Meh.

As pointed out to me tonight, in what might be even a more anti-climactic announcement than Taneeza Islam announcing for Sioux Falls Mayor, I guess Taffy Howard is going to be done ‘exploring’ a run for Congress about October 12th?

According to her regular website, as opposed to the one that already blares “taffyhowardforcongress.com,” the website with just her name “.com” is apparently claiming that “Taffy Howard Congress” is coming soon.

Interestingly, it should also be coming at the exact same time that her her first FEC report is due (by 10/15).  I’m much more curious to see that than an  announcement for something we’ve already known.

Guest Column: How will you wield your wand?
by State Senator Jessica Castleberry

I have a magic wand. Anyone who has visited my office can find out a lot about me- places I’ve visited, friends and family closest to me, phrases I find inspirational, fairly typical office embellishments. However, one item that may seem unusual is a sparkly, delicately ribboned, pink magic wand.

Fifteen years ago, I was freshly divorced, with three children under the age of four and $3 in my checking account. At 24, I was alone, my first business was closed, my credit score was toast, and I was working five twelve-hour shifts a week as a patient care tech, living paycheck to paycheck and struggling to make ends meet.

I visited an office in Rapid City that offered credit counseling and other helpful services- debt consolidation, budgeting, a plan to help people in my situation to get on track.

I sat down in the dark, paneled office to visit with a credit counselor. I told her of my recent divorce, the big-on-dream-short-on-cashflow business closure, the damage done to my credit score, how I was working overtime and walking the three miles roundtrip to work every day trying to better my situation. I told her I was determined to work hard for a better life for myself and my kids. I told her I wanted to obtain a business degree to become a business manager and one day own a business of my own again.

She sat and stared at me for a long time in silence. What she said next, I will never forget.

“You will never accomplish any of that. No one will ever allow someone like you to manage their business.” Then she pointed to a wand she had hanging above her desk. “Do you see that?” she asked. I nodded, fighting back angry tears. She continued, “That is in my office so I can remind people to be realistic.”

Anyone who knows me well knows that telling me I’m incapable of doing something is the best way to ensure I do it. So, I worked for the next four years to advance my education and experience. In March of this year, I celebrated the 11th anniversary of my own small business in Rapid City, which grew from a small in-home operation to three commercial locations. Along the way, I was awarded the SD CEO Young Enterprising Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 2016, the Small Business Administration’s South Dakota Woman-Owned Small Business of the Year Award in 2018, and have become a Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses alumni. Heck, with the sincerest gratitude to my friends in neighbors in District 35, I even became a South Dakota State Senator along the way.

I am passionate about trying to help everyone, whether it’s the generational ag producer or the single parent trying to obtain a technical college degree. This is why I work to help small businesses, why I’m dedicated to addressing taxation, why I support workforce development, why I support alternative education pathways. This is why I will always do my best to help the struggling dreamers in South Dakota. I see you because I am you.

Sitting in that dark-paneled cube in 2006, I vowed that one day when I had my own office, I too would have a magic wand on my wall. Not to point out to others how they were insufficient, incapable, or “less than.” But to use my wand to encourage others that through diligence, grit, and hard work, we can all pursue a better life. That’s how I wield my wand; how will you wield yours?

—

Senator Jessica Castleberry is a member of the South Dakota Senate Transportation Committee and a small business owner from Rapid City.

Rounds on Senate Floor: President Biden owns the Afghanistan debacle and history will not judge him kindly

WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) delivered remarks on the floor of the Senate today regarding the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan.

Click here or on photo above to watch Senator Rounds’ remarks

In his remarks, Rounds highlighted a South Dakota veteran from Belle Fourche, who reached out to Rounds’ staff in hopes of evacuating her Afghan interpreter. Rounds also spoke in detail about President Biden’s decision to reject the professional advice of his military advisors to complete a conditions-based withdrawal rather than a date certain withdrawal. Read or watch Rounds’ full remarks below.

