Category: Uncategorized

Another Milestone for Ellsworth Air Force Base
By Sen. John Thune

Ellsworth Air Force Base is well-known to all South Dakotans, especially those who live in West River. It’s not only home to two B-1B Lancer combat squadrons and MQ-9 Reaper ground control stations, but it’s a staple of the community and is something in which our state takes great pride. The base has a $350 million impact on South Dakota’s economy and is the state’s second largest employer, and thanks to the recent Powder River Training Complex (PRTC) expansion, Ellsworth is saving taxpayers millions of dollars per year and can now conduct advanced training closer to home.

It’s in this expanded PRTC, which spans the skies over South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana, and Wyoming, that airmen are able to practice the kinds of realistic engagements they expect to see in combat. I spent nearly a decade working with the Air Force and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to move the PRTC project forward and saw it through to the end. It was a long road, but following the FAA’s approval of the project in March 2015, the PRTC was charted on September 17, 2015, and flights through the area began just 24 hours later.

One of the greatest advantages of the new training airspace, now the largest over the continental United States, is the ability to conduct large force exercises (LFEs) with airmen from around the country who pilot a variety of aircraft. The larger area, which is nearly the size of Indiana, provides space to simulate enemy threats hundreds of miles away. To give a sense of this expanded area, imagine a highway patrolman moving from a training space the size of an empty parking lot to one the size of a race track fit with obstacles and gradient terrain. This will drastically increase the likelihood of successfully accomplishing future combat missions and will help bring our aircrew home safe and sound.

The first LFE was completed late last year, and I was recently able to join Ellsworth’s airmen to view the second LFE in the PRTC. What an experience it was to see it firsthand. Nearly 20 aircraft, including B-52s, F-16s, KC-135s, E-3s, and B-1s participated. One the biggest limiting factors for our flight crew readiness has been the availability of training airspace nationwide. The PRTC helps alleviate that problem, all while improving our national security and saving the Department of Defense millions of dollars too.

While I’m excited about the opportunities this presents for Ellsworth and the airmen who train there, I’ve always felt it was important to listen to the concerns of the surrounding community, and I will continue to make that a priority. These missions will go largely unnoticed by people on the ground, but the leaders at Ellsworth still provide adequate notice to the community prior to the days of these exercises, and rightly so. It’s because of this transparency, commitment to the community, and dedication to training the men and women who keep America safe that makes us proud Ellsworth calls South Dakota home.

NOTE: Click here for more information about the PRTC and Sen. Thune’s involvement in securing its expansion.

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DakotaCon Highlights South Dakota’s Role in Cybersecurity
By Senator Mike Rounds

As our daily lives grow increasingly reliant on technology, we need to understand how to best protect ourselves, our businesses and our country from a cyberattack. Governments and businesses around the world are continuously improving their cyber defense strategies, and they are being advised by companies and experts right here in South Dakota. I recently had the privilege to speak at DakotaCon 2016, a three-day cybersecurity conference at Dakota State University (DSU) in Madison, where the top minds in cybersecurity from all over the world gathered to discuss the latest cybersecurity developments.

DSU is the ideal backdrop for such an event. As one of just 14 universities endorsed by the National Security Agency (NSA) as a Center of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity Operations, DSU was the first college in the entire nation to offer a degree in cybersecurity. Today, 1 out of 3 students at DSU studies computer science or cybersecurity in some capacity. Since 2012, the university has seen an 83 percent increase in students pursuing one of its three cybersecurity degrees, and more than 80 percent of their students were raised within 100 miles of campus. It has become a national model for success in producing our cyber workforce, the demand for which is growing rapidly.

By the year 2019, Symantec CEO Michael Brown recently predicted that the demand for cybersecurity professionals would grow to 6 million and have a shortfall of 1.5 million. In order to adequately protect our nation’s networks and maintain our information security dominance in the future, we must make certain our workforce can meet these increased demands. And that is happening at DSU, which is working to keep cybersecurity jobs right here in South Dakota.

As we continue our work on cybersecurity, I believe we must establish business-friendly standards for the federal government and the private sector in order to protect consumer information. This can be accomplished by supporting public sector investment in network security, being vigilant in handling national security cyber threats, and providing legal clarity on permissible tools so cybersecurity professionals can do their job with confidence.

