Rapid City Journal harshly critical of Election Day voting snafu

From the Rapid City Journal, today’s editorial has some particularly strong words for the Secretary of State with regards to Election Day voting problems and how results were reported last Tuesday:

While voting officials in the seven other counties were able to overcome the issues with the e-poll books, it was a different story here. Election workers were unprepared for the technology problems and unable to respond to puzzled voters who in some cases were told to call the county auditor’s office for help. Media outlets quickly learned, however, that those calls would shed little light on the developing situation.

A call to the Secretary of State’s Office about whether the voters should be issued provisional ballots added another layer of confusion, something that may have been averted if Secretary of State Shantel Krebs wasn’t busy with her own election, a failed bid to win the Republican nomination for the U.S. House.

and…

The problems that happened on Election Day can all be attributed to human error if preparation is considered. It’s clear no Plan B was in place in the event the e-poll books malfunctioned and that no plan was prepared to notify the public of problems. The failure of the Secretary of State’s to be more helpful and its confusion on the use of provisional ballots contributed to an inexcusable disenfranchisement of voters.

Read it here.

Senator John Thune’s Weekly Column: Big Wins for the American People

Big Wins for the American People
By Sen. John Thune

I can’t think of another period of time while I’ve served in Congress when we’ve been able to put so many points on the scoreboard for the American people. Over the last year and a half alone, despite the historic levels of obstruction we’ve faced from my Democrat colleagues in the Senate, Republicans have achieved numerous legislative accomplishments that will have a positive and lasting effect on the country for generations to come. From tax reform to regulatory reform to reshaping the judiciary, the Republican-led Congress has made the American people’s priorities its priorities.

On tax reform – promise made, promise delivered. In just the handful of months since the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act became law, more than 1 million jobs have been created. It’s an important milestone that fulfills a promise Republicans made to the American people when we debated the bill in Congress, and it’s welcome news for American workers.

More than 500 companies, including several here in South Dakota, have already passed tax savings on to their customers and employees in the form of pay raises, bonuses, and utility rate reductions. Today, the unemployment rate matches a near five-decade low, and for the first time ever, there are more job openings than there are job seekers in the United States. We’re still in the early stages of this new law, though, and while there’s plenty of good news to share, there’s more yet to come.

The Republican-led Congress devoted a significant amount of time to rolling back burdensome Obama-era regulations that were hamstringing growth and opportunity. We used a congressional oversight process that, up until last year, had only been successfully used one time in history. That process, the Congressional Review Act, gives Congress the ability to undo regulations that were implemented by the executive branch. We didn’t use it just once, twice, or even 10 times. We used it a record-setting 16 times. As a result, we provided much-needed relief to businesses and consumers across the country.

While Senate Democrats have done everything they can to delay and obstruct the president’s nominees to the executive and judicial branches, we’ve continued to plow ahead, threatening to keep the Senate in session around the clock or over the weekend, if that’s what it takes. Despite the obstruction, in 2017, the Senate set a record for confirming circuit court judges. Today, one-in-eight of all circuit court judges in the United States have been nominated by President Trump and confirmed by this Senate.

We also confirmed U.S. Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch, passed multiple bills to help our veterans, strengthened our military with the greatest investment in 15 years (plus the largest troop pay increase in nearly a decade), combatted opioid abuse, enacted the longest State Children’s Health Insurance Program extension in history, fought sex traffickers, and repealed Obamacare’s individual mandate – the cornerstone of the failed health care law – just to name a few.

We’ve accomplished a lot of big things over the last 18 months, but there’s more work to do, including getting a pro-farmer, pro-agriculture farm bill to the president as soon as possible. I look forward to delivering more positive results like these for South Dakotans and the American people in 2018 and beyond.

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Senator Mike Rounds’ Weekly Column: Father’s Day Lessons from Dads

Father’s Day Lessons from Dads
By U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.)

Father’s Day gives us a chance to celebrate dads and thank them for everything they do for their families. As any dad can attest, raising our four kids was both the hardest and most rewarding job I’ve ever had.  Jean and I are incredibly proud of our kids, and we’ve enjoyed watching them grow and start families of their own. We look forward to spending time with them this Father’s Day, however this year it will look a little different. This is the first Father’s Day without my dad, Grandpa Don, who passed away earlier this year at the age of 90.

Grandpa Don was a shining example of what it meant to be a dad. He always put God and his family first and dedicated his life to serving others. He was a hard worker, a good provider, and he always saw the good in everyone.  While we miss him every day, we are grateful for the lifelong lessons he taught not just his family, but everyone who knew him.

One lesson in particular that stands out is advice he used to share in the 1960s, when he often gave commencement speeches at high school graduations. As the oldest child, my dad would sometimes let me come along for these speeches, and his message to the students sticks with me today.

