Category: Uncategorized

Aviation Connects South Dakotans to the World
By Senator Mike Rounds

 

National Aviation Day is observed annually on August 19th to celebrate the history and promote the development of aviation. It coincides with the birthday of Orville Wright who, along with his brother Wilbur, pioneered powered flight more than 100 years ago. I took an early interest in aviation, receiving my pilot’s license at the age of 17. Today, aviation allows us to travel more frequently and with relative ease to all corners of the world.

As a large, rural state with a sparse population, many of us rely on regional airline service for flight travel. In fact, 90 percent of South Dakota’s commercial service comes from the regional airline industry. It is an essential service for our rural communities. Unfortunately, regional airline service in places like Huron, Watertown, Aberdeen and Pierre have struggled in recent years. Delays, canceled flights and fewer flight options have made it more difficult for residents to fly in and out of these communities.

Understanding how important regional airline service is to our state, I have been working to solve the problem of decreased air service to our smaller towns.  One important issue is the pilot shortage currently affecting our regional airlines. In 2010, Congress passed new mandatory minimum flight hour requirements for airline pilots. The new regulation raised the number of flight hours required to serve as a copilot from 250 to 1500, a 600 percent increase. This increase has created a significant barrier to entry to the airline industry for aspiring pilots, and in turn has made it very hard for carriers like Great Lakes Airlines, a regional carrier serving South Dakota, to fill open pilot positions.

While increasing flight hour minimums was well-intended, these new laws were not aligned with the expert recommendations from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation and Safety Board (NTSB). Now, six years later, thanks to critical research at places like South Dakota State University, we are in a position to offer a better and safer alternative based on empirical data. These entities have conducted peer-reviewed studies that consistently show the best pilots are the ones who receive the best training, not the ones with simply the most flight hours.

Earlier this year, I introduced an amendment to the FAA reauthorization bill to address these issues. My amendment seeks to increase the qualified pilot pool for regional airlines by creating new, state-of-the art, FAA-certified safety courses that would count toward minimum pilot flight hour requirements. It also strengthens pilot training and airline safety by putting pilots through rigorous, simulator-based training programs, all while maintaining the high standards that Congress put in place for the Airline Pilot Transport Certificate. By simulating more real-world crisis scenarios and attending more industry specific training, I believe our pilots would be even better prepared to respond in the event of an emergency.

Today, air travel is the safest it has ever been and more people are flying than ever before. Our travel possibilities are endless, as long as we have pilots to fly us. I will continue working toward a solution that reconnects the broken pilot pipeline while continuing to maintain the highest standards of safety in aviation. And, I will continue working on behalf of those who live in smaller communities to keep our regional airports thriving.

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Thank a Farmer
By Rep. Kristi Noem

On Capitol Hill where very few people were “farm kids” and even fewer actually pursued farming or ranching as a career, the personal impact of agriculture can get lost. But as I like to remind people, while not everyone farms, we all eat.

Earlier this month at the Sioux Empire Fair’s annual Ag Appreciation Lunch in Sioux Falls, I had the opportunity to say thanks by serving a meal to those who feed the world.  Not only do these producers grow the food our families consume, they provide the backbone to South Dakota’s economy and a layer of security for our country, as we never want to become too reliant on foreign nations to feed us.  It is for these reasons that I fight so hard to make sure agriculture policy provides a strong safety net for our food supply without imposing unnecessary costs and regulations on producers.

The last farm bill was the most reformed we’ve seen in my lifetime.  Many of the programs now work more efficiently and with greater accountability to taxpayers, but we are always looking at ways to improve them.  While we continue to monitor the legislation’s implementation, preliminary work has already begun for the next farm bill with formal hearings likely kicking off next year.

