An Endowment for Our Future

By: Governor Kristi Noem 
March 19, 2021

I recently had the privilege of hearing from two impressive young South Dakota college students. Hattie Seten is the Students’ Association President at South Dakota State University, and she was recently selected to be a Rhodes Scholar. Abuk Jiel is the President of the University of South Dakota Student Government Association. They’re both hard-working, incredibly articulate, and both come from low-income families.

Hattie and Abuk told me their stories at a very special event: I had the privilege to sign SB 171, which funds $50 million for the South Dakota Freedom Scholarship. These funds will work with $150 in private donations ($125 million have already been pledged!) to create an endowment for a needs-based scholarship in South Dakota.

Once established, this endowment will perpetually create opportunities for thousands of students like Hattie and Abuk to go to college. So many of these bright young South Dakotans just need an opportunity to succeed. I challenged the legislature to approve this funding so that we could provide just such an opportunity, and I am so glad that they followed through.

Let’s be clear – this isn’t a free handout. These students need to graduate, and then live and work in South Dakota for at least 3 years after their graduation. After that time, I am confident that many of these folks will decide to build their careers and raise their families in South Dakota. But until very recently, we’ve struggled with young talent leaving our state. This scholarship will help to reverse that trend.

With all of the new businesses flocking to South Dakota, we have a serious need for workforce development. Our unemployment rate is only 3.1%, which is incredible news! But a low unemployment rate means that it can be tough to find skilled workers to fill job openings. This scholarship will be a crucial part of training the workforce that South Dakota needs to staff up the businesses that are moving to our state.

So many people deserve thanks for their generosity in making this happen. T. Denny Sanford and the folks at First Premier Bank and PREMIER Bankcard helped get this project off the ground with the initial $100 million pledge. The legislature stepped up with an additional $50 million. And both Avera Health and Sanford Health pledged $12.5 million apiece, bringing the total funding to $175 million.

But we need $200 million to make this endowment sustainable into the future, so we will continue to work hard to raise the final funds to make this project a reality. Our young South Dakotans deserve nothing less.

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Flags at Half-Staff in Remembrance of Victims of Atlanta Shooting

PIERRE, S.D. – Today, Governor Kristi Noem ordered that flags be flown at half-staff, effectively immediately, until sundown on Monday, March 22, 2021, in remembrance of the victims of the shooting in the Atlanta metropolitan area.

This is in response to a proclamation by President Joseph R. Biden, which can be found here.

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Governor Noem Signs South Dakota Freedom Scholarship into Law
Also Signs Four Other Education Bills

PIERRE, S.D. – Today, Governor Noem signed Senate Bill 171, which provides $50 million for the South Dakota Freedom Scholarship. This money, together with other generous donations, will create a $200 million endowment for needs-based scholarships in South Dakota.

“With this historic scholarship, we’ll be giving thousands of promising young South Dakotans the opportunity that they need to succeed,” said Governor Kristi Noem. “I challenged legislators to get this across the finish line, and they got it done. These dollars will sustain needs-based scholarships for South Dakota students far into the future, setting our kids and grandkids up for long-term success. I want to thank T. Denny Sanford, PREMIER, Avera Health, Sanford Health, and everyone else who has made this project a top priority.”

Governor Noem also signed the following four education bills into law:

SB 27 revises off-campus tuition rates at institutions governed by the Board of Regents.
SB 49 revises property tax levies for school districts and revises the state aid to general and special education formulas.
SB 175 removes certain eligibility requirements for the partners in education tax credit program.
HB 1254 prohibits preferential treatment in higher education employment practices.

Governor Noem has signed 131 bills into law this legislative session.

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Thune Opposes Xavier Becerra’s Nomination for Health Secretary
“His record as chief lockdown enforcer in California poses a greater risk to churches than to the coronavirus.”

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today released the following statement after voting against California Attorney General Xavier Becerra’s nomination to lead the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services:

“Xavier Becerra is an extremist who has used the power of public office to target religious liberty, freedom of conscience, and the pro-life cause. Having him lead the federal health department is bad news for all who have been praying for the pandemic to end. His record as chief lockdown enforcer in California poses a greater risk to churches than to the coronavirus, and he is the wrong choice to lead the Department of Health and Human Services.”

Click here to watch Thune discuss his opposition to the Becerra nomination on the Senate floor.

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Rounds Votes Against Radical, Unqualified Health Secretary Nominee

WASHINGTON—U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) today issued the following statement after voting against the confirmation of California Attorney General Xavier Becerra as the next Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS).

