We’re hearing from the horse’s mouth this AM as Dan Kaiser is disavowing himself from the Stace Nelson led movement to have delegates install him as Lt. Governor.
(Maybe next time Stace should ask the guy he’s trying to nominate.)
Thune: Soldiers Must Be Equipped to Defeat 21st-Century Threats
“If we want our nation to be secure, if we want to promote peace and stability around the world, then we need to ensure that our military is the strongest, best-equipped fighting force in the world.”
WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) this week discussed the importance of passing the National Defense Authorization Act, legislation that would ensure that our men and women in uniform will be equipped to meet 21st-century threats, including those posed by major powers. Thune also discussed the positive news that continues to be announced as a result of tax reform.
Rounds Delivers Opening Statement at EPW Subcommittee Hearing on Surplus Water Rule
WASHINGTON—U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), chairman of the Environment and Public Works (EPW) Subcommittee on Superfund, Waste Management and Regulatory Oversight, today delivered opening remarks at a hearing entitled “Oversight of the Army Corps’ Regulation of Surplus Water and the Role of States’ Rights.”
South Dakota Department of Energy and Natural Resources Secretary Steven Pirner’s testimony can be found here.
Rounds’ opening statement, as prepared for delivery:
The Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Superfund, Waste Management and Regulatory Oversight is meeting today to conduct a hearing entitled “Oversight of the Army Corps’ Regulation of Surplus Water and the Role of States’ Rights.”
Today, we are meeting to hear directly from stakeholders impacted by the regulatory decisions made by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Their testimony will provide the Subcommittee an opportunity to consider legislative changes available to Congress as well as the on-the-ground, real world consequences of decisions made by the Army Corps and their effect on states and municipalities.
Section 6 of the Flood Control Act of 1944 authorizes the Army Corps to make available to states, municipalities and other entities surplus water stored in Army Corps reservoirs for municipal and industrial uses.
The Flood Control Act also highlights the preeminent role of states and localities with regard to water rights, going so far as to state that it is the policy of the Congress to recognize the primary responsibilities of states and local interests with regard to water supply.
In December 2016, in the waning days of the previous administration, the Army Corps published in the Federal Register a notice of proposed rulemaking entitled “Use of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Reservoir Projects for Domestic, Municipal & Industrial Water Supply.”
This rulemaking sought to define “key terms” in the Flood Control Act of 1944 and the Water Supply Act of 1958.
One of the key terms targeted by the proposed rule is “surplus water.”
Surplus water appears undefined in Section 6 of the Flood Control Act.
In the multi-decade period since the passage of the Flood Control Act, with the exception of the previous administration, the Corps has declined to define “surplus water.
In formulating the proposed rule, the Army Corps failed to take into account natural flows of the river system when defining surplus water.
Congress clearly intended to recognize and reaffirm the constitutionally protected rights of states to the natural flow of water through these river systems.
The proposed rule is an attack on these states’ rights and the states’ ability to access these natural flows.
In the case of my home state of South Dakota, we live with a permanent flood as thousands of acres of productive farmland have been inundated to create the mainstem dams of the Missouri River
Last month, I was joined in a letter by South Dakota Governor Daugaard, Senator Thune, and Representative Noem in which we stated that 500,000 acres of our most fertile river bottomlands were permanently flooded as the reservoirs filled following construction of these dams.
South Dakota’s citizens and tribal members were forced from their homes and communities.
No one doubts the benefits of multi-use Army Corps projects, but they need to be taken into the proper historical context.
In taking such an expansive view of what constitutes surplus water, and thus subject to federal control, the Army Corps clearly does not recognize the constitutionally protected rights of the states to the natural flows of the river system.
Instead, the Army Corps is attempting to produce a system in which legitimate municipal and industrial projects cannot gain access to the water passing through the states by refusing to grant easements to gain access to these water resources.
The Army Corps is currently creating barriers to legitimate water uses
Earlier this year, when South Dakota’s Game Fish and Parks Department requested access to an exceptionally small quantity of water from the Missouri River to construct a parking lot on government property adjacent to a reservoir, the Army Corps denied the request on the basis that this deeply flawed rulemaking had yet to be finalized.
