The Top Ten SDWC political stories of 2015 (Part 1)
It’s that time of the year again, where I do an annual list of the top political stories of 2015.
Admittedly, very often my lists tend to set the stage for next year, but in politics, events of the present often foreshadow the events of days to come. Part 1 of my top ten list is no exception, as all of them will affect the upcoming legislative session, upcoming elections, and how we view South Dakota’s political class.
So, let’s get on with it, and start the countdown…
10. The Westerhuis Murder investigation.
A horrendously tragic murder-suicide of a family in Platte, SD found itself over the course of a month and a half investigation in the middle of a political firestorm whipped up by the media, conspiracy theorists, and those who would like to make political hay out of it for the sake of political gamesmanship. Welcome for what passes for propriety in South Dakota nowadays.
The employer of the Westerhuis family parents had been given notice that their employer had lost a significant federal grant administered by the state hours before the tragic deaths occurred. The grant involved a program administered by the Co-op, the GEAR UP program. This discretionary grant program is designed to increase the number of low-income students who are prepared to enter and succeed in postsecondary education.
The grant, and the educational cooperative’s administrative handling of the program soon became an issue, with information coming to light about the state directly intervening and providing extended involvement and hand-holding in trying to get them back on track over a series of years. Some criticized the hiring decisions by the Ed Coop, others criticized the state for having not dropped the hammer to strip them of the grant earlier, and getting in too deeply involved in helping them salvage it.
Democrats wasted no time by crassly using the occasion of the Atty General reporting on the status of the murder investigation to claim that “majority party dominance has resulted in a lack of government accountability.” Despite the fact the Educational coop is a non-partisan entity.
It’s hard to simplify this case down to a few paragraphs, but watch for legislation to be proposed and for more clucking by Dems for the TV cameras. Ultimately, little will come of it.
What’s more likely to occur will be stronger rules about state grant audits, and when state agencies need to cut the cord with programs that aren’t producing.
9. Legislative departures
Political resignations are always noteworthy, but 2015 was an unusual year for those political departures. Adding to the oddness were three departures in particular.
Dan Lederman announced his departure at the tail end of the legislative session, as his family absences coupled with increasing business demands dictated that he needed to take a step back from serving in the legislature, and as Assistant Senate Majority Leader. No one was more surprised than Senate Majority Leader Tim Rave, who announced his own retirement from the legislature shortly thereafter, due to a job change.
These departures left massive vacancies and necessitated a complete reorganization of the Republican Majority in the Senate, which led President pro tempore of the South Dakota Senate Corey Brown to step down, and assume the majority leader role.
Also of note was the departure of State Representative Steve Hickey. Hickey had been noteworthy as being involved in the demand for an investigation of Annette Bosworth for petition violations, and at the same time he announced his resignation, he was accused of similar actions as he himself had accused Annette Bosworth of. Hickey departed the country to study in Scotland, and the accusations were not deemed credible enough to pursue.
8. Presidential politics
We named this as one of our top stories of 2015 because the presidential race has been a hot political topic all year, and only continues to gather steam as we close out 2015. As the 2016 Presidential races have heated up, politics on both sides of the aisle have dominated conversations among South Dakotans… despite the fact caucuses and primaries were months away. South Dakota Politicians have been lining up with their candidates as well.
Senator Mike Rounds was an early supporter of Mike Huckabee, and a number of early supporters of Jeb Bush, led by Assistant House Majority Leader Steve Westra, made their support public as well. Atty and GOP activist Joel Arends was an early supporter of Donald Trump, and organized a California Event for him that liberal news organizations pounced on and attacked.
Later in the year, Both Congresswoman Kristi Noem and former GOP Chair Bob Gray came out for Marco Rubio.
7. Medicaid Expansion
Democrats have been long attempting to use this as a wedge issue, as they try to paint the GOP as uncaring, despite the massive costs it would promise to add to South Dakota taxpayers were this entitlement to be implemented.
Later in the year, Governor Dennis Daugaard came forth with a proposal he’s been negotiating with the federal government to offset the costs of such an increase in the welfare rolls by the federal government honoring their commitment to pay for the medical costs of Native Americans through the Indian Health Service. As described in the Argus Leader:
Currently, Medicaid-eligible American Indians can choose to receive covered services from any provider that participates in a state’s Medicaid program. Depending on where those patients seek services can affect the rates the state and federal government have to pay.
If a patient seeks care from a non-IHS or non-tribal facility, the federal government pays between 50 percent and 74 percent, while the state pays between 26 percent and 50 percent. By comparison, if that patient seeks care through an IHS or tribal provider, the feds cover 100 percent and the state doesn’t have to chip in.
This would go a long way to making such an expansion economically feasible . The question is whether legislators would view it as politically feasible, as some are already expressing concern over expanding to cover able-bodied persons, adding 10% of the state’s population to the welfare rolls.
The discussion has been pervasive in 2015, and is going to continue past the end of the year into next session.
6. Kristi Noem in Washington
Congresswoman Kristi Noem isn’t just having a good year – she’s having a great year in politics. Noem’s bipartisan Human Trafficking Prevention, Intervention, and Recovery Act was passed in July, and the measure has already been recognized as increasing prosecutions. In November, she helped push the highway bill through the House. In December, Noem has helped pass the first education 
overhaul since 2002. And, I could go on and on.
But let’s not forget the big enchilada – Early in 2015, U.S. Rep. Kristi Noem was appointed to the House Ways and Means Committee. Noem, the first South Dakota member of Congress to serve in the committee, has jurisdiction over tax, trade and other economic policies. Her higher profile has kept her in the spotlight, and she shows no signs of slowing down.
Noem is literally at the current height of her power and influence in Washington, and it shows with her strong popularity in her home state. A weak opponent , State Representative Paula Hawks has already caused the race to be labeled by national prognosticators as going “Strong Republican,” and her fundraising has proven to be more anemic than that of Noem’s unknown 2014 opponent.
Stick a fork in this race for 2016. It has already been won.
Stay tuned for part 2!
News Year’s Resolutions for the Senate
