Gov. Noem Provides Supply Shortage Relief for Flooding Recovery

PIERRE, S.D. – Today, Governor Kristi Noem signed Executive Order 2024-05 granting an hours-of-service waiver for certain products being transported through South Dakota.

The 14-day order declares a state of emergency and exempts delivery of needed supplies in support of flood relief efforts from federal motor carrier regulations regarding drivers’ hours of service.

Although hours of service have been temporarily suspended for commercial deliveries, companies may not require or allow fatigued drivers to make deliveries. All other road safety and vehicle compliance regulations still apply.

The executive order expires at midnight on July 8, 2024.

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Governor Noem Signs Emergency Declaration for Storms and Flooding  

PIERRE, S.D. – Today, Governor Kristi Noem signed Executive Order 2024-04 declaring an emergency for the recent storms and associated flooding. State agencies have already been responding and will continue assisting local governments throughout the emergency.

“Even though the rain is slowing down, we need to keep vigilant. The worst of the flooding along our rivers will be Monday and Tuesday,” said Governor Kristi Noem. “Check SD511.org for updates on road conditions, and please reach out to your county emergency manager if you have immediate needs.”

The EO also issued a “no boating declaration” on the waters of Lake Alvin in Lincoln County, Lake Henry in Bon Homme County, Marindahl Lake in Yankton County, Menno Lake in Hutchinson County, and Swan Lake in Turner County, South Dakota.

Took a few days off this last weekend to try to do something with my youngest who starts a summer job in a week or so, and to take a couple days with my wife who is spending her time in Spearfish for work.

Family get togethers are supposed to be relaxing. My son only has 2 more years in school, and it would be nice to do something while we still have time. So we thought, Disney is an easy, mindless vacation. We can do some shopping, hit some rides, etc.  I should have known better.

I seemed to be particularly singled out for extra security checks at the airport and at Epcot, where they had to wand me each time because my belt buckle was setting off the detectors. Of course it was as hot as hades with humidity to match.

And that was if the rides were working. Star Wars Rise of the Resistance was glitchy the day we were there. Almost didn’t make that one, but we got there in our mad scramble across the parks.

On the way back, planes were very delayed. Chicago became a mad sprint to the next gate on the way home as my two 1/2 hour layover turned into no layover as the last flight to Sioux Falls started boarding as we pulled up.

I did make it home late last night. And it sounds as if my youngest had fun.

But now I need more time for a vacation to recover from my vacation.

Biden’s Latest Student Loan Giveaway
By Sen. John Thune

One year ago, the U.S. Supreme Court rightly ruled that President Biden did not have the authority to unilaterally forgive federal student loan debt. But that hasn’t stopped the president from contriving new student loan giveaways that amount to de facto loan forgiveness and will cost taxpayers hundreds of billions of dollars.

In April, the president announced his latest $150 billion student loan giveaway. Among other things, this latest scheme would waive accrued and capitalized interest for certain borrowers, and it would provide student loan forgiveness to 750,000 borrowers with an average income of more than $300,000.

This comes on top of the $475 billion loan forgiveness plan the president announced last summer. The so-called SAVE Plan will implement de facto forgiveness on a massive scale by creating a system in which the majority of future federal borrowers will never fully repay their student debt. The U.S. Department of Education estimated that undergraduate borrowers would expect to pay back just $6,121 for every $10,000 borrowed. That means that, on average, taxpayers will be taking on almost 40 percent of these borrowers’ student loans.

By one estimate, recent student loan policies will cost more than all federal spending on higher education in the nation’s entire history. For all this money, the Biden bailout plans do nothing to fix the actual problem: the cost of higher education. In fact, they could make things worse. For one, these plans don’t incentivize colleges to rein in their prices. They could also encourage students to increase their borrowing. And then there’s the troubling message it sends to students that they can expect to be bailed out for debt they take on, even though they agreed to repay it.

The president’s student loan schemes all involve a fundamental unfairness though. Many Americans never attended college. Others worked hard to pay off their entire student debt, or they worked to put themselves through college. Many Americans covered the cost of education by serving our country in the armed forces. Why should these Americans have to shoulder the massive cost of all this loan forgiveness now?

My Republican colleagues and I are pushing back against these misguided and costly policies. I’m also working on policies that help people pay off their student debt without putting taxpayers on the hook for massive amounts of money. My bipartisan Employer Participation in Repayment Act became law in 2020. It allows employers to make tax-free payments toward their employees’ student loans. It’s no silver bullet, but it’s a fiscally responsible way of easing the burden of student debt.

