Rounds Joins Effort to Give Military Retirees the Honor They Deserve

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RoundsPressHeader MikeRounds official SenateRounds Joins Effort to Give Military Retirees the Honor They Deserve

WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), a member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs and Armed Services Committees, today signed onto legislation to honor as veterans, National Guard and Reserve retirees who served honorably for a minimum of 20 years but do not meet the active duty service requirement to qualify them as veterans under existing law. The bipartisan, bicameral Honor America’s Guard-Reserve Act of 2015 was introduced earlier this year by Sens. John Boozman (R-Ark.) and Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.) and Rep. Tim Walz (D-Minn.).

“National Guard and Reserve members who have selflessly served in the defense of our nation deserve to be honored for their service,” said Rounds. “These men and women took an oath to defend our nation at any cost and stood ready to deploy to fulfill that oath at a moment’s notice. Giving them that recognition is the least we can do.”

Current law defines a veteran as servicemen and women who have served on active duty. This legislation would amend this definition and allow these Guard and Reserve retirees to be recognized as a veteran. Some retired National Guard and Reserve members did not serve on active duty and therefore, despite having devoted a portion of their lives to our national defense, are not recognized as veterans. Because no additional benefits beyond the title of veteran are extended to these retirees, there is no cost associated with this legislation

This legislation is supported by the National Guard Association of the United States (NGAUS) and the Enlisted Association of the National Guard of the United States (EANGUS). The House of Representatives passed similar legislation last Congress.

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Noem Named Hero of Main Street

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noem press header kristi noem headshot May 21 2014Noem Named Hero of Main Street

Washington, D.C. – Rep. Kristi Noem was today honored as a “Hero of Main Street” – an annual designation offered by the South Dakota Retailers Association in conjunction with the National Retail Federation.

“My family had a Main Street business, so I understand the struggles these businesses face as they create jobs within our communities,” said Noem.  “I want to fuel an Opportunity Economy for these hardworking individuals and families.  That will only come through smarter policies that unlock the potential of the American workforce by leveling the playing field so small businesses can compete in their communities and across the globe.  We have a long way to go to accomplish this, but I’m committed to moving us further in that direction every day.”

Created in 2013, the “Hero of Main Street “ award annually recognizes Members of Congress for their support for Main Street priorities.  Noem has been a recipient in 2013 and 2014 as well.

“South Dakota’s retailers and small businesses are working hard every day to create jobs, provide stellar customer service, and giving back to our state’s economy as well as their communities,” said Shawn Lyons, Executive Director of the South Dakota Retailers Association.  “We are very appreciative of the support from our Congressional Delegation to ensure that our retailers can thrive and survive in these challenging regulatory times.”

The South Dakota Retailers Association was founded in 1897.  With more than 3,700 members, the organization ranks as one of the largest state retail associations nationwide.  To search for a member in your community, please click here.

0715_HeroOfMainStreet

Pictured (Left to Right): Gary Cammack (Union Center), Shawn Lyons (Rapid City), Rep. Kristi Noem, Elmer Karl (Gregory), and Dan Tribby (Rapid City)

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Thune faces possibility of historic 2nd free pass. But then again, who wants to put themselves up for the scrutiny?

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From Jonathan Ellis at the Argus Leader:

thunehead2John Thune would become only the second Republican in history not to face a Democratic challenger in back-to-back election cycles if Democrats fail to find a challenger in 2016, according to an analysis of Senate races by Eric Ostermeier at the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey School of Public Affairs.

and…

So far, of 34 races next year, Democrats do not have announced candidates in 11 states; Republicans are still searching for candidates in four states, Ostermeier writes.

Thune is sitting on $10.3 million, a formidable amount of money. Still, following the debacle of 2010, it’s expected that Democrats will find somebody.

Read it here.

Democrats have filled 2/3 of races this cycle, and South Dakota continues to be a tough nut for them to crack.

I’m hearing through the grapevine that Democrats are at the point of having to form a “selection committee” where they are getting together to try to drive someone out of the bushes to run. More likely, it will be to talk a member of the party faithful to get out there and “take one for the team;” something more and more democrats are reluctant to do, as evidenced by their declining candidates for constitutional races.

And that’s a good point. Candidates for constitutional office contests don’t face 1/4 of the scrutiny that candidates for US Congress or US Senate face. Whoever runs can expect to have their life paraded on a statewide stage and used as fodder, including their driving record, criminal history, and any legal entangements. Any current or former employees will be spoken with for dirt to be dug up.

And it’s not a threat directed at anyone in particular. In the 24 hour news cycle, that’s just the environment candidates are going to have to be aware of and to compete in, even in ‘nice’ South Dakota.

