Courtesy of Republican Leadership, South Dakota is back in the national spotlight for being ranked by Kiplinger as the #1 state in the nation for retirement:
Read the entire list here! And thank Governor Daugaard and the GOP Legislature for helping to make it happen.
Closing the Health Care Gap
By Sen. John Thune
The wide open spaces that make South Dakota such a unique place to live, work, and raise a family define our landscape, provide habitat for pheasants and other wildlife, and help make agriculture our state’s top industry. While the open air and vast plains certainly have their benefits, they can oftentimes present some big challenges too. Proximity to grocery stores, shopping centers, or other day-to-day necessities is obviously important, but what’s critical for families across rural areas, like those in South Dakota, is the availability and access to high quality health care.
One of my goals in Washington is to make it easier and cheaper to provide quick access to health care facilities and medical professionals to all South Dakotans. Closing the gap between the care that our rural communities currently receive and the care they deserve is important, and legislation I authored will help make that gap get even smaller.
As chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, I’m in a unique position where I’m able to help advance legislation that directly benefits the people of South Dakota, and I take that responsibility seriously. Since taking over as chairman last year, I’ve looked for opportunities to pursue legislation to achieve that goal.
Last November, the committee took up and unanimously approved my bill, the Rural Health Care Connectivity Act, which will help streamline the process for skilled nursing facilities across the state, like nursing homes, to tap into federal funding for telecommunications and broadband services used to provide health care to rural communities. The full Senate recognized the importance of my legislation, which is why my colleagues approved the bill by voice vote and sent it to the president for his signature.
The Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society (Good Sam), which is headquartered in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, operates hundreds of skilled nursing facilities throughout the country. Most of them are located in rural communities. Through technical advancements and infrastructure located at their headquarters in Sioux Falls, Good Sam remotely connects rural patients with hospitals and doctors who are hundreds – sometimes thousands – of miles away.
Good Sam’s president and CEO, David Horazdovsky, praised the Senate’s passage of my bill, saying it “will offer much-needed assistance to residents of Good Samaritan and other skilled nursing care centers in a variety of locations in South Dakota and in other rural areas of the country.”
If everything in Washington was viewed through a prism of effectiveness and efficiency, we’d all be better for it. Telehealth meets both those standards, and I’m proud to be a part of this movement in any way I can, because making it easier for health care facilities to establish the necessary infrastructure for bringing telehealth even further into the 21st century is an investment worth making.
###
The Lawlessness of the Obama Administration
by Senator Mike Rounds
Throughout President Obama’s time in office, he and officials within his administration have acted without deference to the law when issuing new rules, regulations and mandates. The executive branch has, in many cases, chosen to ignore the two other branches of government which the Constitution explicitly states are coequals. This undermines each branch’s ability to keep the others in check. The president gets around the system of checks and balances by issuing executive orders, having his departments issue regulations or directives and – in some cases – willfully ignoring the law of the land. Even worse, many of these rules and regulations are negatively impacting South Dakotans. In some cases, it takes the courts years to overturn these rules.
Many South Dakotans are familiar with the Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule issued by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Army Corps. It is a regulation that gives the Army Corps and the EPA control of nearly all water, including man-made water management systems, farm ponds, drainage ditches and any other water that the EPA decides has a “significant nexus” to downstream water. It would call for farmers, ranchers and other landowners to comply with burdensome and costly permitting requirements. A number of states across the country, including South Dakota, have sued the federal government to stop the WOTUS rule from being implemented, and last fall a judge issued a nationwide stay to halt the rule. However, reports have recently surfaced that the Army Corps has been moving forward with implementation of the rule anyway, blatantly violating the law.
Another Obama administration agency, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), is being investigated for its apparent failure to keep official records of employees’ electronic communications. This is in direct violation of the Federal Records Act, a law put into place in 1950 to establish a system for appropriate record keeping within federal government agencies. Keep in mind, the IRS has a history of conveniently losing important records. Emails and computer equipment were destroyed around the time that congressional committees held hearings to examine the IRS’ targeting of conservative groups seeking tax-exempt status.
The Supreme Court is currently reviewing a case related to President Obama’s 2014 executive order on immigration. The executive order completely changed U.S. immigration law, delayed deportations of millions of undocumented immigrants living in the U.S., and gave legal status and government benefits to more than four million undocumented immigrants. Twenty-four states sued the federal government over this executive action, and a federal judge in Texas ordered the Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security to stop processing applications from undocumented immigrants. However, the Department of Homeland Security admitted to granting more than 100,000 permits after the injunction was ordered, and even worse, officials at the Department of Justice knew what was happening the entire time and did nothing to stop it.