We all agree that the Army Corps has a legal right to regulate the use of water for authorized purposes such as flood control and hydropower generation.
I am not seeking to divert any water away from congressionally authorized purposes.
What I am concerned with, however, is the notion that the people do not have a right to access the water passing through their states outside of well-defined purposes authorized by Congress.
Blocking access to such an important resource is in direct conflict with congressional intent.
Preventing states from accessing the water they are entitled to is an attack on our federalist system of government.
Let me be clear: it was never the intention of Congress to federalize all of the water in our country’s major rivers.
Any rulemaking to the contrary is an attack on states’ rights and an unlawful taking by the federal government.
My hope is that today’s hearing will shed light on this issue and motivate the Army Corps to consider promulgating rules more consistent with Congressional intent and the water rights of states.
This also includes a review and discussion of the existing practice of the Army Corps denying access across their Take Land for legitimate purposes by the states and other approved users.
###
As is customary, Republican gubernatorial primary winner & Congresswoman Kristi Noem has announced that she is going to be making her choice for Lt. Governor known before the convention. In an interview with Kevin Woster, Kristi is announcing the type of candidate she is going to ask to serve as her running mate:
Fresh off her June 5 win over state Attorney General Marty Jackley in bristly Republican gubernatorial primary, Noem says she’ll be busy considering possible running mates this week, and has been getting plenty of interest in that slot.
“Everybody’s asking,” she said. “We’re vetting several people right now. So we’ll probably have to make a decision within the next week, before we get to the convention.”
Noem said demographics, geography and work experience will all be part of the discussion. But she has a focus beyond that.
“You’ve got everybody who tells you who you should pick,” she said. “But for me it’s obviously somebody who could do the job in case something happened to me, and then I really want somebody who gets that the job’s not about them; it has to be about serving people. And that’s a little bit of a challenge, to find somebody with that mindset. So, we’re working through it to see who it could be.”
Picking who would serve in their place, and very importantly, who will represent the party’s nominee for Governor as a surrogate in the fall campaign is pretty important for a party’s Gubernatorial candidate But, surprisingly (or not), that hasn’t deterred one malcontent from attacking Kristi’s choice before it’s even been made.
Shockingly, Senator Nelson is on Facebook today declaring that “Elections are not coronations,” and seeking to take that choice away from the GOP nominee for the office.
Really? Did I miss the part where Congresswoman Noem didn’t actually win? Isn’t it a little early for Stace to start attacking the Republican nominee for Governor? (He used to be nice to them for a little while after they were elected).
Not that propriety has ever stopped him from attacking Republicans.
Bipartisan Farm Bill With Multiple Thune Provisions Heads to Full Senate
“Every farm bill is important, but given today’s low commodity prices and an overall sluggish agriculture economy, it is critical that we get a new farm bill to the president’s desk before the current one expires.”
WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), a longtime member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, today issued the following statement after the Agriculture Committee approved, by a vote of 20-1, the Senate’s bipartisan farm bill, which now heads to the full Senate for consideration. Several Thune provisions wereincluded in the base bill, which was introduced on June 8, and several more were included during today’s markup. Thune, who to date has introduced nearly one dozen standalone bills, which contain roughly 40 legislative initiatives and reforms to the farm bill, started this process in early 2017 in an effort to ensure a final farm bill reaches the president’s desk ahead of this fall’s expiration of the current farm bill.
“Every farm bill is important, but given today’s low commodity prices and an overall sluggish agriculture economy, it is critical that we get a new farm bill to the president’s desk before the current one expires,” said Thune. “The draft that was released last week was a good bill, but I’m glad that we were able to make it even stronger by adopting several additional amendments in the committee, including several proposals I’ve previously introduced. No bill is perfect, this one included, and while I still have a few ideas on how we can further strengthen it, the legislation we voted on today will no doubt help address the challenges producers are facing.”
Thune proposals adopted during today’s markup (click here for additional proposals included in the base bill):
Thune has served on the Agriculture Committee in both the House and Senate and is currently the only member of the South Dakota congressional delegation to serve on the committee. Thune has written three farm bills during his time in Congress, and the 2018 farm bill is his fourth. Agriculture is South Dakota’s top industry, with more than 43 million acres of agricultural land throughout the state.
