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Rounds Introduces Legislation to Prevent Rural Hospital Closures
Legislation would codify a USDA pilot program that provides technical assistance to hospitals

 WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and Peter Welch (D-Vt.) today introduced legislation to help rural hospitals that are at risk of being closed. The Rural Hospital Technical Assistance Program Act would codify an existing pilot program administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) that provides technical assistance to rural hospitals to prevent closures, improve their financial and operational performance and strengthen essential healthcare services in rural communities.

“Rural hospitals are a lifeline for the communities they serve, and far too many are struggling to keep their doors open,” said Rounds. “Providing technical assistance to rural hospitals at risk for closure gives providers and administrators a fresh set of eyes on their operations and allows for new ideas to help stabilize their operations. The Rural Hospital Technical Assistance Program Act would codify this pilot program and help rural hospitals continue to provide the critical care that South Dakotans need.”

“The health and wellbeing of Vermont’s rural hospitals impact the health and wellbeing of every Vermonter—but our rural hospitals need help to keep their doors open for our patients,” said Welch. “I’m proud to partner with Senator Rounds on this bipartisan bill, which will strengthen hospitals across the United States and help rural hospitals improve their care and services.”

Through an agreement with USDA, the National Rural Health Association provides several types of technical assistance to include expert guidance on optimizing billing processes, addressing reimbursement delays, improving collections and maximizing available reimbursement opportunities. Any rural hospital is eligible under this program, with preference given to hospitals in persistent poverty communities of less than 20,000. Participating hospitals are provided with a contractor specializing in rural health care delivery, who then reports back on goals and next steps to get the hospitals to financial and operational stability.

To date, 17 hospitals have participated in the pilot version of the program, including four in South Dakota: Bennett County Hospital in Martin, Freeman Regional Health Services in Freeman, Landmann-Jungman Memorial Hospital in Scotland and Pioneer Memorial Hospital in Viborg. The program has been highly effective in assisting rural hospitals.

“The South Dakota Association of Healthcare Organizations would like to thank Senator Rounds for introducing this important legislation to support South Dakota’s rural hospitals,” said Tim Rave, President and CEO of the South Dakota Association of Healthcare Organizations. “In a state where our population density is 12 people per square mile and 57% of our residents live in a rural area, it is critical to ensure access to quality health care for our rural and medically underserved communities. The Rural Hospital TA Program Act will help our hospitals identify needs, access resources and strengthen their operations to maintain essential health care services.”

“As a rural CEO, I am incredibly pleased with the process and action plan developed to help ensure our continued viability,” said Melissa Gale, CEO of Landmann-Jungman Memorial Hospital Avera. “It was uniquely tailored to our facility, addressing the specific concerns raised during the site visit. The recommendations are both practical and achievable for our small, rural community in Scotland. This approach truly reflects a deep understanding of our needs and challenges.”

“The National Rural Health Association (NRHA) applauds Senator Rounds for his introduction of the Rural Health Care Facility Technical Assistance Program Act to expand and codify the existing USDA pilot program,” said Alan Morgan, CEO of the National Rural Health Association. “This legislation will help prevent hospital closures, improve financial and operations performance for facilities, and strengthen essential healthcare services in rural communities. NRHA looks forward to working with Congress to keep hospital doors open and continue providing care for the 60 million residents living in rural America.”

BACKGROUND:

Since 2005, 186 rural hospitals have closed nationwide, and over 400 rural hospitals are currently vulnerable to closure. 28 percent of hospitals in South Dakota are considered vulnerable to closure. Many rural hospitals face significant infrastructure needs, including updates on aging facilities, implementation of electronic health records and expansion of facilities to meet the changing needs of their service area.

Click HERE to read full bill text.

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Last fall, Sioux Falls Mayor Paul TenHaken had expressed that he wished that the South Dakota Legislature would focus on real issues, and not the culture war nonsense that was tending to be brought up by legislators.

“We’re in a divisive time right now. Politics is gross and people are mad,” TenHaken said. “How do we put just put some of that anger aside, culture issues aside, what’s the basic tackling and blocking we have to do to keep up with a city growing 5-6,000 people year. Keeping a couple books out of our library is not high on our priority list.”

and..