For my part, I’ve been working closely with Ag Committee Chairman Conaway to ensure he’s aware of how current programs are playing out in South Dakota.  I’m also working with Ag Committee Ranking Member Collin Peterson and Rep. Kevin Cramer on legislation we hope to have included in the next farm bill that would help alleviate the problematic wetland determinations backlog.  Producers can’t make certain improvements to their land until they’ve been given the OK that changes won’t impact protected wetlands.  We need to ensure we are protecting our land and habitat, but producers shouldn’t have to wait years for a decision. Our legislation makes a series of reforms – including requiring that producers get an answer within a few months of a request.

Overzealous regulators are also a challenge for producers. One of the most concerning regulations we’re fighting against today is the EPA’s controversial Waters of the U.S. rule.  This could be one of the largest federal land grabs our generation has seen with penalties rising to more than $30,000 per violation per day.  We’re working through both the legislative and judicial system to reverse course and we’ve had some successes – especially after a Federal Appellate Court issued a temporary suspension.

Tax reform is another area that is incredibly important to our agriculture community.  This Congress, I gained a position on the committee that major tax reform measures must go through.  Moreover, I’m one of only 14 Members of Congress – and the only one with a deep background in agriculture – to serve on the committee’s specialized tax policy panel.  That’s important because for the first time in a long time, there is real momentum behind this issue and we need to get it right.

Late last year, we made the Section 179 tax deduction permanent, giving farmers and other small businesses more certainty on investments into their operations.  Now, we’re looking at broader efforts to help both small businesses and individuals.  We’re fighting to make the tax code more simple, more fair, and better at promoting healthy economic growth. I’m truly humbled to give agriculture a voice at this table.

Whether we’re talking tax policy, regulatory issues, or the farm bill, I stand up every day in support of South Dakota farmers and ranchers.  I’m proud to explain what the industry is – and isn’t – and to keep unnecessary regulations away from operations.  Most of all, I’m grateful to represent a state whose economy is still rooted in agriculture.

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Rail and the South Dakota Way Of Life
A column by Gov. Dennis Daugaard:

We never had a new car, when I was growing up, but we always spent what was necessary to maintain our car, and keep it in dependable running condition. New isn’t necessarily better, but the old must be maintained, and sometimes improved, if we want to depend upon it. I’ve never forgotten the lessons I learned about the importance of maintenance.

I am sure many South Dakotans have similar stories they could tell about lessons learned from working the land or raising livestock. Even if you didn’t grow up on a ranch or farm yourself, chances are you have parents, grandparents, cousins or friends who did. As a state with such a large ag industry, agriculture defines us. It has instilled in us values like persistence, honesty and courage.

It is thanks to our farmers and ranchers that the way of life which imparts these values endures. It is also, in part, thanks to rail.

 Because we are a state with a small population, our farmers and ranchers produce much more than we can consume in South Dakota. The success of our agricultural operations depends upon our producers’ ability to get their products to market. They need efficient, cost-effective options.

That’s where rail comes in. South Dakota’s producers rely a great deal on railroads to deliver their grain to out-of-state markets. One of the state’s most relied upon railroads is the Rapid City, Pierre & Eastern, which spans the state from Belle Fourche to Tracy, Minnesota. Since purchasing the line in 2014, Genessee & Wyoming has worked hard to improve rail service to customers along the line.

Through a public-private partnership with the state, RCP&E has just finished constructing two passing sidings: a 10,061-foot siding near Huron and a 7,450-foot siding near Aurora. These sidings allow trains to pass head-to-head, rather than each train waiting for another to arrive. The sidings have already increased the speed with which RCP&E can deliver South Dakota grain to market.

In 2017, RCP&E expects to begin construction of a new 7,000-foot siding near Philip, which will offer additional capacity to West River shippers. This is made possible in part by a TIGER grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Due to upgrades like these, and RCP&E’s commitment to the future, companies that rely on this stretch of rail have had the confidence to locate facilities on the line, or upgrade existing facilities.  For example, the GCC Dakota cement plant in Rapid City has undertaken a $90 million expansion.  As another example, Novita located its $60 million animal protein plant on the line near Aurora.

