Johnson, Cheney, Lucas Introduce the Livestock Risk Management and Education Act

Washington, D.C. – Today U.S. Representatives Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.), Liz Cheney (R-WY), and Frank Lucas (R-OK), introduced the Livestock Risk Management and Education Act, a bill that would provide grants to certain state land-grant universities to better equip livestock producers with risk management training. 

The Livestock Risk Management and Education Act would authorize the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) to provide resources to improve livestock producers’ knowledge of futures markets to better manage market volatility. An understanding of futures contracts and risk management strategies will allow producers both large and small to better anticipate cattle prices. This new authority would allow land-grant universities, such as South Dakota State University, to partner with grower associations to more directly reach producers.

“Producers already face an uphill battle of unpredictable weather, understanding cattle prices doesn’t need to be an added challenge,” said Rep. Johnson. “The Livestock Risk Management and Education Act will supply producers with the tools needed to anticipate highs and lows in the futures markets. I’m proud to partner with my colleagues from cattle country to help best prepare our Ag economy and producers for the future.”

“I am pleased to join Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) in his legislation to provide funds to improve available resources and educational materials for producers from land grant institutions,” said Rep. Liz Cheney.“With ever-changing markets, this measure will enable land grant universities like the University of Wyoming to assist our producers in giving them the background they need to properly plan for the future.”

“While we’ve seen tremendous signs of a strong economy- witnessing record declines in unemployment and rising wages across America- sadly, our nation’s farm industry continues to face challenging times, leaving our producers vulnerable to disruptions provoked by market instability and other factors.

Livestock producers across the country have faced years of uncertainty and, like others, need every tool within their belt to manage risk and sharpen their ability to weather the market’s uncertainty. I’m proud to join Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) and Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) as a cosponsor of the Livestock Risk Management and Education Act, ensuring that our livestock producers have the resources they need to better utilize risk management strategies as they overcome market volatility. Our producers rise to the challenge day in and day out and the Livestock Risk Management and Education Act would help provide stability for those that feed billions across the globe,” said Rep. Frank Lucas.

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Governor Noem, Bryon Noem Launch First Gentleman’s Initiative

PIERRE, S.D. – Governor Kristi Noem and First Gentleman Bryon Noem today launched South Dakota’s first-ever First Gentleman’s Initiative on social media.



“As First Gentleman, my mission is simple: I want to celebrate South Dakota and all the things that make it special. I want to remind people of the hidden gems of our small towns – the places off the beaten path,” said First Gentleman Bryon Noem. “Our hometowns are the heartbeat of our state, and I want to highlight them. I want to remind people that South Dakota’s rural communities are some of the best places to raise a family or to start a business. I’m excited for this opportunity to listen to the stories of our people and our rural communities. Our small towns are our culture. They’re who we are. This is South Dakota.”

Bryon Noem’s initiative, entitled “This is South Dakota,” will highlight the role smaller communities play in South Dakota’s landscape and the importance of preserving the state’s rural culture. As part of this effort, Noem will travel to towns and educate his social community about the value of small town living and the stories found in rural settings.

“In our world today, I think we’ve gotten away from just listening. I want to bring that back,” said Noem. “Whether it’s hearing the stories of a veteran over morning coffee in a café… shooting hoops with the mayor and hearing about the good and tough times a town has gone through… eating ice cream and learning about the heritage of a community… our hometowns have stories to tell and I want everyone in South Dakota to hear them. That’s my goal.”

“Bryon has always been a champion for small towns and the heritage that is preserved in our life,” said Governor Kristi Noem. “This initiative is an incredible opportunity for people across South Dakota to learn more about the things that make our state so wonderful and the value smaller communities bring to our state. I’m also excited for people to get to know Bryon in a better way. He’s fun, kind, and deeply cares about South Dakota. I can confidently say he’s the best First Gentleman South Dakota has ever had!”

Follow First Gentleman Bryon Noem’s initiative on Facebook or Instagram. To learn more about his initiative and for a conversation with Bryon Noem, visit his webpage.

Additional audio clips of the First Gentleman discussing his initiative are available to download here.

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From the Democrat blog Drinking Liberally Sioux Falls, apparently SDDP chair Paula Hawks has demanded that the debt-ridden State Democrat party operate under a strict code of silence:

In South Dakota: Things are going on in the South Dakota Democratic Party, but our new Chairman wants much of it to be held in confidence. So, to not risk violating her wish and admonition, I dare not discuss anything here. Maybe next time. Sorry.

Read that here.

