Always good to see your kids in the paper outside of the court section, as today I read in the SDSU Collegian about my daughter’s SDSU classroom coming apart while she was in class a couple of weeks ago:

Peyton Powers, a senior graphic design major, was nearby when the incident occurred. At first, she thought that the noise was caused by one of her classmates dropping their metal-type press pieces on the floor.

“The popping noise just kept getting louder,” said Powers.

and..

There is no current plan for further maintenance to be done to Grove Hall. Powers said students were back in class the following week and were concerned with the safety of the classroom.

“They didn’t really tell us how they determined that it was safe,” she said.

Read the story here.

I just caught this on Facebook from Rep. Overweg.  Can they put in for hazard pay on this?

South Dakota, Wyoming Delegations Urge U.S. Forest Service to Reconsider Recommendation to Reduce Timber Sale Program at Black Hills National Forest

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), and Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.) and U.S. Reps. Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) and Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) today expressed their concern with the U.S. Forest Service’s (USFS’s) recommendation to reduce the timber sale program in the Black Hills National Forest (BHNF). The members are also seeking answers about the process the USFS used to reach this recommendation.

“To continue successful management and care of the BHNF, we urge the USFS to substantially increase involvement from the states of South Dakota and Wyoming, local county commissions, and other stakeholders who stand to be most affected, including the forest products industry, in discussions of the BHNF timber sale program and forest planning,” the delegations wrote. “We also request that the USFS immediately implement the recommendations from the BHNF Advisory Board, including maintaining the timber sale program at 181,000 continuous cover forestry (ccf) sawtimber and 21,000 ccf of 5-9” trees, and prioritize providing resources needed for the BHNF to accomplish the recommendations.”

Full text of the letter below:

The Honorable Vicki Christiansen
Chief
U.S. Forest Service
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20250-1111

Dear Chief Christiansen:

We write to express concern with the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) recommendation to reduce the timber sale program on the Black Hills National Forest (BHNF) and the process the USFS used to reach this recommendation.  Further, we are concerned that a reduction in the sale program would have a detrimental impact on the ability of the USFS to manage and care for the forests in the Black Hills and on the health of our local communities.

Notably, the BHNF Advisory Board recently recommended that the timber sale program not be reduced below the allowable sale quantity in the current BHNF forest plan.  This recommendation was formed with participation by the South Dakota and Wyoming state foresters, forest management professionals, and others after months of research and data analysis.

In 2018, the South Dakota and Wyoming Congressional offices wrote to you expressing concern with the premature efforts by the BHNF to examine flawed data pertaining to timber resources on the BHNF while new information was being gathered by the Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA).  At the time, stakeholders in the Black Hills were assured there would be a collaborative process to examine the data and develop a path forward for the best use of the data collected by the FIA.  This position of collaboration was reiterated in your response letter which stated, “When the FIA dataset becomes available we will work collaboratively with industry and others to develop a course of action for analysis.”

Unfortunately, we are concerned about the lack of collaboration in analyzing and determining how to use the FIA data.  At the same time the congressional offices sent a letter in 2018, the BHNF was commissioning a timber resources report without informing any stakeholders in the Black Hills.  A draft of that report was released in early 2020 without any input from stakeholders, and since that time, input has been constrained to one comment period.

As you know, the BHNF has been nationally recognized as an example of how proactive forest management can be successful in reducing impacts from mountain pine beetles and wildfires, with multiple senior officials touring the BHNF to see the successes firsthand.  The BHNF is one of the last National Forests where, together, we can still implement forest management on a meaningful scale to benefit forest health.

To continue successful management and care of the BHNF, we urge the USFS to substantially increase involvement from the states of South Dakota and Wyoming, local county commissions, and other stakeholders who stand to be most affected, including the forest products industry, in discussions of the BHNF timber sale program and forest planning.  We also request that the USFS immediately implement the recommendations from the BHNF Advisory Board, including maintaining the timber sale program at 181,000 continuous cover forestry (ccf) sawtimber and 21,000 ccf of 5-9” trees, and prioritize providing resources needed for the BHNF to accomplish the recommendations.

Thank you for your consideration of this critical issue.

Sincerely,

###

Governor Noem Signs Bills into Law

PIERRE, S.D. – Today, Governor Kristi Noem signed twelve bills into law:

• HB 1029 requires a permit to conduct mining operation for certain ore milling facilities.
• HB 1053 establishes an annual fee for certain electric motor vehicles.
• HB 1067 modifies identification requirements for a marriage license and provides certain provisions for a name change.
• HB 1069 modifies the expenditures that are recoverable as disbursements by a prevailing party in a civil action or a special proceeding.
• HB 1073 authorizes dentists to void certain contract terms with insurers.
• HB 1079 limits certain actions that may be taken by the executive branch relative to nonprofit corporations or charitable trusts.
• HB 1090 modifies certain requirements for domestic not-for-profit corporations.
• HB 1132 adds dental hygienists to the list of mandatory reporters of child abuse or neglect.
• HB 1195 authorizes the participation of certified registered nurse anesthetists in the recruitment assistance program.
• HB 1196 provides free tuition and fees to visually impaired residents for courses not subsidized by the state general fund.
• HB 1234 makes certain revisions to the seller’s property condition disclosure statement.
• HB 1262 regulates kratom for those under the age of twenty-one.