To learn more about Thune’s 2018 farm bill effort, please visit the farm bill section on www.thune.senate.gov.
###
Committee Approves Noem’s IHS Reform Bill
Washington, D.C. – The House Natural Resources Committee today approved Rep. Kristi Noem’s Indian Health Service (IHS) reforms, a significant step forward for this comprehensive proposal. H.R.5874, the Restoring Accountability in the Indian Health Service Act, seeks to offer better tools for recruiting competent medical staff and leadership, improve care standards, and dramatically increase accountability.
“Today, tribal members are receiving life-threatening ‘care’ from a broken IHS. That urgently needs to change,” said Rep. Noem. “Whether it’s recruiting competent medical staff and hospital leadership, improving care standards or instilling genuine accountability measures, our legislation puts patient care first, helping ensure South Dakota Tribes receive the care their families deserve. I am grateful to Chairman Bishop and the House Natural Resources Committee for working with me and South Dakota’s Tribal community to make the changes families so desperately need.”
“This bill was developed in response to the devastating health care crisis facing our Indian tribes and reservations,” said House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Rob Bishop. “I would like to thank Rep. Noem for her efforts to increase transparency and accountability in the Indian Health Service which will better serve the needs of tribal communities.”
“I want to thank Congresswoman Noem for her hard work and continued support of, not only Lower Brule, but all of Indian Country, especially when it comes to the health and wellness of our people,” said Chairman Boyd Gourneau, Lower Brule Tribe. “I fully support her efforts on this bill!”
“The Rosebud Sioux Tribe is grateful for Rep. Noem’s diligent work to improve the Indian Health Service,” said President William Kindle, Rosebud Sioux Tribe. “Her bill, the Restoring Accountability in the Indian Health Service Act, is a great step toward providing much-needed accountability in the IHS and improving the quality of health care for our people and Native people across the country.”
“Since 2015, the Rosebud Sioux Tribe’s IHS hospital has seen a decrease in vital services like surgery and OB/GYN, and remains critically understaffed,” said William Bear Shield, Chairman, Unified Health Board of Rapid City. “The IHS continues to excessively rely on expensive contracts and non-IHS medical providers to furnish these services. As Chairman of the Unified Health Board, I have worked with Congresswoman Noem since the first days the CMS issues came to light in the Great Plains. I am grateful to the Congresswoman for taking the federal treaty obligations of health care in Indian County seriously, and for working hard to ensure the federal Indian Health Service gets the improvements, tools, and funding it needs to deliver.”
“As a former member of the Rosebud Sioux Tribal Health Board, we worked closely with Congresswoman Noem on the legislation she introduced in the House,” said O.J. Semans, former member of the Rosebud Sioux Tribal Health Board. “It gives me great pleasure to support her efforts in improving health care for Indian Country.”
The Restoring Accountability in the IHS Act offers a series of reforms to the IHS, addressing both medical and administrative challenges. More specifically, the legislation:
Offers Better Tools for Recruiting Competent Medical Staff and Leadership
Improves Patient Care Standards
Increases Accountability
Companion legislation was introduced in the Senate by Sens. John Barrasso (R-WY), John Thune (R-SD) and John Hoeven (R-ND).
###
EPW Subcommittee to Hold Oversight Hearing on Regulation of Surplus Water
WASHINGTON—U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Subcommittee on Superfund, Waste Management and Regulatory Oversight, will chair a hearing titled, “Oversight of the Army Corps’ Regulation of Surplus Water and the Role of States’ Rights” on Wednesday, June 13, 2018, at 2:30 PM EDT.
DETAILS:
WHAT: EPW Subcommittee on Superfund, Waste Management and Regulatory Oversight hearing
WHEN: 2:30 PM EDT, Wednesday, June 13, 2018
WHERE: 406 Dirksen Senate Office Building – Live streaming video of the hearing will also be provided at www.epw.senate.gov
WITNESSES:
The Honorable Steven M. Pirner – Secretary, South Dakota Department of Environment and Natural Resources
Ward J. Scott – Western Governors’ Association
Stephen Mulligan – Legislative Attorney, Congressional Research Service
###
This went out yesterday from the Secretary of State’s office, to counties who like and use electronic pollbooks and vote centers for the speed and convenience of voters.
