This endorsement letter was in Mailboxes today from the mayor of Edgemont to Republican Delegates today urging their support of Lance Russell for Attorney General:

Congressional hopeful Shantel Krebs has a new campaign commercial up. And you can watch it here:

Bon Homme County States Attorney Lisa Rothschadl Endorses Ravnsborg for Attorney General 

TYNDALL, SD: Bon Homme County States Attorney Lisa Rothschadl endorses Attorney General Candidate Jason Ravnsborg.

“Jason is a skilled lawyer whom I have had both jury and court trials along with many hearings for over a decade in both criminal and civil matters.” Rothschadl said. “Jason is honest, hard working and always represents his clients zealously.”

“Jason has also been a valuable resource through the years in various points of the law.” Rothschadl stated. “I know I will be able to work with Jason as Attorney General, as I have been able to work with him in the past. I look forward to working with Jason as our next Attorney General, he has my full support and endorsement.”

Bon Homme County States Attorney Lisa Rothschadl has been the Bon Homme County States Attorney since 1997.

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Noem Releases Family First Initiative
Mom of 3 commits to a strengthening families and preserving SD values

CASTLEWOOD, S.D. – Kristi Noem today released her Family First Initiative, which aims to strengthen families and preserve South Dakota values.

“My husband, Bryon, and I are blessed with three incredible kids, who are surrounded by aunts and uncles, cousins and grandparents that love them and continually invest in their education and upbringing,” said Noem. “Our faith and that strong family unit has helped us get through the tough times, and in many respects, compelled me to leave college after my dad’s death, return to the farm and ranch full-time, and dedicate my life to building on the dreams my parents had for their children. If elected, I’m committed to being a family-first governor, fighting to strengthen the family unit and preserve the values South Dakota has long embraced.”

• Defend family values from the very beginning. I am pro-life, something my record will always reflect. In Congress, where I earned a 100 percent rating from National Right to Life, I’ve worked to systematically toughen abortion laws. As governor, I want to make sure South Dakota can play a leading role in that effort, a commitment that’s earned the endorsement of the conservative Susan B. Anthony List. If elected, I will:

  • Assign an Unborn Person Advocate within the governor’s office to monitor, report, and recommend legislative and policy changes;

  • Actively pursue all available legislative options to stop abortion and protect the lives of unborn babies;

  • Oppose any efforts to legalize physician-assisted suicide; and

  • Work to proactively defend South Dakota’s pro-life policies, engaging the top legal minds to litigate on behalf of our values, if necessary.

• Protect religious liberty and traditional marriage.

• Decrease dependency by making it easier for parents to work. More specifically, I will:

  • Encourage flexibility for parents pursuing new skills at South Dakota tech schools and universities;

  • Help give parents the support needed to choose the child care that fits their family structure;

  • Strengthen work requirements; and

  • Increase child support accountability.

• Recognize good parenting is a learned skill. I’d like to expand family education programs to better prevent domestic violence and intervene before it occurs in the home. My administration would also encourage high schools to invest in family and consumer science programs, sharing the value of strong family units and building an understanding of the responsibilities that come with a household.

• Respect parental rights.

• Support military family readiness programs.

• Expand residential and family-based drug treatment options.

• Connect incarcerated moms and dads with parenting education and employment resources.

• Make strong families a priority in all government activities. Strong families create strong communities. Because of this understanding, I will not raise taxes on families, grow government, or allow federal bureaucrats to tell us how to live. Family must remain the central figure in our public policy.

Read the full plan here.

GOP Gubernatorial candidate Neal Tapio just dropped a TV commercial out on YouTube which is also started running as a radio ad today on KELO Radio.

It’s well-produced spot with a professional voice-over. And it arguably represents the first real attack ad of any campaign this primary season.

In the advertisement, he goes after his opponents, singling out Shantel Krebs as helping to implement Obamacare, and attacks Dusty Johnson as having worked for the “scandal ridden” Daugaard administration:

Tapio might elicit a response from his opponents with this one. Or possibly the administration. But there’s no doubt he’s taking the gloves off, if they were ever on.

