constituents. The activists, who describe themselves as liberals in the audio, can be heard strategizing how to best turn a local town hall into a political victory.

The activists split up into an “inside team” — tasked with occupying “as many seats as we can” and an “outside team,” whose job was to “give [the media] the coverage they want” before joining the others inside. Activists were instructed to dress like conservatives and leave at home “any signifier that you’re a liberal” in order to blend in with constituents.

and…

“Game plan number one is to fill as many seats as we can, right? If it’s all of us in there and the poor people of Breaux Bridge are sitting behind us, well then tough luck for them,” said one organizer, identified by KPEL as James Proctor. His “poor people” comment drew laughs from the other activists.

and..

“The Indivisible Guide does say that when you start to lose the meeting, that’s when you boo and hiss,” one unidentified activist can be heard saying. “Right, I was going to say that,” another activist replied. Local news outlet The Advertiser reported that members of the crowd “frequently interrupted, expressing disagreement with some of Cassidy’s positions and shouting out their own questions.”

One woman can be heard on the audio saying she was in contact with the national Indivisible organization.

Read it all here.

Infiltrate town halls. Shut out locals who have legitimate concerns. “The guide” says to boo and hiss when you start to lose the meeting.

It sounds like this group is far less concerned with legislators meeting with their constituents, and more like an angry group trying to continue to run the political campaign they just lost.

From the Attorney General’s office:

AG Issues Official Opinion Relating to “Vote Trading” and “Vehicle  Bills”

PIERRE, S.D. – Attorney General Marty Jackley has issued an Official Opinion on whether “vote trading” and “vehicle bills” are  prohibited:

AGoffopin1702rel by Pat Powers on Scribd

When it comes to horse trading on legislation – which is common in any legislature in the country – Senator Nelson has now been informed via an official Attorney General’s opinion that compromise is “not illegal.”

From KELO-AM, I heard this on the way to taking my son to School. And I had to do a double take on who they were saying was also considering a run:

Michels says it’s very heartening to hear support for a gubernatorial bid but says he’ll wait until the legislative session is over before making a decision.

and…

Attorney General Marty Jackley and U.S. Representative Kristi Noem have announced their candidacy.

There are other rumblings as to possible candidates for governor, including former governor and current U.S. Senator Mike Rounds.

On the Democrat’s side, Senate Minority Leader Billie Sutton is rumored as a potential candidate as is former United States Attorney of South Dakota Brendan Johnson.

Read that all here.

They have a few right, but they must be picking up some of their rumors at the local tavern, where drunks are throwing out random names.

Absolutely, Matt Michels, Kristi Noem and Marty Jackley are all thinking about it/actively in the hunt. And yes, for a long time Billie Sutton has been encouraged to to be the Democrat sacrificial lamb candidate.

But Brendan Johnson for Governor? That’s never come up, and frankly, with his experience and pedigree, it makes little to no sense. His chances would be far better in a contest for a federal office, but as far as I know, I haven’t heard he has any interest in jumping into things anytime soon.

And Mike Rounds is going to quit his US Senate seat to run for Governor again? Really? Sorry, but whoever is ‘rumbling’ that is just engaging in crazy talk.

Moving on….

An Agenda Built on Growth and Strength
By Sen. John Thune

Although President Trump has been in office for more than 30 days now, many of his Cabinet nominees are still waiting for a simple up-or-down vote in the U.S. Senate. These delays have little to do with the nominees’ qualifications and everything to do with Senate Democrats’ failure to accept the results of the 2016 election.

To put this historic level of obstruction into perspective, the confirmation process for President Trump’s nominees is the slowest since George Washington was president – you know, when people had to travel by horse and buggy.

Since the 1950s, most (if not all) Cabinet nominees for incoming presidents had been confirmed by this point in their presidencies. From 1881 to 1933 when Franklin Roosevelt became president, every single Cabinet nominee was confirmed on the first day of a new administration. When Senate Republicans were in the minority and President Obama came into office, we didn’t stall the confirmation process. While we disagreed politically, we knew how important it was for the new government to get up and running as quickly as possible.

Despite this obstruction, the Senate has already made progress on our commitment to repeal and replace Obamacare. Earlier this year, we passed an Obamacare repeal resolution that gives Congress the tools it needs to dismantle this failed law and replace it with reforms that drive down costs and increase access to quality care. After significant delays, the Senate approved Dr. Tom Price to lead the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. He will play an integral role in our effort to reform our health care system so it works more efficiently for the American people.

Our 2017 agenda also includes reforming our outdated tax code for the first time in 30 years. In today’s global economy, a simpler and fairer tax code would give U.S. businesses a more competitive edge. It would also help strengthen our economy – get us back to growth rates of 3 percent or higher. A strong, healthy economy leads to more good-paying jobs, which is exactly what we need.

