Category: Uncategorized

Texas Man Sentenced for Deceptive Trade Practices

PIERRE, S.D. – Attorney General Marty Jackley announced today that Chad Michael Blair, 42, Houston, TX, formerly of Sioux Falls, was sentenced yesterday in 2nd Circuit Court to one count of deceptive trade practices and one count of odometer alteration. Blair was sentenced to 2 years in the state penitentiary with 2 years suspended. He was ordered to serve 30 days in the county jail to run concurrent to the misdemeanor odometer alterations charge. Blair was ordered to pay $3,375 in restitution, along with court costs and placed on probation for 2 years.

“Tampering with odometers in order to get more money for vehicles from innocent victims is wrong and illegal,” said Jackley. “We will continue to hold responsible individuals who take unfair advantage of consumers.”

The defendant formerly managed River Auto Sales, LLC, and in that capacity replaced high mileage odometers in vehicles, with lower mileage odometers which he purchased from a used auto parts retailer. Blair did this without affixing the notice of odometer alteration required by law to the vehicle affected.

This case was investigated by South Dakota Division of Revenue and the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division and prosecuted by the Attorney General’s Office.

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Thune Discusses Senate Tax Reform Plan on Fox Business, Bloomberg, and Senate Floor

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), a member of the tax-writing Senate Finance Committee, this week discussed the Senate’s tax reform plan on Fox Business, Bloomberg, and the Senate Floor.

To learn more about Thune’s work on tax reform, please visit the tax reform section on www.thune.senate.gov.

Thune on Fox Business:

“We need to get this across the finish line and put a bill on the president’s desk that will bring much-needed relief to middle-income families, allow them to keep more of what they earn, but just as importantly, get this economy growing at a faster rate.”

Thune on Bloomberg:

“What we’re trying to accomplish with this is to create certainty and predictability for businesses to invest and expand and grow. There are a number of things in the bill – the reduction of rates, the accelerated cost recovery, the immediate and full expensing – is something I think that businesses will take full advantage of.”

Thune on the Senate Floor:

“The average family in this country under this legislation that we will consider (when I say average family, a typical family of four with a combined average income of $73,000) will receive a $2,200 tax cut as a result of this tax legislation. That’s a 60 percent tax cut over what they are paying today under current law. So Mr. President, if you look at the way this impacts middle-income families in this country, doubling the standard deduction, doubling the child tax credit, lowering rates, are all policies that will all benefit middle-income families in this country.”

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Fresh out of the SDWC mailbox, Congresswoman and Gubernatorial candidate Kristi Noem is making a late November push for raising funds to help her close out 2017:

Kristi for Gov Fundraiser Late Nov by Pat Powers on Scribd

I was reading with interest an opinion piece in the Argus Leader from representatives of DSU about South Dakota becoming a leader in 5G technology.

Their thesis is that South Dakota needs to be on the cusp of emerging technologies, and made the point that “Working with the federal government and private industry, however, S.D. can jump to the front of the pack – turning the apparent disadvantages of its small cities and rural expanses into the advantages that the new technology needs to overcome the barriers that slow its arrival.”

On Monday last week, if you recall, a roundtable discussion took place with Senator John Thune, PUC Commissioner Kristi Fiegen, prominent telecommunication leaders, and government officials towards those very goals. The discussion, hosted by Connect Americans Now (CAN), centered on eliminating the rural broadband gap and the new technology that has been developed to help accomplish this goal.

It is clear from the discussion that took place that broadband connectivity is no longer a simple luxury but a vital necessity for businesses, healthcare, and agriculture.  If we want to encourage growth, especially in underserved rural areas which are most at risk for simple attrition reducing the size of those communities, we need to help people in those communities with the simple to do business if we want them to live there.

It’s hard to facilitate growth in a community if they don’t have the ability to sell their wares in a global economy. That’s a basic fact.

As we found many years back now, as when Governor Janklow decided that South Dakota needed to wire our state schools and libraries for electronic communications; with its vast landscape and a large portion of the population in rural areas, South Dakota has another chance to be a leading pioneer – this time in advancing broadband with new, cutting-edge technology.

CAN is a new group striving to bring broadband access to the 23.4 million rural Americans who lack connectivity, Spokesperson John Conradi stated that Microsoft has proposed a three-pronged approach to bridge the divide.

“By using the already developed TV white spaces, LTE coverage, and satellite coverage, we can unleash tremendous potential for the lives and livelihoods of 23.4 million rural Americans who lack a broadband connection,” said Conradi. “But, it is going to take more than private-sector investment to make this goal a reality. Specifically, it will be important for the FCC to ensure that three channels below 700 MHz are available for wireless use on an unlicensed basis in every market in the country, with additional TV white spaces available in smaller markets and rural areas.”

“What is going to drive the future of the economy in this country is broadband,” said Sen. Thune.

Using what we have in resources and technology to turn disadvantages into advantages and showing people how to lead.  That’s about as South Dakotan as it comes.

To find out more information on Connect Americans Now’s efforts to eliminate the digital divide, visit their website at: https://connectamericansnow.com.

For more information on Sen. Thune’s stance on bringing broadband to rural South Dakota, visit his website at: https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/?p=search&q=broadband.

Councilor Christine Erickson to run for re-election

Sioux Falls – Councilor Christine Erickson announced this week she will run for re-election to the Sioux Falls City Council. Erickson has served since 2012 and presently serves as the Council Vice Chair. She will seek the Council’s At-Large “B” position.

“Serving this great community has been an honor and privilege.  I would like to continue moving Sioux Falls in the right direction of progress and growth,” stated Erickson. “For the next term, I will focus on smart economic growth, public safety and maintaining the streets to the highest standard possible.”

