Category: Uncategorized

Release: South Dakota to End Federal Pandemic Unemployment Benefits

@SoDakCampaigns

South Dakota to End Federal Pandemic Unemployment Benefits

PIERRE, SD – Today, Governor Kristi Noem and the South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation (DLR) announced South Dakota will terminate its participation in the federal government’s pandemic-related unemployment assistance programs.

“Businesses across the state continue to say they would grow and expand, if it wasn’t for the lack of workers. Help wanted signs line our streets,” said state Labor and Regulation Secretary Marcia Hultman. “South Dakota is, and has been, ‘Open for Business.’ Ending these programs is a necessary step towards recovery, growth, and getting people back to work.”

South Dakota was the only state to not apply for the federal Lost Wages Assistance (LWA) supplement last fall. Additionally, South Dakota did not opt into the federal Mixed Earner Unemployment Compensation (MEUC) program in December 2020.

South Dakota elected to participate in three unemployment-related programs in connection with the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and Continued Assistance to Unemployed Workers Act of 2020.

  • South Dakota will no longer participate in the federal Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) program, which affected claimants who have exhausted their traditional 26 weeks of regular State unemployment compensation.
  • South Dakota will no longer issue supplemental $300 weekly payments to claimants under the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) program. This payment was made to all claimants who were receiving unemployment benefits regardless of the program under which they are being paid.
  • South Dakota will no longer participate in the federal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program. PUA currently provides benefits to the self-employed, the underemployed, independent contractors, and individuals who have been unable to work due to health or COVID-19-related reasons.

The termination will be effective on the week ending June 26, 2021, for all three programs. South Dakota will continue to pay regular State claims. The agreement signed to initiate these programs allows South Dakota or the U.S. Department of Labor to terminate the programs upon 30 days’ written notice to the other party.

“DLR’s online jobs database SDWORKS has averaged over 23,000 job openings daily,” continued Secretary Hultman. “Our Job Service offices are open and ready to help and support those returning to the workforce, in need of additional skills or training, or who need an extra hand in overcoming barriers.”

To search for new jobs or receive virtual employment services, visit www.sdjobs.org.

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Candidate for Gov Lora Hubbel intimates on facebook that mask wearing is devil worship

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Self-declared candidate for Governor Lora Hubbel has taken to facebook to intimate that the act of wearing a mask to protect oneself from Coronavirus is apparently a form of devil-worship, as she shares a post discussing how wearing a mask is a satanic ritual:

(Lora is also a rabid anti-vaxxer goofball on not just COVID, but also on preventable childhood diseases.)

If you think about it, between her belief that masks are part of a satanic ritual, and her belief against vaccinations, which would remove the need to wear a mask…

…you’re kind of damned if you do, and damned if you don’t.

SD Senate President Pro Tempore Schoenbeck has harsh words for Congressional Republicans

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Lee Schoenbeck, the top Senator in the South Dakota Senate, has some harsh words for those in Congress who moved to oust Liz Cheney from her caucus position for speaking her mind on President Trump.

I had a correspondent also note to me..

Liz Cheney is so conservative, she stood against gay marriage even though her sister is married to her partner.

This is not the Republican party that my generation is remotely interested in.

I would also add that South Dakota’s lone voice in Congress, Dusty Johnson, expressed in an interview that he voted to retain Cheney in Leadership, because of her independent voice:

“I’ve had my disagreements with Liz, but she’s a strong, conservative and independent voice,” he said. “There’s room for that in leadership.”

Read the entire story here.

What are your thoughts on Cheney’s ouster from her caucus position yesterday? Are some Republicans demanding too much fealty to Trump at the expense of being able to express a contrary view?