There is a great amount of work to be done to meet the many challenges of cybersecurity, but I am confident we will meet these challenges. Just as the American pioneering and entrepreneurial spirit founded our nation, settled the West, won two World Wars and put a man on the moon; so can we conquer the cyber world and mitigate its threats. We have the most innovative military and economy in the world. And we have men and women – like our students, teachers and business people in Madison – committed to addressing cybersecurity concerns in the 21st century.

I hope that DakotaCon 2016 has furthered the dialogue as to how we can best protect our citizens, our military and the federal government from cyber threats.

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Weekly Column: Here to Help
By Rep. Kristi Noem

Every year, hundreds of South Dakotans take the opportunity to visit our nation’s capital, to stand at the base of the Lincoln Memorial, wander through the World War II Memorial, or sit underneath the Capitol dome.  Some make the trip with their high school class, a cause they care deeply about, or a veterans’ group.  Others do it with their families or colleagues.  Regardless of the reason, the visit for many is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Our office is committed to doing everything we can to make sure this visit is as memorable and educational as possible. In fact, we consider our office on Capitol Hill as a home base for any South Dakotan in the area, so never hesitate to stop by.

One of the services we offer is a personalized tour around the Capitol building.  We’ll make sure you get a behind-the-scenes look at how the Legislative Branch operates and the halls where history has been written.

Most Wednesday mornings, you can also join Senator John Thune, Senator Mike Rounds, and I at the South Dakota Sunrise Coffee (the coffee is on us!)  This is an opportunity to sit down with all three members of the South Dakota delegation to talk about the issues on your mind and what we’ve been working on as of late.  I’m always surprised at just how many South Dakotans make it each week and I always look forward to getting that mid-week dose of South Dakota commonsense.

Of course, most of my days are spent meeting one-on-one with South Dakotans, having in-depth conversations about the issues impacting their families and communities.  On any given week that I’m away from South Dakota, I will meet with dozens of constituents out of our D.C. office – each sharing their story and their ideas.

Our office can also be helpful for anything you’d like to do off of Capitol Hill too.  If you’d like to visit the Pentagon, White House, Supreme Court or any of the other attractions in the area, let us know and we can set up tours for you in many cases.  Even if you’re just looking for a good hotel to stay at or a nice restaurant to take the family, reach out and we’ll do everything we can to help.  You can find a lot of this information on noem.house.gov or by calling our office toll-free at 855-225-2801.

Our local offices are also there to help.  You are welcome to come visit us in Sioux Falls, Rapid City or Watertown at any time.  We also have a regular staff presence in Aberdeen and Pierre and travel frequently to many of the surrounding communities throughout the year.

Whether you are looking for help while you’re in South Dakota or the nation’s capital, please keep us in mind.  We are here to help.

Mental Illness and South Dakota’s Criminal Justice System
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, as it’s not uncommon for individuals to temporarily face mild forms of mental illness throughout their lives. For others though, it’s a lifelong battle that requires consistent treatment. No community is untouched by mental illness. It deeply affects schools, work places and families.

According to a recent survey from the Helmsley Charitable Trust’s Rural Healthcare Program, South Dakota 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 someone showing signs of mental illness behaves in ways that cause arrest, a court may order an evaluation of their fitness to be tried.  In recent years, the number of these court-ordered evaluations in our state has tripled, from 48 in Fiscal Year 2013 to 147 in Fiscal Year 2015. This is why some counties have reported a backlog of court-ordered evaluations. Backlog delays lead to increased jail costs and are a disservice to the mentally ill.

This week Supreme Court Chief Justice David Gilbertson and I joined with Walter Panzirer, a trustee of the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust, to announce a mental health grant from the Trust. This grant to the Department of Health will fund the work of the newly formed Task Force on Community Justice and Mental Illness Early Intervention.

The $302,500 award will provide the task force with technical assistance from the Crime and Justice Institute. The Institute will assist with evaluations of data from our court system, and from large counties in South Dakota, to help understand the extent to which those with mental illness are becoming involved in the criminal justice system.  The Institute will also examine practices in other states, to help us find evidence-based practices that hold promise for our state.

