Governor Noem Statement on Closure of Hill City Sawmill

PIERRE, S.D. – Today, Governor Noem gave the following statement on the closure of the Hill City Sawmill:

“This is devastating news for the Sawmill’s employees, their families, and the Hill City community. Sadly, this could have been avoided if the federal government properly managed the Black Hills National Forest, but the U.S. Forest Service continues to ignore recommendations from the experts on allowable timber sales.

“Many of our Black Hills communities rely on the resources that the National Forest provides. Federal mismanagement threatens the health of these communities and the Forest. I will continue to work with our Congressional Delegation to improve the management of the Black Hills National Forest.”

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Thune: Republicans Will Continue to Defend Minority Party’s Rights to Forge Bipartisanship, Compromise

“I encourage my colleagues to think about that time when they will be in the minority again – and to ask themselves whether they really want to eliminate their voices, and the voices of their constituents, in future policy battles.”

Click here or on the picture above to watch Thune’s speech.

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today discussed Democrats’ ongoing threats to get rid of the legislative filibuster. He emphasized the importance of the filibuster in the Senate and the vital role it plays in maintaining bipartisan cooperation and forcing compromise between the two parties. Thune also noted that the elimination of the legislative filibuster would significantly erode the fair representation the American people expect from Congress.

59 County State’s Attorneys Endorse Jackley 

PIERRE, SOUTH DAKOTA: Marty Jackley announced today that he has received the endorsement of State’s Attorneys from 59 counties in South Dakota so far.

“The county State’s Attorneys are on the front lines prosecuting crimes to keep South Dakota families safe, and I am honored to have their support,” said Marty Jackley.

Pennington County State’s Attorney Mark Vargo said, “Marty’s return to the Attorney General’s office would mean exactly what it always has…hard work, integrity, and old-fashioned South Dakota leadership by example. I am thrilled to see him come back as a partner because he embodies the professionalism and values that South Dakota deserves from its Attorney General.”

Brookings County State’s Attorney Dan Nelson said, “Marty is a proven leader for South Dakota. As Attorney General, he worked tirelessly to support State’s Attorneys across South Dakota to ensure they received the assistance needed to keep their communities safe. I appreciate his willingness to serve and lead our law enforcement efforts again as the next Attorney General.”

Clay County State’s Attorney Alexis Tracy said, “Marty’s proven experience and record as Attorney General, United States Attorney, and as a State’s Attorney is why he has my full support to be our next Attorney General.”

The South Dakota State’s Attorneys Association named Marty the South Dakota Prosecutor of the Year in 2008, and they presented him with their Distinguished Service Award in 2019.

Last week, an article appeared in the Augustana University Newspaper where former Congresswoman Stephanie Herseth Sandlin discussed what caused her to consider leaving her job as President of Augustana University, as she was recently sworn in to the federal bar, a first step in possibly being nominated for Federal Judge.

As noted in the March 19 Augustana U paper:

 

Okay then…  has nothing to do with the “for life” appointment to the bench and all..

Rounds-Backed Bill to Expand Vaccine Access for Vets & Caregivers Heads to President’s Desk

Bill would provide COVID-19 vaccine services to all vets, spouses, & caregivers at the VA

WASHINGTON – The Senate unanimously passed bipartisan legislation cosponsored by Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) to expand COVID-19 vaccine eligibility to veterans and their families under the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). This legislation now heads to the president’s desk to be signed into law.

The Strengthening and Amplifying Vaccination Efforts to Locally Immunize all Veterans and Every Spouse (SAVE LIVES) Act would allow the VA to provide COVID-19 vaccination services to all veterans, veteran spouses, caregivers, and Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (CHAMPVA) recipients to the extent that such vaccines are available. It also urges the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to adjust the VA’s vaccine allocation based on this increased eligibility pool, as much as the supply chain allows.

