It’s always colorful in South Dakota politics. And under the comments last night, Tara Volesky, an associate of Lora Hubbel’s who ran the independent Mike Myers for Governor campaign, offered the following gem:
So, Hubbel may jump in the Dem primary against Jay Williams? I swear you can’t make this stuff up.
Bringing the 5G Network One Step Closer to Reality By Sen. John Thune
Do you remember Gordon Gekko, the character portrayed by Michael Douglas in the iconic 1987 movie “Wall Street”? If you do, you might also remember scenes in which Douglas’ character makes phone calls from his state-of-the-art Motorola, which had Americans wondering what it must be like to have one of their own. While a lot has changed since 1987 – including no longer having to be Gordon Gekko rich to own a mobile phone – some things have not. Americans still want the latest and greatest technology available at their fingertips, and as mobile devices have gotten smaller and their operating systems faster, we have fully integrated these devices and the technology they offer into our day-to-day lives.
Think about everything you’re able to do with a mobile device and the ease with which you’re able to do it. A seat on a flight to London can be booked from the seat of your car in traffic, and a pizza can be ordered and delivered by texting or tweeting an emoji from your mobile phone. The technology that exists today allows us to connect instantaneously with people from coast to coast, and through apps like Facebook, Twitter, Periscope, and others, citizen journalists can broadcast from around the world.
It’s pretty amazing to think of the technological advancements we’ve seen over the last decade, which begs the question, what new advancements will we see in the decade to come? Imagine a world in which lightbulbs, wheelchairs, and even the roads and bridges we drive on potentially become Internet-connected. What if download speeds were no longer relevant, and the content you want and need could be instantly accessed from wherever you’re located? While we’re not there yet, I think we’re on the path to achieving it.
In order to get there, I believe we need to work toward deploying a fifth generation or “5G” wireless broadband network throughout the country, and there’s a collective duty as policymakers and innovators to see that it’s done as effectively and efficiently as possible. 5G shouldn’t be viewed simply as the next incremental step in wireless broadband technology, but instead as an enormous leap toward a revolution in our wireless capability in America. These networks will not only bring the already connected world closer together, but they can help connect rural areas, like some places in South Dakota, where high costs and other difficulties have delayed the high-speed broadband needed for robust Internet access.
As chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, I’ve authored legislation, the Making Opportunities for Broadband Investment and Limiting Excessive and Needless Obstacles to Wireless (MOBILE NOW) Act, which would help usher in the 5G era by facilitating the investment and technology required to get there. MOBILE NOW is bipartisan, supported by industry leaders, and if enacted, would benefit consumers and businesses alike. We’re going to work hard in the coming weeks and months to see that this important legislation makes its way through Congress so America’s innovators can continue their work on our 5G future.
Recognizing the Mental Health Needs of Our Veterans By Senator Mike Rounds
South Dakota is home to more than 72,000 veterans who have bravely and selflessly served our country. Making sure each veteran is cared for and receives top-notch health care has been a priority for me while working in the Senate. While there are many problems plaguing the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), addressing mental health reform is among the most important. According to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), 10 to 20 percent of veterans returning from Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom are diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and more than 150,000 veterans have been diagnosed with PTSD in the last 15 years.
Many returning veterans struggle with the invisible wounds of war long after they leave the battlefield. While the most recent available numbers on veterans suicide have shown improvement in recent years, even one veteran taking his or her life due to the mental and physical stresses caused by service to this nation is one too many. Physical injuries can be seen and treated, but too many veterans are suffering in silence from mental health issues that are often not visible on the surface.
Early last year, Republicans and Democrats in Congress came together to pass the Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act. It was one of the first bills I cosponsored as a senator, and it was signed into law by the president. This law focuses on establishing programs to help veterans with PTSD and bring more mental health care specialists into VA facilities. Still, there is much more that needs to be done to take care of our nation’s heroes once they return home.