Erickson has a proven track record for Sioux Falls. This track record includes:

1. Collaboration. Erickson has bridged the gap between Municipalities, Counties, and the State by working in a collaborative way. “We must continue to collaborate with the County and the State to ensure that Sioux Falls remains a leader in local and regional affairs and that our government works as efficiently as possible,” said Erickson.
2. Relationships. Erickson has a reputation of building strong, working relationships that benefit citizens through legislative and community outreach.
3. Confronting Drug Addiction. “Drug addiction is a growing problem – and we need to add prevention to our focus. I have continued to study the many aspects of addiction and am encouraging partnership with the County and State to create a plan to address this ever-growing problem.”
4. Economic growth. Consumer choice is important, and Erickson prides herself on being a leader on issues such as ride sharing and consumer choice in all forms of business development.
5. Erickson played an instrumental role in keeping pool passes affordable, helping which increase demand, resulting in great success of the indoor aquatic center.
6. Higher Paying Jobs. As a City Councilor, Erickson continued her previous work as a State Representative by securing funding for the USD Discovery District – a project that will continue to keep Sioux Falls on the cutting edge of producing high paying jobs and educational options for the residents of Sioux Falls.

Erickson, 39, spends time volunteering in her children’s school as well as operating a rental business she owns with her husband, Tony. They reside on the west side of Sioux Falls where they are busy raising their three boys, Anthony, Braylon and Charlie.

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The Argus Leader is covering a fireworks show this evening as former State Senator Gene Abdallah was asked about uncorroborated accusations of sexual harassment made by a former ACLU Lobbyist, with the former State Senator literally telling her “she can go to hell.”

Tiffany Campbell, a former lobbyist for the American Civil Liberties Union, sent emails to every member of the South Dakota Senate this month urging them to block the appointment of Gene Abdallah to the state’s Board of Pardons and Paroles.

The 41 year old said Abdallah asked her during the 2012 legislative session if he could accompany her to the restroom when the two were discussing legislation at Bob’s Bar, an after-hours extension of the Capitol for many lawmakers and lobbyists.

and…

Abdallah, a former U.S. Marshal and state highway superintendent, was representing Sioux Falls’ District 10 in the state House at the time. On Monday, he denied the allegation and said he never met Campbell.

“She can go to hell,” Abdallah said. “I’ll put my background of 37 years up against anything. If they believe her over me, I don’t want the appointment.”

and…

“I resent the fact that she’s using sleazy and gutter politics for some sort of personal gain,” Abdallah said in a phone interview Monday. “If she’d spent as much time trying to keep her family together maybe she’d still have them now.”

Read it all here.

The last comment was a bit harsh, but obviously Abdallah is fired up over the accusations being made… and has no intention of taking them lying down as Campbell is attacking his credibility and actively campaigning against his appointment to the board of pardons and paroles.

Your thoughts?

Here’s an interesting item you probably won’t hear elsewhere.  The word is out today that Aberdeen City Councilman Mark Remily (NE District), who ran as a Democrat in both the primary and the general election for District 3 State Senate in 2014 has recently switched political parties from being registered as a Democrat over to joining the SDGOP:

As late as last year, my voter records show Remily as being registered as a Democrat, so the change is a recent one.

(My source who pointed it out speculated that he’d heard it might be because Remily didn’t want to be associated with Aberdeen Democrat Cory Heidelberger. But that’s just speculation at this point. Not that I’d blame him.)

Regardless of his reasons, I’d like to take the opportunity to offer a warm handshake, and welcome another member to the big tent of the SDGOP.

US Senator John Thune, the 3rd ranked Republican in the US Senate noted yesterday that – contrary to what President Trump has noted – a victory by embattled Alabama Republican Roy Moore in the Alabama US Senate race would be just as bad as a loss by Republicans in the contest:

Many Republicans on Capitol Hill have called for Moore to step aside, but he has refused to do so. In a pair of tweets Sunday, Trump warned that electing Moore’s Democratic opponent, Doug Jones, “would be a disaster!” Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., issued his own warning, saying that a victory by Moore would hurt Republicans just as much as a loss.

“If Moore wins, there will immediately be an ethics investigation, and he will be working under a cloud. He is a distraction,” Thune, the No. 3 Republican in the Senate, said on “Fox News Sunday.” “I would like to see the president come out and do what we’ve done, saying Moore should step aside.”

Read the entire story here.

The Marty Jackley campaign made an appearance this past post-thanksgiving weekend at the parade of lights taking place in both Pierre and Rapid City. As noted on Facebook:

Republican Congressional Candidate Dusty Johnson was on Facebook late this evening providing specifics on his position on the always contentious issue of abortion in response to a potential voter’s inquiry.

As popped up in my facebook feed in response to a plethora of issues, Johnson focused on on abortion:

In his response, Johnson noted he considers himself to be a pro-life candidate, and states that “taxpayer dollars should not fund abortion.”

In response to the wide-ranging question, Johnson also promised to respond on other topics over the next few days, including on second amendment rights, school choice, immigration, same-sex marriage, etcetera.

While both Johnson and his current opponent fellow Republican Shantel Krebs have campaigned for office in the past and have taken stances on various issues, it seems to mark one of the earliest occasions in the 2018 congressional campaign where one of them have gotten specific in laying out positions in writing on some of the hot button issues or ‘laundry list’ issues that many Republicans tick off as they assess how conservative they consider the candidates.

Stay tuned, as things in the congressional race might be changing up a bit from being about meeting the candidates, into more how they serve up the meat and potato issues.