US Senator Mike Rounds was on Meet the Press this AM talking about the chemical weapon attack in Syria and the possibility of Chinese tariffs on American ag products:

There’s No Offseason for Wildfire Prevention
By Sen. John Thune

South Dakota is no stranger to wildfires. In fact, while we’re technically still in the offseason, it was only a few months ago that the Legion Fire scorched tens of thousands of acres in Custer State Park and forced numerous home evacuations in the area. Thankfully, no one was injured. It was a good reminder, though, that there’s no offseason when it comes to discussing ways to reduce the risk of future wildfire incidents, which is a good thing for the land, property owners, and local communities that often face the brunt of the damage and clean-up.

Congress recently took an important step in that direction. Included in a newly enacted law, which I supported in the Senate, was a package of proposals that will take a significant financial burden off of the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), one of the primary federal agencies that’s often tasked with both battling forest fires and helping to prevent them from happening in the first place.

Until this new bill was signed into law, wildfires weren’t treated the same as other natural disasters, like hurricanes. In those cases, dedicated federal funds were set aside to help with rescue operations and the subsequent clean-up. In bad wildfire years, like 2017, for example, the USFS was forced to use money that was set aside for other purposes, like tools for fire mitigation, to instead fight wildfires across the country. Every dollar intended for forest maintenance that’s spent battling a blaze is a dollar that isn’t being spent on future preventative measures.

Thanks to the change in the law, fire-borrowing (using previously allocated funds for unrelated fire suppression costs)will now be a thing of the past. A new contingency account will be established so the USFS can more efficiently prioritize its annual funding without having to worry about the uncertainty that can be created in bad wildfire years.

U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, who oversees the USFS, hailed the new law, saying, “Improving the way we fund wildfire suppression will help us better manage our forests. If we ensure that we have adequate resources for forest management, we can mitigate the frequency of wildfires and severity of future fire seasons.”

I’ve also introduced a handful of bills over the last few years – including the Prescribed Burn Approval Act, which was signed into law in 2016 – that would help with wildfire prevention and federal forest service management. Last August, I introduced the Forest Service Management Improvement Act. It would make several improvements to the forestry title of the farm bill by increasing the effectiveness of the Healthy Forest Restoration Act and improving the National Environmental Policy Act, which would help simplify and streamline federal forest management.

Several of these provisions were included in another bill, the Wildfire Prevention and Mitigation Act, which I cosponsored last fall with fellow senators from western and Great Plains states. While it’s still awaiting action in the Senate, I’m glad to see we’re already making good progress on reducing wildfire risk in other areas – an issue that I will continue to work with my colleagues, federal agencies, and landowners to strengthen.

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Proposed Chinese Tariffs Will Hurt Ag
By U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.)

With 95 percent of the world’s consumers living outside the U.S., free and fair trade in the international market is vital for American producers to thrive and grow. With approximately one-fifth of U.S. agriculture products going to foreign markets, our farmers and ranchers, in particular, benefit from positive trade agreements.

China recently unveiled a proposal to impose an additional 25 percent tariff on more than 100 U.S. goods, including soybeans, wheat, corn and beef, and it has already begun imposing increased tariffs on pork products. This is in response to recent actions by the administration to impose sanctions and increase tariffs on certain products coming into the United States. China is one of our biggest customers of soybeans, buying more than 60 percent of U.S. soybean exports each year. In South Dakota, we produced more than 241 million bushels of soybeans in 2017, many of which were purchased by China. Increased tariffs on soybeans and other U.S. products would be devastating to our already-struggling ag economy.

While I support the administration’s desire to negotiate better trade deals, I’ve continuously expressed my concern about retaliation from other countries. The new tariffs China is proposing on soybeans and other U.S. goods is a prime example. South Dakota farmers are rightly concerned about this announcement. As trade negotiations continue between the U.S. and China, I will continue to look at all avenues to prevent these proposed tariffs from becoming a reality.

I understand there is some time before these tariffs are imposed to allow for negotiations; however China’s tariff proposal is already having a real market effect. For example, every 10 cent drop in the soybean market represents a loss of $24 million to South Dakota soybean producers. When the Chinese announced the proposed tariffs, the market dropped 30 cents – a scary statistic for farmers about to start planting.

As the administration continues to negotiate trade deals, I encourage them to take both short and long-term implications into consideration. The best way to strengthen our negotiating position with China is to re-engage with trading partners in that region, specifically those in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). This will give us a tremendous advantage as we seek the best deal for South Dakota producers.

Earlier this year, I sent a letter to the president urging him to re-engage in TPP negotiations. Increasing engagement with the eleven TPP countries could greatly improve the competitiveness of U.S. businesses, including farms and ranches. Increasing access to a region and market that has a population of nearly 500 million—and growing—is a smart move for our country.

