After Marsy’s Law was filed, a couple more petitions have made their way to the Secretary of State for validation. Both the Farmer’s Union/Democrat petition for redistricting, and the 36% payday loan initiated measure have been filed.
Senate Democrats Block Defense Funding Bill Again
WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) today issued the following statement on the Senate Democrats’ filibuster of the Department of Defense (DoD) appropriations bill for the third time this year, following the budget deal of last week:
“Refusing to debate the 12 appropriation bills which provide the necessary funds to keep the government running, simply to create a crisis, is not acceptable,” said Rounds. “Yet again, Senate Democrats blocked an important appropriations bill from being openly debated and amended on the Senate floor, despite receiving overwhelming bipartisan support when it was reported out of committee earlier this year. It will also comply with the funding levels agreed to in the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015, which many Senate Democrats supported and the President signed less than a week ago. But most importantly, this defense appropriations bill will provide our military members and their families with the certainty and stability that they deserve. The United States continues to face new and evolving threats, both at home and abroad. Providing our troops with the tools and support they need to complete their missions is critical.”
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Democrats Block Critical Funding for
Our Men and Women in Uniform
“It’s incredible that Senate Democrats would repeatedly block a bill that funds our troops and their families …”
WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) issued the following statement after Senate Democrats blocked the Department of Defense (DoD) appropriations bill, which includes important funding for our military personnel, their families, weapons, readiness, and infrastructure projects that contribute to our national security:
“It’s incredible that Senate Democrats would repeatedly block a bill that funds our troops and their families, but even more perplexing since this bill meets the spending level Democrats agreed to just last week,” said Thune. “Today’s filibuster proves that Democrats are willing to risk the safety and security of our armed forces for vague reasons they have yet to fully explain. Senate Republicans have worked in good faith with Democrats to keep this bill moving forward. Democrats must now do their part and abandon this cynical strategy immediately.”
This is the third time this year that Democrats have prevented the Senate from considering the DoD appropriations bill, which garnered broad bipartisan support in committee and complies with the two-year budget deal Congress passed just last week.
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We have a guest column this evening from an “Uber cool” friend of the SDWC – Sioux Falls City Councilor Christine Erickson!
Christine was kind enough to take the time to give us some background on the recent decision of the City Council to approve ordinances to allow companies such as UBER to start doing business in our state’s largest city
She’s out of town in another state tonight – and had the opportunity to use UBER for herself for the first time. She reported it was “Super easy and convenient”- PP
Opening doors for opportunity and consumer choice
Christine Erickson, Sioux Falls City Council
In South Dakota, we recognize the importance of a free marketplace that rewards hard work, creates jobs and opportunities and incentivizes innovation in all industries. Due this enviable business climate, businesses large and small can flourish without penalty from government.
In November, the Sioux Falls City Council approved reforms to the existing Vehicle for Hire Ordinance allowing Transportation Networking Companies (TNCs) to operate on city streets. A TNC, such as Uber or Lyft, utilize an innovative business model that uses a software application, which is typically a smart phone app, to connect passengers to a TNC driver. This driver uses his or her personal vehicle, and drives whenever he or she would like to make extra money. More than 150 cities in the U.S. have either Lyft, Uber or both. In our region, this includes the cities of Ames, Cedar Rapids, Davenport, Des Moines, Fargo, Lincoln, Madison, WI, Minneapolis, Omaha and St. Paul.
Opponents to the reform measure argued that Uber, Lyft and/or other TNCs have an unfair advantage, and would drive local taxicabs and others out of business. As a small business owner, I understand the sacrifice, long hours and financial risk that goes into running a business. I also recognize that businesses must continually innovate and adapt to the needs of consumers in order to successfully compete against competition.
I am reminded by a recent talk with my three boys, who saw their first phone booth. I found myself having my first, ‘when I was a kid’ conversation about the not so distant past with no cellphones. Today, cellular phones have removed the vast majority of phone booths, and reduced the number of landlines in the U.S. According to the CDC’s biannual National Health Interview Survey of 20,000 households, more than 90 percent of households had a landline phone in 2004. This number is now less than 60 percent in just ten years.
