Category: Uncategorized

I think I’ve got my list of top ten political stories for 2016 set.

But I’m also faced with the conundrum of the ones I’m leaving off. There were just so darned many good stories this past political year.

The Argus upheaval & Lalley firing? Nope. Not on the list.  The facepalm heard around the state? Meh.  Dump Trump? Close, but you’ve got to draw the line somewhere.  I was also looking strongly at the ever dysfunctional Pennington County Commission with Deb Hadcock’s secret pay increases and George Ferebee’s battles.

But there are just too many political issues that had a big impact in 2016, and will set the stage for continued activity in 2017.

If we look back at 2015’s year end list (Part 1, Part 2), we see some things that sound awfully familiar, and a few that dropped off the map:

1. Annette Bosworth
2. Petition Madness
3. Blue Ribbon Task Force/Education funding
4. John Thune preparing to cruise to another unopposed victory.
5. The long downhill slide of the SDDP
6. Kristi Noem in Washington
7. Medicaid Expansion
8. Presidential politics
9. Legislative departures
10. The Westerhuis Murder investigation.

At this point in 2016, we’re almost ready to thankfully start saying “Annette who?” Almost. In 2016, her case was in appeals, and her husband quickly and quietly copped a plea, thankfully leaving us mostly to our own devices. Legislative departures continue to happen, but with a much lower profile than those of 2015, where the Senate Majority Leader, and assistant Majority Leaders went on to greener pastures.

Presidential politics are always bug, but not so much in South Dakota. As noted, the Dump Trump movement of South Dakota Leaders was arguably the biggest story, but narrowly missed being in the top ten.

As for the rest of 2015? Wait for this years’ list. You may see some of these continuing on in one form or another.

There are days when it is confirmed that your youth has slipped away. This is one of them.

Rest In Peace, Carrie Fisher. pic.twitter.com/fTy7fgj1gH

— 20th Century Fox (@20thcenturyfox) December 27, 2016

Last night brought a surprise, with my youngest daughter informing us she had the flu by “ralphing” in her bed early in the evening. And what a generous child – she was nice enough to pass on the flu to me this AM!

As I’m working on my recovery, it did give me a few free moments to contemplate the annual exercise of what our top ten political stories of the year are. Could they include the death of Medicaid expansion in South Dakota? Noem in for Governor, while Mickelson took a pass? The continued crumbling of the Democrat Party?

I’d love to hear your suggestions. You know where the comment section is – Sound off, and let me know as I page through the year’s posts and work in the list myself.

Rounds Urges Attorney General Pruitt to Restore Order at EPA

Asks Trump’s EPA Pick to Respect State and Local Input, Use Sound Science, and Roll Back Current Administration’s Overly Burdensome Regulations

PIERRE—U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) today wrote to Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt, President-elect Trump’s intended nominee to be the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator, urging him to correct many of the current administration’s damaging protocols at the EPA. Rounds is a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee and Chairman of the EPW Subcommittee on Superfund, Waste Management, and Regulatory Oversight, which has oversight of the EPA.

In the 114th Congress, both the EPW Committee and Rounds’ subcommittee have uncovered troubling practices by the EPA, including failing to take state and local concerns into consideration when making decisions, skewing facts to support its agenda and circumventing Congress to impose burdensome, costly regulations on the American people. 

“I am hopeful the incoming administration will takes steps to improve the federal regulatory process to make certain federal regulations are promulgated in a transparent and open manner, underpinned by the best scientific evidence available, and with adequate public participation,” wrote Rounds. “I am concerned that  [the] flaws in the current administration’s EPA regulatory process have led to overly-burdensome EPA regulations that are based on incorrect assumptions and do not adequately realize the impacts these regulations have on state and local governments, and American businesses and taxpayers.”

Full text of the letter is below: 

Dear Attorney General Pruitt –

I would like to extend my congratulations to you on your nomination to serve as the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). I commend you for the work you have done as Oklahoma Attorney General to reinforce states’ rights and reign in an overly-expansive EPA, and I am encouraged that your background working in state government will allow us to show renewed focus on the importance of state and local government experience and input in the EPA regulatory process. I look forward to working with you and supporting you throughout the confirmation process.‎ 

I am hopeful the incoming administration will takes steps to improve the federal regulatory process to make certain federal regulations are promulgated in a transparent and open manner, underpinned by the best scientific evidence available, and with adequate public participation. 

In the 114th Congress, I served as Chairman of the Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Superfund, Waste Management, and Regulatory Oversight. One of my main goals as chairman has been to conduct a thorough and systematic review of the regulatory process focusing on the impacts of EPA regulations on citizens and businesses, as well as solutions to these problems. 

To that end, I would like to share with you some of the lessons we have learned on the subcommittee throughout our oversight of the current administration in the 114th Congress.  I would be interested in your thoughts on these issues and am looking forward to the opportunity to discuss them with you in person.

·         Under the current administration, the EPA’s process for considering scientific information is flawed and unbalanced. There is a lack of balanced expertise, geographic diversity, and state, local and tribal representation on EPA advisory panels such as the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC) and the Science Advisory Board (SAB). There has also been a lack of member turnover, meaningful public participation and transparency on these advisory panels.   