Three years ago, Chief Justice Gilbertson and I joined with legislative leaders to initiate a year-long review of the criminal justice system. That process resulted in a sweeping reform package that passed with broad support. Then last year, the Legislature passed a similar juvenile justice reform package, which was developed after a similar year-long process. Now we are applying that same successful process to evaluating how those with mental illness are coming into contact with the criminal justice system.

Thanks to support from the Helmsley Charitable Trust, I am optimistic the task force will identify sound proposals to improve our processes and practices. I’m hopeful of finding ways to ensure we are making the best use of our resources and treating the mentally ill as early as possible to avoid deeper involvement with the system.

We owe it to the taxpayers and, most of all, to those who struggle with mental health problems, to get this right.

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Governor Daugaard, Mayor Huether proclaim April as Autism Awareness Month. State Capitol, Crazy Horse Monument & Falls Park to be lit blue in recognition

  Coming on the heels of measures passed during the legislative session in Pierre to help individuals with Autism, our state is coming together to recognize those who have Autism Spectrum Disorders in the month of April.

In Pierre, Governor Dennis Daugaard has declared April as Autism Awareness Month, recognizing that Autism is the fastest growing developmental disability in the United States, and that the efforts to address autism are critical to the health of the state. In Sioux Falls on April 5th, Sioux Falls Mayor Mike Huether will present an autism awareness month proclamation at the City Council meeting that day at Carnegie Hall.

And, as South Dakota leaders light the way for autism awareness, so too will South Dakota landmarks be lit to remind residents of their fellow citizens who suffer with autism. In Pierre, the rotunda floor of the State Capitol building will be lit blue in recognition of Autism Awareness Month, and in Sioux Falls on April 2nd, the Falls will be lit blue to remember those with autism, courtesy of Sioux Falls resident Alan Swanson who has a grandchild with Autism.

The national Autism Speaks organization also announced today that the Crazy Horse Memorial in Custer will light up blue for World Autism Awareness Day as well. The monument will be lit up starting around 10 p.m. on April 2. Admission to the memorial will be waived after 6 p.m.

April also marks the Blue Bash for Autism Awareness at Augustana University, as they celebrate World Autism Awareness day. Augustana is also hosting the “Lighting the Way Autism Conference” June 9-11th.

South Dakota lawmakers have been taking affirmative steps in recent years to address care for citizens with autism, such as helping parents’ insurance coverage address treatment for autism, as well as conducting two studies towards that goal. South Dakota legislators also recently passed the SD ABLE Act, a measure creating a savings program for parents of children with disabilities, allowing them to save towards their future needs.

From KOTA-TV:

A tiny fish is causing giant trouble in large stretches the country and, experts warn, appears be headed for KOTA Territory. That is unless an experimental program funded by a U.S. Fish and Wildlife grant proves effective.

It was just a couple of weeks ago that first word reached authorities. An early season fisherman along the shore of Pactola Reservoir saw something that didn’t seem right. Large numbers of fish were dying off.

and…

Traditional eradication efforts have been ineffective but state and local officials quickly learned they could be eligible for an experimental program that has shown promise: Dolphins.

“The snout’s Number One natural predator is the dolphin,” said Marine Biologist Hudson Fairhope from the Marco Island Marine Institute in Marco Island, Florida. “We’ve had great success in certain closed, lake environments where dolphins have turned the tide on a snout invasion.”

If Pactola is approved for the FWS grant, officials expect to release four male fresh water dolphins into the reservoir in May.

Read it here.

You know I’m good with that if they’ll do tricks for my entertainment.  But otherwise, that’s a pretty good April Fools’ joke.

District 31 GOP House

Johns, Timothy  (R)
Chuck Turbiville  (R)
Michael E. Weyrich (R)

A late filing received today by the SOS has another primary taking place out in Spearfish/Deadwood.  Michael Weyrich of Whitewood has his name thrown in the hat for the GOP House contest.

Weyrich was a candidate back in 2004 for Mayor of Whitewood, SD.

For South Dakota Republican politicos, you can almost rattle off the districts in your head where Republicans were not able to field candidates, as they’ve traditionally been voids in the map of this reddest of red states.

District 1. No for House and Senate. District 15. No for House and Senate. District 21, No for Senate, only one for House. District 26, No for Senate . No House for 26A. District 27 No for Senate.  And 28A was a bust as well.

