In addition to the Governor’s Hunt event today, Governor Kristi Noem was a road warrior at events across eastern South Dakota. The Governor was on hand for an appearance on ESPN’s game day held in conjunction with the Dakota Marker game. While the Governor was in town, she took time with the hundreds of Brookings residents and SDSU students who were on hand at the event…
….and immediately thereafter, Governor Kristi Noem spoke at the Welcome Home ceremony for 112 soldiers in the South Dakota Army National Guard’s Bravo Battery, 1-147th Field Artillery Battalion and 147th Forward Support Company. The event was held this afternoon in the Sioux Falls Lincoln High School gymnasium. Governor Noem commended the soldiers for their “faithfulness and excellence” and thanked them for their service to our country.
Also pictured are US Senators Mike Rounds & John Thune, and Congressman Dusty Johnson.
While everyone else was at the Governor’s Hunt or were focused on football, South Dakota Democrats met to solve the problem of their chair and executive director suddenly changing their minds about the jobs they took on in recent months.
And they kicked the can down the road, despite the fact they have three active campaigns for federal office, and petitioning begins in 67 days:
The Executive Committee decided Saturday that the new SDDP chair will be elected by the Central Committee during its next meeting on Dec. 7 in Mitchell, as the party’s Constitution dictates.
and…
Candidates for the SDDP chair should notify the party leadership and begin campaigning, Seiler said.
and..
The committee established several working groups to focus on correcting the financial problems. Those groups are beginning work immediately and will report to the SDDP Central Committee at the Dec. 7 meeting, Seiler said.
Given the depth of Democrats’ financial issues, I wonder if the committees include the “checking vending machines for loose change” committee, or the “selling our blood plasma” committee?
Guest Column: Air Ambulance key resource for serving rural South Dakota
In all of my years serving the public, I have seen a lot of advances. I’ve been in law enforcement since 1985. I have served as a patrolman, sheriff and the President of the South Dakota Sheriffs Association. One of the most life changing advances I’ve witnessed, has been the use of air ambulances. I have seen the difference these helicopters can make, and I have seen them save lives. Here in Union County especially, air ambulances are crucial. We have over 135 miles of county roads and most of the county is more than a 45-minute drive to a hospital. In an emergency, every second counts and air medical transport is sometimes the difference between life and death. More than half of all South
By Dan Limoges – Union County Sheriff
Dakotans are in similar situations. In fact, rural communities all across the country are severely underserved when it comes to access to quality health care. Regrettably,114 rural hospitals have closed since 2010 with twenty-one percent of rural hospitals currently at high risk of closure, making air ambulance services in rural areas more important than ever.
There is currently a bill being considered in congress that I feel I need to speak out against. While it may be well-intentioned, the Lower Health Care Costs Act is going to have a negative effect on the very people this bill aims to help, especially those in rural communities. Eighty-five million Americans in rural communities rely on air ambulance services to access a Level I or Level II trauma center within 60 minutes, also known as the golden hour. The golden hour is the first 60 minutes after a heart attack, stroke or trauma that is critical to ensure effective emergency intervention. The golden hour is often the difference between just surviving and being able to recover from these events; it can be the difference between keeping and losing a limb. While air ambulances service the nation, rural areas without a doubt, rely on them the most. Nearly 90% of patients transported by air medical services live in a rural zip code. Air ambulance services are an essential part of healthcare access in these communities.
The way it currently works when someone needs an air ambulance isn’t ideal either which is why I do believe the legislation is well-intentioned. But it doesn’t address the real problem: surprise billing. A medical professional has to be the person that calls in an air ambulance, it can’t be called in by a civilian. More often than not, the patient will receive a surprise medical bill for the service months later because their insurer denied the claim despite the fact that a medical professional decided that it was necessary. Instead of encouraging insurers to just cover the emergency services, this bill actually allows them to continue this practice of denying coverage and even makes it harder for air ambulances to work out in-network agreements with insurers. We need a solution to the surprise billing issue, the Lower Health Care Costs Act is not it.
Dan Limoges Union County Sheriff
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Vice-Chairman, now acting Chairman Randy Seiler said he’s confident it was for personal and professional reasons and the party will continue to pay off all debts and move forward.
