Renewing Your Passport
By Senator Mike Rounds

South Dakotans who plan to travel abroad this year should make certain their passport is current. Or, if it is about to expire, they should renew their passport immediately to avoid delays or backlogs.

The reason is because nearly 10 years ago, the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative required every U.S. citizen to have a passport to travel to all countries—including Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean. Previously, U.S citizens often only needed to verbally declare their citizenship. Because passports are valid for 10 years for most Americans, the uptick in passport applications from this 2006 requirement means approximately 47 million passports will expire this year alone. This has the potential to lead to a backlog in processing passports, as was the case when the U.S. Department of State tried to process them a decade ago. As we approach peak travel time, awareness is especially important.

If you are planning an international trip any time soon and don’t have a valid passport, you’ll want to apply or reapply as soon as you can. Additionally, 26 European countries don’t accept U.S. passports within six months of their expiration dates, so you should also check when yours expires, if you are planning any European travel.

According to the State Department, routine processing time takes approximately six weeks under normal circumstances. Renewing a passport costs $110 and can be done by mail or in-person. For those in a time crunch, expediting a passport costs an additional $60 and can be done in two to three weeks. If you are applying for a passport for the first time, you must do so in-person at a Passport Acceptance Facility. Oftentimes, these are local post offices, but they can also be county clerk of courts offices.

South Dakota has approximately 60 passport offices where applications can be submitted. You can visit www.travel.state.gov to find a facility close to your home. Passports for children under the age of 15 are only good for five years, and a legal guardian must accompany the child when renewing or applying for a passport. Keep in mind that even infants need a passport if they will be traveling abroad.

Our South Dakota offices will do their best to help you with the passport renewal process if you need it.  We will try to help with expediting your passport if you believe you may be short on time. However the sooner you apply, the better. You can find contact information for each of my offices on my website, www.rounds.senate.gov/contact.

Whether you are traveling for work or going on a vacation, we hope you have an enjoyable experience. Making sure your passport is up-to-date is an easy step you can take ahead of time to cut back on travel stress. If you know you’ll be traveling internationally this year, be sure to take a look at your passport’s expiration date to see if you need to renew it now.

###

Invisible Illness
By Rep. Kristi Noem

Sometimes the most difficult challenges to deal with are the ones a person can’t see.  Mental illness falls into that category.  While about one in five American adults experiences mental illness throughout their lives, our health care system isn’t adequately prepared to help.  As a result, too many people are falling through the cracks, and instead of landing in a hospital bed, they are landing in a jail cell, a homeless shelter, or worse.

This February, I was honored to receive the Outstanding Leadership Award from the American Psychological Association for my work in this area, and specifically, for a bill I introduced with Rep. Jan Schakowsky called the Medicare Mental Health Access Act.

For more than a half-century, our country has made sure seniors have access to the care they need to treat virtually any physical disease that could possible afflict them.  That care has meant we get to spend more time with our parents and grandparents – even our great-grandparents.  In fact, a 65-year-old woman on Medicare today will live 20 percent longer than her counterpart in 1960, due at least in part to the benefits she receives from Medicare.

But for the last 50 years, the role of mental health professionals in the spectrum of care has been marginalized – even though the anxiety and depression that are common in older populations can increase their susceptibility to physical disorders.  Our minds and bodies work as one.  Both need to be healthy and both need to be cared for.

My Medicare Mental Health Access Act will tear down barriers to mental health care for older Americans and give seniors more freedom and choice when it comes to how they are cared for.

This is just one piece of the puzzle, however. Mental health concerns know no boundaries – not age, not race, not gender.  In South Dakota, we are facing a heartbreaking suicide epidemic on Native American reservations.  Around two dozen young people have lost their lives to suicide in the last year or so – and scores more have attempted it.  This cycle of hopelessness needs to end.  We must bring quality mental health care into areas like this.

In the next few months, Congress is expected to debate the Helping Families with Mental Health Crisis Act.  If this bill is enacted, mental health laws would finally be brought into the modern era.  We would better empower parents and caregivers.  We would extend our reach into underserved and rural populations.  We would improve the transition from one level of care to another.  And we would make more tools available to prevent suicides in this country.  Acting on this legislation is critical, which is why I am so proud to be one of the bill’s cosponsors.

Mental illnesses can often go unseen – at least by the outside world.  With stronger legislation in place, I’m hopeful these illnesses won’t have to go untreated.

###

A Victory For South Dakota’s Children
A column by Gov. Dennis Daugaard:

This week, the South Dakota State Legislature gave final passage to House Bill 1182. This important legislation directs approximately $70 million to significant pay increases for our public school teachers, as well as instructors at the state’s technical institutes. The bill also directs nearly $40 million to property tax relief.

I proposed this bill in response to the report of the Blue Ribbon Task Force. Over the past year, the task force undertook an extensive process of seeking public input, analyzing data and crafting policy proposals. The task force concluded that South Dakota needed to take bold action, this year, to avoid a teacher shortage. That required new money to increase teacher pay.

Great schools require great teachers and this plan will allow our state to recruit the next generation of great teachers. Our state will increase our salaries to be competitive with surrounding states, and South Dakota teachers will no longer be paid 51st in the nation.

Two other bills are a part of this package. Senate Bill 131 reforms our school funding formula to increase transparency and accountability. The new formula will be based on a statewide target average teacher salary of $48,500 and on target student-to-teacher ratios for each school. This bill also makes other important reforms, including the imposition of caps on school reserve funds and new limits on the growth of property taxes for capital outlay. It is important that, as we make a significant investment of new money into schools, we also ensure that the funding formula furthers our goal of providing an excellent education to every young person in this state.