President Biden’s student loan giveaways are not the right answer, and they may cause more problems than he claims they will solve. Unfortunately, I suspect the president sees a chance to win a few votes he will need in November – at the expense of taxpayers across the nation.

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The Shad Olson S**t Show looks like his court case will continue though at least August, as motions were granted in the case this week:

He is charged with domestic abuse aggravated assault/strangulation, for an incident in February of this year.

and..

The judge granted all motions heard including a motion of discovery for tangible evidence, a motion to disclose witnesses, a motion for expert testimony, and a motion for investigation.

Read the story here on KOTA News

Keeping South Dakota Ag on Offense
By: Governor Kristi Noem
June 21, 2024

Farmers are some of the biggest gamblers I know. They go to a bank, borrow money to buy land – borrow more money to buy equipment. Then they go back and get an operating note so they can buy seed, fertilizer, and chemical. And then they bury it all in the dirt. They pray that it might rain, that something might grow, and that they’ll have something to sell so that they can pay back those loans.

But if we didn’t have people willing to make that gamble, then families across the country and around the world wouldn’t have food to put on the table. 

Their work is not easy – and we have so much appreciation for our ag producers.

Agriculture is South Dakota’s most important industry for good reason. We feed the world. We have more cows-per-person than any state. I am tremendously proud of that fact. About 95% of South Dakota farms are still family-owned and operated. Ag contributes more than $32 billion to our state’s economy – about 30% of our economic output. 

When ag prospers, South Dakota prospers; when droughts hit or markets slide, everyone feels that, too.

Thankfully, South Dakota’s economy is booming. But we are not leaving ag behind in all this growth. My Governor’s Office of Economic Development has identified Precision Ag and Value-Added Ag as key sectors of our economy to grow and develop. Our Dairy industry
is one of South Dakota’s fastest-growing economic engines. And with new food production coming in, like the state-of-the-art Asian food production plant that Schwan’s is building in Sioux Falls, we are not slowing down.

With all the growth we have seen, it is vital that we keep farmers farming. My team is constantly focusing on ag’s growth – asking questions like what’s the next opportunity, the next innovation, the next risk to take? 

We want to keep South Dakota ag on offense. And to do that, I’m happy to play defense wherever necessary.

Attacks on Ag are coming from both within and from outside of our nation. The Biden Administration seems determined to put as much red tape and regulations in our producers’ way as possible. I have testified against such regulations in front of Congress, and I am working to challenge whatever unconstitutional regulations the Biden Administration puts in our way.

We decided a long time ago that it is important that we grow our own food in this country – that we have a diverse, safe food supply that provides for our people without undue foreign interference. So we are defending South Dakota ag from undue foreign influence.  

This past legislative session, I signed legislation to protect South Dakota ag land from being purchased by six “Evil Foreign Governments” and their agents. The Chinese Communist Party has increased their holdings of American ag land by more than 5000% in the last 10 years. These Communist dictators are not our friends. They are not our allies. They should not be our neighbors.

My dad always told me, “Kristi, God’s not making any more land.” In a lot of ways, our land is our most precious asset, and we should encourage one another to be visionary about protecting our farms. We shouldn’t be selling that asset to nations that hate us – and now we have the laws in place to stop that from happening.

Ag is so important to our economy, and it’s also important to the future of our nation. South Dakota will continue to focus on how to keep ag growing and thriving for the future.

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From Twitter comes the story of Kristi Noem: America’s Governor:

Transition Studios presents
America’s Governor: The Kristi Noem Story pic.twitter.com/Kg2TbQxQDK

— Transition Studios (@TransitionCLE) June 20, 2024

Planning a Trip to D.C.
By Rep. Dusty Johnson
June 21, 2024

It’s almost the 4^th of July, which is one of the best times to visit our nation’s capital. Washington, D.C. has endless activities. From checking out any of the more than 80 museums, attending a major league sports game, or visiting some of the most famous memorials, there is something for everyone. If you’re planning a trip to visit D.C. this summer, here are a few things to remember to have a fun and memorable trip.

If you are planning a visit, a Capitol Tour is a must-do. For assistance booking tours of the Capitol, White House, FBI Building, and Supreme Court, call my office at (202) 225-2801or visit my website dustyjohnson.house.gov. All tours are first come, first served, so be sure to reserve as soon as possible.