Tapio is scheduled to appear alongside his GOP primary opponents tonight at the Union County Lincoln Day Dinner.

Tamera Enalls, one of the Republican Primary Candidates for the House in District 25, has a video out talking about her background and her candidacy of Facebook this weekend. Check it out:

From my mailbox…

After 20 years of service, (Lincoln County) Sheriff Dennis Johnson will be retiring at the end of the year; and there is great interest in meeting the Republican candidates who want to replace him. We have all three candidates firmly committed, and Sheriff Johnson will be joining us as well.

The media and public are cordially invited to join us on Thursday, May 17th, 6 pm, at the Tea Pizza Ranch for a moderated forum via written questions submitted with timed answers. Our moderator is Justin Smith, attorney at law.

 

6-6:30 social mixer
6:30-7:15 Forum
7:15-8:00 social

Net Neutrality Needs Bipartisan Legislation, Not More Political Theater
By Sen. John Thune

I support net neutrality. I support rules that prevent blocking, throttling, and paid prioritization of internet traffic. I believe these principles should guide us on Capitol Hill as we work to expand broadband access to even the most remote and rural areas of the country.

You might be surprised to learn that most of my fellow senators believe this too.

Unfortunately, manufactured controversy often gets more attention in Washington than real solutions. We have seen this in recent months as some in Congress and outside groups have shaped an ominous narrative surrounding the way we regulate the internet.

The internet is too important for partisan politics. Congress must codify widely accepted net neutrality protections through bipartisan legislation.

Instead of crafting forward-looking solutions that protect internet users and promote innovation, however, Congress will spend time on more political theater.

Rather than voting for 21st Century rules to protect the internet, we’ll be taking a show vote on whether to look backwards and re-apply rules meant for the old Ma’ Bell phone system to the modern internet.

This is a mistake, and only delays concrete protections for a free and open internet.

The misguided decision to apply regulations created in 1934 for voice telephone services to the internet—adopted on a party-line vote by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in 2015—has, according to the FCC, slowed investment, preventing the improvement and expansion of services to the 39 million Americans living in rural parts of the country.

The uncertainty in the future of regulation, caused by the ever-shifting political winds, means investments to connect more Americans in states like South Dakota are likely to remain stagnant.

It doesn’t have to be this way. For years, I have called for bipartisan legislation—by elected representatives, not unelected bureaucrats at the FCC—that would permanently ban blocking, throttling, and paid prioritization by broadband internet providers.

The new leadership of the FCC has given us an opportunity to do just that, by freeing the internet from outdated, monopoly-era regulations.

If the Democrats are serious about long-term protections for consumers, they should look ahead towards a bipartisan solution, rather than looking backwards and trying to reverse the current FCC’s Restoring Internet Freedom Order.

Claims that this order would mean slower internet speeds have already been rebutted in a recent independent fact check.

The bottom line is, Congress should be spending time on a permanent solution that is not subject to Washington power shakeups—one that will spur all communities into the 21st Century and encourage a new wave of American innovation and competitiveness.

Regardless of how the Senate votes this month, the Congressional Review Act (CRA) effort will not provide Americans with lasting protections for the internet. If anything, the tempest over the CRA has stalled conversations among legislators on both sides of the aisle who have demonstrated eagerness to come together and find a bipartisan solution.

Once the latest showdown is over, we should set aside the fear mongering and manufactured hand-wringing and get to work on a solution that ends this debate and protects the economic engine of the internet for generations of Americans to come.

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Opening New Markets for South Dakota Producers
By U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.)

Agriculture is the economic engine for many communities across the upper Great Plains. Farmers and ranchers play a critical role in feeding and fueling a growing global population, and also in our national security strategy. When we can produce affordable, nutritious food here at home, we don’t have to rely on other countries to obtain it. However, ag income has been in decline over the past five years, in part due to low commodity prices. I recently introduced a bipartisan bill with Senator Angus King of Maine and Senator John Thune of South Dakota that would open up much-needed new markets for small producers and processers.