Governor Noem Appoints Brian Sandvig and Joy Nelson to Board of Technical Education

PIERRE, S.D. – Governor Kristi Noem has appointed Brian Sandvig and Joy Nelson to the Board of Technical Education. Brian Sandvig will replace the late Bob Faehn and serve the remainder of Faehn’s term. Joy Nelson will replace Ed Mallett effective November 1, 2021.

“South Dakota’s technical colleges are among the very best in America thanks to the Board of Technical Education’s important work,” said Governor Kristi Noem. “I am confident that Brian and Joy will continue that legacy. Both have a long history of excellent work and service to our state, and I am thrilled that they’ve accepted the call to serve South Dakota students.”

Brian Sandvig currently works as the CFO at Valley Queen Cheese Factory in Milbank. He joined Valley Queen in 2007 after 10 years as a banker to dairies, farmers, and agribusinesses throughout South Dakota and neighboring states.

Sandvig serves on the South Dakota State Historical Society, South Dakota Junior Achievement, the South Dakota Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Grant County Economic Development Corp., and the City of Milbank Parks and Recreation. He teaches Sunday school at Living Word Lutheran Church and is an assistant coach on the Milbank High School football team.

Sandvig is a graduate of Aberdeen Central High School and the University of North Dakota. Brian and his wife, Janel, live in Milbank, South Dakota, and have three children, Jacob, Jack, and Ella. A photo of Brian Sandvig can be found here.

Joy Nelson is a lifelong resident of South Dakota. She began her career at Farmers and Merchants Bank in Watertown in the real estate and student loan lending departments. She entered the real estate business in 1982 and is the broker-owner of Haugan Nelson Realty, Inc. in Watertown. She has been engaged in residential, commercial, and agricultural real estate for the last 38 years.

Nelson is the founder and beneficiary of Joy Ranch outside of Watertown, a non-profit facility whose mission is to serve people with disabilities and medical issues, as well as veterans, through equine therapy. She was awarded the National ALDE Award in 2013 for philanthropy, the National Association of Realtors Good Neighbor Award in 2018, and is an inductee to the South Dakota Hall of Fame and the Watertown Hall of Fame.

Nelson currently serves on the Sanford Medical Center Board of Directors, the Lake Area Technical Institute Strategic Advisory Council as President, the Village Harmony Hill Board of Directors, the GLC Foundation Board of Directors, and is the past president of both the Prairie Lakes Hospital Foundation and the Lake Area Technical Institute Foundation.

Nelson currently resides at the Joy Ranch, where she enjoys spending time helping with the equine programs. A photo of Joy Nelson can be found here.

###

Called that one. From KELO Radio:

Taneeza Islam says she’s announcing a run Tuesday.

and..

She did not specify which office she’s running for. Mayor Paul TenHaken and two at-large city councilors are up for reelection in April.

Read it here.

And the Argus is carrying the story as well:

Islam, whose statement notes she will be “the first American-Muslim who is first-generation to run for citywide office,” has been critical of both Sioux Falls and South Dakota leadership.

Read that here.

I’d be surprised if it isn’t mayor. (Kind of anti-climactic at this point.)

*Update*

Yep. Called it.

Thune Questions Big Tech Whistleblower on Transparency and Accountability at Facebook

“We should encourage employees in the tech sector to speak up about questionable practices of Big Tech companies so we can, among other things, ensure Americans are fully aware of how social media platforms are using artificial intelligence and opaque algorithms to keep them hooked on the platform.”

Click here or on the picture above to watch the video.

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), ranking member of the Subcommittee on Communications, Media, and Broadband, today questioned Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen during a subcommittee hearing on protecting children online. Earlier this year, Thune reintroduced two bipartisan bills, the Platform Accountability and Consumer Transparency (PACT) Act and the Filter Bubble Transparency Act, that would help increase online transparency and accountability.

