Miskimins Announces State Senate Candidacy

MITCHELL–Former State Representative Paul Miskimins is excited to announce his candidacy for District 20 State Senate.

Paul and his wife, Ellen, have three adult children, 11 grandchildren, and 14 great-grandchildren. Giving back to South Dakota and working hard to build a brighter future for his family and all South Dakotans is at the core of Miskimins’ drive to bring his leadership experience back to the Legislature.

“I would be honored to once again serve the citizens of District 20 as their voice in Pierre,” said Miskimins. “I care deeply about South Dakota and I’m ready to roll up my shelves and work hard for my neighbors in the region. During my four years in the Legislature, we had challenging issues before us. I’m proud to say I helped look for solutions and I listened to my constituents to do what was best for District 20 and South Dakota.”

Miskimins served in the State House of Representatives for District 20 from 2019-2022. During his tenure, he sat on the Commerce and Energy, Education, and Health and Human Services committees.

Born in Wessington Springs and raised in Mitchell, Miskimins grew up on a ranch with his parents and three brothers. Paul attended the University of South Dakota and graduated from the University of Nebraska College of Dentistry. For 38 years, he owned and operated a dentistry practice in Mitchell until his retirement in 2017. Paul’s love of farming continued throughout his life. Today, he still serves as the President of Miskimins Ranch, a cow/calf operation.

Miskimins believes in serving his community in a variety of ways. His family worships at First United Methodist Church where he served as the president of the church council and as a past Sunday School teacher. Paul serves on the YMCA Board of Directors, Abbott House Board of Directors and Foundation Board, Dakota Wesleyan Board of Directors, and the Life Quest Board. He is a strong advocate for youth sports along with a coach for baseball and football.

Due to term limits, Senator Joshua Klumb is unable to run for re-election to the Senate.

District 20 includes the counties Davison, Jerauld, Miner, and Sanborn. The general election is Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024.

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I found this quote interesting today, as State Representative Karla Lems provides advice on how to preserve the ethanol market:

“What would it mean if ethanol plants only purchased corn from farmers doing sustainable practices,” Lems asked, “like no-till and cover crops, which pull carbon into the ground?” – State Rep. Karla Lems, SD Searchlight 12/1/23

Which sounds a lot like what we hear from some groups..

“New research shows that farming practices that protect and conserve the soil, like no-till farming and raising grass-finished beef, can keep soils healthy and greatly reduce the amount of CO2 lost to the air.” – Sierra Club Debuts at ‘Soil Not Oil’ International Conference, SierraClub.org.

and this guy..

“If farming practices are changed through the use of cover crops, low-tilling and tree-planting,” Gore said, agriculture could fight climate change. – Al Gore, Bloomberg 11/4/19 

Just sayin’.

Protecting South Dakota
By Rep. Dusty Johnson
December 1, 2023 

BIG Update

The border crisis continues – and it extends beyond the southern border.

This week, House Republicans passed the Protecting Our Communities from Failure to Secure the Border Act to block the Biden Administration from housing undocumented migrants on National Parks and other public lands.

The need to act came after the Biden Administration set up makeshift shelters for migrants to stay in at a public park in New York City. This park used to be a place for families to play and the public to enjoy. Now it’s filled with thousands of migrants whose backgrounds are not known. This housing is in the middle of a floodplain – it’s not even a safe place for the migrants to stay.

I enjoy using our public lands in South Dakota. They should remain accessible and safe for all Americans to use. Passing the Protecting Our Communities from Failure to Secure the Border Act this week will help safeguard our parks for our communities.

BIG Idea

I spent Monday in Indian country meeting with Crow Creek Sioux Tribe Chairman Peter Lengkeek and Lower Brule Sioux Tribe Chairman Clyde Estes and heard about ways they are improving their communities.

We talked about the new boat dock at LBST, their upcoming grocery store, and CCST’s emergency facilities, mental health resources and law enforcement. Law enforcement in Indian country faces unique challenges such as too few officers, slow emergency response times – as long as thirty minutes – and officer retainment. I’m working on this issue so tribal police departments have the resources they need to keep their communities safe.

BIG News

Investments of state funds across America could be invested in companies backed by the Chinese Communist Party – financing the growth of our biggest adversary. These dollars are available to the CCP to make spy balloons, steal Americans’ personal data on TikTok, and grow the CCP’s military. Some states like South Dakota have attempted to divest their funds, but have trouble doing it. Divesting from these companies requires express consent from Congress.

I introduced the PRC Accountability and Divestment Act to give states the authority to pull their funds from Chinese companies of concern that have humanitarian and military values antithetical to America. We shouldn’t be giving our adversary capital to increase their tyrannical power.

You can read more here.

Securing America: The Fight Against Communist China
By: Governor Kristi Noem
December 1, 2023

South Dakota has been drawing the blueprint for state-led response to the threat from Communist China. The Biden Administration’s failure to protect Americans from nations that hate us has required states to do the job themselves. We’ve taken steps to secure our state from Communist China, including banning TikTok on state devices. But we can’t continue without some federal legislation.

I have said many times that food security is national security. And right now, Communist China is using fear and control to perpetuate their agenda. If they successfully control our food supply, they will be able to control the United States of America.

I sent a letter to U.S. House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party Chairman Mike Gallagher supporting his bill to protect our farmland from foreign adversaries. I am also working with South Dakota’s Congressman Dusty Johnson on a bill that prohibits hard-earned taxpayer dollars from bankrolling China’s threats.

Over the last decade, China’s holdings of American agricultural land has increased by 5,300%. Chairman Gallagher’s bill protects our farmland by giving the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States greater jurisdiction over land purchases tied to foreign adversaries. The foreign adversaries listed in the bill are the same six countries, including Communist China, that I listed as “Evil Foreign Governments” in a bill earlier this year. Congressman Dusty Johnson is a co-sponsor of this legislation. Chairman Gallagher’s bill also contains more protections for our agricultural land than the Senate amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act.

In December 2022, I wrote to congressional leadership calling for legislation to protect taxpayer dollars from the Chinese Communist Party. Throughout the summer, I had multiple conversations with Congressman Johnson about what this legislation could look like and how it would benefit not only South Dakota, but the entire nation.

Congressman Johnson’s PRC Accountability and Divestment Act of 2023 allows states to divest taxpayer funds from China by giving state and local governments the authority to pull their assets out of and prohibit investments within Communist China. Any penny that ends up in China’s bank account is a cent against America values, Freedom, and strength. This bill gives states the opportunity to divest. And it gives Americans the peace of mind to know where their tax dollars are going and what they are supporting.

The Chinese Communist Party is a clear and present threat to America. They hate everything we stand for. They fight against our political, economic, and military values. They are attempting to infiltrate many facets of American’s everyday lives.

Where America stands for Freedom – Communist China fights for tyranny.

I am glad that Congressman Johnson and Chairman Gallagher see the national security threat that China poses. I am also grateful that Senator Mike Rounds is taking action. States cannot continue to secure American citizens by ourselves – it is time for the federal government to take action.

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Sioux Falls Democrat Sonja Mentzer filed paperwork this morning with the Secretary of State to organize a campaign committee for the purpose of running for District 11 House:

SonjaMentzer_sdcfdisclosure by Pat Powers on Scribd

This provides a full slate for the House in D11 for Dems, as Democrat Aaron Matson had previously announced he was running.

Mentzer and Matson would most likely be running against incumbents Republican Representatives Brian Mulder and the open seat that will be vacated by Chris Karr, due to term limits.

Johnson Continues Commitment to Secure the Border 

Washington, D.C. – This week, U.S. Representative Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) cosponsored three bills to strengthen security and policies at the southern border.

“Under the Biden Administration’s weak border policies, every state has become a border state,” said Johnson. “An increase in drugs and crime is seen in communities across America. I remain committed to securing the border to keep South Dakota families safe.”

The Biden Administration’s border policies have increased the monthly average of illegal crossings by 368 percent from September 2020 vs. September 2023. Although South Dakota is 1,000 miles from the southern border, illegal immigration has cost our state $56.9 million in 2023. In May, Johnson voted in support of H.R. 2, the Secure the Border Act, when it passed with some of the strongest border security measures to be voted on by the House.

Legislation:

The Preventing the Recycling of Immigrants is Necessary for Trafficking Suspension (PRINTS) Act, led by U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-IA), would:

• Give CBP the authority to fingerprint non-citizens under the age of 14 in order to combat trafficking and child recycling;
• Require DHS to publicly report the number of apprehensions in a given month involving child traffickers who falsely claimed that an accompanying child was a relative;
• Require DHS to submit an annual report to Congress identifying the number of minors who were fingerprinted pursuant to this Act;
• Remove the Attorney General’s authority to waive fingerprinting requirements for those illegally crossing the southern border; and
• Criminalize child recycling.

The Southern Border Transparency Act, led by Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-IA), would require Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to report:

• Number of migrants paroled at each POE and each Border Patrol sector, broken down by nationality and demographics.
• Number of migrants apprehended at each POE and each Border Patrol sector, and how many were granted voluntary departure, placed into expedited removal, or entered another process (likely humanitarian release).
  • For each POE and Border Patrol sector: the number of migrants that entered into expedited removal, how many claimed a fear of persecution, credible fear of persecution, and were either removed, detained, or entered another process (likely release).
• The number of petitions for parole received and granted by USCIS.
• The total number of aliens paroled into the US, broken down by nationality and demographics, and of these for each fiscal year—
  • How many granted employment authorization;
  • How many still had a valid employment authorization;
  • How many have not had parole expire;
  • How many had status adjusted or parole extended;
  • How many had parole expire, and of these, how many exited the United States;
  • How many were returned to DHS custody from which they were paroled.

The Migrant Protection Protocols Permanency Act, led by U.S. Rep. Randy Weber (R-TX), would reinstate the “Remain in Mexico” policy, requiring those seeking asylum at the southern border or without proper documentation to return to Mexico to wait for their immigration proceedings.

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South Dakota Searchlight has an interview today with the CEO of Summit Carbon Solutions Lee Blank, and COO Jimmy Powell, as they point out that it is vitally important for the ethanol industry in the state to be able to pump the CO2 generated in the process into the ground, because otherwise, it’s challenging to sell ethanol at a margin profitable for the Ethanol CO-OP’s. And without it, South Dakota will miss the opportunity to become a continental hub for renewable aviation fuel:

Powell: To sell in these markets, and to sell to the sustainable aviation markets, which are evolving, you have to have a carbon intensity score of less than 50.

This plant [NuGen in Marion] is one of the newer plants, and it’s in that ballpark. A lot of the plants that we partner with have a score in the 60s and 70s.

If they power this entire plant with a solar farm or wind turbines, it’s going to give them a three- or five-point reduction. Meanwhile, by pulling the CO2 stream out of their process, it cuts it 25 to 30 points.

So they can’t get the same bang for their buck doing anything but pulling the CO2 out.

Right now, it’s about a 50-cent margin in those low-carbon fuel markets. So, if it’s 15 cents to transport to those markets, they net 35 cents a gallon.

and..

Powell: The goal of the major airlines, like Delta, United and Southwest, their goal is 3 billion gallons of sustainable aviation fuel by 2030. They’re targets, but they are pushing for that today.

In this country today, there are less than 100 million gallons produced. So, plants have to be built and they have to be operational.

I’m sure you know about Gevo in this state being one. And if we don’t have this project, if it’s not successful in South Dakota, Gevo will not construct here.

So, the 15 or so ethanol plants in this state will be disadvantaged from that aspect. They won’t be able to access that.

Read the entire story here.

Rounds Leads Legislation to Address Federal Government Overreach on South Dakota Farmers, Ranchers and Landowners 

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) introduced legislation to address federal overreach and provide regulatory certainty to South Dakota farmers, ranchers and landowners. The Farmers Freedom Act of 2023 would protect the definition of prior converted cropland (PCC) in the Biden administration’s most recent Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule.

The Farmers Freedom Act of 2023 is cosponsored by Senators John Thune (R-S.D.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Mike Braun (R-Ind.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) and Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.).

“For far too long, South Dakota producers have been subject to a number of complex and burdensome WOTUS rule changes,” said Rounds. “While past administrations have issued problematic WOTUS rules, the previous Navigable Waters Protection Rule (NWPR) worked to protect owners of prior converted cropland from undue regulation while providing producers with needed flexibility. This legislation seeks to restore this definition of PCC and prevent further overreach on South Dakota farmers and ranchers, who know their land better than any D.C. bureaucrats.”

“The Biden administration continues to burden American agriculture with onerous rules,” said Ricketts. “Producers need relief, not regulation. I’m pleased to support this effort to bring certainty to landowners and prevent more big government overreach.”

“Since coming to Congress, I have worked to protect our farmers from the reckless overreach of the Biden Administration and its misaligned use of WOTUS,” said Marshall. “While I’m disappointed to see this Administration defy the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling on the issue, we cannot give up our fight to protect our landowners from more red tape and burdensome regulations. We must provide certainty to close loopholes that can and will be abused by the EPA in its attempt to regulate every pond, stream and puddle.”

“Farmers supported President Trump’s definition of WOTUS because it gave them clear protections for prior converted cropland,” said Braun. “I am proud to cosponsor the Farmers Freedom Act, which reinstates the Trump-era protections and gives farmers much-needed peace of mind.”

“Landowners need more freedom to use their land as they see fit without excessive, burdensome environmental regulations,” said Cramer. “The Biden administration is deferring to a loosely-defined and arbitrary definition for prior converted croplands which creates uncertainty for landowners, especially those in the Prairie Pothole region. Our producers will always be better caretakers of the land than federal bureaucrats in Washington, and the administration should acknowledge it.”

For the last several decades, wetlands converted to cropland before 1985 have remained exempt from WOTUS regulation. Under the Biden administration’s rule, previously-converted cropland could revert to a wetland status if it is unavailable for commodity production. Specifically, if a section of PCC floods and is unable to produce commodities, it could be subject to regulation under the authority of the Clean Water Act.

The Farmers Freedom Act of 2023 is supported by the South Dakota Farm Bureau and the American Farm Bureau.

“Unfortunately, the definition of prior converted cropland (PCC) in the latest WOTUS rule will only contribute to further uncertainty for producers,” said South Dakota Farm Bureau President Scott VanderWal. “I thank Senator Rounds for introducing legislation to address this problematic piece in the latest reiteration of WOTUS.”

“Farmers take seriously the responsibility for properly caring for the land they’ve been entrusted with,” said Courtney Briggs, American Farm Bureau’s Senior Director of Government Affairs. “The current rules surrounding prior converted cropland make it difficult for farmers to ensure they are making the best use of their land while protecting the environment. We appreciate Sen. Rounds for working to bring clarity to the PCC exclusion.”

BACKGROUND:

·         For the last several decades, wetlands that were drained to be cropland prior to 1985 have remained exempt from regulation under the Clean Water Act.

·         In 2015, the Obama administration finalized a rule that expanded the definition of WOTUS, creating confusion and burdensome red tape, especially for South Dakota’s agricultural communities.

·         The Trump administration released a proposed rule to replace the 2015 WOTUS rule with a new one that provided much-needed predictability and certainty for farmers by establishing clear and reasonable definitions of what qualifies as a “water of the United States.” The Navigable Waters Protection Rule (NWPR) was finalized in 2020.

·         The NWPR clarified the rules governing PCC, protecting impacted land from Clean Water Act regulation as long it was used for agricultural purposes once every five years.

·         On day one of his administration, President Biden signed an executive order to begin the process of rolling back the Trump administration’s NWPR.

·         In December 2022, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a new rule repealing the NWPR and changing the definition of WOTUS in a way that will expand federal regulatory authority.

·         The Biden administration’s WOTUS rule also tightened the regulations guiding PCC, allowing the federal government to end the exemption for such land immediately upon a change in use.

·         In May 2023, the Supreme Court issued a decision in Sackett v. Environmental Protection Agency that overturned the previous 2022 WOTUS rule.

·         In August 2023, the EPA issued a new iteration of the WOTUS rule with changes after Sackett, which retained the problematic definition of PCC.

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In a KELOland interview yesterday, Congressman Dusty Johnson minces no words in his belief that George Santos needs to be removed from office:

The first-term Republican could become the sixth member of the House to be expelled by colleagues. The House Ethics Committee earlier this month said there was “substantial evidence” that Santos repeatedly broke the law.

and..

Johnson calls Santos “a crook.”

“Now that we have that ethics report I am full throatedly behind kicking George Santos out; the guy does not belong in Congress,” Johnson said.

Read the entire story here.

Thune Statement on Passing of Harriet Pressler

“We are praying for the Pressler family and know that Harriet’s legacy will continue to live on through those she leaves behind.”

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today released the following statement on the passing of Harriet Pressler, wife of former U.S. Sen. Larry Pressler (R-S.D.):

“Kimberley and I join South Dakotans today in mourning the loss of Harriet Pressler,” said Thune. “Harriet was a faith-filled woman who radiated grace and kindness to everyone she met as she and her husband Larry proudly served the state of South Dakota for many years. Kimberley worked for Senator Pressler and came to know Harriet as a tireless fighter for our state, and she has so many friends in South Dakota that are saddened to hear this news. We are praying for the Pressler family and know that Harriet’s legacy will continue to live on through those she leaves behind.”

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