We have a new advertiser, Neal Tapio, who is joining us for a while.

Neal is a successful entrepreneur, a long time conservative Republican, and self described “Tea-Party believing, Rush Limbaugh and Mark Levin listening, Donald Trump loving potential candidate for office” who is looking to change the conversation for South Dakota conservatives, and re-focusing what’s important for members of the Republican party in South Dakota.

His website will be linked soon, but until then, we can all be intrigued by what he’s going to bring forth.

Welcome Neal!

Anyone swayed by Caitlyn/Bruce Jenner’s plea for a veto of HB 1008 as noted in the Argus this AM?

 

The measure, sponsored by Rep. Fred Deutsch, R-Florence, would bar transgender students from using public school bathrooms, locker rooms and shower rooms of the gender with which they identify. Those who don’t want to use bathrooms of their biological sex could request that the schools provide “reasonable accommodations.”

Read it here.

I’m not thinking reality TV stars getting involved helps their case. Unless someone promises to launch the Kardashians into orbit, never to return to the planet…

As I slip back out of here the same way I slipped into town; like the stealthy ninja I am, the education funding bill has passed.

Democrat Dennis Feickert switched his vote over to NO, while Republicans Josh Klumb and Scott Craig switched their votes to yes, allowing for the extra one vote the measure needed to pass with a two thirds majority.

So, where do we think things will go now? Will there be a stringent package of requirements upon school districts for use of the money for teacher salaries? or will they allow more latitude for local control?

Let us know what you think about today.

 
If I recall, this didn’t work so well with Stace Nelson or Lance Russell.

(Can’t we all just get along?)

  

Moody’s Upgrades South Dakota Bonds 

PIERRE, S.D. – Gov. Dennis Daugaard announced today that Moody’s has upgraded South Dakota’s lease-revenue bonds. The bonds issued through the South Dakota Building Authority and Vocational Education program within the South Dakota Health Education Facilities Authority have been awarded a Aa1 rating, an improvement over the previous rate of Aa2. 

“This upgrade is the highest rating South Dakota can receive from Moody’s. It is the equivalent of the AAA we received from S&P last spring,” said Gov. Daugaard. “We’ve worked hard to place our state on a firm financial footing, and that stewardship has paid dividends.” 

In their release of the rating, Moody’s attributed the upgrade to South Dakota’s “conservative fiscal practice, low fixed costs and a stable and healthy economy.”

The ratings agency applauded the state’s recent record of structurally balancing the budget and having high reserve levels, low debt, and zero pension liability. South Dakota’s newly adopted practices of issuing a debt affordability report, long-term financial plan and capital expenditure plan also contributed to the upgrade. 

Credit ratings give potential bond purchasers a measurement of state performance and credit worthiness. Upgrades typically allow issued bonds to carry a lower interest rate, providing interest savings to issuers like the Building Authority.

“These types of upgrades demonstrate our state’s exceptional credit worthiness to financial markets. This leads to substantial savings in future interest payments,” Gov. Daugaard said. 

To read Moody’s credit opinion for South Dakota, go to bfm.sd.gov/econ/MoodysFullReport.pdf                  

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Well, it looks like I’m on the road again heading out west for work. It’s nice to be unchained from my desk for a change, even if it does involve me driving across South Dakota for some required training.

The good news is that I get to stop in Pierre for a little bit today, possibly catching some of the education tax debate before I hop back in the truck and continue my journey.

I’ll see if I can snap a few pictures, and say hi to some of the legislators on the floor. Either that, or I will be dodging tomatoes from them. One of the two.

February 17^th was an interesting day for lending in South Dakota.

House Bill 1126, which was primed by State Representative Mark Mickelson was being heard in House Commerce and Energy Committee for the purpose of exempting certain entities from provisions related to money lending licenses.