Here’s the latest from Sanford on COVID

Hospitalizations are up 12 from last week, ICU numbers are up by 3, and we have a couple more on ventilators (up from 28).

 

From Breitbart, Governor Kristi Noem speaks about the crisis on America’s southern border, and how she’s helping governors to the South address it:

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem told Breitbart News that she considers what is happening along the U.S. border with Mexico to be like a “war” and that is why she has deployed South Dakota National Guard troops to help border governors like Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey control the situation.

“Our Guard was there for 60 days,” Noem said in an exclusive interview at Mount Rushmore in late September. “We deployed them down there. When the Texas governor and Arizona governor asked for help and resources, they asked for law enforcement.

and…

Noem said the South Dakota National Guard members came home for a few days in September, but more are deploying back to the border in October.

Read the entire story – and watch the interview – here.

Press Release (Public Utilities Commission)
Natural gas customers should prepare for higher bills this winter

PIERRE, S.D. –  The South Dakota Public Utilities Commission warns natural gas customers to expect higher prices this heating season and suggests South Dakotans take steps now to keep bills manageable this winter. South Dakota natural gas customers may already be seeing higher per therm charges on their bills and as temperatures drop, the bill impact will grow.

Natural gas bills have two components. The portion for natural gas delivery, which makes up about 30% of the bill, is regulated by the PUC and is not projected to change. The other portion of the bill is for the gas itself and that price, which is not regulated, is driven by market forces.

“The natural gas industry is experiencing shortages in supply while also seeing an increase in overall natural gas demand.  As a result, homeowners should expect to see higher natural gas bills this winter,” said PUC Chairman Chris Nelson. “South Dakota’s regulated natural gas utilities, including MidAmerican Energy Co., Montana-Dakota Utilities Co., and NorthWestern Energy, are currently projecting bill increases for residential customers of at least 50% to 100% compared to the bills seen between November and February of the 2020-2021 heating season,” he explained.

The current natural gas shortage is the result of a number of factors. High demand due to increased exports of liquified natural gas and increased natural gas usage for electric generation along with low production due to hurricanes have led to low storage inventories heading into the peak heating season. Natural gas prices are largely a function of market supply and demand. This combination of factors is driving natural gas prices higher across the United States.

In addition to current rising prices, in February 2021, freezing temperatures throughout the U.S. resulted in unprecedented demand for natural gas and extreme wholesale natural gas prices. The South Dakota PUC worked with each regulated utility to mitigate the impact for customers. Therefore, a portion of the forecasted increase in bills this winter is due to recovery of significant February natural gas costs.

“Over the last several years, natural gas customers have benefitted from low gas prices, so this year’s prices may come with sticker shock. South Dakota natural gas utilities are estimating natural gas prices for this upcoming winter will near $6 per Metric Million British Thermal Unit (MMBtu), compared to prices usually in the $2 to $3 per MMBtu range last year. The higher-than-normal natural gas prices anticipated this winter, combined with the residual effects of the unprecedented natural gas prices experienced in February 2021 that utilities are currently continuing to recover from customers, will result in winter bills at levels not seen in well over 10 years,” commented PUC Vice Chairperson Kristie Fiegen.

Utilities aim to mitigate price increases for customers by purchasing a portion of the supply needed throughout the year at fixed prices and utilizing storage withdrawals during winter months. For companies with hedging programs, this can also help offset higher costs.

In addition to increasing the cost to heat your home, rising natural gas prices could impact other costs, as well. As the leading source of fuel for the U.S. power grid, natural gas supplies more than 40% of utility-scale electricity generation nationwide and may lead to increased electric costs for some.

“These estimated increases are only projections. Actual bill impacts may end up being higher or lower than what utilities are projecting. Regardless, South Dakota customers should prepare for higher bills by planning ahead and taking steps to manage their budgets and these costs now,” said PUC Commissioner Gary Hanson. “Completing a home energy audit is a good way to determine where your home is losing energy and identify what fixes or upgrades are worth the investment. Some utility companies offer a professional assessment to customers free of charge, so contact your local utility to find out more and while you have them on the phone, ask about a budget billing plan that helps spread out higher utility costs over several months rather than having to pay them all at once,” he continued.

