Thune Bill Would Address Shortcomings in the Veteran Suicide Crisis Line
“In their time of need, we need to be there to answer their call, too, which is why these reforms are so important.”

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today introduced the No Veterans Crisis Line Call Should Go Unanswered Act, legislation that seeks to address shortcomings in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Veterans Crisis Line (VCL) that were identified by the VA Inspector General (IG) and the Government Accountability Office (GAO). The bill would improve the VCL, which can be a critical lifeline for veterans and their families, by developing a documented process that would improve the responsiveness and performance of the VCL. The bill would also require the VA to develop a plan that would ensure every phone call, text message, email, or other form of communication received by the VCL and its backup centers is answered by a live person.

“Our nation’s veterans answered the call to duty, making remarkable sacrifices to protect our country,” said Thune. “The events and stress these men and women experience during their service to the country can leave invisible wounds. In their time of need, we need to be there to answer their call, too, which is why these reforms are so important.”

In July 2007, the VA’s Suicide Prevention Program started the VCL as a telephone suicide crisis hotline for veterans, families of veterans, and military personnel. The VA’s goal is to answer 90 percent of VCL calls within 30 seconds. However, a recent GAO report found that during a five-month review in fiscal year 2015, some calls weren’t routed to VCL backup call centers until after 60 seconds. A secret GAO review also found the VCL’s text messaging services left more than 25 percent of text messages without a response.

U.S. Rep. David Young (R-IA-3) introduced the House companion to the No Veterans Crisis Line Call Should Go Unanswered Act on June 7, 2016.

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From the No on Amendment V campaign Facebook page:

Senate Dems Block Zika, National Defense Funding Again
“This well-established pattern of choosing politics over the health and safety of the American people is both cynical and dangerous.”

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) issued the following statement after Senate Democrats today blocked funding for veterans benefits, combating the Zika virus, and the Department of Defense for the third time this year.

“Despite the fact the Zika virus currently poses a significant public health threat to an increasing number of Americans, especially would-be mothers, Senate Democrats have chosen to filibuster this important funding for the third time. They would rather see funds go to a far-left special interest group than to fighting the virus, and are even willing to risk benefits for our nation’s veterans by blocking the bill,” said Thune.

Senate Democrats today also blocked a must-pass bill that allocates funds for the Department of Defense necessary for the fight against ISIS.

Thune said: “Senate Democrats today also blocked critical funding for our troops, even as our nation faces increased threats to the homeland and our men and women in uniform continue to head to the Middle East. This well-established pattern of choosing politics over the health and safety of the American people is both cynical and dangerous.”

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It has been shot after shot at Jay Williams lately. From USA today:

South Dakota Sen. John Thune is giving $2 million from his well-funded campaign account to help other Republicans as his party fights to keep control of the Senate this fall.

Thune, part of the Senate Republican leadership team, ended the second quarter with nearly $12.5 million in cash on hand as he runs for a third term. His opponent is Jay Williams, a Yankton Democrat, who ended June with $23,930 in the bank.

and…

Bob Burns, a retired political science professor from South Dakota State University, called Thune’s donation “a good allocation of his campaign funds.”

“He would seem to have a surplus of campaign funds in light of the nature of the race he is dealing with in 2016,” Burns said.

Read it here.

Go read North Dakota’s SayAnythingBlog and Rob Port’s outstanding story on the pipeline protest taking place over the Dakota Access pipeline, and how it is being installed along a route that already has a pipeline in it. 

Kind of takes the wind out of protester’s sails, doesn’t it?

Had an interesting chart passed my way today.

Someone went through, and charted out the sources of all the funding that Rick Weiland has mustered to hide party labels on the ballot, and to create a primary system that shuts out Independents and third party candidates from the November election.

So, who is footing the bill?

John Timmer and De Knudson are the only donors identified on their pre-primary report (1.3%), and fully 92.2% of it comes from undisclosed donors. 76% of all donations are coming from out of state entities.

What do you think? Why do all these out-of-staters want to hide party labels on the ballot, and to shut down indy candidates from appearing on the November Ballot?

Skin In The Game: @SenJohnThune told colleagues today he is giving $2M from his own campaign acct to the NRSC. He’s in cycle but w no race

— Jonathan Martin (@jmartNYT) September 7, 2016

Gov. Daugaard Invites Nominations For District 34 House Seat

PIERRE, S.D. – Gov. Dennis Daugaard is asking the public to nominate candidates to fill the vacant seat in the State House of Representatives from District 34.