A free marketplace does not limit innovation and consumer choice to specific industries. The vehicle for hire reform measures embraces these free market principals, and challenges existing vehicle for hire businesses to innovate and compete for passengers. In South Dakota, we celebrate entrepreneurship and innovation. We recognize that government is not intended to protect outdated business models, but instead limit regulatory and tax obstacles that stifle a thriving free market.
Wow.
We know Democrats are in dire straits when they promote non-partisan elections, advocating for a measure abandoning their party label.
But today they went all in, and used the occasion of Marty Jackley’s explanation of the status of the westerhuis investigation – where children were tragically murdered – as fodder for a political press release:
During South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley’s November 3, 2015 press conference in Platte, the Attorney General refused to comment on the financial investigation into the scandal ridden $4.3 million annual GEAR UP grant previously administered by Mid Central Educational Cooperative.
Although the Attorney General, in spite of the many unanswered questions, refused to make any statement on the financial investigation into the GEAR UP program, it is apparent from what is already known that South Dakota’s Department of Education—much like the Governor’s Office of Economic Development with EB-5— has failed to properly exercise oversight and prevent the self-dealing and conflict of interest that is enabled by one party Republican rule.
And…
House Minority Leader Spencer Hawley (D- District 07) added,
“South Dakota’s majority party dominance has resulted in a lack of government accountability that would come from a strong two party system. This degree of concentrated and absolute power in any party will create waste and inefficiencies, at best, and corruption and tragedy, at worst. It seems we’ve reached the latter in South Dakota.”
Again, wow. Democrats dancing on children’s graves. How shameless.
From Newsmax:
In the four decades since the Supreme Court discovered a constitutional right to abortion in Roe v. Wade, more than 58 million abortions have taken place in the United States. Some call it the “American holocaust.”
and..
Based on a variety of media and pro-life sources, Newsmax has compiled this roster of the nation’s top 100 pro-life icons. These cultural warriors long for the day when the last abortion is conducted in the United States, and they won’t cease their protests until that time.
Congratulations to Congresswoman Noem!
Hey! Good news for Democrats! The Pierre Library has just announced an activity program designed for them while they’re here for the legislative session!
Pierre Library Launches Adult Coloring Club
The club, part of the adult programming at Rawlins Municipal Library, will hold its first meeting on Saturday, November 14th. The meeting will start at 10:30 a.m. in the Rawlins Library Community Room. Anyone 18 or older is welcome to participate.
and…
The library will provide markers and colored pencils, as well as coloring sheets designed especially for adults.
Participants can expect the coloring sheet designs to include things like abstract shapes, botanicals, animals and paisleys.
From North Dakota’s Say Anything Blog:
The Libertarian Party of North Dakota (LPND) and South Dakota (LPSD) will be holding a joint meeting this Saturday, Nov. 7th at the Baymont Inn and Suites in Mandan from 1-5 p.m.
In addition to general socializing and various speeches, on the agenda for the LPND will be the election of party officers and nomination of candidates for office in 2016.
They must have needed 20 people eating lunch to get the conference room for free.
From MSN:
Clinton proposes $12 federal minimum wage
Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Rodham Clinton said Tuesday the federal minimum wage should be $12 an hour.
Clinton said that figure would roughly match in today’s dollars what the federal minimum wage was in 1968, the time when it was highest in terms of buying power.
“Twelve would give us a good solid increase,” Clinton said.
I’m kind of questioning what kind of hit our economy would take with a $12 an hour increase. Your thoughts?
From KELOLAND Radio:
Former Congresswoman Stephanie Herseth-Sandlin was among those at last night’s meeting urging councilors to reconsider a cell phone ban. She said we should be “indoctrinating” young drivers about the dangers of cell phone use while driving, which I thought was an interesting and significant word choice. Indoctrinate means “to accept a set of beliefs uncritically”.