“I am deeply troubled by the Senate’s vote today to confirm California Attorney General Xavier Becerra as the next Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS). Mr. Becerra’s lack of health care experience, extreme views on abortion, support for government-run health care, and record on religious liberty make him unfit to lead our health department.

“Mr. Becerra has repeatedly used his government positions to advance a radical pro-abortion agenda and to attack religious liberty in California and across the country. On top of that, he enthusiastically supports Medicare-for-all, which would hurt our rural health providers and strip 160 million Americans of their private insurance.

“Indian Health Services, a part of HHS, needs a leader who understands improving health outcomes for South Dakota’s tribal members, not another unqualified bureaucrat with a socialist agenda.

“Mr. Becerra is the wrong person to lead our nation’s health department—now or ever.”

On February 25, Rounds and 74 other members of Congress sent a letter urging President Joe Biden to withdraw Becerra’s nomination.

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Thune, Murphy Reintroduce Bill to Encourage Healthy Living

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.) and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) today reintroduced the Personal Health Investment Today (PHIT) Act, legislation that would encourage more physical activity in the United States and incentivize healthier living by allowing Americans to use a portion of the money saved in their pre-tax health savings account (HSA) and/or flexible spending account (FSA) toward qualified sports and fitness purchases, like gym memberships, fitness equipment, and youth sports league fees.

“As a lifelong athlete and fitness enthusiast, I understand the value of and feel grateful to have access to gyms and fitness equipment, especially over the last 12 months,” said Thune. “For some Americans, though, certain gym or athletic league membership costs can be prohibitive, keeping them from pursuing healthy habits like exercising or participating in other physical activities. By giving Americans greater flexibility with their HSAs and FSAs, we can empower people to make healthy choices, get active, and hopefully avoid the onset of costly chronic conditions.”
“I’m glad to be reintroducing the PHIT Act with Senator Thune to make it easier for Americans to lead more active lives,” said Murphy. “The PHIT Act would allow people to use their flexible spending accounts to cover physical activity expenses like gym memberships, little league and youth sports, and fitness equipment. This legislation removes barriers to a healthy lifestyle, and can potentially reverse the trend of chronic health issues throughout our communities like obesity and diabetes.”

“Now more than ever, particularly as the country begins to recover from the Coronavirus pandemic, we need to do more to reduce barriers to play and improve the opportunity for all kids to get in the game,” said Kim Davis, senior executive vice president of social impact, growth initiatives and legislative affairs of the NHL. “The PHIT Act will help families get back on the ice after more than year of navigating uncertainty, and we commend Senators Chris Murphy and John Thune for leading this important effort to encourage fitness and access to sport.”

“The pandemic has highlighted a critical issue: inactive individuals were at higher risk of severe COVID outcomes,” said Tom Cove, CEO and president of the Sports & Fitness Industry Association. “Our research has shown time and again that individuals in lower-income households are less active. Following the catastrophic consequences of the COVID-19 virus, we must make healthy, active lifestyles a national priority and PHIT allows us to do that by making it affordable for American families. SFIA applauds Senator Murphy and Senator Thune for their leadership in helping Americans be more active and healthy.”

Qualified expenses do not include: private clubs owned and operated by members or clubs with golf, hunting, sailing, or riding facilities. In the case of sports equipment (other than exercise equipment), reimbursement for a single item cannot exceed $250, and these pre-tax dollars cannot be used for general fitness apparel or footwear.

The PHIT Act is cosponsored by Sens. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.V.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Angus King (I-Maine), Lisa Murkowski (R-Ala.), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.).

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Johnson & Schrader Push to Improve Public Health Preparedness with Coordinated “One Health” Approach
“One Health” Shores Up Efforts to Prepare for, and Prevent, Health Crises

Washington, D.C. – Today, Representatives Dusty Johnson (R-SD) and Kurt Schrader (D-OR 5) introduced bicameral, bipartisan legislation to improve public health preparedness by ensuring federal agencies advance a “One Health” approach—the idea that human and animal health are linked, and that they should be studied together—to prevent and respond to disease outbreaks.

According to the CDC, the current COVID-19 virus originally came from an animal. The Advancing Emergency Preparedness Through One Health Act would improve coordination among those studying animal and human health by requiring the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Agriculture Department (USDA), and the Department of Interior (Interior) to adopt a One Health framework with other agencies. U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Todd Young (R-Ind.) introduced bipartisan companion legislation in the Senate today.