Governor Noem has signed 104 bills into law this legislative session.

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Governor Noem Signs Bill to Defend Privacy Rights of Charitable Donors

PIERRE, S.D. – Today, Governor Kristi Noem signed HB 1079, which protects the privacy rights of donors to charitable organizations, into law.

“South Dakotans should be free to give to charity without having their personal information released against their will,” continued Governor Noem. “This bill protects the privacy rights of all South Dakotans, especially those who generously give of their own treasures to support charitable organizations.”

This legislation comes in the wake of attacks on the privacy rights of charitable donors in stateslike California. Contrary to media reporting, HB 1079 will have no impact on campaign finance laws.

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Delegation Reintroduces Bill to Allow State to Conduct Clean-Up Effort at Gilt Edge Mine

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.) and Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) today reintroduced the Gilt Edge Mine Conveyance Act, legislation that would authorize the state of South Dakota to purchase approximately 266 acres of U.S. Forest Service land in Lawrence County. The land transfer authorized by this legislation would allow the state to conduct a clean-up effort within the boundary of the Gilt Edge Mine superfund site once the Environmental Protection Agency completes its clean-up actions.

“This legislation would make certain that the state of South Dakota is able to manage an efficient clean-up at the mine,”said Thune, Rounds, and Johnson. “We have been working effectively with the state on this project, and we ask Congress to swiftly pass this legislation in order to fully complete this effort.”

“We appreciate the federal delegation assisting the state with the clean-up of this site,” said Ryan Brunner, state commissioner of school and public lands. “The state is responsible for managing the entire superfund site but we cannot manage or control federal property making this legislation necessary.”

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From FoxNews, catch a preview of Governor Noem on Fox Nation Outdoors doing what so many have the opportunity to enjoy in South Dakota – Pheasant Hunting!

“For us, hunting is a way of life,” Noem told Jones. “To be here with my kids and to enjoy it is something that I think my dad, my grandpa … would all appreciate, that some things change really fast in the world today, but some things never change and that’s what’s important.”

Catch the preview here.

Johnson, Biofuels Caucus Co-Chairs Introduce Legislation to Showcase Environmental Benefits of Biofuels 

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representative Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) introduced the Adopt GREET Act, a bill which would require the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to update its greenhouse gas modeling for ethanol and biodiesel to more accurately reflect the environmental benefits of agriculture and biofuels.

The GREET model is a tool which examines the lifecycle impacts of vehicle technologies, fuels, products, and energy systems.

“It’s time for the bureaucracy to catch up to science,” said Johnson. “We know biofuels are an integral part of protecting our environment and building up our economies in rural America. Including the entire lifecycle from a farmer’s field to the fuel pump will allow consumers across this country, and the world, to better understand the benefits biofuels offer.”

Specifically, this bill would require the EPA to adopt the Argonne National Lab’s Greenhouse Gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy Use in Transportation (GREET) Model for both ethanol and biodiesel. EPA would also be required to update its modeling every five years or report to Congress to affirm its modeling is current or otherwise explain why no updates were made.

Johnson introduced this bill with fellow Biofuels Caucus Co-Chairs Reps. Rodney Davis (R-IL), Mark Pocan (D-WI), Adrian Smith (R-NE) and Angie Craig (D-MN). The Senate companion, S. 193, is led by Senators Thune (R-S.D.) and Klobuchar (D-MN).

This bipartisan, bicameral bill is also supported by POET, South Dakota Corn Growers Association, Growth Energy, American Coalition for Ethanol, National Corn Growers Association, and the Renewable Fuels Association.

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From Twitter via KELOland:

BREAKING: The House State Affairs committee voted 13-0 to amend HC7001, the impeachment of Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg. The amendment halts impeachment proceedings until after a Hyde County criminal proceeding is finalized, at the earliest. https://t.co/B2TwYJG1NM

— KELOLAND News (@keloland) March 3, 2021

Apparently the State House Speaker wants to put the brakes on the articles of impeachment against Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg until the misdemeanor criminal charges have been resolved in court:

Speaker of the House Spencer Gosch will ask his fellow House State Affairs members Wednesday morning to amend a resolution calling for the impeachment of the attorney general for his role and conduct since he killed a pedestrian with his car in Hyde County last fall.

That would mean any impeachment proceedings wouldn’t take place until after the courts determine whether he’s guilty of the three misdemeanors traffic violations.

Read the entire story here.

This could definitely protract this out for a while…