The Department of Health and Human Services says that surveillance is the first step in solving the problem of suicide at large. Accurate surveillance must then be followed by identifying risk and protective factors, which is followed by intervention strategies. Currently, there is no nationwide surveillance system in place to monitor suicide among all veterans. With the majority of veterans not enrolled in Veterans Health Administration, accurate data is hard to find. While the VA has done a decent job gleaning data from the National Death Index and developing data sharing agreements with all 50 states, surveillance still needs to be a top priority.
Many veterans today do not have access to mental health services when they need it most. I hear from veterans all across South Dakota who have trouble getting appointments at VA facilities. In fact, about 60 percent of my office’s casework stems from veterans requesting help. When a veteran is struggling with PTSD and seeks mental health help from his or her VA provider but is forced to wait weeks to see a doctor, we have a major problem on our hands. I am committed to working with my colleagues on the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee as well as VA Secretary Robert McDonald to address these critical issues.
The VA and our committee are committed to addressing the heartbreaking issue of veteran suicide and making sure each and every veteran gets the care he or she deserves.
Don’t Forget States Created the Federal Government By Rep. Kristi Noem
Washington often forgets a reality President Reagan so succinctly explained: “[T]he Federal Government did not create the States; the States created the Federal Government.” One of my primary objectives as South Dakota’s sole member of the House of Representatives is to reduce the federal government’s influence, giving state and local governments as well as individuals more opportunities to make the decisions that impact their families and communities most. This was something I spoke with the South Dakota State Legislature about earlier this month.
I join the thousands of South Dakotans who are deeply concerned that the Obama administration has stepped over its Constitutional limits and grossly expanded the role of the federal government in our lives. I am proud that over the last few years, we have passed dozens of bills to return more and more authority to states and individuals. We haven’t always been successful in getting the President to sign them into law, but we’ve put the marker down and made some meaningful progress along the way.
For instance, bureaucrats in Washington have been able to micromanage our children’s classrooms for far too long. Last December, we passed, and convinced the President to sign, the first major education overhaul since 2002. With this new legislation in place, those closest to our kids will be more empowered to design an education system that is right for them. As an example, we made sure the federal government could no longer pressure states into adopting specific standards, such as Common Core.
Congress also passed into law the first long-term highway bill in a decade. This legislation gives states five-years of certainty to plan, invest, and conduct maintenance on our intricate network of roads, bridges and railways. It also gave state leaders more flexibility to spend money in a way that worked at the local level.
I’ve been fighting for flexibility like this because I put a lot more trust in our state government than the federal. Rather than handing down federal mandates, Washington should be taking lessons from the states about what really works. After all, states are often incubators for innovative public policy and South Dakota is no exception.
We have an incredibly healthy economy. Not only does South Dakota have a higher percentage of people participating in the workforce than most states do, but our unemployment rate is the second-lowest in the country. Much of this is due to the fact that the state government puts minimal burdens on families, whether through fewer regulations or lower taxes.
Despite the successes we’ve long been able to share, I am the first South Dakota Representative in history to serve on the congressional committee responsible for designing our nation’s tax policy. I see my duty on that committee as an overdue opportunity to share our experience as a proven example of what can be accomplished by a government for its people.
During my first year on the committee, we were able to put permanent protections in place that keep more Americans from enduring tax hikes. For example, we permanently extended the state and local sales tax deduction, which will save people money in states like South Dakota that don’t burden their citizens with a state income tax.
Protecting states’ rights is critical. Earlier this month, America lost a great legal mind and a tremendous defender of the 10th Amendment, which preserves states’ rights. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia was a man of admirable faith and unyielding candor, but perhaps one of the greatest gifts Justice Scalia imparted upon the Supreme Court was a lesson that the words captured within the Constitution matter. That includes the 10th Amendment: “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution … are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.” I couldn’t agree more.
Implementing Juvenile Justice Reforms A column by Gov. Dennis Daugaard:
Under the South Dakota Constitution, the governor is “responsible for the faithful execution of the law.” This is not something I take lightly. In my second term I have been especially focused on executing new reforms passed by our legislators – and not simply executing but executing well. Without good execution, a well-intentioned law is meaningless, and the Juvenile Justice Reinvestment Initiative is one thing I’m determined to execute well.