·         The EPA’s regulatory approach is inefficient and disregards small businesses. The EPA has exploited ambiguities in the Regulatory Flexibility Act to impose overly burdensome regulations on American small businesses with little regard to the real-world consequences of the regulations. 

·         For the past eight years, the EPA has not upheld the principle of cooperative federalism and regularly violates the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA) by imposing costly unfunded mandates on state, local and tribal governments without adequately taking into consideration the impact these regulations have on smaller governmental entities.  Further, the EPA circumvents consultation requirements and does not adequately consider public comments that aim to explain how EPA regulations will impact state and local governments and American taxpayers. 

·         The EPA does not conduct a robust economic analysis of the impact of regulations, particularly the effects of regulation on employment; nor does the agency take into consideration the cumulative impacts of multiple layers of regulations that are imposed on states, American citizens and businesses.

I am concerned that these flaws in the current administration’s EPA regulatory process have led to overly-burdensome EPA regulations that are based on incorrect assumptions and do not adequately realize the impacts these regulations have on state and local governments, and American businesses and taxpayers. As we enter the 115th Congress and welcome a new administration, it is my hope that regulatory reform will be a cornerstone of the legislative agenda moving forward.

Thank you for your consideration and I look forward to discussing these issues with you. 

Sincerely, 

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Thankful for a Happy and Healthy 2016
By Sen. John Thune

For many South Dakotans, the presidential election probably dominated conversations with friends and family for much of the year. It’s no surprise, considering how historic the election was from beginning to end. And while that certainly makes 2016 a year for the history books, I’m sure there are many other reasons why South Dakotans will remember the last 12 months and be thankful for the opportunities that came their way. So before we flip the calendar from 2016 to 2017, I wanted to share just a handful of reasons why this year has been so special for me.   

After my faith, my family means more to me than anything else in the world. Kimberley, my far better half, has been my rock for more than 30 years and continues to push me to be a better person both personally and professionally. Our daughters Brittany and Larissa never cease to amaze me, and I’m so proud of the lives they continue to build with their respective husbands Luke and Scott.

This year was a year of firsts for our family as Larissa and Scott welcomed their first child, Henley Joy Hargens, who also happened to be our first grandchild. I joke with Kimberley that it was easier for her than me to add “grand” to our titles of mother and father, but all joking aside, there is no way to fully describe in words the immense joy of seeing your baby girl holding a baby girl of her own. Next year will bring another first for our family as Brittany and Luke welcome their first child, too. 

After becoming a grandfather, it’s hard not to think about my dad who is now a great grandfather to 20 amazing kids. While my dad will turn 97 years old this year, he’s a perfect example of age merely being a number. He and I spent a morning on the golf course earlier this summer, and although he’s more than 40 years my senior, he can still golf a better round than me. My dad still joins us every October for the pheasant opener, too. Roosters or not, he’s usually one of the happiest people in camp.

I’m also thankful for the people of South Dakota. It’s a humbling experience to be elected to the Senate and bring your voice to the halls of the U.S. Capitol. My staff, who work throughout South Dakota and in Washington, D.C., are easily the hardest-working group in the Senate. Like me, whether it is spring, summer, fall, or now during the holiday season, they are always ready to work hard for you. 

2016 has been busy, but it has also been a fun, healthy, and happy year. Here’s to an even better 2017. 

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A South Dakota Christmas
By Senator Mike Rounds 

Each year around the holidays, Jean and I like to reflect upon all of our blessings. We are incredibly grateful for our family and friends, our good health and the fact that we get to call South Dakota home. We are looking forward to spending Christmas with our loved ones, including my dad Grandpa Don and his wife Rosemary, Jean’s parents, our four kids, their spouses, our eight grandkids and all of our extended family members.

For as long as I can remember, our family has always gathered together after the 5 o’clock Christmas Eve mass at Ss. Peter & Paul Catholic Church in Pierre. We look forward to celebrating the holiday at our house with our family again this year, and continuing to tell the story of Christmas and reflect upon what is truly important this holiday season: family, friends, and the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

It is also important during this time to express our gratitude to the men and women in uniform who may be spending the holidays far from home. Because of their service, the United States is the greatest, freest, most prosperous country in the world. I recently had the honor of attending a welcome home ceremony in Sioux Falls for the 196th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, and it was heartwarming to see families reconnect after spending nearly one year away from each other. We wish all of our servicemen and women, and their families, a blessed holiday season, and we pray that they will all be together again very soon. 

For some, the holidays can be a challenging time of year. Showing kindness to our neighbors—and to strangers—costs nothing and can make a difference in someone’s day, week or even year. We have so much to be grateful for as South Dakotans and Americans. During the Christmas season, we are encouraged to spread the message of peace on earth and goodwill to all. This is a message that we should remember throughout the rest of the year as well. 

Once again, I would like to wish all South Dakotans a very blessed Christmas and peace in the new year. I thank those of you who took the time to write, call or meet with me as I traveled across the state. It is an honor to work for you in the United States Senate. Thank you for all you do to make South Dakota the best place in the world to call home.

