Thune Leads Hearing With Top TSA Official to Examine Transportation Security Concerns

“We need strong leadership and decisive action to address this terrorist threat.” 

Click here to watch Sen. Thune’s opening remarks.

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, today led an oversight hearing with Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Administrator Peter Neffenger, during which the committee examined what steps are being taken to secure the nation’s surface and air transportation modes in the wake of the deadly terrorist attacks in Brussels, Belgium.

Last week during a visit to the Sioux Falls Regional Airport, Thune met with representatives from the airport, Federal Bureau of Investigation, TSA, Minnehaha County Sheriff’s Office, and Sioux Falls Police Department to discuss measures that are being implemented locally.

This morning a story is coming to light on the Democrats trying to use the EB5 issue that was such a winner for them in the last election, and repackaging it to use against Senator John Thune, and Congresswoman Kristi Noem.

Noem’s challenger, State Representative Paula Hawks, claims that Noem voted to extend EB-5 without first trying to reform the federal program. Hawks claims Noem broke her word.

The State Democratic Party is doubling down on Noem with an attack video that claims Noem broke her word on EB-5.

Noem’s Chief of Staff, Jordan Stoick, responded to the charges by saying that Noem supports EB-5 reforms.

“The nine-month extension of the program was included in a broader bill that Rep. Noem thought contained provisions that benefited South Dakota,” Stoick said, “including additional resources to take care of veterans and increase border security, a pay raise for our troops, funding for the Lewis & Clark water system and rural schools in South Dakota, and flexibility for the Indian Health Service to address the health care crisis facing tribal members in our state.

Read it here.

Sorry Dems, but I think Kristi gets to drop the mic on you there, especially with the demands today for improving IHS:

Optimists and skeptics sat down Tuesday with the new head of the Indian Health Service to hash out plans for improving care for Native Americans in Iowa, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota.

At a tense two-and-a-half-hour meeting, IHS Principal Deputy Director Mary Smith outlined plans for short and long-term changes at IHS hospitals and clinics in the Great Plains region.

The visit follows a federal investigation into IHS hospitals in South Dakota that found poor sanitation and improper record-keeping and lead to the closure of the emergency room in Rosebud.

Read that here.

So, Paula Hawks and the Democrats think this is the time to shackle IHS, and cut services?  Talk about tone deaf.

And next year when the new edition comes out, when you look up ‘ineffective partisan attack’ in “World Book Encyclopedia,” you’ll probably see a picture of unsuccessful Congressional Candidate Paula Hawks.

My wife just found a great picture in a pile of old photos from her youth.

During her senior year of high school in 1983, the Lincoln High Band made a trip to Washington DC, and right up front ready to greet them was an old familiar face for many South Dakotans…

  
United States Senator Jim Abdnor.

What do you do when members of your group go rogue, and begin an inquisition against those of us out there who might not be on the same page on climate change theories?

Treating climate change as an absolute, unassailable fact, instead of what it is—an unproven, controversial scientific theory—a group of state attorneys general have announced that they will be targeting any companies that challenge the catastrophic climate change religion.

Speaking at a press conference on March 29, New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said, “The bottom line is simple: Climate change is real.” He went on to say that if companies are committing fraud by “lying” about the dangers of climate change, they will “pursue them to the fullest extent of the law.”

The coalition of 17 inquisitors are calling themselves “AGs United for Clean Power.” The coalition consists of 15 state attorneys general (California, Connecticut, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington State), as well as the attorneys general of the District of Columbia and the Virgin Islands. Sixteen of the seventeen members are Democrats, while the attorney general for the Virgin Islands, Claude Walker, is an independent.

The inquisitors are threatening legal action and huge fines against anyone who declines to believe in an unproven scientific theory.

and..

Fortunately, there are other state attorneys general who understand the importance of the rule of law as opposed to what they say is an “ambition to use the law to silence voices with which we disagree.” Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt and Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange said they would not be joining this coalition:

Reasonable minds can disagree about the science behind global warming, and disagree they do. This scientific and political debate is healthy and should be encouraged. It should not be silenced with threats of criminal prosecution by those who believe that their position is the only correct one and that all dissenting voices must therefore be intimidated and coerced into silence. It is inappropriate for State Attorneys General to use the power of their office to attempt to silence core political speech on one of the major policy debates of our time.