TenHaken said “culture war issues” take a lot of time and the return on investment isn’t there to benefit the community.

Read that all here at KELOland.

Of course, the legislature did the opposite, and people like Rep. Bethany Soye pushed forth efforts to lock up librarians, etc.

Today in the Argus Leader, Mayor TenHaken reflected back on the failure of a legislative session we just had:

“I don’t think bills that force the hanging of Ten Commandments in school classrooms is a priority in our state right now,” TenHaken said. “As a guy who tries to live his life by the Ten Commandments and thinks it’s a fantastic, fantastic set of words to live by, I think it’s a dangerous precedent when you start saying, ‘I’m going to impose my religious values at a legislative level into my public school base.’ I think we’re kind of messing with fire a little bit there.”

TenHaken bemoaned that bills regarding school lunches and public school initiatives were “quickly discounted” while legislators spent “a lot of time dealing with library issues” and not with housing, public safety and other things that the mayor said “I hear about in my office way more than some of the stuff that ate up a lot of the time in the session.”

and..

“They love local control until we don’t take cash and then they want to step on local control,” TenHaken said. “And they love local control until they want to tell you when to have your elections. And they love local control until they want to tell you you can’t be a sanctuary city or whatever the topic might be.”

He also said he felt there had been a lack of communication between the city and legislators, saying that he had struggled to get responses from legislators when he reached out about questions or concerns on bills.

Read that here.

And that was the 2025 South Dakota State Legislative session.

From Facebook, former State Representative Cooper Garnos has thrown his hat in the ring for a seat on the Lyman County School Board.

Thune Statement on the Budget Resolution

 “It is now time for the Senate to move forward with this budget resolution in order to further advance our shared Republican agenda in Congress.”

 WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) today released the following statement:

“Republicans in the Senate and the House are committed to working with President Trump to stop Democrats from imposing an automatic $4 trillion tax hike on the American people at the end of this year,” said Thune. “Democrats’ knee-jerk opposition to President Trump nearly caused a government shutdown weeks ago, and now it threatens economic catastrophe for the country as Democrats want to allow the pro-growth Tax Cuts and Jobs Act to expire. This would mean higher tax rates for families, slashing the standard deduction claimed by roughly 90 percent of tax filers, and cutting the child tax credit in half – per child. We cannot allow this to happen.

“In addition to preventing an automatic multi-trillion-dollar tax increase on the American people, this budget resolution will pave the way for a generational investment in border security and national defense and unleash American energy dominance,” continued Thune. “This budget also demonstrates a commitment to reducing the size and scope of the federal government by cutting waste, fraud, and abuse, while we stand with President Trump to protect Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid.

“The Senate parliamentarian has reviewed the Budget Committee’s substitute amendment and deemed it appropriate for consideration under the Budget Act,” continued Thune. “It is now time for the Senate to move forward with this budget resolution in order to further advance our shared Republican agenda in Congress.”

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A recent announcement from Governor Rhoden marked the end of a long road for Senate Bill 14, an act to revise and repeal provisions related to agricultural production facilities and to provide a penalty therefor.

The measure was designed to protect information from being released to those who would do ag producers harm, including eco-terrorists and foreign adversaries, and was supported by most of the ag establishment including SD Farm Bureau, Coops, Dairy Producers, Pork Producers, the Cattleman’s Association, etcetera.  It also included provisions to criminalize using deception to “access an ag facility that is not open to the public, with the intent to cause physical or economic harm or other injury to the agricultural production facility.“

The measure had sailed through the Senate with only token opposition from 2 of the Democrats in that chamber.. but then ran into a buzzsaw in House Ag where the bill codifying what the Depatment of Ag was already doing – protecting family agriculture producers –  found itself killed as several hard-right Republicans as led by Julie Auch linked arms with the hard-left, represented by the lone Democrat on the panel, Dakota Rural Action and former Democrat Senator Frank Kloucek. And they killed the measure.

