Category: Uncategorized

Thune: U.S. Needs Strong Economy, National Defense to Compete with China

“If the Democrat leader is serious about improving our competitiveness with China, and not just funding progressive priorities, these are the kinds of things he should focus on for his bill.”

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today spoke on the Senate floor about the threat that China poses to the United States and the importance of putting America in a position of strength to be able to counter China. Thune noted that we must strengthen our national security and economy to compete with China and ensure that any China initiative doesn’t become a vehicle for more spending on far-left policies.

Johnson Secures Win For South Dakota Airports

Washington, D.C. – On Wednesday, U.S. Representative Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) led efforts to successfully turn back a plan to charge the Pierre, Aberdeen, and Watertown communities more than $4 million over the next ten years to maintain passenger air service.

The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee passed out bipartisan legislation making significant reforms to our nation’s aviation system. Originally, language in that bill, the Securing Growth and Robust Leadership in American Aviation (SGRLAA) Act, would have charged rural passenger airports extensive new fees to participate in the essential air service program.

Johnson successfully amended the bill to protect the most remote passenger airports, including those in Pierre, Aberdeen, and Watertown, from those new expenses. His amendment was adopted into the final package by the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and will move to the House floor.

“South Dakotans and rural Americans deserve reasonable access to airport travel,” said Johnson. “The original draft of the committee’s bill would force towns like Pierre, Aberdeen, and Watertown to cut city programs or raise taxes or fees to support essential air services. I’m glad the committee adopted my amendment to protect our rural airports while also making fiscally responsible changes to the program as a whole.”

The SGRLAA Act is the five-year reauthorization of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). It reauthorizes the programs in the FAA to improve efficiency and operations, strengthen American’s general aviation sector and workforce, invest in United States airport infrastructure, enhance the passenger experience, and authorize the National Transportation Safety Board.

Background:

Essential Air Service (EAS) airports – like those in Pierre, Aberdeen, and Watertown – receive federal funding to ensure air service to rural and small communities. Language in the original text of the SGRLAA Act would have placed a burden of five percent funding on local and state governments that have EAS airports which risks air service in those communities.

Johnson’s amendment specifically targeted the most rural EAS airports that are more than 175 driving miles – nearly a three-hour drive – from the nearest medium- or large-hub airport. The amendment exempted those airports from the five percent cost-share outlined in the legislation. With Johnson’s amendment, the EAS airports in South Dakota will maintain a connection to the national aviation network.

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Johnson, Thune, Rounds Oppose Rule to Limit BLM Land Use

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representative Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) and U.S. Senators John Thune (R-S.D.), and Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) sent a letter to Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Director Tracy Stone-Manning urging immediate withdrawal of the BLM’s proposed rule for “Conservation and Landscape Health.” Additionally, Johnson introduced South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem in the House Natural Resources Committee for her testimony on the bill H.R. 3397 that would force withdrawal of the proposed rule.

The proposed rule would authorize the BLM to prioritize conservation practices over current standards for multiple-use land, such as livestock grazing, recreation, mineral extraction, renewable energy production, and other common uses.

“In South Dakota, the BLM manages more than 274,000 surface acres and around 1.7 million acres of subsurface minerals,” said the delegation. “From the prairie to pine forests, the BLM manages important uses for our constituents, including livestock grazing, mineral extraction, timber, and recreational activities such as hunting, off-road driving, camping, hiking, and mountain biking. We are concerned the new definitions and frameworks in this proposal will severely restrict how our constituents interact with public lands.”

“The framework for conservation leases in the proposal could threaten responsible uses of the land by allowing the BLM to limit any use of leased land that is deemed ‘inconsistent’ with the framework. This new process has the potential to lock away land for more than a decade, keeping out hunters, livestock owners who graze on public lands, and American taxpayers and tourists who want to enjoy the great outdoors,” continued the delegation.

Background:

There are 245 million surface acres of BLM land in America. This land is already under management plans and strict Federal protection.

The proposed rule creates a framework for BLM “conservation leases” without congressional approval that would not authorize usage of land inconsistent with their framework. This could prohibit access and public use of this land for ten or more years.

The proposed rule additionally gives BLM authority of interim management and implementation of Areas of Critical Environmental Concern, should one be nominated outside of the standard land use planning process. This authority would allow BLM access to manage these areas without input from state or local government, or the public.

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Judge Rejects McIsaac’s Recall Challenge

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Judge Rejects McIsaac’s Recall Challenge

BALTIC, SD – A Minnehaha County Circuit Judge has ruled that the petition to recall Mayor McIsaac was valid, and that an election is to be set. While some grounds did fall short procedurally, the factual basis of all the petition grounds were undisputed.

South Dakotans for Transparent Government now calls on the Baltic City Council to fulfill their obligation to the voters by setting an election date, so that the will of the voters can be heard.

