Governor Noem Appoints James V. Lochner and Doug Morrison to Board of Regents

PIERRE, S.D. – Today, Governor Krisi Noem announced that she will appoint James (Jim) V. Lochner and Doug Morrison to serve on the South Dakota Board of Regents.

“For South Dakota students attending our state universities, we have a responsibility to provide an excellent, high-quality education at a cost that they and their family can afford. The more we provide opportunities for education excellence, the better we will set them up for their future. In turn, they will help build an even stronger South Dakota for years to come,” saidGovernor Noem. “I am confident that Jim and Doug will work hard to continue improving our education system for our kids and grandkids. I look forward to working with them.”

Jim Lochner served as Chief Operations Officer of Tyson Foods from 2009 until he retired in 2014. Prior to that, he was given responsibility for Tyson’s Fresh Meat Business in 2001. Lochner also served on executive committees with various trade organizations including the American Meat Institute and National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. He lives in Dakota Dunes and graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in meat and animal science. A photo of Lochner can be found here.

“I want to thank Governor Noem for selecting me to serve on the South Dakota Board of Regents,” said Jim Lochner. “I believe my business experience in numerous technical support and operational areas will enable me to serve as an asset to the goals and missions of the Board of Regents.”

Doug Morrison served as director of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis from 2003 to 2006. He has also served on the Sioux Falls School Board from 2008 to 2017, and has been the director of data services for the Sioux Falls School District since 2017. He is a certified public accountant and certified management accountant.

Morrison graduated from the University of South Dakota. He is the co-founder of the Sioux Falls Hope Coalition, a nonprofit that provides preschool opportunities for underserved children. He lives in Sioux Falls with his wife, Deb, who he has been married to for over 40 years. They have two children and four grandchildren. A photo of Morrison can be found here.

“I am passionate about providing children with high quality, affordable education opportunities,” said Doug Morrison. “I am appreciative to Governor Noem for appointing me to this position and giving me the opportunity to serve the students of South Dakota.”

Information on the Board of Regents can be found here.

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While I was over in the Boston area this last weekend visiting a couple of my children, South Dakota’s Chapter of Americans for Prosperity were apparently busy, as a number of these postcards appeared across South Dakota from the group thanking a number of legislators whom they had supported in the last legislative primary cycle:

The QR code lets you add your name to mailing lists, in case you are wondering.

Any thoughts?

From the Brookings Register, Summer Schultz, the current Dell Rapids Superintendent, has been hired to take the helm for the embattled Brookings School District, which recently ousted it’s current leader fr his poor performance:

Summer Schultz, currently the superintendent in Dell Rapids, verbally accepted the board’s offer Saturday afternoon. Pending a signed contract, Schultz will take over as superintendent for the Brookings School District in July.

“It was a good day, there was a lot of really positive energy,” School Board President Keli Books said Sunday. “The board is pleased to announce they have offered a contract and that Dr. Schultz verbally accepted.”

and..

The superintendent position came open when Klint Willert abruptly resigned at a School Board meeting on March 22. Documents subsequently released by the board showed Willert had been notified March 8 that he must resign or be terminated for cause.

Read the entire story here.

We’ll see how this goes, as it’s going to be a time of rebuilding and fixing a lot of messes. Test scores are down, most all administrative positions have rolled over, significant hiring needs to be done – AND we’ve got a couple of schools in the process of construction.   My wife has good things to say about the incoming Superintendent, so hopefully she’ll have the tools she needs to right the ship.

There’s No Substitute for Energy Security
By Sen. John Thune

A reliable, affordable, and secure energy supply helps to reduce energy costs, strengthen the economy, and protect our national security. Over the last few years, though, the Biden administration has used the heavy hand of government to discourage production of conventional energy in the United States, shocking utility and fuel prices, increasing our dependence on foreign energy, and imperiling our energy security now and into the future.