Other ways to lower natural gas and electric consumption include setting your thermostat to a lower temperature, installing a programmable thermostat, maintaining and upgrading appliances for greater energy efficiency, changing furnace filters, and conserving hot water.

See a list of frequently asked questions about natural gas pricing on the PUC’s website at https://puc.sd.gov/Publications/naturalgaspricesfaq.aspx. For additional tips on conserving energy and information on energy efficiency programs, contact your local utility company or visit the U.S. Department of Energy’s website.

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There’s nothing that collects arrows like success. And South Dakota has recently drawn considerable fire in recent days for the amount of money being invested in the state through trusts.  A recent article in business insider magazine is pointing out that our small population state of South Dakota has managed to become one of the biggest destinations in the country for people’s money:

Financial secrecy laws in South Dakota have made the state a prime location for foreigners who want to conceal and protect their assets, with tens of millions of dollars tied to people accused of financial crimes and human rights abuses, according to newly public documents.

The Pandora Papers, leaked to the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), explores the secretive offshore system the wealthy and power use to shield their money. The millions of pages of documents were shared with media partners including the Guardian, BBC Panorama, Le Monde, and the Washington Post.

and..

South Dakota is so appealing to the ultra-rich because they want the best security, the best income, and the lowest costs, the newspaper says.

The state’s laws have moved to allow for more financial security to protect asset holders, the Guardian explains.

Read the entire story here.

How has it been allowed to happen that people and industry poor South Dakota appeals to the super-rich to invest their money?  Are you kidding? We’ve been working on building our attractiveness for investments for decades!  And we’re not afraid to tell people about it:

Governor’s Task Force on Trust Administration Review and Reform

The Task Force operates under the authority of Executive Order 2017-08. It is a body comprised of representatives from the trust industry, recognized as experts in their field and appointed by the Governor. This body has been assembled with the goal of establishing and maintaining South Dakota’s stature as the premier trust jurisdiction in the United States. Members of the Task Force were instrumental in crafting South Dakota’s Trust Company Act, South Dakota Codified Law (SDCL) 51A-6A, which helped establish South Dakota as a leader in the fiduciary services industry.

Members are appointed by the Governor to terms of three years. Responsibilities of the Task Force include reviewing and making recommendations for changing South Dakota’s trust administration statutes. The primary goals of the Task Force are to provide the most efficient and effective environment for the administration of trusts, and to provide a timely response to ongoing innovation and evolution in fiduciary services. The Task Force meets periodically, and provides the Governor with an annual report detailing its recommendations, by November 1 each year.

Executive Orders

The following Executive Orders established and amended the Task Force’s authority.

• Executive Order 97-10 – Establishes and Authorizes the Governor’s Task Force on Trust Administration Review and Reform

• Executive Order 97-12 – Amends 97-10; Removes limitation on number of members

• Executive Order 97-17 – Amends 97-10; Removes report submission deadline

• Executive Order 2011-14 – Reconstituted the Trust Task Force and implemented three-year terms for members.

• Executive Order 2014-14 – Continued authorization of the Task Force

• Executive Order 2017-08 – Continued authorization of the Task Force

Read all about South Dakota’s success story here.

Under Governor Janklow’s vision, South Dakota started down the road to becoming a financial powerhouse drawing such companies as Citibank to come to our state. And part of his vision also included making South Dakota more investment friendly, including for trust investment.

According to the website, “The Governor’s Trust Task Force” was originally assembled with the goal of establishing and maintaining South Dakota’s stature as the premier trust jurisdiction in the United States,” according to the Division of Banking.

If you think about it, Business Insider is actually writing their expose’ on South Dakota accomplishing what it set out to do those many years ago.

Mission accomplished!