Governor Dennis Daugaard’s Weekly Column: Reforming Our Juvenile Corrections System

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Reforming Our Juvenile Corrections System
A column by Gov. Dennis Daugaard:

DaugaardWe have much to be proud of in South Dakota. Our state has the third lowest unemployment rate in the nation. We’re among the states with the lowest cost of living. Just a few weeks ago Pew named South Dakota as the state with the least volatility in year-to-year tax revenues.

There is, however, one top ranking of which we shouldn’t be proud: South Dakota has the second highest juvenile commitment rate in the nation. This high rate of commitment is not explained by a higher rate of juvenile arrests for violent crime. In fact, South Dakota’s juvenile violent crime arrest rate is just one-third of the national average.

Seven of every 10 youth committed to the Department of Corrections in 2013 were committed for misdemeanor offenses, probation violations and “status offenses” –violations which, if committed as an adult, would not even be considered crimes.

Research shows that for many youth, commitment to residential placement fails to produce better outcomes than alternative sanctions. Commitment to residential placement also costs much more and can actually increase reoffending in certain circumstances.

Two years ago, we reformed our adult corrections system to improve public safety, hold offenders more accountable and control costs. Though it’s only been a short time since those reforms took effect, early results are positive. The percentage of offenders who have successfully completed parole has increased, hundreds of probationers have earned early termination of their supervision by complying with the rules, and the prison population is slightly less than what was projected.

Because the criminal justice reforms of 2013 are showing positive early indications, I, along with a number of stakeholders across the state, wanted to offer similar reforms for the juvenile justice system.

This legislative session, I’m proposing that we reserve commitments to the Department of Corrections for only youth who commit the most serious offenses and pose a risk to the public. I’m also proposing that we develop an array of effective interventions for youth offenders, including community-based programs to address substance abuse, antisocial tendencies and challenges within the family. These types of programs would allow youth to get the help they need without being removed from their homes. They would also help judges as they perform the difficult task of weighing how best to set youth on a better path.

We have a choice to make. We can continue to place juveniles in expensive state-funded facilities that, for many, are less effective at reducing delinquency, or we can invest in proven interventions and treatment programs that keep our youth close to home and connected to their communities.

Though it would be easier to keep doing what we’ve been doing, that would be a disservice to South Dakota – to the taxpayers who fund the correctional system and to the young offenders who need to be rehabilitated.

I’m hopeful that lawmakers will continue to be engaged on this issue and that they will come to agree that now is the time to fix this problem.  As we’ve proven in the past, we can do great things when we work together.

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US Senator John Thune’s Weekly Column: Uncle Sam Can’t Tax Us into Prosperity

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Uncle Sam Can’t Tax Us into Prosperity
By Senator John Thune

John_Thune_official_photoEvery State of the Union address includes at least one or two “buzz” words. For the past six years under President Obama, one of the phrases that has stuck out to me in his annual address to Congress is the term “restore prosperity.” The president usually follows these words with his laundry list of ways he believes Congress should act, usually by growing the size of government, to “restore prosperity” for millions of Americans. What the president always seems to forget is that Uncle Sam can’t tax us into prosperity.

This year, the president called yet again for higher taxes on individuals and families, ranging from South Dakota middle class families saving for their kid’s college education, to small businesses and ag producers who are creating jobs and stimulating the economy. This top-down approach to “restoring prosperity” is precisely what the American people rejected in the last election, yet the president continues to promote the same stale, failed policies of big government.

The president is proposing $320 billion in new taxes on top of the more than $1.5 trillion in higher taxes already forced upon the American people during his administration. Under his plan, South Dakotans who have their assets invested in a farm operation or small business would get hit with a new capital gains tax when assets that have appreciated in value are passed on to the next generation. This is especially damaging to the family farm, the assets of which are often comprised largely of farmland that can appreciate considerably in value over time. And this new tax is in addition to the federal estate tax, better known as the death tax, which already imposes an unnecessary tax burden on family farms and businesses.

Without question, these tax proposals would make it more difficult for South Dakota families to pass land and other capital assets along to the next generation. We need to move in the opposite direction, by eliminating the death tax and making certain that family farms and business are not targeted with new, punitive tax increases.