In his first week in office, the president canceled the Keystone XL pipeline and froze new oil and gas leases on federal lands, sending a clear signal to American oil and gas producers that his administration would take little interest in increasing domestic energy production. The president, with the help of congressional Democrats, continued this hostile agenda by raising taxes on domestic energy producers, which will further increase South Dakotans’ energy bills. And now, the president is pursuing a host of regulations that will effectively require two out of three new cars to be electric in the next 10 years, increase costs on truckers, and shutter power plants in 22 states.

Hardworking Americans are feeling the consequences of the president’s anti-conventional energy agenda. Since the president took office, the cost of energy has increased by more than one-third, and the national average for a gallon of gas hasn’t been below $3 in nearly two years. Rather than shifting to policies that deliver for working families, the president has doubled down on his Green New Deal-style agenda at home and sought foreign oil from countries that often don’t share our interests.

I’ve long been a supporter of renewable energy, and I’m proud that South Dakota is a leader in clean energy sources like hydroelectric and biofuels. But the president’s singular focus on transitioning to green energy is a problem because we still need conventional fuels to deliver dependable and affordable energy to Americans. The nation’s largest electricity grid operator recently warned that fossil fuel power plants are being forced to retire twice as fast as renewables can be brought on line, which is a recipe for blackouts, brownouts, and power rationing.

The Biden administration made the right decision by allowing the summertime sale of E15 fuel for 2023, an effort I led in the Senate. Filling up with E15 saved Americans $57 million at the pump last summer, and renewing this policy will provide relief from an expected surge in gas prices, especially as the summer driving season gets fully underway. But more needs to be done to secure reliable and affordable energy in the long-term, including making year-round E15 sales permanent.

Republicans are committed to supporting alternative energy while responsibly developing and deploying the conventional energy we need to keep the energy grid reliable and Americans’ energy costs down. The Republican-led House of Representatives recently passed a comprehensive bill to advance conventional energy development and clean energy technologies while reversing some of the president’s most harmful actions. Unfortunately, Democrats have declared this common-sense bill to bolster U.S. energy security “dead on arrival” in the Senate.

The dangers of President Biden’s misguided green transition are clear. It’s time for the president to work with Republicans toward an all-of-the-above energy policy that balances clean energy development with maintaining our energy security today. Doing so will bring down costs for South Dakotans in the short-term and promote America’s economic strength and national security in the long-term.

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Encouraging Work, Not Cutting Funding
By Rep. Dusty Johnson
April 28, 2023

A couple weeks ago, this opinion piece was published on CNN. It’s directed at my bill, the America Works Act. In the piece, the writers make broad, misleading claims about welfare work requirements legislation.

Let’s debunk their claims:

MYTH: The America Works Act “take(s) food from the mouths of babies.”

FACT: My bill does NOT affect any family or able-bodied adult with children under the age of seven. This bill won’t take benefits away from people who are able-bodied without dependents, as long as they work, go to school, or participate in training programs.

MYTH: The America Works Act cuts funding to SNAP.

FACT: My bill doesn’t reduce funding or reallocate any funding. This bill makes no changes to the SNAP budget.

MYTH: The America Works Act hurts needy families.

FACT: The America Works Act doesn’t take aid from needy families. It encourages able-bodied adults who don’t have children under the age of seven in their house to work, go to school, volunteer, or receive training for 20 hours per week. It doesn’t restrict any benefits for families who cannot work, have a disability, or have young children. At seven years old, children are in school full time and eligible to receive free or reduced lunch. I know life is complicated and not all difficult situations will fit into these exemptions. That’s why my bill maintains flexibility for states to exempt an additional 12% of their caseloads from the work requirements.

MYTH: The America Works Act creates burdensome work requirements.

FACT: These work requirements currently exist. However, the requirements were paused for the last three years because of COVID-19. In May, they will be enforced again. My bill aligns with these requirements that have been law for decades, but my bill will close the loopholes that states have used to ignore those existing federal work requirements.

