Category: Uncategorized

Steps Forward In Mental Health
A column by Gov. Dennis Daugaard:

A significant number of Americans struggle with mental illness. For many the struggle is silent. Some experience short-term mental health problems; it’s not uncommon for individuals temporarily to face mild forms of mental illness at some point during their lives. For others though, it’s a lifelong battle that requires consistent treatment. No community is untouched by mental illness. It affects schools, work places and families.

Last year the Helmsley Charitable Trust’s Rural Healthcare Program released a study on mental health in South Dakota. The study found that our state has a high prevalence of undiagnosed and untreated depression as well as a very high prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety. While 87 percent of survey respondents reported receiving all needed medical care, only 64 percent reported receiving all needed mental health care, and just 54 percent received all needed substance use care.

Without proper treatment, individuals with mental health problems can land in the emergency room or in jail. When a person showing signs of mental illness behaves in a way that causes arrest, a court may order an evaluation of the person’s fitness to stand trial. In recent years, the increased number of these court-ordered evaluations has caused delays for the mentally ill. In some instances, mentally ill individuals had to wait in jail several months for competency evaluations to be completed.

Recognizing this problem, South Dakota Supreme Court Chief Justice David Gilbertson convened a task force to address delays in court-ordered mental health evaluations and shortfalls in treatment for the mentally ill within the justice system.

Funded by a grant from the Helmsley Charitable Trust, the task force released its report in November. Among its findings, it recognized that our system lacks procedures to identify mental illness quickly after an arrest, and in many cases jails are not equipped to deal with mental health needs. In some cases, diversion options that are already authorized by statute are not available in all areas of the state.

This legislative session, the Legislature is considering House Bill 1183, which would enact the task force’s recommendations.

The legislation will provide law enforcement with tools to better identify and respond to mental health crises, prevent unnecessary jail admissions, and assist communities in building capacity to offer intervention services. The bill will also expand the pool of providers who can provide competency evaluations, and will shift funding from the Human Services Center directly to counties to perform these evaluations. An oversight council will monitor implementation and recommend changes to future legislatures.

I thank the Chief Justice and task force members for undertaking this work and offering their recommendations, and I thank the Helmsley Charitable Trust for the funding they provided.

I support HB 1183 and I hope legislators will send the bill to my desk. These common sense proposals will be steps forward for our state.

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The USS Zumwalt. The first of an entirely new class of destroyer.

The posting is looking lighter and lighter today!

This is the view from my brunch table as I’m overlooking San Diego Harbor across the bay from Coronado island. I think a trip to the Maritime museum might have to happen over the next couple of days!

The wife and I also enjoyed a conversation from the table next to me, with an older gentleman who just happened to originally be from Monroe South Dakota. Apparently, the world is too small!

I do have to say, a person could live in California if it wasn’t for all the darned liberals.

Attorney General Jackley Joins Amicus to Protect Second Amendment Rights

PIERRE, S.D. – Attorney General Marty Jackley has joined an amicus brief filed in the United States Supreme Court by 26 Attorneys General seeking to protect Second Amendment rights.
“

The Second Amendment gives law-abiding citizens the fundamental right to bear arms for the defense of themselves, their families and their homes. As Attorney General, I have a strong interest in protecting and defending our law-abiding citizen’s right to keep and bear arms,” stated Jackley.

The brief was filed in the case of Edward Peruta v. State of California. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals held that there was no right to concealed carry of a firearm. The brief argues that requirements imposed to carry a gun in San Diego violate the Second Amendment. Those requirements are being interpreted to prevent ordinary citizens from qualifying for a permit. Simply fearing for one’s safety was not sufficient, necessitating the need for a previously documented threat. The states contend that the requirements effectively ban the core right to bear arms for ordinary law-abiding citizens.

The brief also argues that the fundamental constitutional right to keep and bear arms extends beyond the home because self-defense exists outside the home. The States assert that the Second Amendment right does as well.
The Attorneys General argue that “Both the text and history of the Second Amendment demonstrate that the right to keep and bear arms does not stop at the front door of the home”.

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Apparently my daughter went and ‘did lunch’ with Public Utilities Commissioner Kristie Fiegen today, who was very complimentary towards her. And Sydney informed me she sat next to and enjoyed the company of the first lady, Linda Daugaard at the meal all the pages attended at the Governor’s Mansion.

Not having been to Pierre once this year, I’m starting to get a bit of a complex.

Next thing you know, she’s going to demand a column!

Thune Meets With Secretary of the Air Force Nominee Heather Wilson

“I hope that she has a successful confirmation hearing and ultimately we can get her voted on and into the position where she can start doing good things for our state and for our country.”  

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today met with South Dakota School of Mines and Technology (SDSM&T) President Heather Wilson who was recently nominated to serve as the next secretary of the Air Force.