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A New Season
By Rep. Kristi Noem

One of my favorite times of the year farming was the day we started to put the seed in the ground, because on that day, the seed had every opportunity to produce a high-yielding harvest. The next few months would require hard work to help that seed mature – and we’d need to pray that factors outside our control would cooperate as well – but that was all yet to come; planting was a day of hope and opportunity.

Each new year, we find that same sense of optimism about what’s to come, and perhaps nowhere is that truer for 2017 than in Washington, D.C., where the new year will bring a new Congress, a new administration, and a new hope for the future. 

The repeal of Obamacare will likely be one of the first seeds planted in 2017.  For years, our efforts have been shut down by Senate Democrats or vetoed by the president, but we now have a path to repeal.  At the same time, we have been working openly and collaboratively to assemble a replacement for Obamacare that fundamentally decreases the cost of healthcare, increases access and affordability, protects coverage for those with pre-existing conditions and our young people, and gives you the peace of mind that your most intimate financial and health decisions can be made by you with the consult of your doctor.

While the next Farm Bill isn’t expected to be finalized until 2018, the hearing process is expected to begin in 2017. We have already begun writing some of the new policies that ought to be included, but we’ll continue collecting feedback and ideas throughout the next year.

Comprehensive tax reform is another 2017 priority for both Congress and the president-elect. In 2015, I became the first South Dakotan in history to earn a seat on the House Ways and Means Committee, which is the committee that specializes in tax-related reforms.  We’ve been focused on writing a new tax code that is simpler, fairer, and more accountable than the one that exists today. 

President-elect Trump and Congress also have fixing the regulatory environment at the top of our New Year’s resolution lists.  Some of these regulations can be repealed by the administration acting alone.  Others will require congressional action.  Either way, it’s a must-do beginning this January.

We will also continue our efforts to reform the Indian Health Service, expand the Black Hills National Cemetery, keep the D.C. Booth Fish Hatchery open, increase support for the Lewis & Clark rural water project, maintain services at the Hot Springs VA Hospital, and ensure anti-human trafficking efforts have the support they need.  Supporting the administration on national security and border security issues will also be a priority.

There is plenty of work to be done to make sure these seeds of opportunity produce a harvest in 2017, but I am encouraged by the outlook. This New Year, I hope you too can find the hope and optimism that defines this season.  On behalf of my entire family, I wish you the best in 2017. 

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Remembering Friends
A column by Gov. Dennis Daugaard

The years go faster as one gets older, and as 2016 closes, I have been thinking back on the past year. As always, Linda and I have much to be thankful for. We are also remembering four good friends and great South Dakotans who we lost this year.

In January, Paul Kinsman passed away after a brave battle with cancer. Paul was a longtime public servant. He served in my cabinet as Commissioner of the Bureau of Administration, and he had also served in Gov. Rounds’ cabinet. The Bureau of Administration maintains State Capitol and grounds and other state buildings. It handles the state motor fleet, state purchasing, management of records and many other administrative duties. BOA isn’t the flashiest part of state government, but it is very important that its work be done well. That is why Paul Kinsman fit the Bureau so well. Paul didn’t care about attention or credit. He cared deeply about his work, and he took particular pride in our efforts to preserve and improve the State Capitol and the grounds.

In May, we were saddened by the unexpected death of Colette Abbott, the University of South Dakota’s first lady. Linda and I had known Colette for years through her work with Children’s Home Society. Colette never held public office, but she was in every way a public servant. She worked hard on behalf of USD and graciously welcomed many to the campus. Colette had a particular connection with students, who came to love her over the Abbotts’ two decades at USD. She particularly connected with the university through her enthusiastic support of Coyote athletics.

The next month, our friend Patricia Adam passed away. Pat Adam was an institution in South Dakota. She was the daughter of Gov. George T. Mickelson and the sister of Gov. George S. Mickelson. Pat took a particular interest in promoting South Dakota history, through her work with the state historical society, the Trail of Governors project, and the committee to restore the First Lady gown collection. She also served for years on the Pierre School Board and was president of the state school board association. I met Pat when I was a state senator, and we grew close when I was President of the Senate while she served as Secretary of the Senate, keeping the senate running smoothly.

Finally, in August, we lost Rep. Dan Dryden of Rapid City after his battle with cancer. I first came to know Dan in 2011, when I was a new governor and Dan was a new state legislator. We had to cut the state budget that year, and as a new member of the appropriations committee, Dan was right in the middle of that. He had worked for years as the Rapid City school business manager, and as a “numbers guy” he was up to the challenge. Dan was a gentleman and a straight-talker, and he came to be one of the best-liked and most-respected members of the legislature. Like many of his peers, he believed in balanced budgets and fiscal responsibility. Even as he quietly fought his battle with cancer, he continued to carry out his duties in Pierre, without complaint.

South Dakota is a great state because we are led by everyday people – friends and neighbors who give their time to serve the people of our state. Paul Kinsman, Collette Abbott, Pat Adam and Dan Dryden all exemplified this spirit of servant leadership. As this year closes, Linda and I are thankful to have had each of them as friends. We can all be thankful for the good work they did for South Dakota.

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