These are just a few examples of the Obama administration ignoring the law to promote the president’s liberal, progressive agenda with little regard for those who would be affected. Our founding fathers drafted the Constitution to prevent one branch of government from having more power than the other two. It would do our next president well to remember that he or she is responsible for upholding the law rather than manipulating it to fit his or her political agenda.
Congress has the ability to vote on, and has frequently passed, resolutions of disapproval of the president’s many regulations, but the president continues to veto them. To overturn that veto, the Senate needs a two-thirds majority vote. With the current makeup of the Senate, that has become nearly impossible. Additionally, states and other entities have sued the administration in an attempt to stop these infractions. But, it takes years for the courts to enforce the laws that we have on the books, slowing down the process by which the powers of the three branches of government are balanced.
###
Treating the Crisis
By Rep. Kristi Noem
Late into the evening on July 22, 2015, a young woman arrived in the Emergency Room of the Indian Health Service hospital in Rosebud. She was having contractions – each, about two and a half minutes apart. The baby was coming. Still, nursing staff allowed the young woman to leave and use the restroom. Minutes later, her boyfriend started yelling from the bathroom. He needed a doctor. The baby had been born on the floor.
The infant was not initially breathing. His color was “dusky.” Once a nurse entered the bathroom, the baby was scooped up and run into a nearby room where they were able to start his breathing. It’s a horrifying story, as told in a recent government review of the hospital. What’s more – it’s happened before.
I’ve heard stories like this over and over again from tribal members I’ve met with. For years, federal reports have documented shocking cases of mismanagement and poorly delivered care. There have been instances where medical staff saw patients while intoxicated, evidence of Indian Health Service (or IHS) employees stealing thousands of narcotics from the hospital pharmacy, and a time when a man known to have tuberculosis, which is highly contagious, was allowed to interact unsupervised with other patients.
IHS was left to make improvements on its own. They were given funding increases almost every year and yet, the agency produced increasingly poor care to South Dakota’s tribal communities. Enough is enough.
This month, I led a bipartisan group of lawmakers in introducing comprehensive reform legislation. The Helping Ensure Accountability, Leadership, and Transparency in Tribal Healthcare Act (which we call the HEALTTH ACT) offers critical structural changes to how IHS operates, addressing both medical and administrative challenges.
Currently, IHS is empowered to make choices about hospital contracts without input from the tribes it serves or independent healthcare experts. My bill would change that and allow for a partnership among these three groups to better ensure contracts are designed to serve those they’re intended to help.
I’ve also taken on the Purchased/Referred Care Program, which is the program that pays for care tribal members can’t receive directly at an IHS hospital or clinic. To protect taxpayers, this program has limited funds. But the money is distributed according to an outdated formula that doesn’t consider things like geography or population, leaving some areas with surpluses while others are unable to pay the bills. Through my legislation, we require IHS to make changes so the formula is based on factors that impact access to care, finally matching support with need. Additionally, because IHS currently pays a premium for these outside services, I’ve included provisions to help drive down prices and stretch every Purchased/Referred Care dollar further.
It’s also been an incredible challenge to recruit competent medical staff and hospital leadership. These hospitals are typically in remote areas and the incentives to move there just haven’t been offered. My legislation tries to make hiring a bit easier, while also giving additional help to medical professionals and administrators for things like paying back their student loans.
Critical accountability requirements are also included to make sure we can better monitor what is happening at IHS facilities in crisis.
The government is required by treaty to provide healthcare to tribal communities, but IHS has failed to uphold that duty. As it stands today, the Emergency Department at Rosebud is shut down until it can be made safe enough to see patients again. IHS facilities in Pine Ridge, Rosebud, and Rapid City are in jeopardy as well. Lives have been lost because of what’s happening. Big adjustments urgently need to be made, but I’m committed to working together on agency-level changes and my legislative reforms to ensure tribal members finally receive the care their families need.
###
Give The Gift Of Life
A column by Gov. Dennis Daugaard:
Three-year-old Stella was a joy to her parents. Her smile lit up the room and she was a very happy little girl. Then, Stella’s family suffered a trial they never expected. They tragically lost Stella in a car accident. Through her grief, Stella’s mom insisted that Stella be a donor, and her eyes were given to a blind man who, for the first time in his life, was able to see.
The man who received his sight was just one of the individuals who was helped by Stella. Through organ, eye and tissue donation, one person can save or enhance the lives of up to 60 people. For the more than 120,000 people across the United States who are waiting for a life-saving organ transplant, one person’s decision to register as a donor can be far-reaching.
In 2013, I proposed and the Legislature passed a bill to establish a new online donor registry to make it easier for South Dakotans to register as organ, eye and tissue donors. Rather than waiting for their next trip to renew their driver’s license, South Dakotans can go online, at any time, to become a donor.
