Congresswoman Kristi Noem offered a statement today in the face of the crisis of a Syrian refugee participating in the attacks on Paris. It notes in part:

As we turn toward the refugee crisis, my top priority today is to protect the safety and security of Americans, which is why I believe we need to immediately suspend accepting refugees from Iraq and Syria. Our efforts to differentiate between refugees and ISIL militants aren’t foolproof. When I met with Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos in October, he shared the same concerns.  He explained that he believed the screening process could be allowing those who want to cause harm through Greece and into Europe. We know now that one of the Paris attackers may have disguised himself as a refugee to get through Greece and into Europe.  That’s a risk I’m not willing to take on American soil.

Read it all here.

From Reuters:

Five U.S. governors on Monday said they would not allow Syrian refugees to be settled in their states, joining Alabama and Michigan and contending it is too dangerous to let in people from that war-torn country following Friday’s deadly Paris attacks.

Republican Governors Greg Abbott of Texas, Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas, Mike Pence of Indiana, Bobby Jindal of Louisiana and Phil Bryant of Mississippi said their states would no longer help support the Obama administration’s goal of accepting 10,000 Syrian refugees in the coming years.

Read it all here.

Now Nine: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2015/11/16/alabama-refuses-syrian-refugees-paris-terror-attack/75857924/

And now 15 –

The resistance at the state level is coalescing at a rapid clip. So far, governors in at least 15 states have moved to suspend or restrict the refugee resettlement, including Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Texas and Wisconsin.

Read it here.

and add Terry Brandstad for Iowa to make 16.

Gov. Daugaard Orders State Capitol Flags Half-Staff For Former State Rep. Louise Van Gerpen

PIERRE, S.D. – Former state Rep. Louise Van Gerpen passed away on Nov. 13, 2015. Gov. Dennis Daugaard has ordered flags to fly half-staff at the State Capitol on Tuesday, Nov. 17, the date of Van Gerpen’s funeral, in her honor.

She was appointed to the State House of Representatives by Gov. Bill Janklow in 1983 to replace her husband, Rep. Roland Van Gerpen, who had died.

Van Gerpen’s son, Bill, is currently a state senator from District 19.

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From the Washington Post, Republican Governors are starting to make public their refusal to accept Syrian refugees as a result of the Paris attacks this past weekend:

The terrorist attacks in Paris have prompted two governors to announce that Syrian refugees will not be allowed to resettle in their states.

Gov. Rick Snyder of Michigan and Gov. Robert Bentley of Alabama, both Republicans, issued individual statements Sunday declaring that their states would not be open to refugees fleeing the conflict in Syria.

Noting Michigan’s “rich history of immigration,” Snyder’s statement said, “But our first priority is protecting the safety of our residents.”

and…

Police are investigating a Syrian passport found near the spot where suicide bombers blew themselves up outside France’s national stadium. Greek authorities have traced the passport to a refugee who was among the 198 that arrived at Leros, an Aegean island, by way of a migrant boat on Oct. 3.

Read it all here.

The story also notes that there’s little that Governors can actually do, despite the strain accepting refugees puts on state and local governments.

The attacks on Paris linked to at least some Syrian refugees comes a couple of months after South Dakota’s Liberal Democrats are out there saying “We should take more refugees from Syria.”

But, given their promises to attack the United States, should we?

What do you think? Do we need to open our borders and accept Syrian refugees, or is the risk and expense too great?

*Update* – Add Gov. Bobby Jindal to the list of people at least thinking about it:

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, a Republican candidate for president, wrote the White House a letter Saturday, demanding information on refugees seeking resettlement in his state.  “It is irresponsible and severely disconcerting to place individuals, who may have ties to ISIS, in a state without the state’s knowledge or involvement.”

Read it here.

*Another Update* – At least one South Dakota State legislator is also having concerns over Obama’s Syrian Refugee Resettlement program:

We’ve already learned that at least one of the Paris terrorists was from Syria and rescued in Greece from a sinking boat and found his way to France with other refugees.

Syrian refugees are starting to arrive in New Orleans this week. We are expecting 15,000 or so in the United States. The administration doubled down over the weekend on their commitment to receiving Syrian refugees. They have no papers, we know nothing about them, and some of them will eventually be settled in Sioux Falls and Huron, among other places nearby.