Also this year, we’ll confirm Judge Neil Gorsuch to serve on the Supreme Court. There’s no shortage of ways to describe Judge Gorsuch: mainstream, well-qualified, universally respected, just to name a few. By the time his nomination comes before the Senate, I hope cooler heads will have prevailed and Democrats will give him an up-or-down vote – the same courtesy Republicans gave to President Obama’s first-term Supreme Court nominees.

While I understand my colleagues’ disappointment with having lost the election (I’ve been in their shoes, too), this is what happens in a democracy. But there are no winners when progress is held hostage purely out of spite and anger. Whether or not Democrats change their approach and work with, rather than against Republicans – and I hope they will – I’m not going to let that get in the way of delivering for South Dakota.

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Advancing Regulatory Reform Through EPW Subcommittee
By Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.)

For the past two years, I had the opportunity to chair a subcommittee in the Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee focusing on regulatory oversight, providing much-needed reviews of the regulatory processes at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Army Corps, and other agencies. It was recently announced that I will have the opportunity to again be the chairman of the Subcommittee on Superfund, Waste Management and Regulatory Oversight during this next session of Congress. I’m looking forward to building upon the work we have done to advance meaningful regulatory reform that will benefit our economy while simultaneously preserving our natural resources.

Our subcommittee is tasked with overseeing the rulemaking processes at agencies like the EPA and Army Corps. We will continue to hold hearings, as we did during the past two years, to make sure these agencies are using sound science and taking into account economic, state, and local concerns when issuing any new regulations. Under the Obama administration, we too often saw regulatory agencies fail to adequately consult with local units of government and other stakeholders before issuing regulations that directly impact their livelihoods. We will also continue to oversee the Army Corps’ management of the Missouri River and work with them to avoid another devastating flood event like the flood of 2011. We held a field hearing on the 2011 flood during the last Congress where it was revealed that there is room for improvement within the Army Corps to make certain they manage the Missouri River in an appropriate and responsible manner.

At a subcommittee field hearing during the last Congress, we heard from South Dakotans about the negative impact of one of these rules, the Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule, which would give the EPA unprecedented authority over significant water bodies that it currently does not have jurisdiction over. The rule would create new barriers for not just the ag community but landowners and local leaders who simply want to keep weeds from growing along our roads and ditches. Yet, our committee found that EPA continuously ignored the concerns of farmers, ranchers, agriculture groups, state governors, attorneys general and the Small Business Administration before moving ahead with the WOTUS rule. Despite these concerns and a nationwide court stay against the rule, the previous administration also illegally worked to implement it.

Fortunately, President Trump’s newly-confirmed EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt intends to turn a new page at the EPA. Administrator Pruitt is committed to working diligently to restore order at the agency, promising to consult with state and local leaders when making decisions, using only the most current, sound science and – importantly – working with Congress before making any sweeping regulatory changes. This is a breath of fresh air for many farmers, ranchers, local leaders and landowners across the state.

The success of the U.S. economy and the creation of American jobs depends on Congress making a concerted effort to take back their authority and reign in the rulemaking process, and the EPW oversight subcommittee is ready to take on that task. We will continue to conduct a thorough review of the regulatory process at the EPA, Army Corps, and other agencies. And when we see areas that need fixing, we will work with them to find solutions that take both our economy and the environment into consideration.

We all want clean air and water, and I believe we can achieve that without imposing excessive regulations on the American people. I look forward to working with EPW Chairman John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), other members of my subcommittee and the new administration to explore further ways to hold regulatory agencies accountable to the public.

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Securing the Blessings of Liberty
By Rep. Kristi Noem

There is no role more directly within the federal government’s jurisdiction than ensuring our nation’s security. Our Constitution was written to assure that: “We the People … in Order to … insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence … and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution….”

Today, radical Islamic terrorists seek to pose an existential threat to our democracy and the Blessings of Liberty we celebrate. ISIL, al-Qaeda, Boko Haram and others have sought to expand their physical boundaries and the reach of their violent ideology. These groups are convicted to destroy both our people and our values in the most gruesome and brutal manner possible.

President Dwight D. Eisenhower “kept the peace by using our own strength” – a sentiment shared by President Ronald Reagan, whose foreign policy was summed up with the familiar phrase: “Peace through strength.” I believe the same approach is needed today.

The United States has the world’s most powerful and skilled military. Our men and women in uniform are second to none. But President Obama whittled away at our military and too often muddled its mission, even claiming that climate change could pose a graver threat to our national security than terrorism. Military equipment must be upgraded. Training and new technologies must be invested in. Our readiness must be improved, not only to prepare for a major crisis, but to let our enemies know we’re ready to respond to a major crisis.

