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The South Dakota chapter of the RepresentUs group who championed the unconstitutional Initiated Measure 22 (which was replaced with reforms that were actually legal by the legislature this pas session), has filed a ballot committee in anticipation of promoting a ballot measure for the 2018 election.

And curiously, the former legislator/lobbyist they hired to represent the group during the past legislative session, Mitch Richter, was named as the ballot committee’s co-chair in a filing made on April 7th:

Richter, a former Republican State legislator was the lobbyist who represented the following clients during the past session…

… represents an unusual choice for the group, who as part of their reforms went after alleged problems with lobbyist gifts as part of the measure:

Which begs the question of whether or not Richter will respond to questions of whether as a legislator he received “secret unlimited gifts” as the proponents of IM22 claimed, or how many “secret unlimited gifts” he made to legislators as a lobbyist… as the pro-IM22 proponents claimed.

Before it’s language is even presented to the people, the Represent South Dakota Ballot Measure Committee may have created a conundrum for itself right out of the gate.

There’s a story on the Rapid City Journal website today that State Representative Tim Goodwin wants the State Legislature to investigate the FDLS Compound near Pringle, South Dakota… because someone should investigate it?

Rep. Tim Goodwin is proposing lawmakers find out more about the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints’ compound in the western part of the state, including what its population is, whether it has a home schooling program, and whether polygamy or sex trafficking are taking place there. Lawmakers will decide Tuesday on issues to study ahead of the 2018 legislative session.

and…

Americans’ Least Favorite Season
By Sen. John Thune

Let’s be honest, no one enjoys paying taxes. While that might be the understatement of the century, it’s worth pointing out now that tax season is upon us once again. April is typically enjoyed for other, more enjoyable seasons, like the return of spring or Major League Baseball. Unfortunately, a lot of Americans spend a significant amount of time figuring out whether a return is headed their way or if they’ve struck out with the IRS and will need to write a check to Uncle Sam.

It’s hard to argue that taxes aren’t at all necessary. Communities throughout the country need money to build and maintain roads, bridges, schools, and other public utilities we’ve come to expect from local governments. The federal government needs revenue to support our military and the men and women who keep us safe. It also needs money to maintain things like our national park system and fund programs like Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid.

South Dakotans know and appreciate the value of a hard-earned dollar more than most folks. So, while some taxes are necessary and South Dakotans are willing to pay their share, I firmly believe that we always need to be looking for ways to ensure taxpayers’ money isn’t being squandered by Washington bureaucrats. That means making sure the money that is being used is spent as efficiently and effectively as possible.

It’s also important to remember that there’s a cost associated with making sure an individual or his or her business is complying with the tax code. According to the National Taxpayers Union Foundation, the “value of the time (6.1 billion hours) plus out-of-pocket costs expended annually on complying with the individual and corporate Tax Code amounts to an economic loss of $234.4 billion.” That’s a staggering amount of time and money that could be more productively spent.

Congress can help alleviate some of that unnecessary burden by taking up pro-growth tax reform this year. It would be the first time in more than 30 years that the tax code was overhauled, and I’m hopeful and optimistic that Congress will take action. My goal throughout the process will be to lower tax rates and simplify the code so South Dakotans can keep more of what they earn. More take-home pay means there’s more to invest in a child’s education, to build a family business, or to save for retirement. American families, small businesses, farms, and ranches need and deserve a tax code that achieves these goals.

I’m confident that if we can lower tax rates, eliminate special rules, exemptions, and deductions, and incentivize businesses to invest, we can get economic growth back to where it needs to be. A stronger, more vibrant economy is good for everyone. Not only does it instill confidence in businesses and consumers, but it also leads to higher wages, more good-paying jobs, and a better quality of life for the American people.

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Protecting Your Internet Privacy Rights
By Senator Mike Rounds

Since the House and Senate voted to undo Obama-era regulations related to internet privacy last month under the Congressional Review Act (CRA), a lot of misinformation has been floating around about your privacy online. I would like to take the opportunity to clear up some of this misinformation.

First and foremost, it is important to point out that repealing these regulations did not change your current internet privacy. The new rules had not yet gone into effect due to a judicial stay. In other words, if you did not have a problem with your internet privacy before President Trump signed the CRA into law on April 2, you can take comfort knowing that nothing about your internet privacy has changed between then and now.

Now, some background: since the invention of the World Wide Web more than 25 years ago, the internet has been a breeding ground for technological advancements, growth and innovation. This is largely due to the fact that the internet is open to everyone and has been relatively free of government regulation. As a result of these advances, today nearly 9 in 10 Americans depend on the internet to go about their daily lives.

