Noem Introduces Bi-Partisan Biodiesel Tax Credit Extension

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Representatives Kristi Noem (R-SD) and Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ) today introduced the Biodiesel Tax Incentive Reform and Extension Act of 2015. This bipartisan legislation would ensure that domestically-produced biodiesel be given a $1-per-gallon tax credit through the end of 2016.

“Today, one-third of petroleum used in the United States is imported from foreign countries and most of it is used to fuel our vehicles,” said Rep. Noem. “Especially with conflicts arising in energy-rich areas of our world, the need to decrease our reliance on foreign fuels grows every single day. A commitment to renewable fuels, like biodiesel which can be grown right here in America, is critical as we look to improve our security by becoming more energy independent. By putting our support behind homegrown fuels, we are taking strides toward increased security while also enabling states like South Dakota to fuel our nation.”

“To fuel our future and improve our air quality, we need to invest in alternative fuel sources. This bill supports that goal and also promotes domestic industry. This will help us take things like food waste and turn it into usable fuel. And biodiesel reduces emissions to the tune of 16 million metric tons per year,” Pascrell said. “That’s like taking 3.6 million cars off the roads every year. In North Jersey’s rush-hour traffic, we call that a ‘no-brainer’. This is a smart incentive and a smart investment in domestic biodiesel.”

The biodiesel tax credit expired on December 31, 2014. The Noem-Pascrell legislation would extend the credit retroactively for 2015 as well as fully renew and reform it for 2016.

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Thune Statement on Passage of Bipartisan, Five-Year Transportation Bill

 “Passing a bipartisan, multi-year transportation bill is a big win for America, especially for states like South Dakota that depend on a reliable and effective transportation system.”

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, issued the following statement on the Senate’s bipartisan passage of the five-year Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act conference report. The FAST Act contains several Thune-led transportation and safety initiatives that benefit South Dakota, including provisions that were included in the Senate’s multi-year transportation bill that passed earlier this summer. Following a 359-65 vote in the House of Representatives, the Senate approved the measure by a vote of 83-16. The bill will now be sent to the president for his signature.

“Passing a bipartisan, multi-year transportation bill is a big win for America, especially for states like South Dakota that depend on a reliable and effective transportation system,” said Thune. “This bill, which will soon reverse the trend of passing one short-term patch after another, will end uncertainty for our transportation system and make important investments in infrastructure projects in our state and around the country. These necessary investments will spur much-needed job creation and sustained economic growth in communities across our region.

“I am proud of the work the Commerce Committee contributed to this effort and was humbled to have been selected to serve on the conference committee that negotiated the final version of this bill that is now headed to President Obama for his signature. The Republican-led Senate has worked hard this year to pass meaningful legislation that helps our economy and puts America in a better, more competitive position. The FAST Act is one more legislative achievement we can add to that list.”

Last month, Thune was named to the highway bill conference committee, which ensured South Dakota’s interests would be represented at the negotiating table.

FAST Act highlights:

• Increased highway investment levels:South Dakota is estimated to receive a $133 million increase in overall highway spending over the next five years. South Dakota’s apportioned highway funding will grow from $272 million in 2015 to an estimated $286 million in 2016 – and ultimately $312 million in 2020.

• Increased transit investment levels:Funding for transit in South Dakota will grow from $15.5 million in 2015 to an estimated $16.6 million in 2016, and approximately $17.8 million in 2020.

• Increased tribal transportation investment levels: The existing Tribal Transportation Program that addresses tribal road and bridge infrastructure needs will be funded at $465 million in 2016, an increase of $15 million from current levels, and will grow to $505 million in 2020.

• Covered Farm Vehicles: Protects states from losing federal funding for granting additional regulatory relief to specially designated farm vehicles and drivers.

• Agriculture hours of service (HOS) relief: Provides HOS relief for truck drivers transporting bees or livestock by making permanent the temporary rest break flexibility option.

• Construction HOS relief: Drivers transporting construction materials will have a larger radius they can operate in before additional paperwork requirements, including logging and hours of service rules, apply.

• Custom harvesters relief: Allows states to waive special hazmat licenses for custom harvesters operating diesel tanks (less than 1,000 gallons).

• Freight formula program: Creates a freight formula funding program in which South Dakota would receive over $8 million annually.

• Port metrics: Requires the Department of Transportation to issue yearly reports on port metrics allowing for more transparency and better planning to those that utilize our nation’s ports for import or export.

• Dedicated funding for states without passenger rail: Adds freight rail eligibility to passenger rail grant programs, requires a 25 percent rural set-aside, and guarantees to states like South Dakota, which have no passenger rail, no less than 1.3 percent of appropriated funds from the programs. The total amount will depend on appropriations; if the program is fully funded, it dedicates to South Dakota no less than $3 million per year.