Free and fair trade drives down prices for American consumers and creates jobs here at home. We need to be creating and strengthening trade deals with our allies, including those in the TPP and the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). This will both expand our opportunities and strengthen our hand in negotiations with China. Over the past year, we’ve been able to substantially grow our economy through tax relief and regulatory reduction. As we continue to build on that success, we must open up new markets to U.S. products without hurting existing trade partnerships. Actions impacting our existing trade partnerships will negatively impact our economic growth.

I will continue working with my colleagues in the Senate to urge the administration to prioritize trade deals that benefit South Dakota businesses and our ag industry while also promoting positive trading relationships with our allies.

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Getting Infrastructure on the Right Track
By Rep. Kristi Noem

Recently, I had the opportunity to meet with employees of the Rapid City, Pierre and Eastern Railroad (RCP&E) in Huron. In many respects, these individuals lay the groundwork for our state’s economic prosperity.

In South Dakota, we have more than 1,800 miles of operational railroad lines, over which roughly half of our agriculture commodities travel. When hiccups occur, farmers often feel the impact immediately in the form of an increased basis. If backups or delays are bad enough, the state’s entire farm economy can be impacted, especially if prices are low and producers have little wiggle room financially. It’s critical, then, that we make the investments necessary to upgrade and maintain our nation’s network of railroads.

Like many features of America’s infrastructure system, the country’s railways are aging. Private American companies, however, have made significant investments to repair and modernize lines. From a policy perspective, these are investments I want to incentivize.

One way to do that is through the Short Line Tax Credit, which generally offers a $1 benefit for every $2 of private investment. First enacted in 2005, the credit has helped spark $4 billion worth of private investment by regional railroads, including millions of dollars in South Dakota.

In fact, the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association has held South Dakota up as an example of the credit’s effectiveness. They write: “the improvements made by the 670-mile Rapid City, Pierre & Eastern Railroad since it began operations in 2015 have already attracted over $311 million in new facility investments by six South Dakota companies. Those facilities employ 260 workers. This result is being duplicated in the 49 states that are served by America’s 603 short line railroads.”

But the credit expired in 2017. In response, I’ve cosponsored legislation to make the tax credit permanent and will fight to include that proposal in an upcoming tax package.

Additionally, I’ve been thrilled to see President Trump’s elimination of more than 1,600 unnecessary regulations, accelerating the pace at which developers can work. These same deregulation principles guided much of my advocacy in 2015, when we passed the first fully funded transportation bill in a decade and got it signed into law. The legislation cut red tape, streamlined rail project approvals, and increased support for highway-railway grade crossings.

But more can be done. President Trump has laid out an impressive infrastructure agenda to modernize our roads, bridges, and rails. More specifically, the president’s plan prioritizes investments in rural America, further reduces the regulatory burden, and puts a renewed focus on the skills training needed to fill construction jobs.

Much of South Dakota’s economy couldn’t operate without a robust railroad infrastructure. Thank you to all those who work so hard to move our commodities and goods efficiently, safely, and affordably.

Continuing The Courtesy Patrol’s Legacy
A column by Gov. Dennis Daugaard:

Eighty-three years ago, Gov. Tom Berry appointed South Dakota’s first patrolmen to enforce traffic laws and provide assistance to the public. Gov. Berry assigned ten men to what was then called the “Courtesy Patrol.” Each was given a car called a “milk wagon,” a tow chain, a first aid kit and a gallon of gasoline. The new officers were assigned to patrol the 2,000 miles of hard-surfaced roads and 4,000 miles of gravel highways.

Since the day Gov. Berry appointed those ten men, the South Dakota Highway Patrol has developed from a reactive organization to a proactive group of men and women that anticipates changes in highway safety and enforcement techniques. The Patrol has matured into a professional law enforcement agency prepared to respond to the needs of the public it serves.

This coming week 12 new recruits will officially join South Dakota’s Highway Patrol and continue the legacy of the original ten. Class 60 is made up of nine men and three women, and we will celebrate their completion of recruit academy and field training at a ceremony in the Rotunda of the Capitol Building.

Our graduates put in a lot of hard work to make it through training. They completed 13 weeks of law enforcement basic training, 10 weeks in Highway Patrol Academy and 10 weeks of field training. They endured rigorous physical training and their work in the classroom included memorization of laws, radio codes, policies and procedures. They received the latest instructions about firearms, defensive tactics, vehicle stops, search and seizure, accident investigation, DUI enforcement and motor carrier enforcement. Then they took that new knowledge and skills to the field and did exceedingly well with all of the challenges presented to them.

It’s easy for us to take our way of life for granted. There are many places around the world where chaos is the norm. In these places, lawlessness prevails and people live in fear, facing daily uncertainty over whether they’ll be able to protect themselves and their families. The difference between those places and the place we call home boils down to law enforcement.