Historically, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has regulated internet privacy-related issues with a light-handed, evidence-based approach. In 2015, the Obama administration moved the jurisdiction of internet service providers (ISP) to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and proposed new internet privacy regulations that would have gone considerably further than the FTC. In doing so, it would have also imposed new, prescriptive data restrictions on ISPs such as Midco and Verizon. It would not have affected online content companies such as Google, Bing, Amazon and Netflix.

Supporters of these new regulations claimed it would provide enhanced internet privacy protections, but in reality it would have only placed new, unfair restrictions on ISPs that could be detrimental to future internet innovation and advancements, without doing anything to enhance consumer privacy online. Our CRA repealed these new, burdensome regulations, essentially telling the FCC to go back to the drawing board when writing internet privacy regulations and urging them to model them after the FTC’s light-handed regulatory approach.

Another myth we continue to hear is that internet companies can collect consumer information without telling you and then sell it to the highest bidder. This was not true when the FTC was in control of privacy protections online. In reality, consumers control what data is collected about them and how it is used. Federal guidelines have historically required internet providers to not only disclose the kind of information provided about consumers, but also disclose how that information is used. The CRA we passed does not change that.

Repealing the misguided FCC rule is supported by groups like the South Dakota Telecommunications Association, the Rural Broadband Association and ISPs throughout the country. By passing the CRA, we have preserved online innovators’ ability to invent and flourish, which will keep online competition healthy.  And we did it without lessening consumer privacy protections for Americans.

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Battling the Beetle
By Rep. Kristi Noem

 

As the temperature ticks upward and the last day of school inches closer, many are starting to think about their summer vacation plans. While schedules only seem to get busier, our family still tries to make it out to the Black Hills many times throughout the year, although we especially love those summer months and their longer days.  There’s just nothing like the hiking, the serenity, and – of course – the faces that a person finds in the Hills.  Over the years, however, we’ve seen the landscape change.  Year after year, our family pictures show a slowly dying forest.

For more than two decades, the Mountain Pine Beetle has devastated much of the Black Hills and turned portions of this once-heathy forest into a tinder box. In total, more than 30 percent of the 1.2 million acre forest was impacted to some degree by the beetles, increasing the area’s potential for a dangerous wildfire and jeopardizing the tourism and forestry industries that our state relies on.

This April, however, the U.S. Forest Service announced the beetle had finally been beat.  While work remains to repair the damage and make the forest more resilient against future outbreaks, getting to this point is a long-sought success.

The epidemic had been ongoing for around a decade before I was elected to represent South Dakota.  When I brought U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell to view the damage firsthand in November 2013, it was clear we had the tools to combat the pine beetle, but we weren’t able to apply them on a large enough scale.  Reforms on the federal level were needed.

Months later, we saw those reforms become law through provisions I helped write and fought to include in the 2014 Farm Bill.  As a result, we were able to cut through environmental red tape, get boots on the ground faster, and allow the Forest Service to work on the scale this epidemic required.  Around one million acres of the Black Hills National Forest benefited from the provisions.

Additionally, I fought to make sure we prioritized the funding needed to help beat the beetle. The financial support promised a trifecta of benefits. Of course, it helped us care for one of South Dakota’s most beautiful resources, but it also served to protect our state’s thriving tourism industry. According to a recent report from South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks, outdoor recreationists support more than 18,000 jobs, add $85.5 million to state and local bank accounts through taxes, and offer $534 million worth of income to South Dakotans. The Black Hills is a critical piece of that industry. Maybe most importantly, however, I fought for support as a matter of public safety. Simply put, an unhealthy forest carries the potential for a deadly wildfire.

We are fortunate to have so many dedicated foresters working in the Black Hills throughout this time and I’m proud to have been able to score some victories in support of their efforts.  Nonetheless, while the Forest Service has ruled the epidemic over, years of damage left behind thousands of acres of dead and dying trees.  There’s work to do, but I’m committed to turning the Black Hills green again.

I count the Hills among South Dakota’s many treasures, which means keeping the forest healthy is a top priority. So, check out the progress this summer.  Plan a visit – maybe we’ll see you out there.

Remembering South Dakota’s Ace
A column by Gov. Dennis Daugaard:

“South Dakota draws an ace.” That was one headline following the gubernatorial election of Joe Foss. The plain-spoken, unpretentious South Dakota hero held many titles throughout his life, only one of which was “governor.”

Foss is best known as the Medal of Honor recipient who shot down 26 enemy planes in 63 days at Guadalcanal during World War II. The former governor served in the South Dakota National Guard, the Marine Corps and the South Dakota Air National Guard, which he founded.  Foss took down 20 zero fighters, four bombers and two bi-planes. Three times he had to make dead-stick landings when his engine was damaged from enemy fire. In another instance, his plane was shot down near the island of Malaita. Not a good swimmer, he was fortunate that some nearby natives rescued him. As it turned out, Foss would have ended up on a crocodile-infested beach, had he kept swimming

As governor, Foss emphasized a balanced budget and urged the increase of reserve funds, which he said should be used only in emergencies and not to increase spending. He described his role and the role of legislators as being the “hired hands of the people” and he became South Dakota’s “leading salesman,” touting the state’s low tax burden to outside businesses. Under Gov. Foss, the first-ever state-level economic development office was established.