A year ago, I spoke to legislators about a growing problem in juvenile corrections. South Dakota had the second highest juvenile commitment rate in the nation. This ranking was not explained by a higher rate of juvenile violence. In fact, South Dakota’s juvenile violence arrest rate was just one-third of the national average.
Our high commitment rate was driven by nonviolent offenses. Seven of every 10 youth committed to the Department of Corrections in 2013 were sent to them for misdemeanor offenses, probation violations and “status offenses” – violations which, if committed as an adult, would not even be considered crimes.
I asked a group of stakeholders to study this issue. They did the research and found that for many youth, commitment to residential placement fails to produce better outcomes than alternative sanctions. Commitment also costs much more and can actually increase reoffending in certain circumstances.
To address this problem I proposed comprehensive juvenile corrections reforms which the Legislature passed a year ago. Under these reforms, the state will reserve commitments to the Department of Corrections for youth who commit the most serious offenses and pose a risk to the public. The reforms also called for the development of an array of effective programs for youth offenders, including community-based programs to address substance abuse, antisocial tendencies and challenges within the family. These programs allow youth to get the help they need without being removed from their homes. They also help judges as they perform the difficult task of weighing how best to set youth on a better path.
The state has been working to prepare for the most significant changes, which became effective Jan. 1. The Department of Social Services has identified a core set of effective programs to be available in communities. To date, 12 contracts have been awarded to deliver Functional Family Therapy throughout South Dakota. This program is designed to address adolescent behavior problems, substance abuse and delinquency, and help families support their children in positive ways.
The Unified Judicial System has been working to ensure judges are aware of the statutory changes that impact them, and that probation officers have the tools they need. Probation officers will be utilizing a guide of graduated consequences to hold youth accountable for their conduct by responding consistently and quickly to violations, and also to incentivize positive behavior.
The Department of Corrections has created a financial incentive program to encourage counties to divert juveniles from detention, and yet allow counties to request funds when the number of detention bed days in a given calendar year exceeds an established baseline.
It is still very early, and it will take some time before we see the impact of these reforms. Still, early indications are hopeful, and I am committed to executing these new policies well. If all goes as hoped, we’ll have fewer nonviolent youth in lock-up, and better programs to put them on track for a better future.
State Representative Lee Schoenbeck apparently brought all his shotguns to the cracker barrell today, where he leveled all his verbal weaponry at House Majority Leader Brian Gosch over his handling of the Ed funding bill this week.
According to the Watertown Public Opinion:
Rep. Lee Schoenbeck was particularly critical of House Majority Leader Brian Gosch of Rapid City and his actions surrounding House Bill 1182, Gov. Dennis Daugaard’s proposal to raise the sales tax a half-penny to fund teacher salaries and property tax relief.
And…
Adding punctuation to his explanation of the changes affecting the technical schools, Schoenbeck said thanks should go to Gosch and “a group of clowns” whose obstinance opened the door to the change. He then added he probably shouldn’t have called them “clowns.”
Schoenbeck cited one particular instance involving his fellow District 5 Rep. Roger Solum and Gosch. He said Gosch delivered the body’s code of ethics to Solum and highlighted provisions of the bill Gosch said should preclude Solum from voting (dealing with the technical institutes, as Solum is employed by LATI).
“It’s the most disgusting, political act I have ever seen a coward do in a setting, to behave the way Brian Gosch did,” Schoenbeck said.
He said real leaders don’t handle issues like Gosch did.
“But, if you’re pond scum, you’d try and intimidate someone who’s not voting for you.”
On Thursday in Pierre, State Chamber of Commerce Luncheon attendees selected who their favorite candidate is for Governor in an informal and unscientific straw poll including Republicans and Democrats.
Of the 63 in attendance, 27% (or 17 of them) chose Attorney General Marty Jackley as their guy, and 25% (or 15 ) chose State Rep Mark Mickelson.