“Every South Dakota veteran, spouse, and caregiver should have access to the COVID-19 vaccine through the VA,” said Rounds. “Our bipartisan legislation expands the VA’s authority to vaccinate our American heroes and their caregivers, so we can continue to safely return our country back to normal. I urge President Biden to sign our legislation into law.”

The SAVE LIVES Act will expand VA’s authority to provide vaccines to:

• Veterans who are not eligible for enrollment in VA’s health care system, including veterans without compensable service-connected disabilities and veterans who have incomes above a certain threshold;
• Caregivers of veterans who are enrolled in various VA home-based and long-term care programs;
• Spouses of veterans; and
• CHAMPVA recipients (spouses of permanently and totally disabled veterans or of veterans who have died from service-connected disabilities).

Senator Rounds joined this bill led by VA Committee Chairman Jon Tester (D-Mont.), Ranking Member Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), and cosponsors Senators John Boozman (R-Ark.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.), Margaret Hassan (D-N.H.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Christopher Coons (D-Del.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), and Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii).

Text of the SAVE LIVES Act can be found here.

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Governor Noem Signs DEX Funding

Also Signs Other Agriculture and Natural Resources Bills

PIERRE, S.D. – Governor Noem has signed Senate Bill 99 into law, which funds the Dakota Events CompleX at the South Dakota State Fair.

“In South Dakota, we see challenges as an opportunity to grow, to build for the future,” said Governor Kristi Noem. “The new DEX will be a state-of-the-art facility which will attract regional and national events to Huron. I’m excited for DANR to get to work on this project and to complete the DEX by the 2022 State Fair.”

Governor Noem also signed six other bills pertaining to agriculture and natural resources:

• HB 1038 makes an appropriation from the coordinated natural resources conservation fund to the State Conservation Commission.
• HB 1153 authorizes the Board of Regents to contract for the design and construction of a new dairy research and extension farm on the campus of South Dakota State University.
• HB 1171 makes an appropriation to the State Conservation Commission.
• HB 1210 makes an appropriation to the Board of Regents to provide grant funding for a new bioproducts facility at the research park in Brookings.
• HB 1256 makes an appropriation for the cleanup of the Big Sioux watershed and River.
• HB 1264 makes appropriations for the water and environment fund and its revolving fund subfunds for various water and environmental purposes.

Governor Noem has signed 191 bills into law this legislative session.

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Via Twitter:

"You're preaching my sermon. Only girls play girls' sports." pic.twitter.com/PhgpLMGsDG

— Governor Kristi Noem (@govkristinoem) March 23, 2021

Woki-leaks South Dakota is back today with another report on what’s happening at USD, and seems to be pointing a finger at Provost Kurt Hackemer for putting the social engineers in positions of authority to push the woke agenda. As noted in part..

These first three paragraphs are telling. The authors make the claim that “Eurocentric bias” pervades USD and/or society in general. This is consistent with the general Social Justice position that the United States is a bastion of systemic racism, White supremacy, sexism, and so on. ..

And..

Giving credit where credit is due, the authors of the letter thank USD Provost Kurt Hackemer for having helped build this network and for installing activists in positions of power:

These experts in “equity and inclusion” appear to include one of the authors of the open letter, Professor Mandie Weinandt. On February 3, 2021, the Provost’s office announced that Dr. Weinandt will be taking over as head of USD’s Center for Teaching and Learning later this year. A few days later, Weinandt suggested on Twitter that she may spend her time preparing for her new role by learning how better to scapegoat White people for society’s ills and “weaponize” the Woke propaganda tracts she’s been reading (see Weinandt’s twitter page for more details) to liberate the “oppressed minds” of students of color)

Read the entire story here at Woki-Leaks South Dakota.

On Facebook this afternoon, Speaker of the House Spencer Gosch issued a statement that went after Governor Noem for her style and form revisions of House Bill 1217, limiting the application of the measure to K-12 students, and stripping the measure of how it could affect South Dakota’s participation in the NCAA.