His down-to-earth manner remained intact while in office. On one occasion, he dressed as a clown for the Shriners parade to raise money for children with disabilities. He also knew he was the governor of all South Dakotans, not just those within his political party or social class. When first elected, the Governor-Elect held a press conference where he was asked about plans for the traditional inaugural ball. Gov. Foss surprised reporters, as well as members of his staff, when he said all were invited to attend. When asked what people should wear, Foss responded, “I don’t care as long as they’re comfortable. It’ll suit me fine if the men wear overalls, cowboy gear, business suits or tuxedos.”

After serving as governor, Joe Foss went on to become the first commissioner of the NFL and president of the National Rifle Association. In 2001, he founded the Joe Foss Institute which today promotes American history, patriotism and service.

Looking back on it all, Foss concluded in his auto biography that, of all the things he had experienced, his faith was what mattered most. When asked by reporters what the highlight of his life was, he’d say, referring to heaven, “It hasn’t happened yet.”

In 2004, the year following his passing, the state Legislature designated April 17 as Joe Foss Day in South Dakota. The day is a working holiday to remember, as it says in the statute, “South Dakota’s favorite son and war hero.” It’s an occasion to tell the story to our children and grandchildren – the story of South Dakota’s ace.

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Secretary of State Shantel Krebs’ campaign for Congress filed her first FEC report this morning..

Krebs 2017 q1 Fec by Pat Powers on Scribd

The Report lists a respectable 140k raised, with a 133k cash on hand. But what struck me as a bit odd is the fact that her expenditures are unusually low in this report at about 7k.

Where did she raise the 140k from? There’s as many familiar names on her report as we saw on Dusty Johnson’s recent report. State Reps Tom Brunner and Elizabeth May donated. So did former State Senator Stan Adelstein and wife, who kicked in $5200 collectively. Who else gave? Former Senators Dave Knudson, Bruce Rampelberg, Mike Vehle, Phyllis Heinemann, & Dave Omdahl. Former Reps Bob Faehn, Charlie Hoffman, Jim Hood, Al Kurtenbach, Eldon Nygaard & Lorin Pankratz. Former School and Lands Commissioner Bryce Healy, former AG Roger Tellinghuisen, and former Governor Frank Farrar, among others. Chuck Turbiville, Roger Hunt, and Jim White also donated, except it was from their political committees.

Getting back to the expenditures.. The report only noted about 7k in expenditures, which seems unusually low, given that the campaign rolled out during this period.  About half of that is for on-line donations, and the rest is for minor printing and postage.

However, nothing for video production for the rollout video, nothing for website, staff, consultants, or the myriad of expenditures that campaigns incur, especially at the onset of a campaign. I suspect it’s simply a matter of the bills not being submitted to the campaign as of the date that the filing was due. They’re likely not going to impact the campaign’s bottom line significantly, but we don’t have an accurate picture of the campaign’s burn rate without them.

As I noted before, it’s going to be a long campaign. So keep things dialed in to the SDWC for all your 2018 campaign coverage.

Congressional hopeful Dusty Johnson’s campaign filed its first quarter FEC Report for 2017, and it appears that things are going along nicely for his campaign.

Dusty Johnson 2017 1q FEC by Pat Powers on Scribd

The filing notes 127k was raised in this quarter, with only 28k spent, and the campaign has 202k cash on hand.  No big surprises, as the campaign nearly doubles the previous 103k cash on hand.

I was a bit surprised to see that even Democrats are crossing party lines to donate to Dusty, as the first name on this list is USD President Jim Abbott who made a $1000 donation to the campaign. As for others who contributed, lots of familiar names including State Legislators David Lust & Greg Jamison, Current Lt. Gov Matt Michels & former Lt Gov Steve Kirby, former Governor Frank Farrar, former Congressman Clint Roberts, PUC Commissioner Chris Nelson, First Ladies Linda Mickelson-Graham and Pat Miller, former cabinet secretaries Rick Melmer, Walt Bones & Darin Bergquist, former legislators Al Kurtenbach, Dave Scott, Ryan Olson, Mike Vehle, Dick Werner, Dean Wink, Alex Jensen, Dick Brown, Bernie Christianson, Tom Dempster,  and a number of other familiar names.

2018 is shaping up to bring us at least 2 fierce primary elections. Get your popcorn ready!