Release: Rounds Applauds Advancement of Powder River Training Complex Expansion

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Rounds Applauds Advancement of Powder River Training Complex Expansion

WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD) made the following statement on the Air Force’s announcement that it has formalized its decision to expand the Powder River Training Complex:

“Today’s announcement is great news for our state, the federal budget, and our national security,” Rounds said. “The additional airspace the complex will provide to Ellsworth will greatly benefit the facility, strengthening the role the Air Force Base plays in national defense. Plus, it make sense fiscally – saving taxpayers millions of dollars annually. It’s good to have the FAA and Air Force work together on this effort and I look forward the FAA finalizing the expansion decision. I thank Sen. Thune and Rep. Noem on their work in previous sessions of Congress to see this important project advance and look forward to working with them to see it cross the finish line.”

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Annette Bosworth’s Latest fundraising plea. Marty Jackley runs DSS with his minions, Annette is 100% innocent, and other tall tales.

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Is it February yet? I’m not sure it can’t come too soon, so the Bosworth circus can finally pack their tents up and break camp.

I was mentioning ‘Bosworthian’ fundraising pleas yesterday, when I was talking about Rick Weiland’s latest cash beg. Coincidentally, today brings us an ACTUAL new Bosworth fundraising plea.

Although it was dated for December, my correspondent received in the last few days. And as you might expect, it’s a bit much:

New Boz Letter

“That 8-page letter made it into the hands of Attorney General Marty Jackley as well as several of the other establishment politicians in South Dakota.

Well, no kidding. When you send out thousands of letters, a few are going to come back to SD for episodes of eye-rolling.   And people wondering exactly when all this alleged “preacher interrogation” took place that she keeps bringing up.  And if you thought that claim continues to be a stretch……..:

The Department of Social Services, run by AG Marty Jackley, receives hundreds of millions of dollars in federal money to care for them .

Did I miss it when the Governor handed over the Department of Social Services to the Attorney General?  No? Then I guess the letter would be lying here.

Which has an effect of impeaching it’s testimony in other places, such as where it claims – I AM 100 PERCENT INNOCENT.

The problem with this claim is that Bosworth has publicly admitted the conduct for which she’s been charged with. I’m not sure how that makes her 100% innocent.  Or even 75%.

Anyway, according to the letter, you can donate $500, $1000, or $2500 to Annette’s legal fund.  And even better, the donation form has a place for you to put all your credit card information on the donation form, including the CVV number for your card.

Oddly enough, much like many of the claims she makes in the letter, I’m not sure that I would be comfortable with that.

Is this “The Better” LRC?

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(Editor’s Note: This column originally appeared my the daily original piece for the SDWC Daily Digest for 1/14/2015. Although I missed last night’s edition due to illness, it’s delivered daily for those who don’t monitor the blogs on a constant basis. If you’re not subscribing, you should be. Original content, a daily review, items of note and more.)

Is this “the better” LRC?

If you hadn’t heard, the South Dakota Legislative Research Council has taken a few hits in the last couple of years.

In recent years it had employees accused of sharing confidential legislative drafts with other legislators. It saw long-time hands & managers retire and be replaced, and had a decade-long veteran executive director resign after a critical review commissioned by the National Conference of State Legislatures which recommended sweeping changes, some of which were implemented.

A new Executive Director, Jason Hancock, was brought in in late summer/early fall from the Idaho Department of Education, where Hancock served as Deputy Director, and many claimed that this would right the ship from the problems that the LRC had in recent years.

However, for a ship that is supposed to be on a corrected course, the LRC seems to be somewhat limping along as it finds it’s way. For the past decade of on-line bill filing, pre-filed measures were available beginning in mid-December on the LRC’s web site. This year? They finally appeared a day or so before session.

In previous years, as measures had been introduced and filed by members, they had been promptly filed and placed on-line for public review. But the new LRC? We’ve ended two days of the legislation session, and nearly no new  measures (besides those pre-filed) are yet to appear on the LRC’s web site.   One Legislator I spoke with today echoed the lament, and noted that their performance was slower than any other year they’d ever seen. (And that’s saying it in a far nicer manner than they did.)