While Noem legal team reviewed the measure, Gosch countered that “lawyers from national organizations like Alliance Defending Freedom spent months writing the legislation that ultimately passed the legislative process,” and sharply attacked the Governor, boasting “we brought a bill, she brought a website.”  The problem with Gosch’s attack on the Governor? Legislating is easy, especially when an out-of-state group hands you a bill.  But the devil – and the lawsuits – are in the implementation. The bill as written had some portions that were frankly big government.

And after looking at the measure with her own legal team, Kristi decided that was more than the Governor was willing to do, as spelled out in her style and form veto message.

Governor Noem represents all of South Dakota. And she has to take into account a lot more opinions than just those of the 20% hard right.

No matter how conservative a Governor may be, they still have to govern with practicality of how something will be carried out.  I get the impression that the Governor looked farther down the line than just the next 2 weeks, and ran up against some problems in implementation.

Shouldn’t the Governor be concerned if a bill as written might cause dozens of lawsuits and cost the state jobs?  Well, yes. And it sounds like she did.    Especially when this is not a situation where we are actively facing the question at the moment. We literally would be falling on our sword for the smoky suppositions of what could happen.

In the instance of 1217, the Governor split the difference, allowing portions of the measure to move forward in the state, and at the same time, allowing others to litigate out the other portions, while advocating that states band together when they negotiate with entities such as the NCAA.

I don’t think that’s a bad place for our state to be.

At least, it doesn’t seem like it should be an issue for legislators to throw rocks at the Governor over.

Governor Noem Signs Appropriations Bills into Law

PIERRE, S.D. – Governor Noem has signed twenty-one appropriations bills into law.

“South Dakota had a truly fantastic year. Thanks to our unique approach to the pandemic, we had opportunities that weren’t afforded to other states,” said Governor Kristi Noem. “I challenged the legislature to solve problems for 20-30 years or even longer into the future, and they accomplished that. These projects will strengthen South Dakota and make targeted investments in our communities for the future.”

• SB 28 authorizes the Board of Regents to contract for the redesign and renovation of, and the design and construction of an addition to, the Sanford Jackrabbit Athletic Complex on the campus of South Dakota State University.
• SB 33 makes an appropriation for certain costs related to the commissioning of the USS Pierre.
• SB 35 makes an appropriation to implement provisions concerning the legalization, regulation, and taxation of marijuana.
• SB 47 makes an appropriation for the maintenance and repair of state-owned dams.
• SB 48 authorizes the payment of lease rental obligations to the South Dakota Health and Educational Facilities Authority.
• SB 54 makes an appropriation to build a bison visitors center in Custer State Park.
• SB 64 revises the General Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2021.
• SB 93 makes an appropriation to rehabilitate the rail line from west of the city of Fort Pierre to the city of Rapid City.
• SB 139 increases the base salary for certain judges.
• SB 149 revises an appropriation regarding the fire insurance premium tax.
• SB 156 authorizes the Board of Regents to contract for the construction of a Mineral Industry Building and the demolition of the old Mineral Industry Building on the campus of South Dakota School of Mines and Technology.
• SB 162 appropriates funds for airport route restoration, business development, and air service marketing.
• SB 195 appropriates general funds for fiscal year 2022, also called the General Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2022.
• HB 1017 revises the appropriation for the construction of a cold storage building located in Sioux Falls.
• HB 1021 makes an appropriation to reimburse certain healthcare professionals who have complied with the requirements for certain health care recruitment assistance programs.
• HB 1026 makes an appropriation for the payment of extraordinary litigation expenses.
• HB 1039 makes an appropriation for costs related to suppression of wildfires in the state.
• HB 1169 makes an appropriation for the arts.
• HB 1232 increases the pay of certain constitutional officers.
• HB 1266 makes an appropriation for the improvement of information technology servers and infrastructure of state government.
• HB 1273 transfers funds to the health care trust fund.

Governor Noem has signed 184 bills into law this legislative session.

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