I’m continuing to hear things such as dems avoiding joint media appearances with Republican Party representatives… and notice one weekly segment of that nature on a local news show isn’t airing anymore.

Not sure what ‘Paula’s plan’ is, if there is one now that she’s in charge. But apparently it doesn’t involve talking about the organization she’s leading.

Leadership Our Airmen Can Count On
By Sen. John Thune

South Dakota has a special connection to the U.S. Air Force, especially to the airmen who support its missions in the United States and around the globe. It’s because of this special connection that I’ve always had a particular interest in ensuring the Air Force’s civilian leaders both meet the needs of those they lead and possess the right vision for the future of the military and our national security interests as a whole.

For the last few years, South Dakota was proud to have Dr. Heather Wilson, former president of the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, serve at the top as secretary of the Air Force. Having lived with Ellsworth Air Force Base in her backyard, Secretary Wilson brought a small piece of South Dakota with her when she led the department.

I was proud to work with her on a number of projects, but I will never forget when the phone rang on the morning of March 27, 2019. I was sitting in my office in Washington when she delivered the news we had long been waiting for: Ellsworth Air Force Base had been officially selected to receive future B-21 training and operational squadrons, which meant South Dakota would be home to the first of our nation’s newest bombers.

I always appreciated Secretary Wilson’s leadership, and while she has since left her post to resume her career in higher education, the Air Force is still in good hands. On October 16, 2019, Ambassador Barbara Barrett was overwhelmingly confirmed by the Senate to become the 25^th secretary of the Air Force. Secretary Barrett is not only the fourth woman to lead the department in its history, but she is the third consecutive woman to hold this post since 2013, and I was proud to support her nomination.

Secretary Barrett is uniquely qualified for this role, and you don’t need to look further than her long and notable resume to prove it. She has served as U.S. ambassador to Finland, deputy administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration, and as a member of the Civil Aeronautics Board. As impressive as those achievements are on their own, she’s gone even higher. Tens of thousands of feet higher, actually. She became the first civilian female pilot to land in an F-18 on an aircraft carrier, part of a mission to demonstrate women’s fitness to fly in combat.

Before she was confirmed, I had the opportunity to sit down with then-nominee Barrett to discuss her vision for Ellsworth Air Force Base and how she believed it fit in the department’s broader mission. I’m confident she will serve our airmen and their families well, and I look forward to working with her, particularly as Ellsworth prepares to host the B-21s in the not-too-distant future.

Speaking of new leadership, I visited Ellsworth in early October and was able to spend some time with the new commander of the 28th Bomb Wing, Colonel David Doss, as well as Command Chief Master Sergeant Rochelle Hemingway. They, too, will play a critical role in preparing for the B-21s, and I’m thankful for their service and leadership to carry out the base’s current missions.

During this recent visit, I couldn’t help but think about how far things have come at the base. In a mere 14 years’ time, Ellsworth went from imminent closure to now being on the leading edge of our national security strategy. I couldn’t be prouder of what it’s become, and I’m so thankful for the men and women of Ellsworth who call South Dakota home.

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The Pheasant Opener is a South Dakota Tradition
By U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.)

The 2019 pheasant opener always takes place on the third Saturday of October. For the next several months, hunters will enjoy being out in the fields. With more than one million acres of public hunting land available, South Dakota is widely known as the pheasant capital of the world. Folks from all over travel here to participate in our great South Dakota tradition, and at the same time make a big impact on our local economy.

According to the South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks (GFP), their annual pheasant survey showed a 17 percent decline in the number of pheasants compared to last year. However, this was expected due to the heavy snow we had last winter and the high levels of precipitation during the spring and summer months. In South Dakota, weather is always something we have to be mindful of, but according to the GFP, this year’s pheasant population index is still higher than the low years of 2013 and 2017 when hunters harvested an average of 900,000 roosters. We’ll still have a good hunt, but we may just have to work harder for our birds. That’s part of the fun!

The best pheasant nesting habitat is found on land enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). The land that my family and I hunt on is surrounded by CRP acres. We work to improve the habitat each year by making sure there is water nearby and that we have a number of different crops planted for feed and cover. When the farm bill passed the Senate last year, I worked to make sure it included an increase in the cap of CRP acres from 24 million to 27 million acres, with 2 million acres reserved for grasslands. This will help to provide a long-term healthy habitat for pheasant populations in our state. I continue to support farmers’ and landowners’ ability to enroll more of their acres in CRP.