“COVID-19 has further revealed the strong correlation between human health and animal health. A ‘One Health’ approach will ensure America is better prepared to combat disease outbreaks before they become widespread amongst species,” said Rep. Dusty Johnson.

“Over the last year, we have all experienced firsthand the strong correlation between animal health and human health,” said Rep. Kurt Schrader. “This unique relationship has often been overlooked in how we work across government agencies to address these shared diseases. Beyond the current pandemic, rabies, salmonella, West Nile Virus, and avian flu are all examples of diseases that we see in animals before they are passed onto humans, and can be fatal in both. This bill is an important step to improve preparedness, coordination, and communication between veterinarians who work with animals every day and federal agencies who respond to health outbreaks.”

“We sadly are all too familiar with how outbreaks take a real toll on families and our economy. I’ve pushed adopting a ‘One Health’ approach since I served as Minnesota Lieutenant Governor, and now I’m continuing that work in the Senate while we all navigate combatting COVID-19,” said Sen. Smith. “We need to recognize the connection between human, animal and environmental health so future preparedness efforts meet the needs of all people, all ages, and in all communities.”

“The COVID-19 pandemic illustrates how we must focus our efforts on better understanding the connection between animal and human health,” said Sen. Young. “Instituting a One Health framework at the federal level will help us to improve our knowledge of diseases like COVID-19 so we can best prevent, prepare, and respond to future pandemics and outbreaks.”

“The global COVID-19 pandemic is a devastating example of why this legislation is so critically important. In order to successfully deal with threats like this in the future, we must take an integrated approach to solving the public health and food security threats that are emerging at the intersection of humans, animals and the environment. Better coordination among the different agencies and secretariats involved in health and agriculture will help leverage their strengths and make them more effective,” said Dr. Andrew T. Maccabe, Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC) Chief Executive Officer.

“As we have learned from COVID-19, influenza, Zika, the emergence of antimicrobial resistance and many other infectious threats, human, animal and environmental health are interconnected and One Health strategies are critical. The Infectious Diseases Society of America supports this important legislation to strengthen our surveillance, research and workforce to better prevent, prepare for and respond to outbreaks,” said Barbara D. Alexander, MD, MHS, FIDSA; President, Infectious Diseases Society of America; Professor of Medicine and Pathology, Duke University School of Medicine.

“COVID-19 has clearly demonstrated the need for our nation to take a One Health approach to disease outbreaks,” said Dr. Douglas Kratt, American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) President. “Animals, humans, and the environment are more interconnected than ever, and the bill reintroduced today is an important step to fully implementing One Health principles into our public health approach. The AVMA urges Congress to pass the Advancing Emergency Preparedness Through One Health Act so we can better prepare, detect, and respond to zoonotic diseases in the future.”

“Local health department professionals understand that the health of people is connected to the health of animals and the environment and that a ‘one health’ approach is necessary to truly protect health. The Advancing Emergency Preparedness Through One Health Act acknowledges the critical role of partnerships between the local, state, and federal levels to develop a comprehensive One Health framework. We appreciate the leadership of all the policymakers who recognize the need for this approach in order to protect the public’s health,” said Lori Tremmel Freeman, MBA, CEO of the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO).

The Advancing Emergency Preparedness One Health Act would:
*Advance workforce development related to preventing and responding to disease outbreaks in animals and humans;
*Improve coordination between federal agencies studying human, animal health, and the environment; and
*Foster understanding of the connections between human, animal, and environmental health.

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Woki-Leaks is back with more articles and document dumps on what’s happening on the campus of the University of South Dakota. According to my mailbox:

We have released several new articles and social media posts in recent days:

NEW ARTICLES

“Conservatives and Moderates Need Not Apply” tells the story of how USD discriminates against moderates and conservatives in its hiring practices. Among other things, candidates for teaching positions at the University are now essentially required to pledge allegiance to “equity, diversity, inclusiveness” and other leftwing political causes during the application process.

In “White People Are a ‘Problem’ that Needs To Be Fixed,” we show that USD’s Woke activists are comfortable with racism – so long as it is directed at White people. The article details how Dr. Clayton Lehmann and other campus activists have complained about there being “too many” Whites in South Dakota, and have been creating programs to politically reeducate White students and professors at USD.

NEW SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS

On our social media accounts (@WokileaksSD on Twitter, Facebook, and Gab) we have posted documents showing:

1. That a Woke USD activist and USD Provost Kurt Hackemer are recommending ignoring teaching evaluations for faculty of color on the assumption that USD students are racist.