Read it all here.

I had a note into South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley on this, as it represents a significant policy issue that the National Attorney Generals group that Marty serves as chairman of has yet to address.

Marty has always been a level head in maintaining, fighting for, and upholding the rights of South Dakotans in the face of burdensome laws and an overbearing federal government.  Our Attorney General has fought the EPA on their environmental activism.

In response to the issue, this evening, Attorney General Jackley provided that “The South Dakota Attorney General’s Office has been involved in joint AG discussions on this matter, but we have chosen not to participate in any litigation at this time based on the current facts and evidence,” said Jackley.

So, while other area states are going whole hog after the issue, as far as South Dakota is concerned, the current facts and evidence aren’t there to litigate against climate change disbelievers.

Local Businesswoman Taffy Howard Announces for House District 33

RAPID CITY, S.D. (Apr. 4, 2016) – Local businesswoman Taffy Howard has announced she is running for South Dakota House of Representatives in District 33.

“I believe my leadership experience in the U.S. Air Force, in small business and in working with various state and local organizations uniquely qualifies me to serve the community as a State Legislator,” Howard said.

Howard has been a Rapid City resident for over twenty years, together with her husband Mark and their two sons, Austin and Matthew. Taffy met Mark at South Dakota State University, while obtaining her Bachelor’s Degree in Mathematics. They were married and both commissioned as officers in the U.S. Air Force twenty-seven years ago. Taffy Howard went on to obtain numerous awards and commendations including: Airborne wings after completing the U.S. Army Airborne School, Air Force Commendation Medal, National Defense Service Medal, and the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award.

Howard’s last duty assignment in the Air Force was as the Squadron Section Commander of the Security Police Squadron at Ellsworth Air Force Base. After completing her tour of service, she and Mark decided to raise their two sons in Rapid City. Howard is co-owner and operator of Cimarron Storage, which she runs together with Mark.

“I want to give back to South Dakota and to Rapid City, as the folks in this community have blessed me and my family,” Howard said. Howard is active in her church and has volunteered with the Cornerstone Rescue Mission, Angel Tree, Meals on Wheels, nursing homes throughout the area, and various other groups.

Howard says her campaign platform is shaped by her experience and background as a veteran, business owner, mother and wife. She is focused on growing jobs, protecting family values, defending gun rights and supporting the community.

“I’m excited for South Dakota and for Rapid City,” said Howard. “This is the best place in the world to live and raise a family, but even here we face many serious issues. I look forward to working to grow jobs, protect the family, hold down taxes, defend the right to keep and bear arms, and support the community.”

###

Youngberg Announces Candidacy for District 8 Senate

MADISON, S.D. – Jordan Youngberg of Madison has filed his nominating petition to run for the South Dakota Senate, representing District 8.

“I couldn’t think of a greater honor than to represent a district I care so much about,” said Youngberg. “The time has come for me to get involved and I look forward to providing a conservative, pragmatic voice in the Senate.”

Youngberg currently serves as manager of High Plains Apache, an implement dealership in Madison. He is a graduate of Dell Rapids High School and also owns a Madison-based pest control business.

“I can’t wait to get out and talk with the voters of District 8,” added Youngberg. “There are a lot of important issues to discuss and I’m looking forward to a positive campaign.”

District 8 is comprised of the counties of Lake, Miner, Moody and Sanborn.

-30-

In District 11, Democrat for House Mary Claus lists as part of her CV that she studied at “Bernice Johnson’s Academy of Modeling and Public Relations” as part of her education.  In reading on of her latest facebook missives hating on Republicans, I’m thinking she was better at the “modeling” part of her education than she was the “public relations.”   Because it doesn’t really seem to be something one would say if they’re seeking votes from Republicans.

According to Mary, Republicans are “Bastards,” who think “Women are nothing more than breeders?”  Oh My…  With Democrats like this running for office, why is anyone complaining about Donald Trump?

If you look at her facebook page, there’s some real mean-spirited nastiness & hatred going on towards the Republican majority in this state.  And I can’t imagine that’s going to reflect well with the Republicans in her district at the ballot box this November.