“She really understands the issues when it comes to national security,” said Thune. “She’s got a great local understanding of the issues that are important to South Dakota – works closely with Ellsworth Air Force Base on projects now and understands how important that base is to our national security interests. So, I’m excited to get her through the process. I hope that she has a successful confirmation hearing and ultimately we can get her voted on and into the position where she can start doing good things for our state and for our country.”

Wilson served in the Air Force from 1982-1989 and is a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy. She was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1998 and served until 2009. In 2013, Wilson became president of SDSM&T, which is just miles away from Ellsworth Air Force Base near Rapid City, South Dakota. 

Wilson was instrumental in applying cutting-edge technologies that were developed at SDSM&T to solve B1-B Bombers maintenance issues at Ellsworth Air Force Base.    

As we ease towards the long weekend, just a note that there will be light posting, as after skipping going somewhere for my 50th Birthday last October, as well as for my 25th Anniversary right before the election in November, I’m taking a long overdue weekend with my wife.

We’re slipping away to a city my wife enjoys, San Diego. And I’m also excited because we’re going to do a whale/dolphin watching cruise around the harbor. And we’re going during the height of the season.

Way back when I originally entered college (as a bio major), I was doing so for the purpose of going into marine biology, until I found my calling in political science the following year.

I’m still fascinated by the oceans that cover our planet, so this harkens back to those days of wonder, and represents one of those things you don’t typically get to do in South Dakota. I’ll see what I can get for pictures, and share when I have a chance to upload.

I’ve got another trip scheduled for April, which will be more of a working trip in Washington DC where my intent is to try to meet up with our elected officials. But for this weekend, it’s going to be rest, relaxation, and whales on the horizon!

Rounds Pays Tribute to Clint Roberts on Senate Floor

WASHINGTON—U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) today delivered a floor speech to honor the life and legacy of his friend, former U.S. Rep. Clint Roberts, who passed away on Feb. 13th at the age of 82. In addition to serving in the U.S. House of Representatives, Roberts served in the South Dakota State Senate and as South Dakota’s Secretary of Agriculture.

“Clint was a mentor and a hero to me and many others and – I’m proud to say – lifelong friend to me and Jean,” said Rounds on the senate floor. “He had a tremendously positive impact on the many thousands of people he met and touched with his kindness, selflessness and generosity. South Dakota is a better state and we are a better people because of his hard work and dedication.”

 

From the Argus/Associated Press, one of the pipeline executives at the Dakota Access pipeline claimed that of some of the actions done by protesters were done by foreign nationals, you could call the actions terrorism. I couldn’t disagree more:

A top executive at the company building the controversial Dakota Access pipeline is comparing pipeline opponents to terrorists.

Joey Mahmoud, executive vice president of Texas-based Energy Transfer Partners, says protesters have “assaulted numerous pipeline personnel,” destroyed millions of dollars’ worth of construction equipment and even fired a pistol at law enforcement during months of demonstrations against the 1,200-mile pipeline, which will carry North Dakota oil to an Illinois terminal.

Mahmoud tells Congress that the protest movement “induced individuals to break into and shut down pump stations on four operational pipelines. Had these actions been undertaken by foreign nationals, they could only be described as acts of terrorism.”

Read it here.

I disagree with the executive. If Americans did it, you can still call it terrorism. Except it would be considered domestic terrorism.  And it should be treated as such, and our Government should respond with the full force of law.

The House State Affairs Committee heard testimony on the permitless concealed carry legislation, House Bill 1072.  Sponsored by Representative Lynne DiSanto in the house and Brock Greenfield in the Senate, the bill would remove the requirement to obtain a permit in order to lawfully carry a firearm for self-defense.  

While opposed by the Governor and law enforcement, this legislation is supported strongly by many conservatives in the legislature, as well as gun groups such as the National Rifle Association, citing it as “a big step in allowing South Dakotans to be better able to defend themselves and their loved ones without having to obtain a government issued permit.”

South Dakota is one of the states in which it is already legal to carry a firearm openly, as long as the individual is not prohibited by law from possessing a firearm.  However, under current law, if a firearm becomes covered by a coat or if a woman prefers to carry a firearm for self-protection in her purse, a concealed weapons permit is required.

The legislation gives South Dakotans the freedom to choose the best method of carrying a gun and would also keep in place the current permitting system to facilitate reciprocity agreements that South Dakota has with other states.

The measure passed on a 7-6 vote in House State Affairs Committee, and now goes to the House Floor.

After the vote, Lars Dalseide, Public Affairs Media Liaison for the NRA noted “It’s encouraging to see members of the House State Affairs Committee stand up for the rights of their constituents. Hopefully we’ll witness a similar recognition of rights when the full House votes on this vital piece of legislation.” 

Stay tuned on House Bill 1072 here, and watch for the upcoming floor vote on the measure.