As opposed to strengthening backup procedures, the problems 2 counties experienced with connectivity to the state voter database managed by the Secretary of State are triggering the SOS to propose to cease using technology.
SDSOS proposal to move back to StoneAge by Pat Powers on Scribd
E-Pollbooks are used in jurisdictions in 32 states, with Alabama set to be the 33rd. They’re becoming more and more prevalent, specifically for the following reasons as cited by the NCSL:
There are a variety of e-poll books on the market, and many jurisdictions design their own. An e-poll book typically provides one or more of the following functions:
Allows poll workers to look up voters from the entire county or state. This can reduce time spent checking in voters, one of the bottlenecks in the voting process.
Allows poll workers to easily redirect voters in the wrong location to the correct polling place.
Scans a driver’s license to pull up a voter’s information, avoiding data entry errors.
Notifies poll workers if a voter already voted absentee or during the early voting period.
Allows voters to sign in electronically.
Produces turnout numbers and lists of who voted.
Uses a photo to verify a voter’s identity. This could be a method to prevent voter fraud, but it is not yet in place anywhere.
E-poll books in some states (Maryland and Indiana, for example) are networked and receive immediate updates on who has voted in other voting centers. Other states (Minnesota and Michigan, for example) specify that e-poll books may not be connected to the network.
You can read the entire report here.
Brookings County has used voting centers and e-pollbooks since their inception several years ago, and voting could not be quicker, easier and more convenient. Brookings used them last week, and it went just fine. Seems there’s the possibility that fingers might be pointed in the wrong direction on this one. But, we’ll see.
Maybe they’ll propose to go Fred Flintstone on us, and change to stone tablets next.
Punishing victims of crime because they own a gun?
From the Argus Leader, Liberal Democrat & Sioux Falls City Councilor Patrick Starr is announcing his interest in city ordinances to punish gun owners when someone steals from their car or home:
A rash of firearm thefts from unlocked vehicles and garages has at least one Sioux Falls official toying with the idea of establishing penalties for the victims.
and…
That has Councilor Pat Starr investigating whether the city has the ability to establish an ordinance to penalize gun owners who don’t keep their firearms locked up.
“I’m a big believer in the Second Amendment, and I believe that people have the right to bear their arms, but at the same time it comes with a responsibility,” Starr told his fellow councilors Tuesday afternoon at Carnegie Town Hall.
and..
That could be a tough sell for Starr, though. A long-standing South Dakota law prohibits counties and local governments from using ordinances to restrict “possession, transportation, sale, transfer, ownership, manufacture, or repair of firearms or ammunition.”
Wow! So, if my house isn’t locked, and someone makes off with my property I’m legally allowed to possess in my home, I’m somehow at fault?
Starr might claim he’s “a big believer in the Second Amendment,” but it is not borne out by his statements. Punishing the victim because of what was stolen? What’s next, does he plan on fining people who have been prescribed certain medications if someone robs from their medicine cabinet?
Starr is doing nothing but BLAMING THE VICTIM in one of the most overtly big-government and expressly anti-2nd amendment proposals I’ve ever heard uttered forth from any public official ever in the State of South Dakota.
Wow! This sure sounds like a battle is brewing, and someone is throwing down. From the Argus Leader:
The South Dakota Retailers Association is spreading false information to members in an effort to keep federal food stamp data hidden from the public.
and..
Jon Arneson, a lawyer who represented the Argus Leader in the lawsuit, said the Retailers Association was “conspicuously disseminating misinformation” to arouse its membership.
Arneson said the Retailers Association’s contention that a confidentiality provision is necessary to prevent the public from knowing “exactly what your customers are purchasing with their SNAP benefits” is untrue.
I actually don’t think I’ve seen the state’s largest newspaper claim that the state’s largest trade association is lying before. In a related note, retailers of South Dakota, advertising space is available at dakotawarcollege.com.