“The party is clearly in need of strong leadership,” State Representative, Michael Saba said.
The departure of two top officials was a shock to democratic leadership. Some Democrats said they were concerned and wondered where the party would go from here.
Rounds Supports Resolution Condemning House Democrats’ Closed Door Impeachment Process
WASHINGTON—U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) today issued the following statement after signing onto a resolution condemning House Democrats’ closed door impeachment process. The resolution, led by Senate Judiciary Chairman Lindsey Graham, has 39 senate cosponsors.
“Democrats have been intent on taking down this president since day one. The current impeachment inquiry is being conducted in the House without a vote, behind closed doors and it fails to give the president the opportunity to defend himself or confront his accusers. There is no due process.
“The president deserves the same rights as every American when faced with a charge or allegation. Their process raises serious questions about the fairness of the inquiry, which is why I signed onto Chairman Graham’s resolution.
“House Democrats should be focused on issues, such as the USMCA, instead of focusing only on this unfair and unprecedented impeachment process.”
The resolution:
calls on the House of Representatives, prior to proceeding any further with its impeachment investigation into President Trump, to vote to initiate a formal impeachment inquiry;
calls on the House of Representatives to provide President Trump, like every other American, with due process, to include the ability to confront his accusers, call witnesses on his behalf, and have a basic understanding of the accusations against him that would form any basis for impeachment; and
calls on the House of Representatives to provide members of the minority with the ability to participate fully in all proceedings and have equal authority to issue subpoenas and other compulsory process.
Noem Releases Statement after Parties Involved in DRA v. Noem File for Settlement
PIERRE, S.D. – Governor Kristi Noem today released the following statement after the parties involved in Dakota Rural Action v. Noem filed for a settlement:
“Today, my team reached an agreement that will resolve the Dakota Rural Action v. Noem litigation. If the court approves our agreement, the state can begin work to update crimes that have been on the books since South Dakota became a state. We remain focused on preserving law and order while protecting the right to free speech and peaceful assembly. It’s important to note that it is still illegal to riot in South Dakota. No one has the right to incite violence.
My team and I are continuing to work to protect people, property, and the environment, all while making sure the crimes on our books are in line with current constitutional law.”
The former state legislator and teacher from Hartford said the South Dakota Democratic Party needs to reorganize at the top if it wants to win campaigns moving forward.
“I think that what we’ve seen in the last year is that what we’re doing isn’t working,” she said Tuesday. “We do need a shake-up.”
South Dakota GOP Chairman’s Statement on Democrat Party Leadership resignations
South Dakota Republican Party Chairman Dan Lederman issued the following statement today after the announcement of Democrat party Chairwoman Paula Hawks’ and Executive Director Stacey Burnette’s resignations this afternoon.
“South Dakota Democrats announced this afternoon that Democrat Party Chairwoman Paula Hawks and Party Executive Director Stacey Burnette resigned, with the remaining party vice-chair Randy Seiler citing party finances and debts among the reasons for the collapse in leadership,” South Dakota GOP Chair Dan Lederman said.
Chairman Dan Lederman noted “It’s too bad that Democrat leadership decided they were bankrupt both financially as well as competing in the arena of ideas. Even more so today, the weight of finding solutions to our challenges and leading our state are strictly on the shoulders of the Republican party.”
“If Democrats want to find a way to get back on their feet in South Dakota, they need to come together with Republicans and listen to their neighbors about keeping taxes low, helping them live the American dream, and letting them prosper based on our own initiatives. That’s what the SDGOP has always believed, and our party’s sustained success reflects that.” Lederman said.
It is interesting to see how the author mixed Stan’s voice into the story, but an article-length biography would have sufficed for most of us.
And…
Those like myself who are interested in South Dakota Jewish or political history need a copy, as do Stan’s family and friends. The rest of the world of readers, probably not…
….and immediately thereafter, Governor Kristi Noem spoke at the Welcome Home ceremony for 112 soldiers in the South Dakota Army National Guard’s Bravo Battery, 1-147th Field Artillery Battalion and 147th Forward Support Company. The event was held this afternoon in the Sioux Falls Lincoln High School gymnasium. Governor Noem commended the soldiers for their “faithfulness and excellence” and thanked them for their service to our country. 