• 24-7 sobriety: Rewards states for providing a 24-7 sobriety program, which started in South Dakota, by creating a new incentive grant under 23 USC 405 for states with a 24-7 sobriety program and by amending the penalty transfer section of 23 USC 164 to allow states to qualify for meeting the repeat intoxicated driver law with a 24-7 sobriety program.

• Testing of electronically-controlled pneumatic brakes: Requires a National Academies test on a new rail braking technology for unit trains carrying flammable liquids to ensure it would deliver the intended results and would not lead to network slowdowns.

For a list of FAST Act provisions that benefit South Dakota, click here, and for a summary of the Commerce Committee’s role in over half of the 1,300-page legislative measure, click here.

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Rounds: Long-Term Highway Bill Brings Certainty to Transportation Projects, Restores Crop Insurance Cut
South Dakota to Receive $1.6 Billion in Transportation Funding

WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, today issued the following statement on the Senate’s passage of the final Conference Report for the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, bipartisan legislation to fund America’s highway and transit programs for five years. The FAST Act allocates approximately $1.6 billion for South Dakota transportation projects over the next five years. It now heads to President Obama’s desk to be signed into law.

“A healthy economy is dependent on a strong, safe and vibrant transportation system that allows us to move people and goods with ease,” said Rounds. “Under the FAST Act, South Dakota will receive approximately $1.6 billion in transportation funding to update, repair and modernize important infrastructure in our state. While not perfect, this legislation spares rural America from damaging crop insurance cuts and strengthens lending for community banks, in addition to authorizing important road and infrastructure projects.”

“The FAST Act also provides long-term certainty and ends the costly, ineffective practice of short-term highway bill extensions. Over the last 10 years, Congress has passed 36 short-term extensions, frustrating contractors and state and local governments who have been unable to adequately plan for future projects. Finally, they will be able to implement a long-term, strategic plan to restore, repair and update our roads and bridges.”

The FAST Act:

• Authorizes and pays for five years of highway construction.
• Marks the first time in 10 years a long-term highway bill will be enacted.
• Prior to now, highway funding had been authorized through 36 temporary, short-term patches.

Other important provisions in the FAST Act:

• Stops Harmful Crop Insurance Cuts: Repeals the misguided crop insurance cut that was included in the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015.

o   Rounds has been working to get rid of the $3 billion cut to the crop insurance program since it was announced it would be included in the Act. Prior to voting on the Act, House and Senate Leaders publicly offered to help restore these cuts, which is why Senator Rounds voted for it. Last week, he wrote to House and Senate leaders reinforcing his commitment to restoring the cut.

• Ends Regulatory Burden on Mortgage Loans: Incorporates the Helping Expand Lending Practices in Rural Communities Act (HELP Rural Communities Act), co-sponsored by Rounds, which gives individuals in rural areas mistakenly labelled as “not rural” the right to petition the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau for the area to be properly reclassified as “rural.” This relieves local community banks and credit unions from burdensome regulations that unfairly limit their ability to lend and allows residents greater access to mortgage loans.

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Noem Helps Drive Long-Term Highway Bill through the House

First long-term highway bill since 2005
receives final approval in the House

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Representative Kristi Noem today helped the U.S. House of Representatives move forward the first long-term highway bill since 2005. The bipartisan Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act is a fully funded, five-year highway bill aimed at improving the nation’s surface transportation infrastructure. With House approval of the conference agreement, the legislation will move to the Senate before heading to the President, who is expected to sign the bill.

“South Dakota has 80,000 miles of highways, roads, and streets. We have about 6,000 bridges and thousands of miles of railways. Our farmers, our businesses, our families depend on the safety and reliability of this infrastructure,” said Rep. Noem. “Today’s legislation is going to give our state and local governments the certainty they need to plan and conduct necessary maintenance on this intricate network of roads, bridges and railways. It’s going to give our local teams more flexibility to address their unique transportation priorities as well. In the end, I’m hopeful this will be a big win for all of South Dakota, helping to fuel continued economic opportunity and greater safety for our families and communities.”

The fully funded FAST Act increases highway spending by 15 percent and transit spending by 18 percent over five years, meaning South Dakota would receive $133 million more than it would have under current funding levels. Additionally, the bill creates an incentive grant for states with 24-7 sobriety programs for drunk drivers and removes a requirement that asked states to collect excessive data on unpaved and gravel roads – both are important priorities for South Dakota.

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Abortion numbers continue to fall in South Dakota

Pierre, SD, December 3, 2015– Recently released 2014 Abortion Statistics, published on the SD Department of Health website, show the number of reported abortions in South Dakota decreased. There were 551 total abortions reported performed in South Dakota in 2014 compared to 601 in 2013.