Our common sense legislation would allow meat and poultry products that have been inspected by a Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS)-approved state Meat and Poultry Inspection (MPI) program to be sold across state lines. Right now, there are 27 states with inspection programs certified by FSIS, which meet or exceed federal inspection standards. However, products processed at these FSIS-approved state MPI inspected facilities are not currently allowed to be sold across state lines.

Under federal regulations, state MPI standards must be “at least equal to” federal meat and poultry inspection programs. In South Dakota, state-inspected meat products such as beef and pork are limited to markets within South Dakota despite being subject to inspections equal to or exceeding federal inspection standards.

Our bill would level the playing field for meat and poultry products while maintaining the highest quality standards for consumers. Since the state inspection standards are required by law to be equal to or better than the federal inspection standards, it makes sense to allow products that pass state inspection protocols to be sold across state lines. This legislation will create new markets for producers and processers, give consumers more choices at the grocery store and continue to maintain the high quality and safety standards necessary to keep consumers healthy.

We’re happy to have the support of prominent ag groups such as the United States Cattlemen’s Association, the South Dakota Cattlemen’s Association, the South Dakota Farm Bureau, the American Farm Bureau, the South Dakota Pork Producers, the South Dakota Stockgrowers and the South Dakota Meat Inspection Program Director. We also appreciate the support of Governor Dennis Daugaard.

South Dakota farmers and ranchers consistently produce among the highest quality products in the world. Our bill opens up new markets for small South Dakota producers and gives them the opportunity to compete in markets throughout the United States. As Congress continues its work on the upcoming farm bill, we will be seeking to get our commonsense legislation included in this important legislation.

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No Matter the Call
By Rep. Kristi Noem

I am incredibly grateful for the work of South Dakota’s law enforcement officers. The job has never been easy, but with violent crime on the rise, a growing drug epidemic, and a looming mental health crisis, more is being asked of our men and women in blue than ever before.

Between 2005 and 2015, South Dakota’s violent crime rate doubled. Drug arrests are up. Aggravated assault and domestic violence is increasing. Sioux Falls has become more dangerous than Fargo, North Dakota, or Omaha, Nebraska. And people are feeling the impact. I hear all the time how our communities just don’t feel like they did 15 years ago; they feel less safe.

When President Trump was sworn in last year, he brought his profound respect for law enforcement into the Oval Office. Together, we’ve increased support for those in blue. For instance, we expanded Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) grants, which are used for hiring and training police officers and have provided $13 million in funding to South Dakota law enforcement in the last five years.

In South Dakota, much of the drain on our resources comes from a growing drug epidemic. In recent months, Governor Daugaard declared that meth use in South Dakota was at epidemic levels. Opioid abuse is on the rise as well. While I believe prevention is key, I introduced a set of bills to strengthen families during drug addiction treatment and amplify efforts to prevent the child abuse and neglect that can result from drug use.

Additionally, I’m working to cut off drugs at their source. President Trump’s border wall is critical to stemming illegal drug trafficking, and I’ve voted to fully fund his proposal. I’m also working on legislation to crack down on Mexican drug traffickers and those who help facilitate their illicit activities at the border.

Moreover, we need to fix the quirks in the law that make law enforcement jobs harder, which is what my CUFF Act intends to do. The bill is commonsense: it prohibits individuals with outstanding felony warrants or parole violations from receiving certain Social Security benefits. It’s not only unfair to ask taxpayers to pay people who are fleeing the law, but it’s self-defeating to subsidize someone’s attempt to shirk law enforcement. As Staci Ackerman, Executive Director of the South Dakota Sheriffs’ Association said, the bill would “limit [a wanted felon or parole violator’s] ability to avoid justice using taxpayer dollars to evade capture.” This bill was passed in the House and is awaiting a vote in the Senate.

Each of these tools aim to help law enforcement do their job better and more safely. This, in turn, keeps our communities safer. As we mark National Police Week on May 13 through 19, I ask that you find a way to thank the heroes who protect us every day as well as their families, who often wait anxiously for their loved one to return home each shift, not knowing what situations they faced that day.

Finally, on behalf of my family and I, please know that we’re praying for you and for your safety. I admire the work of our law enforcement officers and the courage required to respond no matter the call.