MYTH: People on SNAP are doing everything they can to make ends meet.

FACT: My bill is targeted to encourage the approximately 1.36 million people who are able-bodied and don’t have any dependents who reported zero dollars of income. There are 11 million open jobs in America that can be filled by these same 1.36 million people.

MYTH: SNAP funding is already being cut. Now Republicans are cutting it even more.

FACT: SNAP received additional funding throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, understandably, to help families and individuals who were suddenly faced with financial difficulty. But now, we all agree the pandemic is over. SNAP funding levels are reverting to normal, pre-pandemic numbers, not below. This provision was passed last year by a Democrat-controlled Congress and signed into law by President Biden.

During no part of drafting or leading this bill were my colleagues or I trying to take benefits away from people who need it. The America Works Act is an attempt to incentivize those who can work, to work, and to contribute to our society, fill job openings, and better their own lives through work and education.

We want Americans to have better lives. We want people to achieve the American dream—leaving our country a better place than when we grew up and leaving our kids to have a better life than we did—that’s what my bill will help achieve.

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Building a Winning Workforce
By: Governor Kristi Noem
April 28, 2023

My first job consisted of a list of farm chores – feed the horses, check the cows, clean the barns. But it was never my intention to keep that job forever. It wasn’t my dad’s wish for me either. At one time, my dad suggested that my sister and I should become famous auctioneers. He used to say that the “Arnold Sisters” could travel the Midwest entertaining crowds while helping families get the most for their treasures.

I often laugh when I think about what could have been. As it turns out, being an auctioneer requires a license. And getting that license took too many steps for my teenage self. Now, as Governor, I realize that many South Dakotans have similar hoops to jump through to reach their dreams.

I recently announced an investment of $7.9 million for businesses across South Dakota to develop new and expand existing Registered Apprenticeship Programs. Apprenticeships provide on-the-job training for folks wanting to earn a new license or pick up a new skill. They allow people to get the training they need while earning a wage to take care of themselves and their families.

When I’ve asked business owners across the state why they do not have apprenticeship programs, their answer is almost always a lack of funds. South Dakota has never made an investment like this in apprenticeships. I realize that government dollars often come with strings attached, but we won’t dictate how businesses use these grants. They invest in apprenticeship programs, then we get out of the way and let them do what they need to succeed.

Our unemployment is at 1.9% – that’s not only the lowest in state history, but the lowest in American history. Even so, we’re still struggling to fill our open jobs. Thanks to these apprenticeship programs, individuals won’t have to leave their job or delay joining the workforce to get the training they need to enter the career of their dreams.

I also signed an Executive Order expanding job opportunities to South Dakotans without a postsecondary degree.  It requires executive branch agencies to consider work and life experiences during the hiring process when a college degree is not required to perform the duties of the job

There are many cases where lived experiences are more valuable than academic degrees. Take me, for instance – I took classes for many years, but I did not graduate with my bachelor’s degree until I was already a member of Congress. I think it’s safe to say that not have that degree didn’t hold me back, and it shouldn’t prevent qualified South Dakotans from accomplishing their goals either.

I firmly believe that the state that has the workers will be the state that succeeds.

South Dakota has the lowest unemployment in the nation, but we aren’t settling. We are continuing to make our state even better. We’re making it easier for folks who want to work, who are qualified to work, to actually get to work.

Who knows, maybe in my retirement years I’ll find the time to finally get that auctioneering license. It would certainly be an easier process now than it was when I was a teen.

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In a letter/release to Brookings School District Families from the Brookings School District, the Brookings School Board is interviewing four candidates to replace current Superintendent Klint Willert who was forced to resign after a number of issues arose with his performance.

Breaking from the last time the job was open, the District is not releasing the list of interviewees ahead of time, and is holding names until such time that interviews are compete:

April 26th, 2023

The Brookings School Board is pleased to announce they have selected four candidates to formally interview for the next Superintendent of the Brookings School District.