Senate Bill 133 encourages schools to become more efficient by creating new opportunities for schools to share resources and to use services such as the e-Learning Center at Northern State. Creating efficiency allows schools to focus more funding on teacher salaries. The bill also makes it easier for certified teachers in other states to come to South Dakota.

All three bills are important. South Dakota is increasing teacher pay, making our funding formula more transparent and fair, and making schools more efficient.

House Bill 1182 was adopted by a bipartisan coalition in each house, passing with a two-thirds vote and a majority of Republicans and Democrats. It represents the strong support of all South Dakotans for our schools.

-30-

Thune Statement on Passing of Former First Lady Nancy Reagan

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) issued the following statement regarding the passing of former first lady Nancy Reagan:

“With the passing of former first lady Nancy Reagan, our nation lost a beloved and inspirational figure. She was a woman of strength who devoted her life to her country, to her family, and to public service. My condolences to the entire Reagan family in this difficult time. She will be sorely missed.”

###

From Yahoo/Variety:

Former first lady Nancy Reagan, who as an aspiring actress married affable leading man Ronald Reagan and then offered her unfailing support and Hollywood style as his unlikely political career took them to the Sacramento’s governor’s mansion and then all the way to the White House, has died. She was 94.

A family spokesperson told CBS that Reagan died Sunday in her Los Angeles home of congestive heart failure.

Read it here.

I’d mentioned this on February 28th, but here’s the official on Senator Dave Novstrup deciding to take a pass.  From Facebook/Aberdeen American News:

At the same time, the person who would have been his opponent is spending today braying like an ass claiming that he drove Novstrup from office. Which I’m sure couldn’t be farther from the truth.

Ask other good and qualified people such as former State Representative Christine Erickson how tough it is to be in Pierre for 2 – 3 months as you try to manage kids, work, etcetera, especially with a young family. It isn’t easy, and after ten years, I can see where he’s looking for a break, and wants to spend time with his kids.

It does bring up a good point that those wishing to donate to Al Novstrup, who will be running for the District 3 State Senate seat can do so at:

Novstrup for Senate
1705 Northview Lane
Aberdeen, SD 57401

When November rolls around, you’ll be glad you did.

State Representative Scott Munsterman announced at the crackerbarrel today that he’s deciding to take a pass on another term in the House of Representatives. I was speaking with a candidate for office this morning at that time, so I didn’t get to hear what he said. But I know he’s taking a step back for personal reasons which many who know him understand.

And I suspect he’s been stretched a bit thin over the past couple of years with everything he’s doing, and just needed to take a break.

In the legislature, parents of kids on the autism spectrum in South Dakota have Scott to thank for all the progress we’ve made in trying to cover therapy for them through our insurance, as it all started with his introduction of a committee bill a couple of years back which started us on the path to where we are today.

It’s that kind of thing that wasn’t on anyone’s radar. It was probably unpopular in some circles.  But, as a result of Scott’s leadership, it’s been on everyone’s radar since.

I’m sad that he’s taking a pass, as Scott is one of those rare individuals serving in the legislature whom I can unequivocally say is not just a public servant, but a genuinely good and decent person to his core.

It’s not that others aren’t, but I’ve spent a bit of time with Scott, since his second place finish in the run for Governor in 2010 and gotten to know him. I might not always have agreed with him 100% of the time (see the tan ban), but I’d never question his motives, or the fact he’s trying to do good.  There are people who get involved with politics that you gravitate towards and support because you believe in them. That would describe Scott Munsterman.

In a political word where cynicism is the word of the day, believing in someone is no light thing. Scott is one of those people who you could do so without reservation.  We can hope that someday, he thinks about getting back into it, because in a time where we see our presidential candidates squabbling and name calling on national television, we need more people like Scott Munsterman serving in public office.

At the least, we’re all a little better off for him giving us the time he could, and giving many of us someone to believe in.

Scott: Good luck, and thank you my friend.

Yankton County is holding it’s Lincoln Day Dinner tonight at JoDeans.

The emcee for the event is Public Utilities Commissioner Chris Nelson who is up for election this year, and Speakers are Attorney General Marty Jackley and State Representative Mark Mickelson who might be up for election in the near future.  🙂

The event is being held at JoDeans with Prime Rib or Shrimp as your menu choices.

5:30 Social Hour; 6:30 Dinner.

Secretary of State receives 3rd petition challenge

Pierre, SD – Today, Secretary of State Shantel Krebs announced that a challenge was submitted March 3rd for an initiated measure to legalize marijuana for medical use. The initiated measure was previously rejected by the Secretary of State’s office on February 3rd.

The Secretary of State’s office will verify the petition challenge in the coming months. There is not a deadline in state statute as to when the verification process must be completed.

The challenge was submitted by Melissa Mentele of Emery, South Dakota.

For more information regarding the challenge process please visit: https://sdsos.gov/elections-voting/upcoming-elections/general-information/2016-ballot-questions.aspx

#30#

From Jay Williams’ campaign website:

Jay William’s campaign theme is “Washington Change?”

Is that theme in some sort of pidgin english?

Or is “Washington Change” expressive of the amount of money he’s expecting to bring into his campaign for fundraising, being the “if no one else will” candidate running against John Thune?

Man. He’s started off awful, and it’s not getting better.