Rep. Auch and Jana Hunt teamed up to kill the bill protecting information on ag producers and was joined by Travis Ismay, Kaylee Nolz, Kathy Rice, Spencer Gosch and Democrat Kadyn Wittman.

The bill was changed later to remove the protections that would have been put in place where the Department of Ag & Natural Resources would be barred from releasing aggregated lists to groups who would target animal operations. One can only assume PETA sent the naysayers thank you notes.

After the protective language against releasing aggregate lists was stripped, the bill eventually passed. But it was another example where the hard right joined the liberal left to fight agriculture in South Dakota.

SOUTH DAKOTA BOARD OF REGENTS ANNOUNCES NEW OFFICERS

ABERDEEN, S.D. – Today, the South Dakota Board of Regents (BOR) announced board officers, reaffirming experienced leadership while welcoming a new Regent to its ranks.

Tim Rave has been re-elected as president, continuing his leadership in guiding the state’s public higher education system. Jeff Partridge will also remain as vice president, providing continued strategic oversight. Additionally, Randy Frederick has been elected as secretary for his first term, bringing a fresh perspective to the board’s leadership team.

“I am honored to continue serving as the president of the Board of Regents,” said Rave. “We have significant responsibilities ahead to ensure that South Dakota’s public universities remain accessible, affordable, and focused on student success. I look forward to working with my fellow board members to build on our progress.”

The April meeting also marks the first meeting for newly appointed Regents, Miles Beacom of Sioux Falls and Griffin Petersen, a University of South Dakota student from Onida.

The BOR April Meeting is currently in session at Northern State University this Wednesday – Thursday, April 2-3.

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Looks like bad Shad Olson is going to ask a jury to decide his fate in Meade County for the domestic assault charges, after backing out of an earlier plea agreement:

In February of last year, 52-year-old Shad Olson was accused of assaulting a woman at her home in Meade County. Olson allegedly grabbed the woman by the shoulders and threw her to the ground multiple times.

He was charged with aggravated assault-domestic violence. However, that charge was dismissed back in November, and he still faces a charge of simple assault-domestic violence.

Read that here at KOTA news.

Attorney General Jackley Confirms DCI Investigating Officer Involved Shootings in Sioux Falls

PIERRE.S.D.  – South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley confirms that the Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI), at the request of the Sioux Falls Police Department and South Dakota Highway Patrol, is investigating two separate, but related, officer involved shootings with the same suspect that occurred Tuesday, April 1, 2025 in Sioux Falls.

One of the Officer Involved Shootings occurred in Sioux Falls and the other in Union County.

The suspect has been identified as Samir Albaidhani, 25, (Sha-mir All-Ba-Don-ee) who is in custody.

A Sioux Falls Police Officer and the suspect were both injured. The Highway Patrol Trooper was not injured.

Attorney General Jackley said that the DCI is working with the Beresford Police Department, Minnehaha County Sheriff’s Office, the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, and the Union County Sheriff’s Office on the investigations. The Sioux Falls Police Department and Highway Patrol are cooperating with the investigations.

“There is no further danger to the public based upon the strong response by local and state authorities,” said Attorney General Jackley. “DCI will do separate, but concurrent, investigations for each Officer Involved Shooting, and there will be additional criminal investigations.”

In both cases, the DCI will process the crime scene, conduct a forensic examination of all collected evidence, interview officers and witnesses, and review all video cameras from the area.

After the investigation are complete, the DCI will issue shooting summaries for both cases.

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Uh, what? Unfortunately, it’s not an April Fools’ joke.

In case you haven’t read anything off-the-wall crazy today, a new group has been formed on Facebook, including several state legislators. And apparently, they want airplanes to be shot out of the sky:

“South Dakotans Against Chem Trails” – This group is for South Dakotans who oppose the use of poisonous chemical trails in our skies and are committed to advocating for legislation that would obligate the National Guard to shoot down these poison pushing planes dispersing chem trails.

I think we’ve dipped into crazy town at this point. So, who is the group advocating that aircraft be shot down, which would likely kill the pilots and crew?