Any candidate chose by Democrats to represent their party aren’t just going to have to contend with facing a popular opponent who has 10.3 million in the bank. They’re also going to be facing themselves, and whatever feet of clay they might have.

Thune Statement on Passage of Bipartisan DRIVE Act

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thuneheadernew

John_Thune,_official_portrait,_111th_CongressThune Statement on Passage of Bipartisan DRIVE Act

“Passing a bipartisan, multi-year highway bill will provide South Dakota with much-needed, long-term certainty to make important investments in infrastructure projects, leading to job creation and sustained economic growth in communities across the state.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – 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 multi-year Developing a Reliable and Innovative Vision for the Economy (DRIVE) Act, which contains several Thune-led provisions that were included as part of the Commerce Committee-approved titles of the bill:

“Passing a bipartisan, multi-year highway bill will provide South Dakota with much-needed, long-term certainty to make important investments in infrastructure projects, leading to job creation and sustained economic growth in communities across the state,” said Thune. “I am proud that several key Commerce Committee-approved reforms to enhance safety, provide regulatory relief, streamline grant programs, and improve the accountability and efficiency of oversight efforts were included in this bill. Specifically, these reforms will help cut unnecessary red tape and provide relief to our agriculture transporters and custom harvesters in South Dakota.

“There is still more to be done, and I look forward to working with the House of Representatives as it completes its work in the months ahead.”

On July 15, the Commerce Committee, under Thune’s leadership, passed the Comprehensive Transportation and Consumer Protection Act, which was combined with legislation from other Senate committees that have jurisdiction over transportation issues to form this year’s highway bill. In addition to the regulatory relief for agriculture transporters and custom harvesters, the DRIVE Act creates new grant eligibility for states like South Dakota that provide 24/7 sobriety programs.

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Pot petition drive kicks off. Pot Petition drive coordinator complains about lack of motivation.

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A story on the petition to legalize the use of pot in South Dakota was filed by the Associated Press yesterday. And it ironically seems to coincide with some interesting comments on facebook by Ryan Gaddy, the coordinator of the pot petition campaign.

From the Associated Press:

Ryan Gaddy, the administrator of the pro-pot group, said he thinks the measure has a real shot at getting on the ballot — and passing — especially considering the estimated fiscal impact.

Gaddy and the group argue that law enforcement resources should be spent elsewhere, particularly on violent offenders.”(Sioux Falls) is just exploding with crime, and the police really should redirect their focus on the people who need to be put in cages, not nonviolent offenders for plants,” Gaddy said.

and…

“I think all that does is it turns it into an alcohol-like, easily available drug, and we’ve got plenty of evidence that it has some addictive qualities, that it’s injurious to intellectual development, to initiative,” said Gov. Dennis Daugaard. “I just don’t see it as being good for us, and I don’t see any need to make it even more available and less difficult to have.”

Read it here.

The Governor notes that pot is “injurious to intellectual development, to initiative…”  Ironically, there were these comments from Gaddy on facebook:

Pot petitioners unmotivated

Is it me, or is he complaining about the petition circulators being unmotivated?

Or lacking initiative?

Just a coincidence, I’m sure.

South Dakota’s Senator Mike Rounds part of RESTORE resolution

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Senator Rounds was cited as part of the RESTORE resolution in a colleague’s recent press release that I thought I’d tag for your information. The resolution requires that the House & Senate would annually review all federal rules with an impact of $50 million of more to the economy.

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Rep. Bishop Introduces RESTORE Resolution

WASHINGTON – Congressman Mike Bishop (MI-08) has introduced the bipartisan Regulation Sensibility Through Oversight Restoration (RESTORE) Resolution, H. Con. Res. 67, with Congressman Collin Peterson (MN-07) to create greater congressional oversight of federal rules and the process for which agencies create them. Working with Senator Mike Rounds of South Dakota, the resolution would bring together a Joint Committee to study federal regulations, make recommendations to reduce their burden on hardworking Americans, and analyze the feasibility and options for creating a review process in Congress.

“Unelected bureaucrats create thousands of onerous rules every year without any checks over their impact on families and businesses,” said Rep. Bishop. “RESTORE takes congressional oversight a step further by giving the people’s representatives a place in the review process – so we can cut through the red tape that is holding our nation back. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the House and Senate on restoring the good government our Founding Fathers intended.”

“Overly burdensome regulations are wreaking havoc on our rural communities, farmers and ranchers, and small business owners. Establishing a new review process that allows for more input from those who will actually be impacted by new rules and regulations will help ensure that laws are implemented the way Congress intended,” said Rep. Peterson.