When it had been brought up by this and other web sites earlier, Capitol news stringer Bob Mercer was quick to rush to their defense, and claimed the LRC was “proceeding with caution.”

The LRC’s cautious speed might work for Bob, but for Legislators and the public, we were told this was going to be a better LRC.

We’re still waiting to see it.

Release: Powder River Decision a Victory for Ellsworth and the Air Force, Says Noem

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Powder River Decision a Victory for Ellsworth and the Air Force, Says Noem

Washington, D.C. – Rep. Kristi Noem today applauded the U.S. Air Force’s final Record of Decision on the Powder River Training Complex as a positive step toward finalizing the proposed expansion of air space.

“Nothing can replace the value of air time for our airmen,” said Noem.  “Proper training and readiness are critical to our airmen’s safety and success in the field.  With the expansion of air space at Powder River, Ellsworth Air Force Base and the U.S. Air Force will have critical access to one of the largest training complexes in the country.  I have worked with the Air Force and monitored the progress of the Powder River Training Complex expansion since coming to Congress.  The Record of Decision released today clears an important hurdle for the U.S. Air Force and moves us one step closer to finalizing this mission-critical project.”

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Release: Following Thune Backing, Air Force Finalizes Critical Training Airspace Expansion

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Following Thune Backing, Air Force Finalizes Critical Training Airspace Expansion

-Approval of PRTC increases national security while saving taxpayers money-

John_Thune_official_photoWASHINGTON, D.C.—Following nearly nine years of collaboration between U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) and the Air Force to expand the military training airspace over South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana, and Wyoming, known as the Powder River Training Complex (PRTC), Thune today applauded the Air Force’s announcement that it finalized its Record of Decision (ROD) to approve the PRTC. Now that the Air Force has completed its portion of the process, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will complete its review before the training airspace can be utilized.

“It is rare to have an opportunity to increase national security while saving taxpayer dollars, but that’s precisely what this project does,” said Thune. “After nearly nine years working with the Air Force on this important expansion project, I’m pleased we’ve entered the final step to ensuring our Air Force pilots and personnel have the adequate airspace to perform the critical training they need in conditions that more closely resemble combat missions. I’m proud of the vital role Ellsworth continues to play in protecting and preserving America’s freedom at home and abroad and look forward to the FAA finalizing the PRTC expansion.”

The PRTC expansion will provide Air Force pilots and personnel with expanded airspace to perform the critical training they need in conditions that more closely resemble combat missions. The expansion will also allow for large force exercises where multiple aircraft and crews can train together simulating a combat environment without live fire exercises.

The new Powder River Training Complex will be divided into four quadrants, with each of these quadrants divided into low-, medium-, and high-altitude sections. With the exception of Large Force Exercises, which will be for only 10 days per year, only a few quadrants will be in use during the week, and only for a few hours each day. The airspace will continue to be open for civilian and commercial use when it is not being used for training exercises.

The PRTC expansion not only marks the largest expansion of Special Use Airspace in America’s history, but also represents an important cost-saving initiative. The expanded airspace will save Ellsworth Air Force Base up to $23 million per year and is the first time the FAA and Air Force have worked jointly on such an effort, setting a precedent for further cost-saving cooperation down the road and addressing stakeholder concerns up front.

Ellsworth Air Force Base has a $350 million impact on South Dakota’s economy and is the state’s second largest employer.

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Release: Maricela Diaz Convicted by Jury for First Degree Murder

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Maricela Diaz Convicted by Jury for First Degree Murder

PIERRE, S.D – Attorney General Marty Jackley and Hanson County States Attorney Jim Davies announced today that a Minnehaha County jury returned a verdict finding Maricela N. Diaz, Ft. Wayne, Indiana, guilty of first degree murder, class A felony, maximum sentence up to life in prison; felony murder arson, class A felony, maximum sentence up to life in prison, first degree arson, class 2 felony, with maximum penalty of up to 25 years in prison; felony murder kidnapping, class A felony, maximum sentence up to life in prison and second-degree aggravated kidnapping class 1 felony, with a maximum penalty of up to 50 years in prison.