Literally the only surprise where Republicans didn’t field a candidate was for Bernie Hunhoff’s Senate seat in District 18. Which is already serving as a stinging reminder to Republicans to make sure there’s a candidate for every seat, as once was viewed as a difficult hill was turned into an easy one.  An easy one, only if we had a candidate.

Now, Republicans are likely going to have to go the difficult route of running an independent candidate. It can certainly be done, but it’s a tougher row to hoe.  But with that being the only surprise? I’d argue that the GOP did a damn fine job.  Compare that to the other side of the aisle:

District 2 – Senate open, 1 House open.  District 19 – 1 House open.  District 20, 2 House open. District 23 – Senate, 2 House open. District 24 – Senate, 2 House open. District 26B – House open. District 28 Senate open. District 29 – Senate, 2 House open. District 31 – Senate, 2 House open. District 32 – Senate Open.  District 33 – 1 House open.  District 34 – Senate, 2 House open.   District 35 – Senate, 1 House open.

12 seats left open for the GOP Versus about 26 for the Democrats.  Over double. For the Dems, their number of candidates is far short of the 105 that SDDP Chair Ann Tornberg was promising just a few months back.

Another issue to consider, mainly on the Democrat side of the aisle, is their tradition of fielding placeholders in hopes of putting someone “good” in the race later.  Of the 79 seats that they’ve filled, you have to ask yourself in all honesty – How many of them are going to pull out before election day?

As I’d mentioned a couple of days ago, two of their candidates that I’ve noted – the profane Alanna Silvis, and serial placeholder Holly Boltjes – have served in that role before; throwing their names in to run for office, and then backing out before the deed was remotely close to being done.

In 2014, they had roughly 14 candidates back out, which left them with 30 seats unfilled. 30 seats they conceded to Republicans before the election even started.  With their dismal showing this year of leaving 26 seats left unfilled, if they have another 14 placeholders drop out, Democrats could only be contesting 60% of the 105 legislative seats available.  It’s not a stretch to imagine, given last election.

Anyone taking any guesses as to how many Dems will be left standing once August rolls around?

Given how vague the Attorney General’s press release is on charging Joop Bollen , I went back and asked the AG’s office what charges were being filed. They replied “I can give you the file number – 16-383” and noted “More detailed release tomorrow after initial appearance…”

In having an attorney friend of mine look it up, it’s my understanding that the felony criminal charges filed in this case consist of 5 counts of Class 6 felonies for violating 44-1-12, which reads as follows:

44-1-12.   Destruction, disposal, or removal of personal property subject to security interest as felony. Any mortgagor or grantor of a security interest or other lien of personal property who, while the lien of his mortgage, conditional sales agreement, or security agreement remains in force and unsatisfied, willfully destroys, conceals, sells, or in any manner disposes of or materially injures any part of the property covered by such mortgage, conditional sales agreement, or security agreement without the written consent of the holder of such mortgage, conditional sales agreement, or security agreement, or who willfully abandons the property covered by such mortgage, conditional sales agreement, or security agreement without first giving written notice to such secured party of his intention to abandon such property, or who removes any part of the property covered by such mortgage, conditional sales agreement, or security agreement from the county in which such mortgage, conditional sales agreement, or security agreement is filed except temporarily in accordance with the usual and customary use of the same or similar kinds of property while the lien of his mortgage, conditional sales agreement, or security agreement remains in force and unsatisfied without the written consent of the holder of such mortgage, conditional sales agreement, or security agreement, is guilty of a Class 6 felony.

Read that here.

This is not unlike what’s taking place in the matter of the Gear-Up case, where what’s currently being prosecuted for two of the defendants are similar low level charges involving falsification of evidence.

Not the most significant of charges, but sometimes you have to play the hand you’re dealt.

Attorney General Files Charges in EB5
and SDRC Inc. Financial Investigation

PIERRE, S.D.- Attorney General Marty Jackley announced today that felony criminal charges have been filed in relation to EB5 and SDRC Inc.

Joop Bollen voluntarily turned himself in on an arrest warrant. He has cooperated and has been released by the Court on bond conditions. Bollen is presumed innocent until such time as proven guilty.

Attorney General Jackley will be handling the initial appearance, which is scheduled for Friday, April 1, 2016 at 9:30 a.m. at the Brown County Courthouse and will be available for comment following the hearing.

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