The vacancy, which will be filled by gubernatorial appointment, is due to the death last month of Rep. Dan Dryden. Rep. Dryden’s current term began in January 2015 and ends in early January 2017, prior to the next legislative session. The Governor’s appointee will serve until the end of that term.

In addition, Rep. Dryden was a candidate for reelection to the State House this fall. Under South Dakota law, Dryden’s name will remain on the November ballot. If Dryden is reelected, it will create a vacancy for the term that begins in January 2017, which would also be filled by gubernatorial appointment. Gov. Daugaard would plan to appoint the same person for both vacancies.

“Rep. Dryden was an outstanding legislator and his sad passing has left a void,” said Gov. Daugaard. “I’m asking the public to help identify an appointee to complete Rep. Dryden’s term. I also want the voters to understand that, if Rep. Dryden is reelected, I would intend to appoint the same person to serve in the upcoming legislative term.”

District 34 includes western Rapid City, generally including the areas west of Mt. Rushmore Road, Dinosaur Hill, and “the gap” on West Main Street, and including sites such as Camp Rapid, Canyon Lake, the Sioux San Hospital, West Middle School, and Southwest Middle School. A district map can be found athttp://www.sdlegislature.gov/img/Legislative_Districts/34.pdf.

Those wishing to be considered for the appointment, or to offer nominations, should contact Grace Beck in the Office of the Governor at 605-773-3661. Nominations should include the candidate’s name, current address, telephone number and relevant background information.

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A friend of mine pointed out something the other day that’s more and more poignant as the days roll by.  In many instances lately, we seem to have a deepening trend of rule by the mob holding sway, as opposed to the rule of law winning the day.

In one case recently, after getting close to the finish line and months of outreach to the involved communities, a wind project was pulled off the docket at the Public Utilities Commission:

One week after a community meeting drew 300 people to the Avon gym and revealed how deeply they were split, the backers of the Prevailing Winds project asked to withdraw their application for a state permit on Aug. 30.

Chris Nelson, chairman of the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission, described the request as “unexpected.” The filing came shortly before the commission began its regularly scheduled meeting on Aug. 30.

and…

The project called for constructing up to 100 wind towers north of Avon in Bon Homme and Charles Mix counties. It would have produced an estimated 200 megawatts or more of electricity. State law requires PUC approval for wind project that generate more than 100 megawatts.

and…

“Unfortunately, misinformation has been circulated about the project. Keeping the interests of the community and the project in mind, Prevailing Winds has withdrawn the application to allow Prevailing Winds to better inform the community on the wind project and allow Prevailing Winds to revisit its options regarding the project.”

Read it here.

The withdrawal of the wind farm project came as a surprise, and came about as a mob of people in the area objected to the footprint of the large scale wind project.

Related in this tale are the far more egregious actions of what’s happening in North Dakota right now as mobs are vandalizing equipment and attacking pipeline workers as they attempt to stop a pipeline that’s met all the regulatory burdens… that none of the protesters took part in:

Over the weekend protesters aiming to obstruct the Dakota Access Pipeline staged a violent riot, breaking down a fence and attacking a group of security personnel who used mace and guard dogs to defend themselves.

In the wake of the riot, the tribe sought to explain the violence suggesting it was justified because the pipeline company (according to the protesters, anyway) was destroying historic artifacts

and…

In other words, Archambault’s message is peace, unless the pipeline does something the protesters don’t like.

It’s always a bit chilling when people begin to rationalize violence as a means to their ends.

Read that here at sayanythingblog.com.

Probably the biggest difference between the two projects is that the one opposed by those more conservative protested with words and prepared to take part in hearings. The one opposed by the liberal radicals attacked people and vandalized equipment.

It’s all well and good for those on both the right and left to act to stop energy transmission. But, when it’s all said and done, don’t we need both?

If you want new technologies to supplant existing ones (as in wind to take over from oil), you actually need to develop and expand the use of those technologies, so they can start to decrease in cost, and make their development affordable.

If you want to keep lights on, cars running, farmers farming, homes warm in the winter, and do it all at affordable energy prices, then trespassing violent protests of pipelines that have already completed the regulatory hearing process is just utter lunacy, and an affront to the rule of law.

When you get down to it, it’s in each sides’ vested interest in the battle over new energy versus old energy to support the expansion of the other’s capabilities & research. Their interests are tied together.

Or we could all say forget it. And light our homes with torches that we once carried aloft to the protests.

Stolen from Facebook, State Rep Lee Qualm had a crew in the Wagner Parade this past weekend. And volunteers got camo-campaign shirts? Why weren’t we informed? No one else is doing that, dang it. That’s well worth a walk in the parade!