In addition to these infrastructure investments, in July, the RCP&E secured an agreement with the Union Pacific Railroad to interchange rail traffic at Union Pacific’s Mankato, Minnesota, property. This agreement means RCP&E shippers will now have access to three Class I railroads. This will increase competition for South Dakota grain, as our grain shippers now can ship goods across the vast majority of our national rail network.

We can all be proud of the progress made on one of our state’s most important lines. Good rail service can make all the difference for our producers. Investments like these signal to farmers, ranchers and businesses that they can rely on this line well into the future. Like that old car when I was growing up, this old rail line, built a century ago, is being maintained, and now improved, because we depend upon it.

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Attorney General’s Office to Review Officer Involved Shooting in Aberdeen

PIERRE, S.D – Attorney General Marty Jackley confirms that the Division of Criminal Investigation, at the request of the Aberdeen Police Department, is investigating the officer involved shooting that occurred Sunday, August 14, 2016, at approximately 12:10 a.m.

Aberdeen Police Department responded to a disturbance call at a residence located at 324 Marshall Street, resulting in an Aberdeen Police Officer firing his duty weapon at the subject.

The male subject identified as Ehkhu Hser Poe, 21, Aberdeen, was transported to a hospital where he was being treated for his injuries.

At the completion of the investigation, the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation will issue a case report and shooting summation to be reviewed by the Attorney General and States Attorney for a final determination on the officer’s action. The release of the summary is anticipated within 30 days.
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I’d say he was “so young” 12 years ago, but weren’t we all!

Retired State Senator Jim Dunn’s obit has been posted on-line, and it’s well worth the read:

State Senator James Bernard “Jim” Dunn, 89, life-long resident of Lead, died Thursday, August 11, 2016 at the VA Hospice in Sturgis, South Dakota, after a year of declining health. Known as a faithful public servant on the local, state and national level, as well as for his years with Homestake Mining Company, Jim was defined by his love for family, his hometown of Lead, and the State of South Dakota. Born on June 27, 1927 to William and Lucy (Mullen) Dunn in a house above the Old Abe mine shaft in Lead, Jim attended St. Patrick’s Grade School and Lead High School, graduating in June 1945. Upon graduation, Jim enlisted in the United States Army and served in the Signal Corps for a year before transferring to Task Force Frost in Camp McCoy, Wisconsin, where he tested military communications equipment in winter conditions for eventual use in the Korean conflict. Always colorful with language, PFC Dunn’s assessment was, “some of the items we tested weren’t worth a damn!” With an honorable discharge in hand, Jim returned to his hometown of Lead in 1947 and began a satisfying 38 year career with Homestake Mining Company, starting as a machinist, heavy equipment and diesel engine mechanic in the Mechanical Department. In 1962, he began working concurrently in Homestake’s Public Affairs Department and as a lobbyist, representing Homestake’s interests in Pierre from 1963 to 1970. After completing a business administration/economics degree at Black Hills State College in 1962, Dunn was promoted to Assistant Director of Public Affairs from 1962 to 1978, when he was then named Director of Public Affairs where he remained until his retirement in 1985. Over his tenure, he was the Associate Editor of Homestake’s “Sharp Bits” publication and was the principle photographer and print maker for Homestake photographs that were used in print, magazine and TV news. Most of the photographs of the building of the early Neutrino chamber were the handiwork of Jim Dunn. Dunn also contributed to several publications and television/movies, including, The Homestake Story (co-authored with Donald P. Howe), Homestake’s Bulldog Mountain Silver Mine, and “The Violent Universe”, a 1969 PBS/BBC documentary about the solar system and neutrinos. Among ‘other duties as assigned’, Dunn filled the role of Director of the Homestake Recreation Center, and managed the Homestake Surface Tours, which were offered every summer to tourists from around the globe. For thirty years, Jim designed, constructed, assembled, and staffed the Homestake informational booth at the South Dakota State Fair in Huron, offering the citizens of South Dakota a glimpse of the underground world of gold mining in the “Largest Gold Mine in the Western Hemisphere”. Dunn also was a familiar site in the 1950-1960s along parade routes in the Black Hills as the bass drum player in the Homestake Marching and Concert Band. Most recently he tried his hand as a thespian, having bit roles in the Homestake Opera House productions of “Fiddler on the Roof” and “The Music Man”. Dunn was active in membership and leadership positions in several organizations: Knights of Columbus, Black Hills Badlands and Lake Association, Black Hills Girl Scout Council (first male president!), Lead Chamber of Commerce, Society of Black Hills Pioneers, Lead Toastmasters, Lead United Fund, American Institute of Mining Engineers/Black Hills Section, American Legion, Lead Civic Association, Lawrence County Historical Society, Adams Memorial Museum and House, South Dakota Centennial Commission, Lead Economic Development Board, Homestake Veteran’s Association, Black Hills State University Alumni Association, Black Hills Eye Institute Foundation, South Dakota Auto Club, and South Dakota Blue Shield. In 1970, Jim was tapped to run for the South Dakota House of Representatives on the Lawrence County (Districts 26, 31) Republican ticket. After one two-year term (1971-1972) in the House, Dunn began an unbroken, 28-year incumbency in the South Dakota Senate, making him the fourth individual in the State’s history to hold a legislative seat for thirty years. Senator Dunn was a long-standing member of the Senate Agricultural and Natural Resources Committee, and served as its Chair for twenty years. Other committee appointments included the State Affairs Committee (Vice Chair), Tax Committee (member), and Health and Welfare (Chair and Vice Chair). By all accounts, Dunn ran committee meetings with a fair hand, didn’t like political posturing, kept to time limits, and let all who came to present on an issue be heard. During his tenure in office, Senator Dunn held progressive leadership positions on the South Dakota Legislative Research Council, and served as both the Assistant Majority and Assistant Minority Leader. Jim also was active on a national level through his work with the Council of State Governments (CSG), and the National Council on State Legislatures (NCSL). Due to term limits, Dunn’s public service to the good citizens of South Dakota ended with the 2000 legislative session. Dunn received many honors and awards during his lifetime, including being a 2002 inductee to the South Dakota Hall of Fame, named 1996 Legislator of the Year by the National Republican Legislators Association, City of Deadwood Wall of Fame inductee, Lead-Deadwood High School Hall of Fame, Black Hills State University Distinguished Alumni, a 1967 Presidential Appointment to the U.S. Selective Service Board ‘Friend of Law Enforcement Award” by the SD Peace Officers Association, Dakota State’s “Distinguished Contribution to the Preservation of South Dakota History” award, U.S. Department of Defense appointment to the SD Committee for Employer’s Support for the Guard and Reserve, Grand Knight – St. Patrick’s Knights of Columbus, Distinguished Service Award from the Masonic Lodge, Secretary of Defense “Exceptional Public Service” award, and Williamson Militia Man Award by the SD National Guard. These are but a few accolades/awards Jim Dunn received over the course of his lifetime of service. Jim was swept off his feet in 1954 when he met the love of his life, Elizabeth “Betty” Lanham from Beresford, SD, and they were married in September 1955. Together they raised four children and he was an especially proud father of the people his children became, and their place in the world. For all his travels and accomplishments, Jim Dunn liked nothing better than time spent with family and friends. The family cabin in Spearfish Canyon was a special spot, and many a t-shirt was ‘sweated up’ working on his little spot of heaven. A man of deep Catholic faith, and strong Irish heritage, Jim believed in straight talk and common sense, and lived his life with those foundations. Dunn was genuinely interested in people and their stories, and had an innate sense of working with others. Dunn’s family attests to the fact that he’d never met a stranger. Jim is survived by his four children, Sue (Alec Tsoucatos) Dunn of Denver, CO, Tom (Sharon) Dunn of Denver, CO, Mary Beth (Dennis) Mallow of Black Hawk, SD, and Kathy (Lew) Forti, Youngstown, NY. He was a loving grandfather to Jennifer (Jeremie)Young, Kaitlin Mallow, Laura Mallow, Kristina Burley, Brian Forti, Nick (Wendy) Kolchev, Larisa (Jeffrey) Gutierrez, Sara (Craig) Hendrick, Sam Forti, and great-grandfather to Melanie and Nicholas Hendrick and Kiera Gutierrez. Other survivors include siblings, Bill “Jerry” (Jane) Dunn of Omaha, NE, Mary Margaret Stelloh of Denver, CO, and several cousins, nieces and nephews. Jim was preceded in death by his wife of nearly 60 years and the ‘prettiest girl he ever saw’, Betty, who died in April 2015, grandsons James Mallow and Thomas Burley, and his parents. Memorials have been established with the Adams Museum, Homestake Opera House, St. Patrick’s Altar Society, Black Hills Mining Museum and Society of Black Hills Pioneers. Visitation will be from 5:00 to 7:00 P.M. Thursday, August 18 at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, Lead, followed by Rosary at 7:00 P.M. Funeral services will be held at 10:00 A.M., Friday, August 19 at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church. Interment will be at Holy Cross Cemetery in Lead. Arrangements are under the care of the Lead-Deadwood Memorial Chapel in Lead. Online condolences may be written at www.fidler-isburgfuneralchapels.com