South Dakota middle class families planning ahead for their kid’s college educations through tax preferred 529 college savings plans would also feel the pinch under the president’s plan. Right now the earnings in these accounts are tax-free, but the president would subject them to tax, meaning there would be fewer funds available for education expenses. We’re not talking about the ultra-wealthy; we are talking about middle class families trying to do right by their children by saving for an investment in their educations. If anything, we should make it easier for families to save for a college education, not make it more difficult.

These are not the ways in which we will restore prosperity for the American people. It’s time for Washington to stop putting forward proposals that would penalize job-creators and middle class families and instead work to make our outdated tax code simpler and fairer, ensuring we reduce Americans’ tax burdens while also making U.S. businesses more competitive in the global economy.

I believe in tapping into the potential of the American people, not the government. I will continue to work with my colleagues in Congress to oppose ill-conceived tax hikes and to create a simplified tax system that works better for all Americans.

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US Senator Mike Rounds Weekly Column: State of the Union Address a Missed Opportunity

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Weekly Column
State of the Union Address a Missed Opportunity
By Senator Mike Rounds
Jan. 23, 2015

MikeRounds official SenateThe State of the Union address fulfills a constitutionally mandated duty that calls on the President to periodically update Congress on the state of our nation. In recent history, the State of Union is an annual event in which the President addresses both chambers of Congress in person at the U.S. Capitol. President Obama’s 2015 address was no different. I sat with my colleagues no more than 50 feet from the President, listening in earnest for ways to work together to find areas of agreement or opportunity. As many of you have expressed, I too was disappointed.

Given the challenges we face as a nation, I had hoped the President would have used this opportunity to set a bipartisan, positive tone for 2015 and focus on our shared vision for moving the country forward. Republicans have wasted no time getting to work this year. In the Senate, we’re currently considering legislation to authorize construction of the Keystone XL pipeline. We are working on a number of bills that will help our economy grow, providing for private sector jobs and beginning to reduce government red-tape that is slowing down our recovery. We will not forget about the American taxpayers. We are already beginning our work. In the Senate, we’ve already voted on more amendments this year than all of 2014 under Democrat leadership.

Unfortunately, the President showed no signs of wanting to work with us on these issues. He told us again during the State of the Union that he plans to veto our Keystone pipeline bill, despite widespread support in Congress and among the American people. He also used the State of the Union to propose a tax plan he knows is dead on arrival in Congress because it calls for hundreds of billions of dollars in tax increases.  We know this hurts farmers, ranchers and small business owners. Our plan is to get the federal government out of the way so the economy can begin to grow again.

The President also used his speech to double down on his record, touting failed policies such as Obamacare, and took credit for a ‘strong’ economic recovery. It’s hard to take this rhetoric seriously when evidence of these successes is so scarce. We know that health care premiums have skyrocketed for many South Dakota families and many others lost the coverage they enjoyed all together because of the health care law. We also know that the median household income is weak. Since the President has taken office, median household annual income has dropped by $3,000 and the labor force has continued to shrink. That’s why few Americans are actually feeling the economic recovery he claims to have led us through.

The ideas laid out in the President’s speech may have excited the left wing of his political base, but it proved he has turned a deaf ear to the majority of Americans. By continuing to put politics first and promote the same old policies that have failed him in the past, he ignores the loud cries of voters who made clear they are tired of the same old ideas and practices in Washington.

Americans want us to work together to make government more efficient and effective. I, along with my Republican colleagues, remain committed to American priorities: jobs, the economy and government efficiency. We’re already rolling up our sleeves and getting to work again. Hopefully Congress and the President can find a way to put politics aside to remove the bureaucratic hurdles and unnecessary regulations that hardworking South Dakotans have to deal with every day. It’s time the President realizes that more government isn’t the right answer to the problems facing our country.

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Congresswoman Kristi Noem’s Weekly Column: Why We Need an Opportunity Economy

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Why We Need an Opportunity Economy
By Rep. Kristi Noem
January 23, 2015

kristi noem headshot May 21 2014During last week’s State of the Union address, President Obama intended to make the argument that his economic approach was “middle-class economics.”  We ought to be investing in growing the size and strength of middle-class America – as well as its pay – but the President’s policies have failed to do that.

On his watch, only top earners have seen their incomes rise, but middle-class Americans are earning less on average than they did in 2009 – by about two thousand dollars a year.  While jobs have been added at the top and bottom of the wage scale, those positions sought by the middle class have been shed.