I sure hope for all of our sakes that these in Paris slipped through the cracks. But, when we know nothing about them and can get no history of them–there’s no slipping needed, and the crack is about 2500 miles wide. If they’re not coming here directly, they’re just going to Mexico and walking north. I know we’re a nation of immigrants, but when my great grandparents went through Ellis Island, other Germans, Norwegians, or Irish weren’t screaming Death to America–they wanted to become Americans.

Read it here.

From Fox News:

A Democratic candidate for the Minnesota House ended his campaign Sunday, hours after he tweeted that the Islamic State group “isn’t necessarily evil” and its members were doing what they thought was best for their community.

Dan Kimmel, 63, announced the end of his bid for office on his campaign website and Twitter account. He said Saturday evening’s tweet was in response to a statement made during a candidate debate, not in response to Friday’s violent attacks in Paris that left more than 120 people dead and more than 350 wounded.

He said his tweet was poorly worded and didn’t convey his intent.

Read it here.

From today’s KCCR.com, Congresswomen Kristi Noem was recently cited as helping increase the Number of prosecutions for human trafficking in the state:

Jenise Pischel is the program coordinator at Our Home Inc. in Parkston, a private non-profit that has helped trafficked girls. She says she thinks traffickers see trusting South Dakota as a good place to operate and not get caught.

But, she says “…we seem to be catching an awful lot of them.

Back in July, the U.S. House of Representatives passed South Dakota Representative Kristi Noem’s bipartisan Human Trafficking Prevention, Intervention, and Recovery Act. The legislation works to better prevent and intervene when trafficking or attempted trafficking occurs while also opening up additional resources for survivors who are working to recover.

Human Trafficking in South Dakota is not a new crime, however with a combination of growing prosecutions and Noem’s recently passed legislation, there is a “new recognition” across the state.

Read it here.

We Thank Our Veterans, Now Let’s Improve Their Care
By Senator Mike Rounds

On November 11, South Dakotans across the state once again gathered in auditoriums, gymnasiums, Legion halls and at memorials to recognize the service and sacrifices of our veterans. Since statehood, generations of South Dakotans have answered the call to serve in times of war, peace and uncertainty around the world. With one of the highest rates of military membership per capita in the nation, almost all of us know a loved one who served in the military.

As a member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, working with veterans, veteran service organizations and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to make certain the men and women who fought to defend our country receive the care they’ve been promised has been a top priority.

Just before Veterans Day, I joined Sens. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Mark Warner (D-Va.) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), to introduce bipartisan legislation to help improve staffing at VA health centers. The Veterans Healthcare Staffing Improvement Act would allow veterans to receive health care closer to home by removing bureaucratic barriers for their providers. At many VA health centers around the country, veterans are forced wait weeks – sometimes even months – just to get an appointment. This is unacceptable.

Our bill aims to make it easier for military doctors and other health care professionals to transfer directly into the VA system after serving in the armed forces. It also allows nurse practitioners and physician assistants to provide a wider range of services to help address health provider shortages at VA facilities across the nation. This is a similar strategy being implemented by our state’s private health-care systems and is important for providing greater access to care at one of the many community-based outpatient clinics in our region. The main goal is to get our veterans the health care they deserve in an efficient and effective manner.

I regularly hear from South Dakota veterans about the VA. While I’m pleased to hear that many are satisfied with the care they receive, improvements are still needed. The Veterans Choice Program is a prime example. The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is a complex organization challenged by its size, scope of services, unique patient population, congressionally mandated funding and governance.

In 2014, the Veterans Access, Choice and Accountability Act was passed and signed into law in an attempt to get veterans off long waitlists and into their doctor’s office. The law’s intent was to provide better care and greater flexibility, but the VA’s implementation has missed the mark. The primary focus must be to get veterans quality care as soon as possible, avoiding the need to jump through hoops or fill out excessive paperwork. Veterans have enough on their plate and shouldn’t have to worry if they will be able to see a doctor when they are sick. We will continue to work to fix the Choice Act and improve veteran care.

We will continue to work diligently to provide greater access to care closer to home for our veterans, as well as better care throughout the entire VA system. After all, one of the most important things we can do to honor our veterans is to keep the promises which we make to them. They deserve this much from their country.

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Is it the IRS or a Scam?
By Rep. Kristi Noem

In a single day earlier this month, more than 100 South Dakotans received phone calls from scammers pretending to represent the IRS.  Residents were told they were about to face legal action, unless they paid their taxes immediately.  These types of scam calls happen nearly every day across the country.  In fact, approximately 736,000 scam contacts have been made in the last two years alone, according to the IRS.  As a result, nearly 5,000 Americans have fallen victim to one of these scams, costing them more than $23 million collectively.  With the right information, however, you can protect yourself.