Literally, this is from the opposite side of the room where you can hear people yelling “Get out – he’s making a speech!”

I think I’ve lost count on how many Non-Republicans that former State Senator Stan Adelstein has supported in the past, but apparently, he’s adding another one to the list:

—– Forwarded Message —–

From: Senator Stanford Adelstein <[email protected]>
To: Stanford Adelstein <[email protected]>
Sent: Thursday, August 11, 2016 3:50 PM
Subject: An opportunity for our small state to make a big difference in the presidential election

After careful thought, I have agreed to be South Dakota chairman of the Johnson/Weld presidential campaign. 

In a presidential election year when both major party candidates are so unsuited for the position, many of us are wishing for another option. Fortunately Gary Johnson, former Republican Governor of New Mexico, and his running-mate William Weld, former Republican Governor of Massachusetts are that option. 

Yes, we are a state fiercely proud of our Republican identity and values. Sadly, we will have to look outside our party to find a candidate whose values are in-step with our own this presidential election.

More so than in previous years, we will have to look personally at the substance of those we are electing more than the letter next to the name. With Governor Johnson on the South Dakota ballot we can enter the voting booth with excitement to cast our vote for a president with the experience, heart, and judgement that this country needs.

The Johnson/Weld ticket will appear on the ballot in all fifty states for the Libertarian Party. If Governor Johnson can secure enough votes to deny both the Democratic and Republican candidates a majority of electoral votes the House of Representatives could still eliminate still both candidates—and our magnificent Constitution might rescue us once again. 

The Johnson campaign considers winning South Dakota to be important and will have staff visiting the state next week. You are among a small group on individuals who I am reaching out to first, because of my respect for your leadership and experience, to ask to help this strong ticket achieve a majority vote in South Dakota.

I believe that South Dakotans of both parties care more about what happens in the future, than partisan politics. Also, we are a small state whose people are rather connected together—we are uniquely positioned to take this opportunity to make a difference in this year’s presidential election. 

I will call you in the coming days to discuss what a win for the Johnson/Weld ticket could mean for America and with the hope that you will agree to join the campaign.

Stan

So, when you do get that call, at least you can let it die on voicemail, and not wonder what it was about.

In case you were wondering about Johnson’s positions….