In his 1983 State of the Union address, President Reagan explained: “Our strategy for peace with freedom must be based on strength – economic strength and military strength.” America’s economy has endured serious blows throughout the last decade. Jobs have been shipped overseas. Taxes and regulations have made it difficult to start a business – let alone, expand one. We have to get our economy going again, something I’m eager to work with President Trump to accomplish.

At the same time, it’s necessary we weaken the economic backing of terror groups. One of the worst outcomes of President Obama’s deal with Iran was that it flooded Iran with cash. Iran, one of the world’s largest state sponsors of terrorism, received almost immediate sanctions relief, producing an economic impact of as much as $150 billion. I’m optimistic we’ll be able to work with the Trump administration to cut off terrorism’s economic engines.

Additionally, we have a constitutional responsibility to “insure domestic Tranquility.” Too much blood has been shed by terrorists on American soil. Still, our border remains porous and our immigration policies inadequate. I have participated in classified briefings on this subject. I’ve visited countries, like Greece and Egypt, which sit on the front lines of the refugee crisis. I can tell you definitively: our current vetting processes are inadequate.

We often rely on government-to-government relationships to conduct immigration vetting, but in countries like Syria where the government has collapsed, it’s nearly impossible to verify that someone is who they say they are. This is why I support putting a temporary pause on accepting refugees and other immigrants from terrorist-held areas until the administration can certify those coming into our country do not present a threat. I’ve also backed legislation empowering state governors to deny refugee resettlements in their states.

My number one priority is the safety and security of the American people. That’s what our Constitution requires of me and what ultimately will secure the Blessings of Liberty for ourselves and our Posterity.

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An Unglamorous, Yet Necessary, Undertaking
A column by Gov. Dennis Daugaard:

The word that best sums up the public trust held by elected officials is stewardship. Stewardship – the careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one’s care – has been my goal as governor. It is through good stewardship that we balance the budget each year, make improvements to the state pension system and adopt new budget practices.

Stewardship also involves the sound management of tangible state assets. Regular maintenance of state-owned facilities prevents larger problems in the future, but state government also needs to constantly reevaluate its need for the facilities that we have. When I first ran for governor, I talked about the need to scrutinize state-owned land and buildings – and to sell assets that were underutilized. This has been an ongoing process now for six years.

We first addressed the Human Services Center in Yankton. A number of buildings on the campus were vacant and some were beyond repair. As we started to pursue sales options, we heard concerns from those within the community who stressed the need to preserve the history of HSC. We worked with the Yankton County Historical Society to negotiate a lease-purchase agreement for the historic Mead Building. The local historical society has since been beautifully restoring this building. With the Legislature’s support, we then sold the remaining unneeded land and demolished many vacant, dilapidated buildings.

Next, we looked at the campus of the South Dakota Developmental Center in Redfield. Like the Yankton facility, this large campus was built to house over a thousand South Dakotans with developmental or mental health issues, often for their entire lives. Today, the campus serves only about 125 persons. This year, I am asking legislators to authorize the transfer of several vacant buildings and the adjoining lands from that campus to the City of Redfield, which has expressed an interest in refurbishing the buildings and returning them to a public use.

We are also discussing a potential sale of the former State Training School campus in Plankinton. This property has been leased for over a decade to a private company that operates the Aurora Plains Academy there. We are evaluating the potential to sell the campus, and I have brought a bill to authorize that potential sale this year as well.

There is also a bill pertaining to the potential sale of the STAR Academy property outside of Custer, which closed last March. There are too few juveniles in the corrections system to justify this large campus. Even a future increase of juveniles in corrections would not justify reopening STAR Academy; we would use smaller, more efficient facilities that are closer to population centers. My hope is that the STAR Academy property, which is at a scenic Black Hills location, can be sold and developed to create jobs and economic activity in the area.

Also in the Black Hills area, the construction of the new State Veterans Home in Hot Springs has led us to reevaluate the land and buildings on that campus, and I am asking legislators to approve legislation that allows us to explore repurposing portions of that campus.

Likewise, property formerly used by Western Dakota Tech in Rapid City will be reverting to state ownership. The state has no use for this property, and another bill would authorize its sale. I also hope the Legislature will pass a similar bill allowing the state to sell the former School for the Deaf buildings and property, located on East Tenth Street in Sioux Falls.

Stewardship efforts such as these may seem run-of-the-mill or un-noteworthy during a busy legislative session. Yet, they are still important proposals. We owe it to the taxpayers to keep the state’s footprint to a minimum, to avoid spending tax dollars on maintenance of unneeded facilities and to return these properties to the tax rolls when possible. It may be an unglamorous undertaking, but it’s a necessary one.

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