A house divided against itself cannot stand – and neither can an economy.  This administration’s policies have divided our nation by class and income.  That’s never been the American way – and it never should be. I believe we ought to seek opportunities for every citizen.  We ought to be bringing folks out of poverty and making sure wages increase across the board.  We ought to be fighting so that every South Dakotan has the opportunity to succeed – so long as they work hard and play by the rules.  We ought to be aiming for an Opportunity Economy.

In many cases, opportunity is a product of education, whether that is a traditional university, community college or vocational school.  I believe in the importance of receiving a higher education, but I also understand the obstacles life can throw in your way when you’re trying to get that education.  I worked multiple jobs after high school to support my own education.

When my dad passed away and I came home to help run the farm, I had to put that education on hold.  I finally finished my degree almost 20 years later. Needless to say, I understand the challenges.  That’s one of the reasons why I’ve been so supportive of 529 savings plans, which hundreds of South Dakota families currently take advantage of.  The President proposed increasing taxes on these savings accounts as part of his State of the Union pitch.  But this is money hardworking Americans have earned and saved for their kids’ education.  The government doesn’t deserve to take a bigger piece of that money than it already gets.

I’ve also been looking to increase opportunities for working moms.  For many, finding the right work-life balance is a constant struggle.  I’d like to see working families get a little more flexibility.  If you work overtime, you should have a choice: take the overtime pay or get that time back by receiving an equal amount of extra time off.  I helped pass a bill through the House to accomplish this last year, and I’ll be working with the new Republican Senate to try to get it over the finish line this year.

Achieving an Opportunity Economy will also require some changes to the tax code and regulatory environment to make it more fair and affordable.  We’ve done it in South Dakota and it’s produced real results.  Rosenbauer America, a company that manufactures fire rescue vehicles in Lyons, offered almost every employee a dollar-an-hour raise about a year ago, according to the Argus Leader.  They also made it easier to earn vacation days.  This wasn’t something that was mandated by the federal government; it was a decision the company made.  Why?  Our unemployment rate in South Dakota is the third lowest in the nation.  Tax rates are kept low.  And smart regulatory policies have made us one of the nation’s top states to do business. Now, companies have to compete for workers.  That drives pay and benefits up.  It works.

I am committed to securing more opportunities and freedoms for South Dakotans so you can seize every promise the American Dream has always provided.  We can and must do better.

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Latest Annette Bosworth pre-trial plea is a bit bizarre. Dear Wedding List Legislator:

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Like her infamous “dirty words” press conference back during the primary, indicted US Senate Candidate Annette Bosworth has a knack for coming up with publicity stunts that are bizarre, or such a horrific train wreck, you can’t look away.  And this week brought us another.

As the days count down to her upcoming February trial for attesting to petition signatures she didn’t witness, State Legislators meeting in Pierre for the 2015 legislative session received a letter this week from former Candidate Bosworth, complete with personal annotations. And this one is a doozy.

“Dear Wedding List, Legislator.

You’re Invited to the wedding. Or at least you would be invited to the wedding if Chad and I were planning our wedding today. That is why you’ re getting this letter, You are on my “wedding list” of people.

You are receiving this letter because you are a legislator and you will be in Pierre during the trial!

Not surprisingly, as you page through it, this is uncomfortable to read. Not because anyone thinks she’s being railroaded, since by her own admission, she says she wasn’t present for the signatures she attested to witnessing. It’s cringeworthy because the group of people she’s sending it to – state legislators – are among the least likely to buy a letter repeating things that, amidst all the biblical quotes, most believe are a complete load of bullsh*t.

Dear Legislator Weddinglist

I humbly ask for you to use your God-gifted-talents. I am praying that the cold courtroom in Pierre will be filled with the warmth from God’s people. I am asking for support in the form of your presence at this trial. If you have witnessed a jury trial, you understand the powerful message supporters send. The power of the presence of supporters in the courtroom strengthens the person on trial, their family, their lawyers as well as the citizens serving on the jury. If you have never witnessed a jury trial, come and gain the experience with your own eyes. Help me put purpose to this pain. We will witness to South Dakota and the country that when you trust in the Lord, His people will stand together during times of adversity.

Are we thinking this is going to cause any legislators to abandon their desk in the State Capitol, and walk the block and a half to the courthouse?

Press Release: Rounds Supports Working Families Flexibility Act

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 Rounds Supports Working Families Flexibility Act

MikeRounds official SenateWASHINGTON—Yesterday, U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) cosponsored the Working Families Flexibility Act, which would allow employees to choose between traditional overtime pay or additional comp time when they work overtime hours.