Governor Noem Urges Secretary Buttigieg to Reconsider Essential Air Service Decision

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Governor Noem Urges Secretary Buttigieg to Reconsider Essential Air Service Decision

PIERRE, SD – Today, Governor Kristi Noem urged U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Pete Buttigieg to reconsider his agency’s decision regarding Essential Air Service (EAS) at the Pierre and Watertown airports. DOT awarded the two-year EAS contract to Denver Air Connection for both airports, contrary to the united recommendation of Governor Noem, the full Congressional delegation, and both cities that SkyWest’s EAS contract be renewed.“

Because of SkyWest’s quality service, traffic at Pierre and Watertown Regional Airports skyrocketed prior to the pandemic,” said Governor Noem. “After the Biden Administration announced an infrastructure package worth over $2.5 trillion, it seems inconsistent to reject SkyWest’s superior service. I strongly encourage you to rethink this decision and instruct your team to issue a re-bid.”

Governor Noem emphasized that the change in service would have a detrimental impact on tourism to these cities and the surrounding areas. Additionally, the loss of high-quality service would put jobs, small businesses, and economic growth at risk in both cities, which are vital economic centers for South Dakota.

You can read Governor Noem’s letter to Secretary Buttigieg here.

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Governors Call on President Biden to End Border Crisis

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Governors Call on President Biden to End Border Crisis

PIERRE, SD – Today, Governor Kristi Noem, along with 19 governors, called on President Biden and Vice President Harris to take immediate action on the crisis at the southern border. You can read the governors’ letter here.

“The crisis is too big to ignore and is now spilling over the border states into all of our states,” wrote Governor Noem and the other governors. “The cause of the border crisis is entirely due to reckless federal policy reversals executed within your first 100 days in office.  The rhetoric of the Biden Administration and the rollback of critical agreements with our allies have led to the inhumane treatment of tens of thousands of children and undermined a fragile immigration system.”

The governors pointed to a “staggering surge in recent crossings.” Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) reported that March border encounters were 172,000, the highest number in nearly 20 years. And CBP encountered 18,890 unaccompanied children in March, the largest monthly number in history.

The border crisis has also exacerbated the opioid epidemic, a problem that Governor Noem has prioritized fixing. CBP reports a 233% increase in the seizure of fentanyl compared to January last year. “Law enforcement officials are recovering drugs, illegal narcotics, and weapons being smuggled across the border by cartels—the same cartels that are also trafficking men, women, and children and jeopardizing their lives,” wrote the governors.

Governor Noem recently announced that South Dakota “won’t be taking any illegal immigrants that the Biden administration wants to relocate.” The governors echoed this sentiment, writing “We have neither the resources nor the obligation to solve the federal government’s problem and foot the bill for the consequences of this Administration’s misguided actions.”

“We urge you to take action to end the humanitarian crisis and secure our southern border immediately,” concluded the governors.

Along with Governor Noem, the letter was signed by Alabama Governor Kay Ivey, Arizona Governor Doug Ducey, Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, Idaho Governor Brad Little, Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb, Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds, Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves,  Missouri Governor Greg Parsons, Montana Governor Greg Gianforte, Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts, New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu, North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt, South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, Texas Governor Greg Abbott, Utah Governor Spencer Cox, and Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon.

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My Pillow event has more than 1000 attendees. This was about his website, which doesn’t work yet..

@SoDakCampaigns

It sounds as if the event in Mitchell yesterday picked up a bit after I checked in at 4:30, with just over 1000 attendees noted by Joe Sneve at the Argus:

That was just one takeaway from MyPillow founder Mike Lindell’s keynote address Monday evening from inside the Mitchell Corn Palace, where more than 1,000 attended the four-hour long event filled with liberal bashing and notions that Trump was cheated out of a second term in the White House.

and..

Monday night’s lineup also included entertainment from former Saturday Night Live comedian Joe Piscopo, a real-time speech via video feed from former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson and remarks by author and Veggie Tales contributor Eric Mataxas.

Read that all here.

And it sounds as if they had the proud boys there as well.

Nice.

The entertainment for the event at the Corn Palace was a comedian who was at his high point nearly 40 years ago?  (That sounds like a lot of the Corn Palace’s entertainment line up in recent years.)

Sorry if I’m not sufficiently excited about the event. The Frankspeech.com social media platform really isn’t anything more than a blog for Mr. Lindell at this point. So it was really a product launch for something that doesn’t work yet.

I’m sure it was a nice momentary diversion for people who didn’t have anything else to do.