Attorney General Jackley Joins Lawsuit Against Biden’s Plan for Development Projects 

PIERRE, S.D. – South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley has joined a 20-state Attorney Generals’ lawsuit opposing the Biden Administration’s new environmental standards regarding infrastructure projects. 

The lawsuit states that the plan forces adherence to the administration’s green agenda. The Attorneys General said that agenda would require developers to meet undue social, environmental, and race-based regulations

“These federal regulations put undue burdens on developers building new homes, roads, bridges, and other infrastructure,” said Attorney General Jackley. “It would mean costly delays and placing some projects at risk.”

Other Attorney Generals joining the lawsuit are from: Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, West Virginia, and Wyoming.

The lawsuit can be found here:

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Rounds, Welch Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Help Local News Overcome Persistent Postal Delays, Surging Rate Increases

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and Peter Welch (D-Vt.) today introduced the bipartisan Deliver for Democracy Act, legislation that would help rural newspaper delivery by incentivizing reliable postal service and limiting excessive rate increases.

In recent years, the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) has consistently raised rates for periodicals under the guise of increased efficiency and improved service. However, local news has yet to receive those benefits and instead continues to face persistent postal delays.

“Local journalists work hard every day to deliver news on a timely basis, and the U.S. Postal Service should too,” said Rounds. “Periodical rates have cumulatively increased by over 40 percent since August 2021. Meanwhile, the Postal Service’s on-time delivery performances have not improved, leaving local journalists to pick up the slack by handling delivery on their own in order to make certain their readers receive their papers on time. Our common sense bipartisan legislation helps protect rural newspapers and consumers from unjustified price hikes by making certain USPS is held to a standard for on-time deliveries.” 

“A vibrant and healthy local press has always been a defining feature of American democracy. Today, local news offers a crucial alternative to online information ecosystems, which are too often distorted by algorithms that amplify disinformation and confine readers to inescapable echo chambers. But surging rate increases and poor service jeopardize local news outlets’ ability to reach readers and supply the information so essential to an engaged citizenry and a vibrant democracy. It’s time for USPS to remember its mission and meet the media’s basic needs,” said Welch. “The Deliver for Democracy Act would help local news stave off extinction by requiring USPS to meet reasonable on-time delivery standards before raising rates.”

In addition to Rounds and Welch, the Deliver for Democracy Act is cosponsored by Senators Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).

The Deliver for Democracy Act is endorsed by the South Dakota NewsMedia Association, the National Newspaper Association and News/Media Alliance:

“The members of South Dakota NewsMedia Association are appreciative of Senator Rounds for sponsoring this important legislation,” said Dave Bordewyk, Executive Director of the South Dakota NewsMedia Association. “SDNA members view the U.S. Postal Service as a strategic partner in delivering their newspapers to readers. However, declining delivery and service coupled with double-digit rate increases over the last few years are unsustainable for our members.  We need the Postal Service to succeed, and we fully support Senator Rounds in this legislation to help make that happen.”

“Our members are being forced to cope with unsustainable rates from the monopoly postal system. If something doesn’t change soon, they will be put out of business and residents will see more news deserts and an even greater loss of quality news and information. We thank Senator Welch for his leadership and support the Deliver for Democracy Act,” said Danielle Coffey, President & CEO of News/Media Alliance.

“NNA applauds the introduction of the ‘Deliver for Democracy Act.’ This bill highlights the responsibility of the USPS to accurately measure the service newspapers receive and will hold it accountable for failing to meet its service standards. For publishers who are struggling to keep their papers in circulation due to excessive rate increases, this bill is an important first step towards making the USPS a viable distribution partner again,” said John Galer, Chairman, National Newspaper Association.

BACKGROUND

In January 2021, the U.S. Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) adopted regulations that established three additional forms of rate authority, including one for non-compensatory classes of mail such as periodicals and package services. Under the new regulations, USPS is provided an additional two percentage points of rate authority for any class or product of mail where costs exceed revenue. Since then, USPS has maximally exercised this authority and, if a recent notice goes into effect, will have raised periodical postage rates by over 40%.

Despite such significant rate increases, however, the Postal Service has routinely failed to meet periodicals’ basic needs and achieve the 95% on-time delivery performance standard outlined in Postmaster General DeJoy’s 10-year plan. As a result, local news outlets, which must already navigate other existential challenges, are simultaneously subject to high distribution costs and poor service.

The Deliver for Democracy Act would:

·         Require the USPS to either achieve at least a 95% on-time delivery rate for periodicals or an improvement of at least 2 percentage points to unlock its 2% surcharge authority for that class of mail;
·         Direct the USPS to annually report to the Postal Regulatory Commission on its progress in including on-time delivery data for newspapers in its periodical service performance measurement; and
·         Instruct the Government Accountability Office to conduct a study and submit a report to Congress on options for alternate USPS pricing schemes to improve the financial position of periodicals.

Click HERE for full bill text.

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Gov. Noem Appoints Rick Vallery to the Transportation Commission

PIERRE, S.D. – Today, Governor Kristi Noem announced that she will appoint Rick Vallery to serve on the Transportation Commission.