MikeRounds official Senate“Since its introduction in May, my RESTORE Resolution has gained momentum,” said Sen. Rounds. “In addition to receiving bipartisan, bicameral support in Congress, RESTORE has the support of dozens of local and national organizations. It is a common sense approach to addressing the federal government’s overreach and it will restore the people’s role in eliminating unnecessary and burdensome regulations. RESTORE offers a permanent solution to overregulation in America and reestablishes Congress’ role in the rule making process. I thank Reps. Bishop and Peterson for taking the lead on this important piece of legislation in the House and look forward to working with them.”

BACKGROUND

The RESTORE Resolution would create a Joint Select Committee consisting of members of both the Senate and House of Representatives. The committee would:

  • Analyze the feasibility of a permanent joint rules review committee to
    • Review all rules causing an annual impact on the economy of $50 million or more before the rule is enacted; and
    • Delay the imposition of rules for review to the Permanent Joint Rules Review Committee.
  • Analyze the feasibility of requiring each federal agency to submit each proposed rule over $50 million to the appropriate committees of Congress for review before the rule is enacted.
  • Conduct a systematic review of rules enacted by federal agencies;
  • Hold hearings on the effects of current rules and look for ways to reduce the regulatory overreach;
  • Submit to Congress recommendations for a process to sunset overly burdensome and unnecessary rules, as well as a process for federal agencies to submit rules to Congress for review before they are enacted;
  • Submit to Congress recommendations for ways to reduce the financial burden these regulations place on American families;
  • Recommend whether Congress should overturn rules by enacting a joint resolution of disapproval; and
  • Submit a list of rules that should be repealed.

Additional statistics:

 

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A few quirks here and there, but not hating Windows 10.

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11811384_10153442508864870_1650274522767835285_nI did a bit of a “Hail Mary” pass and updated my primary computer for everything I do to from Windows 7 to Windows 10 tonight….

And actually, so far, so good.

In my multiple monitor setup, it took a few reboots until it recognized my big monitor (hooked in via HDMI) as my primary monitor, but that was only a momentary problem. Otherwise all my wordpress, adobe, and other programs seem to be working well in the new browser, and Windows 10 environment.

I’m kind of excited, as the upgrade should opens up my Raspberry Pi 2 to install Windows 10, and may allow me to do the same on other computers around the house.

If you’ve reserved windows 10, but haven’t gotten notice of upgrade time, you can go here to download the appropriate file (most will be 32-bit) and kickstart the process.

Governor Seeking Interns For Fall Term

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daugaardheader DaugaardGovernor Seeking Interns For Fall Term

PIERRE, S.D. – Gov. Dennis Daugaard is currently seeking applications for two fall 2015 Governor’s Office Internships in Pierre. The positions will be paid and run from September to December 2015.

Governor’s Office interns have the opportunity to work at the highest level of state government, learning about and preparing legislation to be introduced in the next legislative session.

Interns’ duties will depend on interests and strengths. Typical duties will include aiding the Governor’s general counsel, conducting policy research, preparing policy briefings and staffing the Governor, Lieutenant Governor and First Lady.

The positions are open to all undergraduate or graduate-level students. Preference will be given to South Dakota residents attending South Dakota colleges or universities.

Students who are interested in receiving credit should also apply. The Governor’s staff is open to working with individual universities and professors to secure credit for the internship program.

Interested students should submit a resume, cover letter and two letters of recommendation by Aug. 15, via email, to [email protected].

For more information on duties or logistics, please visit sd.gov/governor/Internship or contact Patrick Weber at [email protected] or 605-773-5999.

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SD Democratic Blogger says exposure to plastic can make you gay.

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Larry Kurtz, a New Mexico based blogger who lobs bombs in support of South Dakota Democrats has long been banned from this and other South Dakota related web sites because of a constant string of profanity, bigotry and other hate speech.

Recently, Kurtz, who writes the ‘South Dakota Progressive‘ blog announced on his personal blogsite that he knows the causes for homosexuality in humans.

How does he know this? Because he just knows!

Gender dysphoria linked to environmental contaminants

I am not convinced that a person’s sexual preference is determined at conception or at birth. I have lived with or near more LGBTQ people than many have and every story is different: from hatred of a parent to exposure to hormone-producing environmental contaminants and lack of circumcision.

and…

Packaging, packaging, packaging! Phthalate-laden bottled water alone makes up 1.5 million tons of plastic each year.

This blog has been chronicling gender bending chemicals in the environment from its beginning.

Read that here.

I’m sure members of the scientific and LGBT communities will appreciate the information. So, according to Larry, exposure to plastic, or not having a circumcision can apparently make you gay.

Wow.