The city is filled with iconic landmarks everywhere you go. As you walk down the National Mall or downtown streets, you’ll see monuments, memorials, and statues honoring influential Americans throughout history. If you are interested in theater, you’re in luck! D.C is home to more than 13 iconic theatres, like the Kennedy Center and Ford’s Theatre. Tickets are available throughout the summer for many famous performances.

While I’m in D.C. for work, I often don’t have time to see the sights, but in April, I visited the American History Museum with my family, gave them a tour of a Capitol, and rode scooters down the National Mall. We all had a great time.

They don’t call D.C. “the Swamp” for no reason. Summers are hot and humid, so before you pack your bags, check the weather forecast for your trip so you can pack properly. Remember to stay hydrated and bring an umbrella for those unexpected afternoon thunderstorms.

To see a full list of landmarks, museums, and activities to check out while visiting, look under “services” on my website, linked here. Feel free to contact my office with questions. I hope to see you out here!

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Rounds Secures National Defense Victories in Fiscal Year 2025 NDAA Passed by Committee
Bill Includes $282 million in military construction projects at Ellsworth AFB; $2.6 billion for B-21 Raider Program 

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and top Republican of the Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, released the following statement on the committee’s passage of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25). This is the tenth NDAA that Rounds has helped craft as a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. At the start of the 118^th Congress, Vanderbilt University and the University of Virginia’s Center for Effective Lawmaking named Rounds as the second most effective Republican on Defense issues. The FY25 NDAA now heads to the full Senate for consideration.

“The NDAA is crafted each year to authorize critical funding for our national security, as well as our service members and their families,” said Rounds. “We were successful in securing many wins for South Dakota in this bill, including $282 million in funding necessary to prepare Ellsworth Air Force Base for the bed down of the B-21 Raider stealth bomber. I am particularly pleased that this year’s NDAA includes a 4.5 percent pay raise for our men and women in uniform, as well as back pay for our military members whose promotions were impacted by holds in the Senate. We never want our men and women in uniform entering a fair fight, we always want them to have the advantage. The FY25 NDAA keeps the United States ahead of the curve, especially in regard to near-peer adversaries such as China and Russia. I look forward to working with my colleagues to get this legislation through the Senate and House and signed into law.”

Rounds’ Major National Defense Victories:

• Fully funds the B-21 Raider program, including over $2.6 billion for procurement.
• Secures $282 million in military construction projects to support the B-21 Raider housed at Ellsworth.
  • $44M for B21 Flight Simulator Facility Squadron Operations
  • $79M for the B-21 Alert Apron Environmental Protection Shelters
  • $54M for the other B-21 Environmental Protection Shelters
  • $105M for the B-21 Weapons Generation Facility
• Establishes an Air Show Recruitment Pilot Program for the Department of Defense (DoD) to provide military aircraft support up to $100,000 to air shows operating in rural areas and then study their impact on recruitment.
• Directs a report on ways to enhance B-21 environmental shelters.
• Allows minor military construction funds to “rollover” into the next fiscal year, making it easier for installations like Ellsworth Air Force Base to complete renovation projects.
• Includes Rounds’ bill S.3553, the Military Personnel Confirmation Restoration Act, which would provide backpay and update dates of rank and service records of officers whose promotions were delayed because of Senate holds.
• Requires the DoD to review their war plans in light of growing cooperation between Russia, China, Iran and North Korea.
• Requires the DoD to evaluate cybersecurity products and services that protect employee’s mobile devices and evaluate networks for threats and proactively block or neutralize them.
• Introduces language to protect artificial intelligence (AI) innovation within DoD.
• Updates DoD’s cyber curriculum so that cyber operators are being taught and trained to respond to the latest threats using the most recent technologies and systems.
• Strengthens oversight of the Defense Community Infrastructure Program, including ways which could help schools in military communities like the Douglas School District.
• Requires a plan from the Army to fix the supply chain issues for smokeless gunpowder, which impacts both the military and civilian ammunition supply.
• Includes $14.5 million for high altitude balloons and several reporting and briefing requirements to enhance their use, including the creation of a program executive officer for high altitude balloons.
• Provides $6 million for cold spray repair and additive manufacturing technology.
• Provides $20 million for the University Consortium for Cybersecurity.
• Simplifies the process for vetted non-citizens with critical technical skills to join the U.S. military if they wish to serve America.
• Creates a program to use AI to help the Defense Contract Management Agency process small business contracts to make doing business with the DoD easier.
• Creates a program to use AI to improve workflows and operations at shipyards, depots and DoD manufacturing facilities.
• Creates a Small Business Bill of Rights at DoD to improve the experience and quality of life of smaller companies doing business with the Department.
• Establishes a National Security Capital Forum to allow DoD to engage with domestic and international investors so we can leverage capital markets against the Chinese Communist Party.