Lt. Governor Matt Michels also fared well at 24% of the vote.
I just caught Twitter, and noticed State Representative Lee Schoenbeck reminding us that the Dem’s new US Senate Candidate is for a state income tax. And when I read that, the dim lightbulb over my head brightened by several orders of magnitude, as I recalled “Hey! What about Paula Hawks? She’s a big state income tax fan too!”
From Jay Williams…
Monday’s debate also touched on a number of other topics.
• Gilson, Moser and Hunhoff said they opposed implementing a state income tax and raising the gas tax. Williams said he favors raising the gas tax and remains open to the possibility of a state income tax.
And we can add his “Tax is not a dirty word” video, which I’m sure will be infamous for the entirety of his campaign..
“Instead of looking for spending cuts, we must look for ways to increase tax revenue. Look at yourself, if you have property, ask for property taxes to be raised. If you have income, lobby for a state income tax. If you buy lots of things, go for a sales tax.”
And let’s not forget about Paula Hawks‘ own advocacy for a new tax on the backs of South Dakotans:
Questioner: are you in favor of an income tax? Hawks: “Um, yeah. If done properly… I think an income tax is fairly based.”
Questioner: Do you see a downside to an income tax? Hawks: “It’s extremely unpopular. The unfortunate part of that is it’s unpopular because of a lack of understanding how that would affect people differently than taxes now.”
I can’t remember when we’ve ever before had two pro-state income tax Democrats topping the ticket for their Party. The Kool-aid drinking South Dakota Democrats must be proud with state income tax advocates Jay Williams & Paula Hawks at the top of the ticket.
Despite the fact they’re both going to lose miserably because of it.
Ann Tornberg was surprisingly candid in this morning’s paper regarding Jay Williams’ candidacy for the US Senate. Williams had been cited for months among insiders as telling Democrats that if no one else would do it, he would. And in this morning’s Argus, Tornberg confirmed as much.
I’m here for the Democrat Partayyy
Williams’ announcement puts to rest speculation that Thune would go unopposed in his third Senate run. In 2010, the Democrats failed to field a challenger.
Ann Tornberg, chairwoman of the South Dakota Democratic Party, said that was a mistake, and finding a candidate was a priority. She said Williams, the only South Dakota Democrat interested in committing to challenging Thune, made known his plans last summer but chose to hold off on announcing until the election season neared.
“No one else emerged and Jay always had that in the back of his mind. It was really based on the need for the Democrats to run a candidate in 2016,” she said. “I can’t imagine that we wouldn’t have heard about it if someone else was interested.”
There is also evidence to support the supposition that they were looking for someone else up until the last minute, if you examine Williams web site registration, as well as his petitions. Petitions for the candidate only started circulating in the past week or so, and his website was registered in the same timeframe..
Note that it was not even registered for use until 2-10-2016, about the same time Tornberg was said to be carrying petitions. This is a big red flag that Democrats continued to try to scrape someone else up down to the last minute, and Williams is the candidate of last resort.
Even someone who is willing to take one for the team as Williams is has to get signatures to be placed on the ballot. Dems decided to pull the trigger with what they had. It will be interesting to see how national pundits call this one, but I think we can safely speculate that this seat will remain “Deep Red and in Republican hands.”
With the clock having run out for Democrats, they decided to play the hand they were dealt. Unfortunately, they’re challenging a straight flush with a hand that contains a couple of low cards, a joker, and the instructions for the deck that someone forgot to throw away.
Bringing the 5G Network One Step Closer to Reality
Recognizing the Mental Health Needs of Our Veterans
Don’t Forget States Created the Federal Government
Implementing Juvenile Justice Reforms
On Thursday in Pierre, State Chamber of Commerce Luncheon attendees selected who their favorite candidate is for Governor in an informal and unscientific straw poll including Republicans and Democrats.
Note that it was not even registered for use until 2-10-2016, about the same time Tornberg was said to be carrying petitions. This is a big red flag that Democrats continued to try to scrape someone else up down to the last minute, and Williams is the candidate of last resort.