Like many of you, our family and friends have a pheasant opener tradition. We head out early to hunt near Presho. Our oldest grandson Ian is now old enough to hunt with the “big group,” so we’re looking forward to carrying on our family traditions. Even the kids and grandkids who don’t participate in the hunt like to join us afterward for lunch at Hutch’s Café to share stories from the day. And of course it wouldn’t be opening weekend without some “pheasant poppers,” which are a favorite of ours. You simply wrap pieces of pheasant breast with jalapeno pepper and bacon and cook it however you like—fried, grilled or baked. They’re delicious!

Making memories and getting a few birds is what opening weekend is all about for us. I hope everyone who is participating has a safe, fun and successful hunt!

Transparency Matters
By Rep. Dusty Johnson

Since I joined the U.S. House of Representatives in January, I’ve done my best to steer clear of the political circus we see on a daily basis in Washington. Instead I’ve worked successfully with my colleagues to pass legislation preventing child abuse and making it easier for Americans to save for school and retirement. I’ve been laser focused on passing the United States Mexico and Canada Trade Agreement, moving forward welfare reform, and implementing the 2018 Farm Bill.

But I just have to say—the impeachment process unfolding in the House over the last several weeks should cause pause for all members of Congress and the American people.

Some of my colleagues are for impeachment and others of us are opposed, but we should all admit that by its very nature, impeachment is emotional, taxing, and divisive.

Let’s remember – some are seeking to remove our duly elected president from office. That is no small thing. This is changing the trajectory of American history. Given how contentious and how important this proceeding is, members of Congress have a special obligation to play by the rules. We need a process that is open, sound, and fair. Congress is failing at that special obligation.

First, the Speaker has launched impeachment without a vote of the legislative body. This is unprecedented. Members have been denied their authority, their voice, and their opportunity to be on the record. Let us be clear: under the Constitution, the authority to launch impeachment rests with the U.S. House of Representatives, not with the Speaker of the House or the Chairman of the Intelligence Committee.

Second, this proceeding has not been open and transparent. Instead, members have been denied access to witness testimony, there is no live feed or TV coverage like we’ve seen during past impeachment proceedings, and Republicans are being removed from committee hearings. The result is that Americans and most members of Congress are not getting all the facts.

Finally, this proceeding has not been fair. In the past, presidents have been allowed to have legal counsel present. Counsel had an opportunity to cross-examine witnesses. The accused had an opportunity to examine the evidence and prepare a defense rather than battle secondhand accounts of closed-door testimony selectively leaked to the media.

Two hundred and twenty-eight of my colleagues have announced they are ready to impeach the president even though the evidence hasn’t been fully gathered yet, and in any case, we haven’t been allowed to review it. How in the world is that fair?

Elections matter. Transparency matters. Due process matters. Faith in our Constitution and institutions matter. As I said, Congress should live up to its special obligation. Our country deserves nothing less.

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Pheasant Hunting: A South Dakota Tradition
By Governor Kristi Noem

I grew up hunting. Dad took us big-game hunting, but it was my Grandma Dorris who made bird hunting such a big part of our family heritage. Still today, it’s something that brings my family together. (And how grateful this mom is for that!)

As much as pheasant season is a family tradition for us, it was our family business for years as well. When things got tight after my dad passed away and we were hit by the Death Tax, we looked to diversify. They say: “When you don’t know what to do, do what you know.” Well, that’s exactly what we did. We focused our attention on hunting and started up a hunting lodge. It was hard work, but I loved it.

Small businesses like this are spread across South Dakota, and they come alive this time of year. Overall, outdoor activities support around 18,000 full- and part-time jobs in South Dakota. This fall sport connects rural South Dakota with visitors from across the country who spend more than $175 million each year.

With such a significant impact on our economy and our family dynamics, I’m committed to enhancing our state’s pheasant habitat. We need to protect this way of life for the next generation.

Over the past decade, substantial changes have occurred across South Dakota’s landscape. CRP has been reduced from its peak of about 1.7 million acres to below 1 million acres. Additional grassland acres have been converted to agricultural row crops. Replacing this lost habitat and providing alternative incentive-based programs is more important now than it’s ever been before.

This year, I’ve set into motion my plan to advance habitat and protect our outdoor culture. My expanded Hunt for Habitat program taps into auction tag and raffle licenses to raise money for habitat. Our nest predator bounty program is focused on reducing predators. We’ve partnered with producers to offer options for trying something new with their least productive acres. And we’re crowdsourcing for solutions too. We want everyone to be involved in this effort – it’s all about getting families outside together, mentoring new hunters, recreating with respect, and introducing kids to the adventure of nature.