“These numbers represent fifty more children who now have the opportunity to grow and contribute to our society. While we are encouraged by this trend, our efforts to share the truth through education and legislation must continue until taking an innocent human life becomes unthinkable,” stated Debbie Pease, registered lobbyist for South Dakota Right to Life.

The drop in abortions follows a trend in the United States and is the lowest number reported in SD since 1973. The next lowest number was 597 abortions in 2011. The highest number ever reported in SD was 1,693 abortions in 1982.

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Noem Supports Legislation to Give Local Entities Greater Control of Education

Helps pass first education overhaul since 2002

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Representative Kristi Noem today supported the Every Student Succeeds Act, which represents the first major education overhaul since No Child Left Behind in 2002.  The legislation, which passed the House with bipartisan support, reduces the federal role in K-12 education, restores local control, and empowers parents.

“I believe those closest to our kids – parents, teachers, local school districts, state governments – make the best decisions about how to educate our young people,” said Rep. Noem.  “The Every Student Succeeds Act finally gets us away from having the federal government micromanage local classrooms.  The legislation gives states much greater flexibility to spend money in a way that benefits their students most.  It empowers parents to hold schools accountable, not the federal government. It modernizes the Impact Aid program, which many South Dakota schools rely on.  And maybe most notably, the Every Student Succeeds Act ensures the federal government can’t pressure states into adopting specific academic standards like the Common Core.”

The Every Student Succeeds Act also includes language based on Rep. Noem’s Local Taxpayer Relief Act, which modernizes and streamlines the federal Impact Aid program.  Created in 1950, the Impact Aid program provides payments from the federal government to local school districts to make up for local taxes lost on account of federal land within their school districts, such as military bases, national parks, or federal grasslands.

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From the Argus Leader, Senator Thune appears to have negotiated a significant increase in funding for Ag & Rail in SD:

South Dakota stands to be a major beneficiary of a new transportation bill making its way through Congress this week, with agriculture and rail among the biggest winners.

The bill, crafted by House and Senate negotiators including Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., would provide $305 billion nationwide for highways, bridges and transit over five years. The bill boosts highway spending by 15 percent and transit spending by 18 percent over its duration. South Dakota would receive $133 million more during the new five-year bill compared to current funding levels, according to the House Transportation Committee.

Read it here.

(Of course, I’m sure South Dakota democrats would have commented… but they still don’t have a candidate.   Not that anyone would stand a snowball’s chance in hades at this late point.)

If they had a crystal ball way back, maybe they should have called it the Unaffordable Care Act. Because it certainly seems to have completely mucked up insurance costs across the board.

From KELOland, one of the biggest health insurers in the state is abandoning the federal Obamacare marketplace because Obamacare claim levels are unsustainable:

Exactly two months ago, DAKOTACARE informed policy holders it will not be offering plans through the federal Marketplace in 2016.  The company blamed unexpectedly high claim costs in 2015 for its decision not to take part in Obamacare in 2016.

However, DAKOTACARE will continue to offer plans outside of the Marketplace.

The company says if you had DAKOTACARE through the Marketplace in 2015 and want to receive federal assistance to pay for your health insurance premiums in 2016, you might want to take a look at the fine print of a letter it sent out to policy-holders on October 1.

Read it here.

The National Review also discusses the decay of the program on a national basis:

Premiums are rising. Not everywhere, but steeply in some states. Indiana is down 12 percent, but Minnesota is up 50 percent. Health-care expert Robert Laszewski points out that it is the insurers with the most enrollment and therefore the best information about actual enrollees who have tended to request the biggest increases — a sign that they don’t like what they’re seeing in their data.

Relatedly, the economics are shaky. According to a McKinsey & Co. analysis, last year health insurers lost $2.5 billion in the individual market that Obamacare remade. Obamacare co-ops that were supposed to enhance choice and lower costs have been failing, and almost all of them are losing money, a victim of the absurd rules (no industry executives on their boards, no raising capital in public markets, etc.) imposed on them by the law.

The problem with Obamacare in a nutshell is that on one hand, by imposing motley regulations and mandates, it increases the price of health insurance, and on the other hand, by providing subsidies, it tries to hide the cost — but not enough.

Read it here.

Is there anything salvageable of this mess at this point?  This should leave us shuddering at how badly government interference has wrecked what was once a viable way for people to offset medical expenses by sharing the risk through insurance.

Now, the insurance coverage for medical expenses is starting to rival the cost of medical expenses themselves.

What are your thoughts?

Thune: The Time to Repeal Obamacare Is Now

“It’s time to give the American people the real health care reform they deserve.”

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today discussed the need to repeal Obamacare and help lift the heavy burden it has placed on the American people.