As pointed out by a couple of candidates recently, some expected candidates did not end up filing, reducing the number of candidates that had been expected. Carol Pitts took a pass, Karon Gubbrud did not turn in petitions in 9, No Scott Craig in D33, and so on.

I’ll be cleaning up my list as time allows, but even without those who didn’t turn in petitions, it was still a wild week for candidates. On the Republican side of the equation, I know the GOP is enthused with the number of candidates we were able to field. Democrats mildly approved, calling the number “slightly above average:”

Least you complain about the Democratic Party’s recruitment efforts, you must remember that this is a slightly above average showing for Democrats. Not since 2008 have the Democrats come close to fielding a full slate of legislative candidates. Of course, not since 2008 have the Democrats come close to loosening the Republican stranglehold on the South Dakota legislature. You can’t win if you don’t have candidates. But then again, you can’t win if you don’t have voters either and Democratic voter registration continues to decline.

Read that here.

The downside for dems is that within their number, you invariably have to question how many of them are placeholders. As I’ve pointed out before, they’re likely to have several. Dem House Candidates Alanna Silvis & Holly Boltjes already have a reputation for serving in that capacity in prior years.   I heard this past weekend that the person Dems put up against State Senator Jim White in Huron is also just a placeholder while they try to get someone ‘good.’

Being a Republican, I guess I don’t understand the depth of the malaise that the Democrat party suffers from in the State. Don’t get me wrong, I can cite many causes, but I just don’t understand it.

Inserting a placeholder gives Dems until some time in August to find a replacement. But in those cases, you have to wonder whether theextra time will help them shake someone loose from the bushes that’s better than the person who would have had 5 months to get out there and run.

But, that might be one reason why they’ve been bringing up the rear in South Dakota.

Another Milestone for Ellsworth Air Force Base
By Sen. John Thune

Ellsworth Air Force Base is well-known to all South Dakotans, especially those who live in West River. It’s not only home to two B-1B Lancer combat squadrons and MQ-9 Reaper ground control stations, but it’s a staple of the community and is something in which our state takes great pride. The base has a $350 million impact on South Dakota’s economy and is the state’s second largest employer, and thanks to the recent Powder River Training Complex (PRTC) expansion, Ellsworth is saving taxpayers millions of dollars per year and can now conduct advanced training closer to home.

It’s in this expanded PRTC, which spans the skies over South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana, and Wyoming, that airmen are able to practice the kinds of realistic engagements they expect to see in combat. I spent nearly a decade working with the Air Force and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to move the PRTC project forward and saw it through to the end. It was a long road, but following the FAA’s approval of the project in March 2015, the PRTC was charted on September 17, 2015, and flights through the area began just 24 hours later.

One of the greatest advantages of the new training airspace, now the largest over the continental United States, is the ability to conduct large force exercises (LFEs) with airmen from around the country who pilot a variety of aircraft. The larger area, which is nearly the size of Indiana, provides space to simulate enemy threats hundreds of miles away. To give a sense of this expanded area, imagine a highway patrolman moving from a training space the size of an empty parking lot to one the size of a race track fit with obstacles and gradient terrain. This will drastically increase the likelihood of successfully accomplishing future combat missions and will help bring our aircrew home safe and sound.

The first LFE was completed late last year, and I was recently able to join Ellsworth’s airmen to view the second LFE in the PRTC. What an experience it was to see it firsthand. Nearly 20 aircraft, including B-52s, F-16s, KC-135s, E-3s, and B-1s participated. One the biggest limiting factors for our flight crew readiness has been the availability of training airspace nationwide. The PRTC helps alleviate that problem, all while improving our national security and saving the Department of Defense millions of dollars too.

While I’m excited about the opportunities this presents for Ellsworth and the airmen who train there, I’ve always felt it was important to listen to the concerns of the surrounding community, and I will continue to make that a priority. These missions will go largely unnoticed by people on the ground, but the leaders at Ellsworth still provide adequate notice to the community prior to the days of these exercises, and rightly so. It’s because of this transparency, commitment to the community, and dedication to training the men and women who keep America safe that makes us proud Ellsworth calls South Dakota home.

NOTE: Click here for more information about the PRTC and Sen. Thune’s involvement in securing its expansion.

###