 

That would be the State Director of the South Dakota Freedom Caucus.  Along with some of her friends…

State Representative Dylan Jordan. State Representative Brandei Schaefbauer. State Representative Logan Manhart and State Senator Tom Pischke have all apparently clicked “Join Group” when presented with the manifesto that includes “obligate the National Guard to shoot down” airplanes.

ARE THEY KIDDING OR ARE THESE LEGISLATORS ACTUALLY THAT NUTS?

I have edited out most of the names, but J.F.C… we have 4 State Legislators advocating for airplanes to be shot out of the sky based on internet conspiracy theories?

Is this how bad some of our legislators have gotten?  Good gosh.

Dakotans for Health Sues to Protect Voter Rights and Defend Direct Democracy

South Dakota’s Continued Attempts to Undermine Citizen Initiatives Challenged in Court

Pierre, South Dakota – April 1, 2025 — Dakotans for Health and its Chair, Rick Weiland, today filed a legal challenge against Secretary of State Monae Johnson, seeking to prevent the enforcement of House Bill 1184, which severely limits the state’s citizen-initiated petition process. This new law is the latest in an ongoing effort by the Republican-dominated South Dakota legislature to undermine direct democracy and block the will of the voters.

“We believe in the power of the people, and the people of South Dakota have consistently used the initiative process to bring about important reforms, from healthcare access to minimum wage increases. This new law is just another effort to silence the voices of South Dakotans and deny them the right to make decisions that impact their lives,” said Rick Weiland, Chair of Dakotans for Health.

The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of South Dakota, targets HB 1184, which moves the filing deadline for citizen petitions from the first Tuesday in May to the first Tuesday in February, shortening the time available for petition circulators to gather the necessary signatures. It also imposes additional challenges, including harsher winter conditions and decreased voter interest due to the far-removed election date.

The suit argues that HB 1184 violates the First Amendment by infringing on South Dakotans’ right to petition their government. The plaintiffs cite past rulings, including from the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals, which have consistently found that deadlines for citizen petitions should not be set too far in advance of an election, as it dilutes public participation and limits political speech.

“In a state where one political party controls every branch of government for more than three decades, the citizens’ right to initiate change has never been more important. The legislature’s move to roll back the petition filing deadline is a direct attempt to make it harder for everyday South Dakotans to propose changes to the laws that affect them,” said Weiland.

House Bill 1184, enacted as part of a series of legislative restrictions on the citizen initiative process, is part of an ongoing pattern where the South Dakota Legislature has repeatedly sought to restrict or undermine voters’ ability to directly change state law. These efforts include recent battles over petition circulation rules and campaign finance laws that infringe upon the First Amendment.

The plaintiffs, Dakotans for Health, are fighting to preserve a system that allows voters to have a direct say in their state’s laws. In 2024, they successfully submitted over 54,000 signatures for a constitutional amendment aimed at restoring Roe v. Wade rights for South Dakota women. Their work, alongside other organizations, is being undermined by HB 1184, which shortens the critical window in which petition drives can gather signatures.

The case also highlights the practical challenges faced by petition circulators, who must gather tens of thousands of signatures in harsh weather conditions, while working within tight timeframes that diminish their chances for success. According to the plaintiffs, reducing the time available to circulate petitions makes it less likely that any petition will gather enough valid signatures, discouraging future citizen engagement and activism.

“We are asking the court to protect the right of South Dakotans to engage in direct democracy by issuing an injunction to stop the enforcement of HB 1184. If this law is allowed to stand, it will severely restrict our ability to gather the signatures needed to bring important issues before voters. The people of South Dakota deserve better,” Weiland concluded.

Dakotans for Health and Rick Weiland are seeking both a preliminary and permanent injunction to block the enforcement of the law and protect the First Amendment rights of South Dakota’s citizens.

Attachments:

Full copies of the federal lawsuit and the legal memo for injunction are available on our website. Just scroll to the bottom of the page and you’ll see two downloadable PDF files:

• Dakotans for Health et al. v. Monae Johnson – Complaint
• Memo in Support of Preliminary and Permanent Injunction

Website: https://www.dakotans4health.com/post/dakotans-for-health-sues-south-dakota-over-hb-1184-attack-on-voter-rights