“South Dakota’s Transportation Commission is dedicated to keeping our citizens safe as they travel,” said Governor Noem, “Rick has worked with me for years both in Congress and as part of my administration, and I am confident that he will serve this state well in this new role.”

Rick Vallery was raised on a ranch near Nisland, South Dakota. After graduating from Mitchell Vocational Technical School, Vallery farmed and ranch with his dad and brother for twelve years. He then began a career with the South Dakota Farm Bureau. Over the years, Vallery has worked with South Dakota Wheat, Inc., the South Dakota Oilseeds council, the South Dakota Pulse Council, the Department of Agriculture, and the Governor’s Office of Economic Development.

“I am honored, humbled, and very appreciative to be considered by Governor Noem for this appointment,” said Rick Vallery. “It is my hope that my years of experience of working with various state agencies and my strong desire to serve the citizens of South Dakota will be put to use in serving on the Transportation Commission.”

Rick Vallery lives in Fort Pierre with his wife Carrel. He is very active in Community Bible Church. Vallery’s hobbies include spending time with his grandkids, traveling, touring state capitols, touring different history museums, reading, and big game hunting.

A photo of Rick Vallery can be found here.

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While the Free-dumb caucusers spend their time attacking the GOP and trying to unseat it’s officeholders, someone should pay attention to the wolf at the door as Democrats are quietly in the background getting ready for the Fall.

Sddp Federal May 2024 by Pat Powers on Scribd

SD Dems are revenue neutral in their federal account with $44k raised, $44k spent, and $53k Cash on hand, but that’s more than 10x the amount raised in the federal account by the State GOP this last month.

Not sure we’ve reached a tipping point yet, but it’s like the Badlands when you drive past Belvidere heading west on I90.. it’s visible on the horizon.

Dems aren’t facing the level of toxicity that Republicans are, which is shifting vital funds over to candidates directly and away from going to the party to act as a broad support mechanism for all Republicans.

Who is going to suffer for it? Candidates who need the broad support and help.

Hate to be the canary in the coal mine. But the message is there.

It’s just a question if people are going to notice the signs before they drive off the cliff.

From the Secretary of State, while Rick Weible might try to talk the talk about campaigns, he certainly is showing he has no clue how to walk the walk:

Rick WeIble Pre Primary by Pat Powers on Scribd

Weible managed to raise a so-so $6k from an apparent island of misfit toys..

including $1000 from himself, and $1000 from D7 Candidate Jeff Struwe, who is doing worse than Weible, despite Weible running his campaign. He did get $1000 from maybe-Republican Justin McNeal, and $1000 out of team Assman in S Central SD, but they seem to be donating to any anti-establishment cause.   But even the Free-dumb Caucus only slipped Weible $100.

Compared to his opponent Crabtree? It’s just not pretty.

Crabtree Sdcfdisclosure by Pat Powers on Scribd

Starting with $30,808.40 in his campaign account, after Weible announced his run, Senate Majority Leader Crabtree raised another $68,550.00 – 10x the amount Weible managed to scrape together.  Casey might want to thank Weible for being so obnoxiously offensive to… well, darn near everyone… and making it so groups were chasing after Crabtree to send him money to put him near the $100,000 mark.

With 2 weeks left, even 10 miles down the road, I don’t think Casey is letting off the accelerator while Weible is still in the station, claiming his life is in danger because he knows secrets behind the gas pump (a substitution for voting machines in our moral tale).

If the best steakhouse on the eastern side of South Dakota says you’re ok, that’s a pretty big vote in my book.

Unfortunately, it has made me hungry for prime rib.

FAA Bill Means Safer and Stronger Skies
By Sen. John Thune

Millions of Americans will board airplanes this year to travel throughout the United States and the world. They depend on a robust and efficient national aviation system to keep the skies safe and traffic running smoothly. Congress recently passed a bill to reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) that includes some significant provisions to create a better experience for the traveling public. I’m proud to have secured several provisions that will strengthen aviation safety, improve airport infrastructure, and streamline the use of next generation technologies.

The United States is currently facing a pilot shortage, which has resulted in reduced air service at airports across the country, especially smaller airports like those in rural states like South Dakota. My proposal to improve pilot training will help address this shortage by making pilot training more accessible and improving training quality.

My proposal, which is based on a recommendation from an independent board, would provide prospective pilots with a new pathway to meet their certification requirements that includes training in advanced simulators. For obvious reasons, standard flight training hours in a cockpit don’t involve deliberately flying into a storm or dealing with fires or engine failure. But simulator training offers prospective airline pilots the chance to experience those situations, and deal with them again and again until their response is fine-tuned. I’m glad this proposal was included in the final bill because it’s a win-win for addressing the pilot shortage and improving the quality of training airline pilots receive.