“This bill would benefit hard-working families across South Dakota and throughout the country,” said Rounds. “It would offer private sector employees a win-win option when they work overtime: they could select either monetary compensation or paid time off to spend at their leisure. Government employees currently have this option, so it makes sense to give private sector workers the same opportunity and flexibility.”

Introduced by Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), the Working Families Flexibility Act amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to provide employers with the necessary flexibility to allow their employees to choose either the traditional overtime pay or paid time off for any overtime hours worked. Employers would be able to offer this option to their employees on a voluntary basis.

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Press Release: South Dakota PUC elects new leaders

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South Dakota PUC elects new leaders

PIERRE, SD – The South Dakota Public Utilities Commission this week elected Commissioner Chris Nelson as its new chairman and Commissioner Kristie Fiegen as vice chairman. The three-member panel, which also includes Commissioner Gary Hanson, conducted the votes at a meeting in Pierre on Jan. 20.

In his nominating remarks, Hanson praised Nelson’s leadership role on a national level, particularly in the telecommunications arena. “Commissioner Nelson has ascended to the chairmanship of the telecommunications committee of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners in a short time. As such, he seeks solutions and offers advice on many complex telecommunications issues, working with federal regulators and other states’ utility regulators. South Dakotans are well served by Commissioner Nelson,” Hanson said.

Nelson joined the PUC in January 2011 by appointment by Gov. Dennis Daugaard to serve two years to fill a vacancy. He won election in November 2012 to serve the remaining four years of the term. He was voted by his fellow commissioners as chairman once before, in 2012, and has been vice chairman three times:  in 2011, 2013 and 2014. The Federal Communications Commission named him to the Federal-State Joint Board on Universal Service, representing the interests of state utility commissioners.

Nelson nominated Fiegen for the vice chairman post. He described her as an apt and able commissioner. “Commissioner Fiegen has shown tremendous dedication to utility customers, is conscientious about studying the issues and insists on integrity,” he stated.

Fiegen spoke about the work of the commission. “There are currently many exciting and challenging issues in the world of utility regulation,” Fiegen noted. “We have a busy year ahead of us at the PUC. I am grateful to be serving with commissioners and working with staff members who are deeply committed to their duties,” she said.

First appointed by Gov. Daugaard in August 2011 to fill a vacancy, Fiegen was then elected to the PUC in November 2012. This is Fiegen’s second stint as the PUC’s vice chairman, having held that role in 2012. She is a member of the NARUC Committee on Gas and serves on the Subcommittee on Pipeline Safety. Fiegen is part of the Gas Technology Institute’s Public Interest Advisory Committee.

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Be careful who’s house you flood. They may end up being your US Senator.

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From KELOland, this is both a little hilarious, and a sweet comeuppance:

South Dakota Senator Mike Rounds’ new job comes with a new responsibility, overseeing the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. It’s an agency that flooded his property nearly four years ago.

In the summer of 2011, the Corps of Engineers authorized record releases from dams along the Missouri River after a wet spring and a snowy winter in the Rocky Mountains. That water flooded out properties up and down the river in Pierre including Senator Rounds’ new home. Now he’s been given the job of overseeing the agency as the chairman of an Environment and Public Works subcommittee on oversight. Besides the Corps of Engineers the subcommittee also oversees the Environmental Protection Agency.

“We will be actively involved in that oversight. It’s an area I said during the campaign that I wanted to be involved with and I think we’ll have the opportunity to get South Dakota’s point of view in a number of areas in terms of how the agencies have been run and are still run,” Rounds said.

Read it all here.

Do you think anyone in the Corps of Engineers noticed this, and went “Oh, hell….”?

Press Release: Rounds Meets with Nominee for Secretary of Defense, Dr. Ashton Carter

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Rounds Meets with Nominee for Secretary of Defense, Dr. Ashton Carter

WASHINGTON—U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) met yesterday with Dr. Ashton Carter, President Obama’s nominee to succeed Chuck Hagel as Secretary of Defense.

“I had a productive meeting with Dr. Carter yesterday,” said Rounds. “We talked about the strategic needs of our country, among other issues. As a former Deputy Secretary of Defense he is familiar with the confirmation procedures, and I look forward to an informative and productive confirmation process.”

Rounds is a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

rounds nominee

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