It was a bill designed to exempt from regulation any entity which has made or acquired no more than ten loans to other entities within any calendar year and any entity that purchases and services commercial loans acquired for investment purposes. These are typically big dollar loans that are used by groups of investors. It failed, but it boasted a group of sponsors led by Mark Mickelson, and including Representatives Beal, Deutsch, Dryden, Duvall, Harrison, Hunt, Jensen (Alex), Johns, Langer, Otten (Herman), Partridge, Rasmussen, Schoenbeck, Solum, Steinhauer, Verchio, Westra, Wiik, and Willadsen and Senators Curd, Greenfield (Brock), Haverly, Heineman (Phyllis), Peters, and Tieszen.

That same day, House Bill 1161, sponsored by Kris Langer, a bill to provide for and regulate consumer lines of credit, was heard in House State affairs. This bill which passed committee has attracted a lot of grousing from liberals, because it creates a new line of short-term consumer credit.  Ironically, Mark Mickelson who sponsored the bill to exempt high-dollar investment lending from state oversight sits on the House State affairs committee and cast a no vote on the short-term consumer credit measure.

So, why is deregulation good for the rich, but low-dollar lending for those of less means is being regulated out of business? It’s not terribly consistent.

Frankly, I have a really hard time with the attitude of overregulation being led by those with a far left point of view on lending. For me, as a Republican, I believe it’s important to allow consumers to make their own decisions, and I would invite Representative Mickelson and the other sponsors of House Bill 1126 to keep that in mind when they vote on House Bill 1161 today.

If you’ve noted what I’ve written about payday lending this past week, South Dakota is one of the beachheads that the opponents of this type of product are trying to establish through the initiated measure process. But, at the same time the opponents of payday lending are trying to kill the competition, they are advocating for the federal government to create a program so they can set up their own program backed by taxpayers.

I can’t help but shake my head at Republicans who rail on about Obamacare this, and Obamacare that, yet at the same time are piping up in crackerbarrels talking about opposing House Bill 1161. Because those who vote against it will be complicit in helping to establish the “Obama Loan” program being developed at the federal level – a government backed loan program that is designed to have government assume the risk that private lenders assume now. So, instead of those getting the loans assuming the risk, The “Obama Loan” program will have taxpayers assuming it.

Why on earth would legislators want to seek a taxpayer funded solution versus one willingly being pursued by the private sector via 1161?

The thing to keep in mind is that the people promoting this sea change in personal lending at the federal level, while they’re pushing ballot measures, and opposing 1161 at the state level are farther left than George McGovern when it comes to taking away freedom and consumer choice.  Even McGovern believed that we need to value the freedom to make our own decisions.

As I’d quoted before, McGovern noted ” Since leaving office I’ve written about public policy from a new perspective: outside looking in. I’ve come to realize that protecting freedom of choice in our everyday lives is essential to maintaining a healthy civil society.  Why do we think we are helping adult consumers by taking away their options? We don’t take away cars because we don’t like some people speeding. We allow state lotteries despite knowing some people are betting their grocery money. Everyone is exposed to economic risks of some kind. But we don’t operate mindlessly in trying to smooth out every theoretical wrinkle in life.”

Read that here. 

The vote today on House Bill 1161 comes down to a basic question with our economic system and our political beliefs. Either we value the freedom to make our own decisions free of government coercion, or we don’t.

Today legislators have a clear choice to make. They can vote for free enterprise, or they can vote for more government. It’s their choice.

Bringing the 5G Network One Step Closer to Reality
By Sen. John Thune

Do you remember Gordon Gekko, the character portrayed by Michael Douglas in the iconic 1987 movie “Wall Street”? If you do, you might also remember scenes in which Douglas’ character makes phone calls from his state-of-the-art Motorola, which had Americans wondering what it must be like to have one of their own. While a lot has changed since 1987 – including no longer having to be Gordon Gekko rich to own a mobile phone – some things have not. Americans still want the latest and greatest technology available at their fingertips, and as mobile devices have gotten smaller and their operating systems faster, we have fully integrated these devices and the technology they offer into our day-to-day lives.