For more information, please visit www.recallmcisaac.com. For press inquiries, please contact info@recallmcisaac.com

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Governor Noem Testifies Against Biden’s Proposed BLM Rule
Fights for the Freedom of South Dakota Farmers and Ranchers

PIERRE, S.D. – Today, Governor Kristi Noem testified  before the United States House of Representatives Committee on Natural Resources in favor of HR 3397. The bill would require the Bureau of Land Management to withdraw the proposed rule on “Conservation and Landscape Health.”

Governor Noem reminded the committee that our land is our greatest resource and that Washington bureaucrats do not know how to manage land better than the folks who have been stewarding it for generations. Photos from the hearing and Governor Noem’s meeting with House leadership can be found here.

“I was raised by a dad who often reminded me, ‘Kristi, we don’t sell land, because God’s not making any more land…,” said Governor Noem. “But I also learned why he cared so much – because working the land wasn’t just a job or a career to my father. It was our family legacy. It was our way of life. It was a culture that not only preserves a critical work ethic that is so important to this country, but it also reminds us daily of the natural resources that were a gift from God.” You can view Governor Noem’s full opening statement here.

Representative Dusty Johnson (SD) introduced Governor Noem at the beginning of the hearing. He said, “Time and time again I have seen [Governor Noem] make decisions not on the basis of what would increase her political comfort, but what would better serve her oath of office…In that way she has made great decisions for our state.” You can view Rep. Johnson’s full introduction here.

When answering a question posed by Representative Stauber (MN-08), Governor Noem emphasized that BLM did not conduct an economic analysis when writing the proposed rule. Thus, it’s designation as a minor rule has no basis in fact.

Governor Noem explained in her response to Representative Curtis (UT-03) that the state of South Dakota has achieved the second highest renewable fuel share in the country and a designation as a top ten greenest state without mandates or government overreach. The proposed BLM rule would halt this progress by trouncing on states’ rights.

In a response to Representative Lamborn (CO-05), Governor Noem talked about how the proposed BLM rule would be not only detrimental to the economy, but harmful to America’s work ethic.

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It looks like it’s a work in progress as they connect social media and update information, but the South Dakota Republican Party has some new information on-line as they test their new website.

I was able to grab a couple of screen grabs before they notice that I noticed, and it goes dark, so sharing:

Looks pretty good.

From Twitter, Governor Kristi Noem testifies in Washington in a House Natural Resources hearing against the administration’s left-wing agenda.

President Biden and his Administration are elevating a left-wing radical environmental agenda, rather than balancing management, conservation, and public safety.

Our farmers and ranchers are the best stewards of our land — they’re the best conservationists I know.

I support HR… pic.twitter.com/OdwswqTzhb

— Kristi Noem (@KristiNoem) June 15, 2023

If you recall the group that was attempting to recall the Baltic mayor, with the recall being challenged in court, I’m hearing an early report that the recall group did win in court, and the recall/special election will be moving forward.

Stay tuned for more on this.

In an interesting episode, our neighbor to the north is facing similar battles within their GOP ranks that South Dakota Republicans have had growing in the ranks, where populist activists seek to oust long-time carriers of water for the elephant:

North Dakota’s dominant political party may be on the cusp of coming under the control of conspiracy-addled populists. It all hinges on a meeting to be held this weekend.
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The NDGOP is a very open organization. So much so the supposed “good old boys” and “elites” — the traditional Republicans who have been winning one election after another for 30 years — may, at a reorganization meeting to be held this coming weekend in Fargo, be given the boot by a small-but-active contingent of Trumpy culture warriors.

and..

Because it is not a top-down “good old boys” network, because it is not a walled garden for some imagined cabal of political elites, a smallish faction of angry populists have been able to manipulate the process to the point where they may well be in charge of the party after this weekend.

The NDGOP is so bottom-up it doesn’t even have a uniform set of bylaws for electing leadership around the state, something that has led to a lot of shenanigans..

Read the entire story here.

What are your thoughts on this? Is it a recipe for disaster that will lead to the loss of elections? Or is the influx of people a good thing?

This year, South Dakota Secretary of State Monae Johnson has convened a group to meet on election integrity to probe how open and transparent our elections are.  And according to reports, apparently the first meeting will be conducted behind closed doors, and not many people are happy about it:

“It is a closed session so that our members can talk freely,” said Johnson, who rode federal election frustrations among GOP voters to the South Dakota Republican Party’s nomination for secretary of state last summer.

and..

“We understood, as supporters, that she already knew the issues around transparency,” she said. “You never know what you’re walking into, but many of the things she ran on seemed to disappear.”

Nelson, the lone lawmaker from the state’s minority party serving on the committee, supported the creation of a summer study pertaining to post-election audits, created through legislation he supported this winter. But the closed-door meeting doesn’t sit well with him, either.

Read the entire story at The Dakota Scout (Subscription required).

Why? Just why? Who is providing this advice? Because this is an unforced error.

I’m not sure why Monae Johnson is setting herself up for a media pummeling here. Because that’s all that closing a meeting on election integrity is going to get her.

Does anyone assume that everything is going to remain behind closed doors with the election denier crowd, and the opposing party at the meeting table?

Stay tuned.