As South Dakota’s Sportsman-in-Chief, I’ll continue working to promote our state and our hunting culture. And don’t you worry… we’ll be hitting the fields too! I love that my kids still get excited about this South Dakota sport. It’s like a little piece of my Grandma Dorris still lives on through their excitement for Opening Day.

To all of the hunters reading this, have a safe pheasant season. Hope to see you out there!

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Oh my. South Dakota Democrats continue to dig themselves into the dirt, as noted in the latest FEC Report.

SDDP Oct 2019 FEC Report by Pat Powers on Scribd

Democrats reported that after an amended report last month, they started with a NEGATIVE balance of -1726.75. To their credit, they reportedly raised $27,345.57. Former Congresswoman Stephanie Herseth Sandlin gave them $1000 of it. Ann Tornberg gave them $235, despite their badmouthing the former chair’s management. National Democrats gave them $16,529.15 in handouts, in total.

And then it goes downhill from there.

And what did the SDDP do with the money? After receiving $27,345.57, they spent $34,270.09, OVERSPENDING by $6,924.52, and digging their deficit hole down deeper to – $8,651.27 cash on hand. (or not on hand)

That’s added to their pre-existing $46,863.73 in debt and obligations owed by the committee to a whole string of people, many of them South Dakota vendors including Panther Graphics, Qualified Presort Services, Mailway Printers, Laura Platt Promotions, and the Sioux Falls Convention Center, who South Dakota Democrats still owe $5845.68 on a bill that appears to have been hanging out since last year.

Apparently Michael Hanson is their new treasurer, as he’s signed on to Democrats’ latest report of misery and debt.

Stay tuned.

Noem Orders Capitol Flags at Half-Staff to Honor Former Legislator

PIERRE, S.D. – Governor Kristi Noem has ordered flags at the South Dakota State Capitol to be flown at half-staff from 8 a.m. until sunset on Saturday, October 19, 2019, to honor the life of Joyce Hodges, a former legislator.

Hodges served in the South Dakota House of Representatives from 1986 until 1994. A memorial service for Hodges will be held on Saturday, October 19, 2019, at 2:30 p.m. at the Miller Southside Chapel in Sioux Falls.

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US Senate Candidate Scyller Borglum has an op/ed in the Rapid City Journal today going after Republican Senators John Thune & her opponent Mike Rounds alike, as well as Congressman Dusty Johnson for not opposing impeachment strongly enough:

Our delegation has been silent except for carefully deployed and maddening legalese designed to insulate them against possible future blow back. Our delegation has had ample time to carve out a position on impeachment. They do not have to like Mr. Trump, but they should be incensed about Pelosi/Schiff’s farcical clown show, in the words of a prominent Nebraska senator.

Two groups stand to benefit from an impeachment inquiry: leftist Democrats and socialists up for election, and establishment Republicans, also up for election, trying to avoid offending anyone. I am offended … by their collective silence.

Read that here.

Borglum claims they’ve been largely silent in the Dem’s impeachment inquiry.

But… I don’t know that I’d agree.

Sen. Mike Rounds and Gov. Kristi Noem both say Democrats have long sought to remove Trump, and that Congress has bigger issues to worry about.

Sen. John Thune echoed those sentiments, but added that we do not have all the information needed to make an informed conclusion, stating “I believe we should let the facts lead where they lead.”

Rep. Dusty Johnson said he is glad Trump plans to release the transcript of the call. A spokesperson for Johnson’s office also noted Johnson previously went on record with the New York Times, saying he opposed impeachment.

Sen. Mike Rounds’ full statement:

““Democrats have been intent on impeaching the president since day one, so their announcement is no surprise. I wish they would spend this much energy on improving the lives of South Dakotans, such as passing the USMCA, getting our fiscal house in order and reducing burdensome regulations.”

Read that here.

Keep in mind that Rounds and Thune have weighed in as much as they probably dare..

…because they’re part of the body that would sit as the jury in such matters. And I don’t know that I hear a voice one way or the other from many of the potential jurors.  Because in real-life non-political scenarios, noting that you have a preconceived opinion gets you kicked off the jury.

Meanwhile, not being part of body that has to sit in judgement (if Democrats ever do vote to bring it forward), Congressman Dusty Johnson has been vocal on it, as noted in Johnson’s floor speech yesterday, New York Times impeachment tracker where Johnson was marked as opposed since July, Dusty’s vote to table Articles of Impeachment against Trump also in July, etc.

What do you think?