Think about everything you’re able to do with a mobile device and the ease with which you’re able to do it. A seat on a flight to London can be booked from the seat of your car in traffic, and a pizza can be ordered and delivered by texting or tweeting an emoji from your mobile phone. The technology that exists today allows us to connect instantaneously with people from coast to coast, and through apps like Facebook, Twitter, Periscope, and others, citizen journalists can broadcast from around the world.

It’s pretty amazing to think of the technological advancements we’ve seen over the last decade, which begs the question, what new advancements will we see in the decade to come? Imagine a world in which lightbulbs, wheelchairs, and even the roads and bridges we drive on potentially become Internet-connected. What if download speeds were no longer relevant, and the content you want and need could be instantly accessed from wherever you’re located? While we’re not there yet, I think we’re on the path to achieving it.

In order to get there, I believe we need to work toward deploying a fifth generation or “5G” wireless broadband network throughout the country, and there’s a collective duty as policymakers and innovators to see that it’s done as effectively and efficiently as possible. 5G shouldn’t be viewed simply as the next incremental step in wireless broadband technology, but instead as an enormous leap toward a revolution in our wireless capability in America. These networks will not only bring the already connected world closer together, but they can help connect rural areas, like some places in South Dakota, where high costs and other difficulties have delayed the high-speed broadband needed for robust Internet access.

As chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, I’ve authored legislation, the Making Opportunities for Broadband Investment and Limiting Excessive and Needless Obstacles to Wireless (MOBILE NOW) Act, which would help usher in the 5G era by facilitating the investment and technology required to get there. MOBILE NOW is bipartisan, supported by industry leaders, and if enacted, would benefit consumers and businesses alike. We’re going to work hard in the coming weeks and months to see that this important legislation makes its way through Congress so America’s innovators can continue their work on our 5G future.

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Recognizing the Mental Health Needs of Our Veterans
By Senator Mike Rounds

South Dakota is home to more than 72,000 veterans who have bravely and selflessly served our country. Making sure each veteran is cared for and receives top-notch health care has been a priority for me while working in the Senate. While there are many problems plaguing the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), addressing mental health reform is among the most important. According to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), 10 to 20 percent of veterans returning from Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom are diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and more than 150,000 veterans have been diagnosed with PTSD in the last 15 years.

Many returning veterans struggle with the invisible wounds of war long after they leave the battlefield. While the most recent available numbers on veterans suicide have shown improvement in recent years, even one veteran taking his or her life due to the mental and physical stresses caused by service to this nation is one too many. Physical injuries can be seen and treated, but too many veterans are suffering in silence from mental health issues that are often not visible on the surface.

Early last year, Republicans and Democrats in Congress came together to pass the Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act. It was one of the first bills I cosponsored as a senator, and it was signed into law by the president. This law focuses on establishing programs to help veterans with PTSD and bring more mental health care specialists into VA facilities. Still, there is much more that needs to be done to take care of our nation’s heroes once they return home.

The Department of Health and Human Services says that surveillance is the first step in solving the problem of suicide at large. Accurate surveillance must then be followed by identifying risk and protective factors, which is followed by intervention strategies. Currently, there is no nationwide surveillance system in place to monitor suicide among all veterans. With the majority of veterans not enrolled in Veterans Health Administration, accurate data is hard to find. While the VA has done a decent job gleaning data from the National Death Index and developing data sharing agreements with all 50 states, surveillance still needs to be a top priority.

Many veterans today do not have access to mental health services when they need it most. I hear from veterans all across South Dakota who have trouble getting appointments at VA facilities. In fact, about 60 percent of my office’s casework stems from veterans requesting help. When a veteran is struggling with PTSD and seeks mental health help from his or her VA provider but is forced to wait weeks to see a doctor, we have a major problem on our hands. I am committed to working with my colleagues on the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee as well as VA Secretary Robert McDonald to address these critical issues.

The VA and our committee are committed to addressing the heartbreaking issue of veteran suicide and making sure each and every veteran gets the care he or she deserves.

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