In many cases, the scammer will call, email or text you and claim the IRS will sue you, arrest you, or revoke your driver’s license unless supposedly overdue taxes are paid immediately.  This is exactly what recently occurred in South Dakota. The scammer’s goal is to con you into turning over your credit card number or bank information.  This isn’t how the IRS operates, however.

The IRS will never call you before sending a letter.  They will never call you to demand an immediate tax payment, nor will they demand that you pay a tax without an option to question how much you owe.  The IRS will also never demand that you pay your taxes in a certain way, such as on a credit or debit card.  They will also never ask for your credit or debit card number over the phone.

If you are concerned that you are being contacted by a scammer, ask the caller for their name, badge number, and a call-back number.  Then, hang up and call the IRS directly at 1-800-366-4484.  Once you provide them with the information, they will be able to tell you if the call was legitimate.  If the caller demands an over-the-phone payment, hang up immediately.  Do not provide any information.

Scammers have also been known to target people through email.  Know that the IRS will not ask you for personal information via email.  If you receive such an email – even if it’s on “official” IRS letterhead – do not reply, open any attachments, or click any links.  You can forward the email to [email protected] and they will investigate it, but then delete the email from your inbox.

Unfortunately, criminals are quick to adapt to new technologies, meaning they are now using text messages to dig for personal information as well.  Once again, the IRS will not contact you in this way.  As with email, do not reply, open any attachments, or click on any links.  You can forward the text to 202-552-1226 to report it, but then delete the text from your phone.

Initially, scammers primarily targeted older Americans and new immigrants, but the IRS now reports that “the crooks try to swindle just about anyone.”  Please stay alert.  These scams can happen to anyone – any time of the year.

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The Value of the National Career Readiness Certificate
A column by Gov. Dennis Daugaard:

When a business needs to hire a new employee, there’s a lot to consider. An applicant’s previous jobs, education and the recommendations of others are all part of the equation. These things are important; but when it comes down to it, managers are really just looking for someone who will succeed on the job.

This is where the National Career Readiness Certificate comes in.

This certificate, known as the NCRC, has been used by employers across the nation for nearly 20 years. It consists of three assessments developed by ACT, the college entrance exam company. The assessments measure an individual’s ability in applied mathematics, reading for information and locating information.

The applied mathematics section measures math reasoning, critical thinking and problem-solving techniques for work-related problems. Reading for information tests how well an applicant can read and comprehend different types of work-related materials, from memos and bulletins to policy manuals and government regulations. A third test measures how well an applicant can locate information when drawing from materials such as diagrams, floor plans, tables, forms and graphs.

Regardless of occupation, the assessments can provide reliable, relevant information about an individual’s abilities.

ACT has profiled more than 20,000 individual jobs across the country to determine the level needed for success at any particular job. An NCRC can be earned at four levels.  The Platinum level indicates an individual has the skill level needed for 99 percent of the jobs in the database. If one earns the Gold level, it means one has the skills for 90 percent; Silver, skills for 65 percent; and Bronze, skills for 35 percent.

The Department of Labor and Regulation offers NCRC assessments to any job seeker. Since testing began six years ago, nearly 12,000 South Dakotans have earned an NCRC and, compared to the national average, our job seekers consistently have attained higher levels.

I’m happy to say that I’ve taken the three tests myself. I completed the core assessments a few weeks ago to become more familiar with the certificate, and I’ve challenged my cabinet and staff to do the same.

After taking the test myself, I’d encourage businesses to become more familiar with the NCRC. Even if applicants are lacking in academic certificates or diplomas, they may still have the right work skills. The NCRC can indicate when that is the case. The NCRC benefits job seekers and employers, and it’s a valuable tool for a state that is experiencing workforce shortages.

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I’m hearing rumors this morning that District 5 will have 2 new House candidates this coming election year. A source tells me that Byron Callies (former State Rep Melissa Magstadt’s father) and Hugh Bartles will both be throwing their hats in the ring.

With Roger Solum ineligible for another term, that leaves current State Rep Lee Schoenbeck facing a primary, unless Reid Holien plans to step down early (which I’ve heard nothing about), opening up that seat.

Keep those candidate rumors coming! You can e-mail me here.