According to LifeSource, the new registry is having an impact. Since 2011, the percentage of South Dakotans age 18 and older who are registered has increased from 53 percent to 62 percent. That’s a relatively high percentage compared to other states, but I think we can do better.
Each day, 21 people die waiting for an organ transplant. Every 10 minutes a new name is added to the national waiting list. The soldier who needs skin grafts, the boy whose lungs aren’t functioning, the woman with failing kidneys – they are all someone’s child, parent, grandparent, sibling or friend. Each person on the transplant list has loved ones who are praying for a phone call.
Those on the waiting list can only be helped by the generosity of individuals who choose to say ‘yes’ to organ donation. The next time you renew your driver’s license, check the box to be an organ, eye and tissue donor. Or, even better, go to DonateLifeSD.org to register now.
Death is inevitable for all of us – and, it is especially challenging when it comes too soon or unexpectedly. Yet, choosing to be a donor can be a silver lining. It is an opportunity to save the life of another. Linda and I are donors; won’t you join us?
-30-
From my inbox from the SDGOP, apparently there are those in the GOP who have an agenda. And they’re getting it out to people a couple of weeks early!
Grand Ol’ Partiers, We’re excited to release the Agenda for the 2016 SDGOP State Convention in Aberdeen on June 24th and 25th! Please see below.
Please note: If you are planning to attend the Convention both days and eat meals, register as a Delegate/Guest for $65/person. If you are planning to only attend Friday evening’s banquet, you can purchase the $35/person Friday Banquet Only ticket. This meal fee is the only fee for the Convention. Here is the Agenda: The Ramkota Hotel in Aberdeen currently has no vacancy for Friday evening (June 24). If you haven’t made your hotel reservation, consider calling other hotels in the area or contact the Ramkota at 605.229.4040 and ask to be If you would like to place an advertisement in our Convention Program or have a booth presence at this year’s State Convention, please reach out to me directly As always, feel free to contact me with any questions. Thank you. Ryan Budmayr |
Under a prior post, I had a flurry of comments from someone trying to claim that I’m pushing a particular candidate for President Pro Tempore of the Senate that I didn’t let through.
Why? Because it couldn’t be farther from the truth, and was an outright lie.
The same anonymous poster was also trying to say Lance Russell should be Pro Tem, and Brock Greenfield should run for Maj. Leader, etc. Given comments on another website this AM, I suspect it wasn’t so anonymous.
The problem wasn’t anonymity, as much as pushing one’s agenda in the face of accuracy.
I have been directly told that, despite what some are trying to do bolster their own standing, is that returning State Senator Brock Greenfield is looking at being a candidate for President Pro Tempore at this point. And former SDGOP ED/ practicing Attorney Lance Russell has no plans to run for anything.
Not to mention the fact there’s a number of people currently in a number of positions already who might be gearing up to give it another go, and to move up themselves. (It’s like an election within the election!)
I offered in a prior post the possibility we could see Lance end up in a leadership role in a more conservative Senate. But first year Senators don’t usually get a top job as this ‘anonymous’ person was promoting. Especially when they aren’t running for it.
These internal races might rumble in the background over the course of a year, but they can’t truly be considered until the landscape is known on November 9th. Those caucus elections take place mid-late November, and those slates are brought forward at session.
For those questioning where I stand on some of these races, I’m a pretty simple guy. If you see me mention “I heard someone is running,” it’s because I actually heard someone is running.
If I say “The Senate needs to elect….” Then I’m personally advocating.
And you won’t typically see me directly advocating in caucus elections because I generally know most of them, I like them, and absent an over-riding reason, I have no need to get into their stuff.
So, take my comments on caucus activities at face value. I mean what I say when I provide an occasional tip on their inner workings. And trust me, its agenda free!
A reader was kind enough to share this photo from the State Capital fight of the early 1900’s which pitted ‘peerless Pierre’ against arch-rival Mitchell for the honor of hosting the State’s Capitol Building:
As was noted to me by the reader…
“The Cabinet style photo was take by photographer Jerome Wiltse of Mitchell. I was thinking that this was taken in the 2nd fight as Jerome died in 1900 before the 1904 fight.
I will be donating it to the State Archives.”
A very neat remnant of our past. Thank you very much for sharing it with us, and eventually the people of South Dakota!
But it wasn’t the presidential primaries that had townspeople divided as they went to their polling place Tuesday. It was a proposal to dissolve the town, which voters rejected.
The final tally: 7 to 4.
Interesting story by Seth Tupper in the Rapid City Journal this AM about a town anyone who has taken Highway 14 to Rapid City passes through, or remembers where Representative Larry Gabriel hailed from; Cottonwood.
If you have not yet registered, you can do that here: