A Focus on Military Readiness
By Rep. Dusty Johnson
July 14, 2023

Our nation’s military is our first line of defense. They protect us in ways we don’t know and can’t see. Their round-the-clock monitoring of our adversaries such as China and Russia, boots-on-the-ground fighting, and cyber warfare protection deserve our utmost gratitude so we can live freely. This week, House Republicans secured major wins in the House-passed NDAA to give our military the resources necessary to do their jobs.

In recent years, we’ve seen a political ideology pushed on the military from COVID-19 to abortion. I want to be clear – I will always prioritize the mission of military readiness over partisan politics.

The annual defense bill:

• Gives servicemembers the largest pay raise in over 20 years.
• Counters the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
• Authorizes funds for Ellsworth construction projects and B-21 procurement.
• Bans funding for distractions to military readiness, like critical race theory and drag shows.
• Prohibits taxpayer dollars to be used in allowing military members access to abortion services.
• Funds the National Guard’s southern border deployment account.

One of the provisions in the bill is an amendment I offered to prohibit China’s spying on American exports and ocean shipments. China is our biggest threat. I’m glad the defense bill is packed with policies to counter CCP aggression and strengthen partnerships with our allies in the Pacific region.

Taxpayer dollars invested in the Department of Defense are being spent efficiently to keep you safe, deter our adversaries, and maintain our technological advantage. In fact, we cut $40 billion worth of programs that weren’t meeting high enough standards and reallocated those dollars to their best possible uses.

The House of Representatives passed the defense bill today, and now it heads to the Senate. I’m proud of the work House Republicans have done to ensure America’s military remains the best of the best.

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Too Close to Home: Combating the Prescription Drug Shortage
By: Governor Kristi Noem
July 14, 2023

“Kristi, he’s turning blue!”

Those were the words of my mom when my son, Booker, was just four years old. I was helping out with the annual picnic at our church when she came racing over to me saying she was taking him to the hospital. Booker had breathing problems ever since he was born, but this time my son was quite literally turning blue because he could not breathe. Ten minutes later, we had him checked into the hospital receiving life-saving medication.

Throughout much of Booker’s childhood, he relied on the prescription drug Albuterol on almost a daily basis. Without it, he wouldn’t have been able to breathe. I can only imagine how helpless I would have felt if I couldn’t get my son the medication he so desperately needed – but that’s exactly what so many parents are experiencing right now.

The entire country is facing a shortage of essential prescription drugs. Even Amoxicillin – the most used antibiotic in the country – has face widespread shortages with no good explanation for why.

Families in South Dakota are being hit hard. Doctors, pharmacists, and other healthcare professionals are having to tell patients that they don’t have the medicine they need. Nobody should have to experience that kind of worry, especially not in the United States of America.

What’s worse, these shortages are being driven by nations that do not have America’s best interest at heart. China and India have taken control of more than 70% of generic drug manufacturing. As I have said many times before, when another country controls our critical resources, they will control us.

In the past, when China threatened our way of life, South Dakota stood up. We will do so again.

We’re taking action to combat this nationwide shortage of prescription drugs. The South Dakota Department of Health manages an inventory of medications to stockpile them in case of key shortages. We are expanding this medical cache to five additional cities across the state. We’re also diversifying the types of medications that are stored.

Expanding this medical cache will help us to be prepared for the colder months when respiratory illnesses become far more common. We’re doing everything that we can as a state to address this challenge, but Washington, D.C. needs to step up.

I have urged Congress and the FDA to take swift action in the following areas:

• Increase transparency in the supply chain;
• Increase diversity in manufacturing;
• Create a more favorable regulatory environment to boost U.S. manufacturing; and
• Allow waivers so that we can purchase medicine from countries like Canada.

South Dakota can act – and believe me, we are – but we can’t fix this on our own. We need decisive action from Congress and the FDA. It’s time for them to provide long-term policy solutions that will address the prescription drug shortage in America.

I’m grateful that we were able to treat Booker’s breathing problems efficiently and effectively. And now, seeing what so many of our families are going through, I know how lucky we truly were. Mothers should never have to worry about whether or not the life-saving medication their child needs will be available.

This is a crisis that hits too close to home for us to ignore. Together with Congress and the FDA, South Dakota will keep on combatting the prescription drug shortage.

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Assistant House Majority leader, Taylor Rehfeldt, has announced that she is a mommy again.

The Rehfeldt’s announced today that “Little miss Tallie Rae Rehfeldt met us at 8:47pm July 13th, 2023! She weighed 6lbs 8oz. 19″ long!
Baby is doing great and her brother and sister were very excited to meet her!”

According to the picture I stole off of Facebook, it looks like the entire family is overwhelmed with happiness at the event.

Congratulations to Representative Rehfeldt from the readers of SDWC!

From my mailbox comes an announcement that the SDGOP sent out this afternoon:

From: Chairman John Wiik
Date: Thu, Jul 13, 2023, 4:49 PM
Subject: IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT: SDGOP State Central Committee Meeting

So what does he have up his sleeve? Stay tuned.

This is not exactly the story I expected to read this morning.

According to the Secretary of State’s campaign finance website, Ravnsborg recently formed a new state political action committee (PAC) he’s calling “$99 for Freedom.”

And..

No other paperwork has been filed with the Secretary of State’s office for Ravnsborg’s PAC, but the primary interest of the committee provided by Ravnsborg was to “elect conservative candidates.”

Read the entire story here (subscription required).

Apparently he created this PAC back in February, and people are only now noticing. It will be interesting to see how much he raises to influence South Dakota elections.

While I’m out in the hills for a work conference, for the seat that SDGOP Chair John Wiik is termed out from running again in 2024, I’m hearing through the grapevine that State Rep. Steph Sauder will be entering that contest.

Sauder’s first run at the office was in 2022, where she was the top vote recipient in a 4 way primary.

Interestingly, it could also set up the District 4 Senate seat for a primary election in 2024. As fellow State Representative Fred Deutsch is termed out of seeking another term in the house of representatives.

(correction.. Fred is not termed until 2026)

Stay tuned.

Nearly 250 Million Impressions on Freedom Works Here Ads

 PIERRE, S.D. – Nearly 250 million people have viewed Governor Noem’s “Freedom Works Here” national workforce recruitment ads. Hundreds of applicants who have progressed through the process to move to South Dakota were sent a “Freedom Works Here” South Dakota license plate.

“The continued success of this workforce campaign has been so encouraging,” said Governor Noem. “The state that has the workers will be the state that wins the economic race. These ad views are turning into inquiries, and this license plate will help seal the deal to bring these families to South Dakota.”

2,483 people have applied to find career opportunities in South Dakota. The most applications have come from California (388), Texas (197), Florida (185), New York (107), and Arizona (96). And with 85 applications coming from our own state, the Freedom Works Here campaign is even helping South Dakotans find new jobs. A map showing where applications are from can be found here.

The ad campaign has been more successful in less than a month that any other workforce recruitment campaign in South Dakota history. Thousands of calls have already been made to these applicants to get them plugged in to career opportunities here in South Dakota.

If your South Dakota business has open jobs, find future talent here.

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Governor Noem Takes Action to Address Prescription Drug Shortages
Urges Congress and FDA to Step Up

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Today, Governor Kristi Noem announced that the Department of Health (DOH) will be expanding its medical cache to help combat the shortage of prescription drugs in South Dakota. She also urged swift and decisive action from both Congress and the FDA to address worsening shortages across the country.

“When my son, Booker, was growing up, he relied on the prescription drug Albuterol on an almost daily basis. Without it, he would not have been able to breathe. Imagine my shock when I recently learned that a widespread and long-lasting shortage of this critical drug and others has been impacting America,” said Governor Noem. “So many parents and their precious children have had to deal with the uncertainty of not knowing if that life-saving resource will be available to them.”

DOH will be expanding its medical cache to five additional cities – Aberdeen, Hot Springs, Mobridge, Pierre, and Yankton. This is an emergency stockpile of medications in case of shortages. In addition to the antibiotics currently stockpiled, DOH is adding Albuterol, Epinephrine, Insulin, Prednisone, and Pediatric Amoxicillin to the medical cache.

“When our drugs are manufactured in just one or two countries, then any serious event can create a shortage. And those shortages hurt the young, the elderly, and the sick more than anyone else,” said Melissa Magstadt, Secretary of the South Dakota Department of Health. “When we started hearing from pharmacies across the state, we immediately began notifying the Governor and working towards a solution. I am so appreciative to work for a Governor who takes notice of challenges like this and then leads towards a solution.”

Governor Noem is also sending letters to Congressional leadership, South Dakota’s congressional delegation, and the Commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. These letters urge them to take swift, decisive action to provide long-term policy solutions that will address this challenge.

In May, Governor Noem signed Executive Order 2023-07, which required the Department of Health to investigate the cause of the prescription drug shortage and recommend action to be taken back to the governor.

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Attorney General Jackley Releases Final Explanation For Proposed Constitutional Amendment On Amending, Repealing Ballot Measures

PIERRE, S.D. – South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley has released the final ballot explanation for a proposed constitutional amendment that would prohibit the State Legislature from amending or repealing ballot measures for seven years. The measure is proposed by Brian Bengs of Aberdeen.

The Attorney General takes no position on any such proposal. He has provided a fair and neutral explanation on the proposed constitutional amendment to help assist the voters.

This proposed constitutional amendment states that a ballot measure approved by the voters may not be amended or repealed by the Legislature for seven years from the date the measure is enacted. The final ballot explanation can be found here.  

If the required 35,017 valid signatures are gathered and approved by the South Dakota Secretary of State’s Office, the proposed constitutional amendment will be placed on the 2024 general ballot. A majority of the votes cast in the general election will be needed to pass the measure.

The Attorney General’s explanation was drafted after a review of all the comments received during the proposed amendment’s 10-day comment period. A total of two comments were received.

State law requires the Attorney General to draft a title and explanation for each initiated measure, initiated constitutional amendment, constitutional amendment proposed by the Legislature, or referred measure that may appear on an election ballot. 

For more information regarding ballot measures, please visit the Secretary of State’s website.

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Looks like Mike Lindell, the pillow guy is in the news again as people are deciding that he’s as popular as Bud Light about now.

The MyPillow CEO is auctioning off company equipment after major retailers such as Walmart dropped his products due to his wild election conspiracy theories.

And..

He continues to stand by his debunked claims, insisting that machines were used to steal the election and filing an endless series of lawsuits, including one he claimed was “a class-action lawsuit against all machines.”

Read it all here

Maybe the pillow guy symposium wasn’t such a good idea?