Without enforcement, laws are useless and democracies collapse. So while our new recruits will be investigating crimes, keeping our highways safe, and protecting property, they will also be preserving our free society. They, along with the rest of the men and women who serve in law enforcement roles, deserve much credit for our way of life.

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From facebook.

Story up on KELO Radio here.

Apparently candidate for Congress Neal Tapio was discussing some strategy on how he was going to win. And it involved looking for another terrorist attack on US Soil to deliver the nomination.

A Republican political consulting firm, Rockbridge Strategies, released a poll yesterday showing Congresswoman Kristi Noem as polling 11 points up from Marty Jackley, which the Jackley people were quick to try to discredit.

This morning the polling firm, Advantage, Inc, released a little more information on the results:

Advantage, Inc
Project: South Dakota Governor Autopoll
4/4/18
Start Date				4-Apr
End Date				4-Apr
N= 500
Date		4-Apr		Total
Q1. Do you plan on voting in the June 5 Republican primary for governor?
1	Yes	500		500	100.00%
2	Not sure	0		0	0.00%
3	Unsure	0		0	0.00%
	TOTAL	500		500	100.00%
Q2.  If the candidates for governor in the Republican primary are Kristi Noem and Marty Jackley, who would you vote for?
1	Kristi Noem	220		220	44.00%
2	Marty Jackley	166		166	33.20%
3	Undecided	114		114	22.80%
	TOTAL	500		500	100.00%
Q3. Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of Kristi Noem?
1	Favorable	340		340	68.00%
2	Unfavorable	91		91	18.20%
3	No Opinion	69		69	13.80%
	TOTAL	500		500	100.00%
Q4. Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of Marty Jackley?
1	Favorable	295		295	59.00%
2	Unfavorable	96		96	19.20%
3	No Opinion	109		109	21.80%
	TOTAL	500		500	100.00%
Q5. Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of President Donald Trump?
1	Favorable	349		349	69.80%
2	Unfavorable	107		107	21.40%
3	No Opinion	44		44	8.80%
	TOTAL	500		500	100.00%
Q6. Are you male or female?
1	Male	250		250	50.00%
2	Female	250		250	50.00%
	TOTAL	500		500	100.00%

Libertarian Candidate for Governor CJ Abernathey is doing his best to show South Dakota what the Libertarian Party stands for. And apparently it must stand for telling women to get back in the kitchen because men should not be forced to hire them:

But it gets better. He’s not saying women aren’t good workers….

(He actually edited that?) Abernathey states “I’m just saying that it’s an extreme risk for an owner to hire a woman working around men in today’s society, and I think that women are to blame for that.”

….because women force the men to act inappropriately? Darn it. We knew it was all their fault!

Dang! Libertarian candidate CJ Abernathey must represent the enlightened wing of the Libertarian party.

Keeping women in line like they were in the 50’s. The 1850’s, that is.

Fake DC Polling Hits South Dakota Governor’s Race

PIERRE, SD: A fake poll pushed by a business partner of Noem for Governor campaign manager Justin Brasell has South Dakotans shaking their heads this week.

“We know that today’s fake poll is nothing more than a press release issued by a business partner of the congresswoman’s campaign manager Justin Brasell, so we can’t help but laugh and keep doing what we’re doing,” said Jackley for Governor campaign manager Jason Glodt.

Brasell, a DC operative who tried to disguise the poll as legitimate, has a history of using fake polling as a tactic to change public opinion. His relationship with Kyle Robertson, whose firm announced the poll results, goes back at least 15 years. In 2015, Brasell released the same type of poll from his firm touting a candidate whose campaign was being managed by none other than Kyle Robertson.

The fake poll conducted by Brasell showed Robertson’s candidate winning by a large margin, but he ended up placing a distant third place in that election.

Now the roles have reversed. Brasell is the campaign manager and Robertson is releasing fake polls for Brasell’s candidate in an attempt to deceive South Dakotans.

“Congresswoman Noem is a little late with her April Fools joke,” Glodt said.

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This mail piece is hitting mailboxes in Sioux Falls today for Janet Brekke, who is running for City Council:

Good gosh. Short of “Dear Occupant,” I can’t think of a more impersonal salutation than “Dear Fellow voters.”

And while I’m sure she’s a nice lady, the Brekke campaign using language such as “we need an elected Council working to help Theresa Stehly… Janet Brekke is that person” did not do the campaign any good. Because Brekke is now that person carrying her baggage. In tying herself to Councilor Stehly, she’s polarized those who aren’t Stehly supporters to absolutely vote against her.

There’s some language in the letter that would have come off far better if it had been bulleted, and there’s a fairly decent list of supporters on the letter. But I think the good in the letter is far overshadowed by the campaign gaffes.

Someone should have gotten this campaign some professional help, because I don’t know that this campaign piece did the candidate any good.

In fact, it may have done the opposite.