“This jury verdict is the result of a very dedicated and hardworking investigation and prosecution team. Diaz and Salgado have been found guilty of the cold blooded murder of a 16 year-old innocent little girl. I struggle to believe that the family of Jasmine Guevara will ever find closure, but I hope that this conviction will allow them to begin to heal,” said Jackley. “As Attorney General, I will be reviewing Mr. Salgado’s testimony and case to determine whether he is in violation of his plea agreement and if so the appropriate remedy.”

Charges stem that on November 10, 2009, Maricela N. Diaz and Alexander Salgado murdered Jasmine Guevara. Diaz and then-boyfriend Salgado were both arrested in November of 2009 for luring Guevara to a remote location in rural Hanson County, where they stabbed her, cut her throat and then set her car on fired while she was in the trunk. Salgado plead guilty to second-degree murder in August of 2010 for his involvement in Guevara’s death. He is currently serving a life sentence at the State Penitentiary.

This case was investigated by the Hanson County’s Sheriff’s Office, Mitchell Police Department and the Division of Criminal Investigation and prosecuted by the Hanson County States Attorney’s Office and the Attorney General’s Office.

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Release: AFP South Dakota Announces 2015 Legislative Priorities

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From my mailbox:

AFP South Dakota Announces 2015 Legislative Priorities

SIOUX FALLS, S.D.— Today, Americans for Prosperity South Dakota unveiled its 2015 state and federal legislative priorities.  In 2015, AFP will continue expanding its field operations in order to hold lawmakers accountable and promote policies that further economic freedom and encourage fiscal responsibility.

“In 2014, we launched the South Dakota chapter of AFP to make sure our state maintains its commitment to free-market principles,” said AFP South Dakota State Director Ben Lee.  “We have had great success thus far and our 2015 priorities demonstrate our continued commitment to ensuring lawmakers enact pro-growth policy that will improve the lives of their constituents. Less government and more freedom is a great recipe for advancing the well-being of all South Dakotans.”

AFP South Dakota’s 2015 federal priorities include free-market reforms in the areas of taxes, and spending, healthcare, and energy. To view the complete federal agenda, visit ReformAmerica2015.com

In South Dakota, AFP will be engaging on the Highway Funding Bill, opposing the expansion of Medicaid and fighting burdensome EPA regulations.

In the coming weeks, Americans for Prosperity South Dakota will be mobilizing its network of grassroots activists through letters, phone calls, and door-to-door canvassing to promote it’s Reform America 2015 legislative priorities.

 

I’ve seen this before. Weiland sends post-election plea for money.

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Apparently, Rick Weiland sent a message out this morning via e-mail blast. And the message was “send him money, despite being crushed in the election several months ago.”

Haven’t we seen someone else do the desperate “send me money after the election letter” recently?  Because Rick’s appeal does seem very “Bosworthian.”

 ———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Rick Weiland <[email protected]>
Date: Thu, Jan 15, 2015 at 8:04 AM
Subject: We Sent a Message
To:

The U.S. Senate advanced legislation on Monday night to approve the Keystone XL pipeline and begin debate on the bill, by a vote of 63 to 32. The House passed the bill last week by a vote of 266 to 153. The final vote on the bill is expected to come in the last of week of January, so time is running out.

Nearly 1,600 people, in a matter of a just a few hours, agreed that building the Keystone pipeline is more about “big oil” and their “big money” influence over our Congress and elected leaders than it is about jobs or energy security, and signed our petition. You can view the signatures by clicking the button below:

Because of your support, our petition has been sent to President Obama, Senators McConnell and Reid, Speaker Boehner and Congresswoman Pelosi urging them to consider all the facts and environmental impacts of the Keystone XL pipeline.

We are continuing to make South Dakota a demonstration project and a nationwide beacon for the fight against big money.  Thank you for your standing up and for your help at this critical time.

Rick Weiland

Paid for by People for Rick Weiland

People for Rick Weiland
PO Box 1488
Sioux Falls SD 57105 United States