Rounds-Supported Cybersecurity Victories:

• Requires a briefing on the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification 2.0 implementation and launches a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report to help strengthen cybersecurity in the defense industrial base.
• Limits the use of funds for the Joint Cyber Warfighting Architecture until a detailed plan for the Next Generation Architecture is provided by the Commander of U.S. Cyber Command.
• Improves cybersecurity of the DoD’s networks with a Cyber Operational Readiness Assessment.
• Improves data capability for AI tools and requires the DoD to improve the interoperability of the data used by command and control systems.
• Requires DoD to begin working on ways to modernize software acquisition.
• Requires the DoD to develop a roadmap for addressing cyber warfare in space.
• Updates the education and pilot program on authentication of digital content provenance for certain DoD media content.
• Provides employment transparency regarding individuals who perform work in the People’s Republic of China.
• Modifies prohibition on the purchase of cyber data products or services other than through the Program Management Office for DoD-wide procurement of cyber data products and services.
• Directs DoD to brief its development and implementation of a private AI architectural framework, including current and future use cases.
• Reports on Joint Warfighter Cloud Capability Contracts.

Other Rounds’ Defense Victories

• Authorizes a national defense topline increase of $25 billion, including increased procurement of combat vessels, aircraft and vehicles.
• Authorizes funding to support a 4.5 percent pay raise for military members and a 2 percent pay raise for DoD civilian employees.
• Requires a multi-year plan for DoD activities to support our ally Taiwan.
• Requires a report on the military cooperation between China and Russia and the implications of this relationship on U.S. national security.
• Promotes information sharing among DoD personnel and other federal, state and local authorities deployed at the southwest border.
• Requires a strategy for countering drone technologies.
• Directs a briefing on current and future capabilities to test directed energy systems.
• Requires a report assessing the feasibility of establishing an active-duty sustainment brigade in the Indo-Pacific.
• Requires the development of a national integrated air and missile defense architecture.
• Requires a demonstration and assessment of the viability of using wideband adaptive signal processing technology to support simultaneous transmission and reception signals on the same electromagnetic spectrum frequency band.
• Prohibits TRICARE from covering gender-affirming hormone therapy, puberty blockers and other medical interventions for gender dysphoria that could result in the sterilization for children under the age of 18.
• Co-sponsored language that will enable the DoD to ramp up production and use of micronuclear reactors.
• Co-led a provision to slow the transfer of space missions from the Air National Guard to the Space Force and will continue working to protect governors’ authorities.

Click HERE for an executive summary.

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Minnehaha County’s “Leah Anderson show” had another wacky episode yesterday. Unfortunately, it’s not a sitcom, but is an ongoing, live performance by the Auditor of South Dakota’s largest county:

While she described them broadly to the commission, mostly focusing on what she says is a discrepancy between vote totals shown in the official vote count compared to the audit logs, Anderson has made it clear in multiple interviews that she believes Minnehaha County’s votes in the 2020 election could have been altered by an algorithm intended to harm Republicans’ chances in elections around the country.

and..

Commissioner Joe Kippley, who has been critical of Anderson’s actions in the past, was not as approving. He said if Anderson’s goal was to increase faith in elections, it was “irresponsible” of her to put out “half-baked information” that she herself seemed to be saying was only partial without checking physical records.

Kippley pointed to the budget meeting the commission would be having later that day, saying that it would not be acceptable to show half of a budget presentation, say that millions of dollars were missing and say with a “wink wink nod nod” that perhaps something untoward had happened. He added he did not consider a screenshot of a spreadsheet she had provided to be a “smoking gun.”

and..

Anderson has said she doesn’t completely understand the issues laid out by O’Donnell, but has signaled that she believes in the algorithm theory, telling conservative TV host Brannon Howse, “The other issue is what appears to be the same algorithm as the Mesa 3.”

Read it all here.

Can they get this kook out of there already?