2. That a USD professor, Dr. Conrad-Popova, supports and has been promoting the materials of what appears to be a Black supremacist teaching organization. (Dr. Conrad-Popova is involved in training the next generation of K-12 teachers at USD and also recently helped to set priorities for the USD President’s Council on Diversity and Inclusiveness).

Stay tuned for more!

The Social Media Post on ignoring student evaluations for tenure is fairly interesting.

Because if the provost is saying that the standard for evaluating people of color is unfair, so certain factors needs to be dropped in the evaluation.. isn’t he creating an implicitly discriminatory and unequal system if he’s not applying the same standards to all instructors?

Food for thought.

Thune, Colleagues: Biden’s Illegal Border Wall Action Drives Crisis

Senators seek Government Accountability Office (GAO) ruling on infringement of Congress’s constitutional power of the purse

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today joined 40 of his colleagues in sending a letter to Government Accountability Office Comptroller Gene L. Dodaro highlighting President Joe Biden’s suspension of border wall funding and construction without lawful justification, as required by the Impoundment Control Act.

“On January 20th, in one of the first official acts of his presidency, Joseph Biden suspended border wall construction and ordered a freeze of funds provided by Congress for that purpose,” the senators wrote. “In the weeks that followed, operational control of our southern border was compromised and a humanitarian and national security crisis has ensued. The President’s actions directly contributed to this unfortunate, yet entirely avoidable, scenario. They are also a blatant violation of federal law and infringe on Congress’s constitutional power of the purse.

The senators continued, “We write regarding these actions. We believe they violated the Impoundment Control Act, as interpreted by your office, and we request your legal opinion on the matter. Prompt action to end these violations is required to restore order at the border.”

Due to efforts by the Trump administration to secure the southern border with new infrastructure, illegal crossings in the Yuma Sector decreased by 87 percent from Fiscal Year 2019 to FY20 in areas with new border wall system. In the Rio Grande Valley Zone 1, an area that did not previously have border infrastructure, U.S. Customs and Border Protection saw a 79 percent decrease in apprehensions and a 26 percent decrease in narcotics seizures after completion of the border wall. Additionally, in El Paso Zone 14 and 15, CBP saw 60 percent and 81 percent decreases in apprehensions, respectively, when comparing the second half of FY20 to the first half of FY20.

Since President Biden’s election in November 2020, CBP numbers have increased significantly. In February 2021, CBP had 100,441 border encounters, amounting to a 39 percent increase from 71,946 encounters in October 2020 and a 173 percent increase from the 36,687 encounters in February 2020 – just one year prior. Additionally, there have been 325,012 border encounters since November 2020, while there were only 220,563 in the four months prior – a 68 percent increase.

Currently, CBP is overwhelmed and overcapacity. Reports indicate that nearly all border patrol sectors are above 100 percent capacity, with some sectors double, triple, or even at significantly higher levels of overcapacity.

The letter, led by U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), was also signed by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), as well as Sens. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Mike Braun (R-Ind.), Richard Burr (R-N.C.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), John Kennedy (R-La.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Rob Portman (R-Ohio), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Mitt Romney (R-Utah), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Pat Toomey (R-Penn.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), and Todd Young (R-Ind.).

Read the full text of the letter here.

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It is that day again, where those of us descended from the great Irish diaspora celebrate our heritage.. and those who wish they did drink dyed beer.

I’ve been fascinated by trying to find out more about the people from whence I came, which as you move backwards in time can be extremely challenging. But year by year, I keep chipping away and occasionally glean new information, such as discovering this Obituary for the first Powers in America about a month ago:

Like many Irish in the Boston area, my Great-Great Grandfather Nicholas was a manual laborer working in a paper mill, and his wife Honora, also emigrated to the US.. she was an illiterate house cleaner in the Boston area. They worked for their dream of a better life. As noted here, Nicholas passed away at his son (My Great Grandfather) Richard’s house.

While Richard was also a laborer, he held a job which was more skilled at the time, as a cigar maker. His son, my grandfather went to school to be a teacher, then became an attorney & lobbyist.. (and it’s all downhill from there).

My mother’s Irish heritage took a bit of a different path, where instead of into Boston, they went from Ireland straight to Iowa.

My great-great grandfather James Foran and my great-great grandmother Mary Connell Foran. My great-grandfather, James W. Foran, is in the middle of the back row. James came to Iowa with his mother, Agnes Scully Foran, where – like many in Iowa – became farmers after coming to America in 1849.

And on this St. Patrick’s Day, when we celebrate the emerald isle, I’d like to remember and thank my ancestors for seeking a better life in the land of opportunity!