The Board has been working with Dakota Education Consulting, a South Dakota based firm- specializing in Superintendent searches. Dakota Education Consulting is led by Tom Oster, a long time South Dakota school administrator and superintendent. Applications came from four different states with a strong presence of South Dakota candidates.

Dakota Education Consulting has utilized a search and interview method to assist school districts for over 170 searches.

The Brookings School Board has narrowed the pool to four candidates. All candidates have accepted the opportunity to interview. Per the Dakota Education Consulting search process and to respect the candidate’s confidentiality, names will not be released prior to the interviews.

Interviews will be held Saturday, April 29th. The candidates will meet with four different groups, each composed of 10-15 members. The four groups include a community and parent group, staff and teachers, administration team, and the school board and business manager. As per South Dakota law, the interviews are held in executive session.

The Brookings District is thankful for the strong interest in the superintendent opening and the willingness of the around 40 committee members to participate in the process.

So, it appears we will know more next week.

Gov. Noem Recognizes the 75^th Anniversary of the State of Israel

PIERRE, S.D. – Today, Governor Kristi Noem recognized the 75^th anniversary of the state of Israel. The proclamation can be found here.

Genesis 12: 1-3 tells us that Israel has been granted her lands by a promise made by God to Abraham. Throughout the last four thousand years, the Jewish people have held a constant claim and presence in Israel. And in 1948, the people of Israel declared their independence with the goal of reestablishing it as the homeland for the Jewish people.

“The promise of the God of Israel is that God will bless those that bless Israel,” said Governor Noem, “and let it be known that the State of South Dakota openly blesses Israel with gratitude for our cordial and mutually beneficial relations since 1948.”

Over the last 75 years, Israel has rebuilt itself. The nation has developed an advanced economy, a thriving tech industry, and a democratic political system. Their government also recognizes the God-given Freedoms of speech, association, religion, and press.

“The State of Israel and the United States maintain a very close relationship born of shared democratic values and moral beliefs,” Governor Noem continued. “Both the United States and South Dakota regard Israel as a trusted ally. We care for and respect the people of Israel, and we want to celebrate their Independence Day with them.”

The United States was the first country to recognize Israel as an independent nation and serves as Israel’s principal ally.

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Just had a hot tip that SDSU Student Association President Nick Grote has resigned effective immediately.

This comes after reports from the SDSU Collegian that in addition to his other troubles, it’s being reported that he’s being investigated for vandalism which took place this last Sunday.

Stay tuned.

Commissioner Steve Westra Stepping Down

PIERRE, S.D. – Today, Governor Kristi Noem announced that Steve Westra, Commissioner of the Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED), will be stepping down from that position, effective May 22.

“South Dakotans are building the strongest economy in America with the lowest unemployment rate of all time. Steve helped provide the level playing field to make that possible,” said Governor Kristi Noem. “I want to thank him for his leadership on behalf of the people of South Dakota.”

Westra has served as GOED Commissioner since 2019. He previously served as the chief operating officer of Hegg Companies in Sioux Falls. He was a member of the State House of Representatives from 2013-2016 and also served on the State Tourism Advisory Board.

“When I took on this role, I never expected that it would be defined by a global pandemic. Governor Noem trusted the people of South Dakota and our business community to make the right decisions, and we have emerged with record-breaking business investment,” said Steve Westra. “We had more business development in the last four years than in the previous ten combined. I am grateful to the Governor for her trust in me and her leadership of our state, and it has been an honor to serve on her team. There are more opportunities for our future than ever before!”

South Dakota’s 1.9% unemployment rate is the lowest in the nation and tied for the lowest of any state in American history. In the last year, South Dakota has at various points been the national leader in new business applications per-capita, new housing growth, and personal income growth.

Travis Dovre will serve as interim commissioner of GOED.

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