Abortion
Johnson supports “a woman’s right to choose up until the point of viability”[43] and wants to keep abortion legal.[44] He has been very vocal in his beliefs.[45] He supports legislation banning late-term abortions and mandating parental notification for minors seeking an abortion.[46] Johnson believes Roe v. Wade was wrongly decided and should be overturned because it “expanded the reach of the Federal government into areas of society never envisioned in the Constitution.” He believes that laws regarding abortion should “be decided by the individual states.”[42]

Crime
Johnson asserts that much of the violent crime in the United States stems from the failure of the federal drug policy of the United States, just as occurred with the Prohibition of alcohol in the United States between 1920 and 1933.[47] He says, “Since only criminal gangs and cartels are willing to take the risks associated with large-scale black market distribution, the War on Drugs has made a lot of dangerous people and organizations very rich and very powerful.”[47] He says that, like alcohol prohibition, prohibition of drugs creates “overdose deaths, gang violence, and other prohibition-related harm.”[47] He points to his views on ending the War on Drugs as a remedy for most violent crime in America.[47]

Johnson believes that crimes “committed online,” including “fraud and child pornography,” “should be investigated and treated identically as crimes not committed online.”

Death penalty
Johnson opposes the death penalty completely.[49] Initially, as Governor of New Mexico, he had sought to expand capital sentences to minors, while limiting appeals; he now calls that position “naïve.”[49] He believes government inevitably “makes mistakes with regard to the death penalty,” and does not “want to put one innocent person to death to punish 99 who are guilty.”[49]

Drinking age
Johnson is in favor of lowering the legal drinking age to 18, or eliminating the drinking age outright.[50]

Read it all here at Wikipedia..

Interesting story up in Aberdeen this AM, where the Ultra-liberal State Senate Candidate Cory Heidelberger decided to verbally spar with a speaker at an event where he was an uninvited member of the audience:

Things got heated at a lecture by Ron Branstner at the Best Western Ramkota Hotel in Aberdeen on Thursday when Corey Heidelberger defended a piece from his blog, Dakota Free Press, that Branstner critiqued in front of the group of about 200 assembled.

Heidelberger and Branstner began talking over each other, and members from the audience began shouting “get out” to Heidelberger, who is running for state Senate.

This happened during the question-and-answer portion at the end of Branstner’s lecture.

Branstner asked that things not get violent and the crowd quieted down.

Read it here.

Libertarian Ken Santema of the website SDliberty.com was in attendance, and has pictures, and promises upcoming video of the confrontations that the Democrat Senate Candidate had with the speaker and members of the crowd, who called for him to “Get out!”

Cory H from Dakota Free Press caused a ruckus at the event.

A photo posted by Ken Santema (@sodakliberty) on Aug 11, 2016 at 7:07pm PDT

Is it just me, or does inciting a near riot not seem like very candidate-like behavior? At the least, it comes off as very poor judgement.  People are allowed to have opinions, especially at events that they are hosting and paying for. And they might be contrary to the opinions held by politicians.

They’re actually allowed to say that they don’t think much of what he has to say. He certainly has the right to disagree, but what did it earn him by picking a fight over not liking what people think about what he writes? What did it do other than massage Cory’s ego, and nearly get him assaulted?

If his intent is to defend what he writes to a mass audience and pick a fight, I suppose he can do that. But, I was under the impression he is running for office.

What Heidelberger did was confrontation for the sake of confrontation. It didn’t help his candidacy, and if anything, reinforced some of the negative perceptions voters already have about him. It actually moved the ball backwards, and courtesy of the Aberdeen American News, it defined him as a bit thin skinned for people who knew nothing about him until now.

Some of the best advice you can give to a candidate is “Don’t do stupid things.” Going to the lair of someone who might be your enemy and picking a fight that makes the newspaper… I’d offer the opinion that it might just qualify as stupid.

UPDATE: Check out the Video from SoDakLiberty, where I’m starting it about 1 Hour, 55 minutes in…

Exactly as I’d mentioned, Cory wades into it, and picks a fight. And later, he comes back and starts shouting over the presenter.  Not very Senatorial at all.

Does this mean that if elected, he’s going to wade into other meetings of people he disagrees with, such as county commissions, or school boards, and attempt to shout over them? It comes off as a lot of the oppression you see in college kids trying to drown out by shouting conservative presenters on college campuses.

Except Cory isn’t a kid. He’s a candidate for office. And it isn’t acceptable for him, either.