Those old enough to live through the 1960s can remember that it was a time when it wasn’t “cool” to be “square.”  According to the cool kids back then, being a “square” meant being conventional, boring, inhibited and nerdy – definitely not part of the cool crowd. So, my dad would tell the graduates about the real meaning of “square.  ” To him and his generation, being “square” was a good thing. You were honest so you could look people “square” in the eye. When you worked your way out of debt, you became “square” with the world. If someone was hungry, you gave him a “square” meal. You stood “foursquare” for what you believed in.

He told graduates that they should be “square” because “square” really meant being honest, fair, genuine, upright, straightforward and ethical, as in always giving other people a “square deal.” The phrase “square deal” was coined by President Teddy Roosevelt. It was his philosophy that we should not grant special favors to any group of Americans, but to be fair to all. At the end of his commencement speeches, dad would invite the graduates to be “squares” for the rest of their lives.

In today’s society, dad’s graduation message resonates stronger than ever. I am grateful to be able to pass along his advice, especially with young people, as I did recently at Boys and Girls State and while delivering the commencement address at the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology. These young people – and so many like them across the state – are smart, talented and driven to make the world a better place. While we recognize their accomplishments, we are also grateful for the fathers behind the scenes, offering unconditional love, support and sacrifice. May we all take a moment this Father’s Day to celebrate the dads in our lives whose guidance helps us be stronger, better and more “square” in our daily lives.

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Congresswoman Kristi Noem’s Weekly Column: Supporting the Hometown Newspaper

Supporting the Hometown Newspaper
By Rep. Kristi Noem

Chances are that if you are reading this, you subscribe to a local newspaper. Publications like this play an instrumental role in keeping communities strong and informed. Sadly, many are disappearing from our rural communities, making it increasingly difficult to stay connected with what’s happening within the local school system, around town, and around the state.

The ever-increasing cost of production is one of the most common concerns South Dakota’s newspapers raise with me. In recent years, new tariffs on Canadian newsprint have increased paper prices by 20 to 30 percent. That’s significant. A paper that services around 20,000 customers, for instance, could see paper costs rise by about a quarter-million dollars annually, threatening the newspaper’s survival.

As David Bordewyk, the Executive Director of the South Dakota Newspaper Association, told me: “I have already heard from South Dakota newspaper publishers who fear that if these tariffs were to carry forward indefinitely, they will very well be forced to close their doors. That creates a ripple effect in the community for businesses that rely on the local newspaper to advertise and promote their goods and services.”

To help ease the burden, I introduced the PRINT Act in early June. This legislation places a temporary hold on the newsprint tariffs, giving time for the Commerce Department to investigate the negative impact the tariffs have on our hometown papers. As Bordewyk explains it: “This legislation will provide some breathing room and an opportunity for a more complete review and analysis.”

The PRINT Act is the latest in a series of efforts to better support our local newspapers. During tax reform, many South Dakota newspapers reached out with concerns about a proposed “Ad Tax,” which would have forced news organizations to pay taxes on advertising dollars. The impact of a tax like that would have been widespread and made it more expensive for local businesses to advertise their goods and services. In the end, we were able to stave off the proposed tax hike.

Even if you can mitigate costs, however, delivery can be a challenge. In recent years, the U.S. Postal Service has threatened to cut Saturday delivery, a move that would have dealt another devastating blow to the local newspaper industry, which relies heavily on consistent and reliable mail service.  We successfully fought the measure and forced the Postal Service to create organizational efficiencies before cutting services to South Dakota families, newspapers, and businesses.

Today, South Dakota is home to more than 125 local newspapers. That’s a number we need to protect. Their reporting reminds us the world is made of neighborhoods and shared experiences. It keeps us connected and strengthens our sense of community and connection. Thank you for supporting your local newspaper.

Governor Daugaard’s Weekly Column: Three More Trail of Governors Statues

Three More Trail of Governors Statues
A column by Gov. Dennis Daugaard

June is a beautiful time to visit our Capital City. The flowers at the State Capitol are in bloom, the sun shines brightly on the Fighting Stallions and the veterans memorials, and fishing and sport boats flock to the Missouri River.

On June 15, Pierre will gain a few more points of interest, as the Trail of Governors unveils three new statues. The Trail of Governors project combines art and history, placing life-sized bronze statues of every former South Dakota governor throughout the Capital City, on a trail that connects the Capitol grounds with the downtown business district. Nineteen statues are already in place.

The three new statues to be unveiled this year are William H. McMaster, M. Q. Sharpe and Ralph Herseth.

William H. McMaster was a small-town banker in Gayville, and then a state legislator from Yankton. He served as Gov. Peter Norbeck’s lieutenant governor and then followed Norbeck into the Governor’s Office in 1920. A progressive, McMaster memorably fought high gasoline prices by selling gasoline from state highway shops at two cents above wholesale. He went on the serve in the U.S. Senate.

M. Q. Sharpe was an attorney from Kennebec. As attorney general, he investigated corruption and mismanagement in a state-run farm loan program. During the Bushfield administration, Sharpe was the state’s representative to the Missouri River States Committee and as governor from 1943 to 1947, Sharpe continued that effort, leading the negotiation of the Pick-Sloan Plan that built four Missouri River dams in South Dakota.