I was also able to secure provisions in this bill to support small airports as they expand flight service and upgrade their facilities. One such provision allows communities to receive multiple grants from a program designed for small community air services, which will make it easier to expand sorely needed air service in rural communities. Another gives small airports more flexibility to use certain federal funding for terminal improvements, which will enable rural airports to expand access even as construction costs rise. These elements of the bill will help ensure many of the airports that South Dakotans use can make upgrades in facilities and flight offerings that will benefit South Dakotans.

The FAA bill goes beyond just commercial flights and airplanes. This year’s bill also includes my bipartisan legislation related to drone flights. The Increasing Competitiveness for American Drones Act will streamline the approval process for beyond-visual-line-of-sight drone flights, which would clear the way for drones to be used for commercial transport of goods across the country. The wider deployment of drones have transformative potential for our economy, including innovative opportunities in transportation and agriculture that would benefits places like South Dakota. And it will ensure the United States remains competitive in a growing industry that is increasingly dominated by competitors like China.

This year’s FAA reauthorization bill takes important steps to keep America at the forefront of aviation. It keeps America’s skies safe, increases flight access, and ensures American innovation will continue soaring to new heights. I’m proud of the work that my colleagues and I put into this bill, and I look forward to continued American leadership in the skies.

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The Yankton Press and Dakotan has a front page, above the fold story on State Rep. Julie Auch’s unsafe gun handling:

(John Marquardt said..)”I certainly support the Second Amendment wholeheartedly,” he said. “The Second Amendment doesn’t mean you just pull out a firearm anywhere, let alone a crowded room. If you pull your weapon, it should be for recreational use or to protect yourself.”

and..

“I remembered when I took the gun safety course back in 1966 and the first lesson presented was to treat every gun as a loaded gun, even if empty, and never point at anything you don’t intend to shoot,” Hunhoff added. “Maybe we all need to take a refresher course on gun safety.”

You can read the entire story here.

Honestly.. Her opponent John Marquardt & Sen. Hunhoff had it right, because that was such a histrionic, slob thing to do in terms of setting an example on gun rights. Maybe the NRA should bump her down a grade or so, because she wasn’t doing herself or the second amendment any favors with her display.

Tony Venhuizen writes on his blog about yesterday’s loss of one of South Dakota’s legislative icons, former Republican House member Jan Nicolay:

The sad news comes that Jan Nicolay, a longtime Sioux Falls educator and state legislator, died this morning, aged 82.

As this blog wrote in 2018, Nicolay was a trailblazer for women in South Dakota politics. First elected to the State House in 1982, it was in 1987 that she became the first woman to co-chair the powerful Joint Appropriations Committee, serving as House chair for ten years from 1987-96. (For six of those years, from 1987-92, Nicolay co-chaired the committee with my grandfather, Senate Chair Henry A. Poppen.)

and..

Nicolay’s legacy in the State Legislature continues to this day. The Joint Appropriations Committee is a world apart from the rest of the legislature, and there is a long history of committee chairs training the next generation of leaders. Among Nicolay’s proteges was J. E. “Jim” Putnam of Armour, who would serve in both houses as appropriations chair or vice chair for sixteen consecutive years from 1995-2010. Putnam, in turn, mentored Jean Hunhoff of Yankton, who today serves as Senate Appropriations Chair and is the longest-serving woman in the history of the State Legislature, and Deb Peters of Hartford, who chaired the senate committee for four years. Nicolay, Hunhoff, and Peters are the only women to chair the appropriations committee in either house.

Read the entire story here.

Backing the Blue
By Rep. Dusty Johnson
May 17, 2024

BIG Update

It’s Police Week and the House passed several bills this week to show our support for law enforcement officers. Our men and women in blue sacrifice greatly to protect our communities, whether that is by the border, in Washington, D.C., or on reservations. Here’s a few bills I voted on to support those in blue:

• Detain and Deport Illegal Aliens Who Assault Cops Act to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to include the assault of a law enforcement officer as grounds for detention and deportation.
• Improving Law Enforcement Officer Safety and Wellness Through Data Act to ensure we have the most accurate information on the impact attacks on our officers have on their mental health.
• A resolution to condemn violence against law enforcement officers and condemn calls to defund the police.
• A resolution to condemn President Biden’s border crisis and the dangers and burdens it has created for America’s law enforcement officers.

We must do more to support and protect our men and women in blue so we can keep our communities safe.

BIG Idea

Engineers play an outsized role in building and designing our infrastructure. I met with Doug and Nancy with the American Council of Engineering Companies of South Dakota, which has received the Outstanding Engineering Achievement Award for the third year in a row. We talked about the Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act, which I voted for when it passed the House, the surface transportation bill, and the workforce needs of engineering firms.

BIG News

Last week, President Biden announced he will be withholding weapons to Israel, even though Congress recently passed an aid package a couple weeks ago to ensure our greatest ally in the Middle East can continue to defend itself against the terrorist group Hamas. This week, I voted to pass the Israel Security Assistance Support Act to condemn President Biden’s pause on sending resources to Israel and require the expeditious delivery of approved defense services. If resources are withheld and Israel is not able to remove Hamas, we risk continued turmoil in the Middle East. I will continue to support Israel in Congress. We can’t let Israel down in their time of need.

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