Ralph Herseth was a farmer from Houghton. He was elected governor in 1958 amidst unrest over property tax valuations. Herseth created a pension plan for the state’s teachers and pushed for water development projects. He started a legacy of public service that continued with his wife, Secretary of State Lorna Herseth; their son, longtime legislator Lars Herseth; and their granddaughter, Stephanie Herseth Sandlin, who spent seven years in the U.S. House and is now the president of Augustana University.

The public is invited to the State Capitol rotunda at 10 a.m. on Friday, June 15, to see the unveiling of statues of McMaster, Sharpe and Herseth. Then, on Saturday morning, the inaugural “Run with the Govs” event will be held – an opportunity to run or walk a 4-mile route that includes every Trail of Governors statue. You will be able to actually run with at least one former governor – I know former Gov. Frank Farrar, at a youthful 89 years old, plans to participate. Search online for “Run with the Govs” to learn more.

Whether it’s a drive, walk, or run, the Trail of Governors is a great way to experience our Capital City and learn a little bit about South Dakota history. I encourage you to check it out next time you come to Pierre.​

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Libertarians reconvene, and decide to nominate bad candidate instead of really bad one

The Libertarian party’s convention do-over yesterday at Pizza Ranch yesterday (who knew they were such a hotbed of political activity) had the assembled Libertarians conducting a do-over in the race for Governor where they had a change of heart when offered another option, choosing bad candidate Kurt Evans over really bad candidate CJ Abernathey.

Abernathey had some choice words after the vote.

SDGOP Announces Convention Platform Committee

From the SDGOP website, GOP Chair Dan Lederman has appointed the platform committee for the upcoming Republican state convention:

The Republican State Convention’s Platform Committee will be chaired by Speaker Pro Tempore of the South Dakota House Steve Haugaard and includes:

State Representative Steve Haugaard (Sioux Falls, SD) – Chair

State Senator John Wiik (Big Stone City, SD)

State Senator Phil Jensen (Rapid City, SD)

State Rep. Lynn DiSanto (Box Elder, SD)

Dale Bartscher (Rapid City, SD)

Anne Beal (Colman, SD)

Matt Bruner (Winifred, SD)

Sara Timothy (Sioux Falls, SD)

Marilyn Oakes (Keystone, SD)

Read it here.

Eatery decides to refuse service to group. Group upset, and claiming discrimination.

From KEVN, a Rapid City Group is upset and howling to the media, because they were refused service by a business owner, possibly because of their beliefs.

The South Dakota Citizens for Liberty were asked to leave Pizza Ranch on Stumer Rd. Thursday evening after a dispute with the owner.

The Citizens for Liberty says they have been going to pizza ranch for bi-monthly meetings for awhile now. Mike Mueller, The president of the group, says they made reservations two weeks ago for a large group of more than 50 people. When they arrived, they were told that their reservation had been canceled, and two other groups were set to use them.

Mueller added when no one showed up to use the reserved rooms, they felt they were being discriminated against because they are a conservative group. He says after a conversation with the owner, police were called by management. No one was arrested.

Read it all here.

No pizza for Tonchi.

This is pretty funny, because in a meeting that “Citizens for Cherry-picked Scorecards” held in Pierre after the last day of session, Citizens for Liberty bigwig Tonchi Weaver had booted SDGOP Chair Dan Lederman from a CFL meeting being held at Pizza Ranch in Ft. Pierre after a legislator had invited him for the Lunch…. because he wasn’t conservative enough for Tonchi.

The allegedly conservative Citizens for Liberty group seems to have an odd affinity for taking their politics inside the conclave of the Iowa-based pizza chain.

Even odder that they’re howling claims of discrimination when they supposedly remove people from their own meeting for failing to pass a litmus test.

Pennington Co GOP seeking replacement for Sean McPherson (Dist. 32 House) on ballot

Pennington County Republican Party Chair Marguerite McPhillips is telling the Argus Leader tonight that she has only heard from one interested person to take over the GOP Nomination for District 32 State Representative Sean McPherson. Sadly, Sean passed away before winning the Republican House primary on Tuesday:

The South Dakota Republican Party bylaws and state law dictate that Pennington County Republican Party Central Committee members select a replacement to run on the November ballot.

and..

McPhillips said the party would aim to have someone selected prior to the state party’s convention.

Another candidate and executive director of the Family Heritage Alliance, Ed Randazzo, could be selected to run in the general election. He came up short in the primary by 409 votes.

McPhillips said Randazzo had expressed interest in the nomination.

“We haven’t heard from anyone else,” McPhillips said.

Read it here.

If you’re a Republican living in District 32, and you have an interest in being selected to run in Representative McPherson’s position, call the Pennington County GOP at 605.348.8396.

You might also try and e-mail Marguerite directly. According to her listing on the SDFRW Board of Director’s page where she serves as President, you can reach her at Trooper_1949@q.com