Economic and Workforce Development Go Hand in Hand
By Rep. Kristi Noem

It’s been a while since we’ve heard optimism about the economy. The unemployment rate is hovering around 4 percent. The economy is consistently producing more than 200,000 jobs per month. Nearly 7 in ten Americans feel good about where the economy is headed – that’s up five percentage points since June alone and comparable to what folks felt in the early 2000’s, according to a recent CBS News poll. Even the New York Times posted a headline that read: “Jobs Roar Back.”

While momentum must continue on key growth issues like regulatory relief and tax reform, we must also focus on another area: our workforce. Are young people getting the training and qualifications they need to compete and win in this new, modernized, and growing economy? Too often, the answer I hear is “not quite.”

In South Dakota, we are incredibly blessed to have a network of tech schools that provide training for the most in-demand jobs. Recently, WalletHub ranked us as having the nation’s best system of community colleges. So, this August, I stopped by Lake Area Tech in Watertown to discuss with local businesses and educators what makes South Dakota stand out.

At Lake Area Tech, 99 percent of graduates are employed after graduation, and they’re often landing good jobs, earning around 25 percent more than other new hires. What makes the difference? For one, South Dakota tech schools, like Lake Area Tech, are providing quality training and education. But they are also putting in the work necessary to connect those educating our workforce with those hiring our workforce. That connection can be instrumental to a student’s success.

This partnership between educators and employers ought to be a model for the nation. Earlier this year, I helped pass the Strengthening Career and Technical Education Act through the U.S. House of Representatives. The legislation takes many of the ideas that are working at places like Lake Area Tech and creates an infrastructure for them to work nationwide.

More specifically, the legislation would better align education with in-demand jobs. It does so by lifting some of the barriers that discourage strong partnerships between job creators and educators. It also grants states and local community leaders more flexibility in using federal education dollars, opening opportunities for innovative learning experiences. Finally, the bill would increase transparency to ensure career and technical education programs are delivering real results.

These are smart reforms that I’m hopeful the Senate will take up soon, so we can get them to the president’s desk.

There’s a lot of focus right now on economic development, which is necessary and a good change of pace from the previous administration. I’m going to continue to build on the successes we’ve had repealing job-killing regulations while also pursuing tax reform that leaves more money in people’s pockets and helps businesses create jobs and increase wages.

But alongside economic development, we have a responsibility to pursue workforce development. America’s most valuable asset is – and always has been – our people. We are hardworking and smart. We take pride in a “Made in America” label. And we live by a set of values that celebrate freedom, liberty, and personal responsibility. By continuing to innovate new, more effective workforce development programs, we can help Americans from all walks of life not only find good-paying jobs, but meaningful careers they can grow in.

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Graduating College, Career and Life Ready
A column by Gov. Dennis Daugaard:

It’s hard to believe my oldest grandchild is starting kindergarten this year. With a week-and-a-half left before his first day, Henry is looking forward to starting school.

Even though it’s been a while since I was in the classroom, I’ve learned a few things as a parent, public servant and now, grandfather. I know how crucial education is to individual achievement and how, particularly during high school, planning and forming good habits can help students succeed.

For high schoolers and their parents, I have three tips to share for the upcoming school year.

First, don’t underestimate the importance of showing up. Some absences cannot be avoided, and that is understandable. Sometimes, though, absences add up without students and families noticing. Research tells us that missing just 10 percent of a school year negatively impacts student achievement. That breaks down to missing only two or three days of school a month. So it’s easy to see how those absences can accumulate, yet escape families’ attention.

This tip applies beyond just high schoolers, as it is important to build good attendance habits from the beginning. In the earliest grades, good attendance is a strong predictor for whether students will be proficient readers. By middle school, chronic absence puts students at risk of not graduating. In fact, by 9^th grade, a student’s attendance record is an even better predictor of graduation rates than are 8^th grade test scores.

Second, high school juniors and seniors should consider dual credit options. Dual credit courses allow students to simultaneously earn high school and college credit. For those with busy schedules or who live in rural areas, dual credit courses can be taken online. At only $48.33 per credit hour, these courses provide students and their families significant cost savings. These are the cheapest university or technical school credits a student will ever take, and they can save hundreds of dollars by taking just one course. Last year, South Dakota students saved more than $4.4 million by using this program – averaging more than $1,000 per student in savings.

And last, enjoy the present but think about the future. High school is the time to start thinking about career paths. High schoolers should explore different fields by taking advantage of internships, job-shadowing opportunities and hands-on learning experiences. They need to begin to weigh their interests, goals, and abilities, and to consider what jobs are available and what paths will lead to employment.

The goal of our education system is to successfully prepare students for college, career and life. Whether they go on to one of our state’s public universities, technical institutes or right into the workforce, we want students to graduate with a plan in place for taking their next steps. Consistent attendance, dual credit and job exploration can help lay the foundation for that to happen.

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Noem Introduces CRP Payment Fix

Washington, D.C. – Rep. Kristi Noem today introduced the Fair CRP Payment Act to better ensure CRP rates accurately reflect the current cost of renting farmland.

“Growing up, my dad always talked about how important it was to have access to land, because, as he would say, ‘God isn’t making more of it,’” saidNoem. “The ag economy can change significantly from year-to-year, and if CRP rates aren’t updated quickly enough, they can distort local rental markets and make it difficult for farmers – particularly beginning farmers – to access productive farmland. I’m hopeful this legislation will ensure producers don’t have to compete with unfair CRP rates.”

CRP payments are based on county rental rate averages. Currently, the National Agricultural Statistic Service (NASS) conducts rental rate surveys every other year, resulting in slow reactions to market changes. Under Noem’s Fair CRP Payment Act, rental rate surveys would be conducted annually to more accurately reflect rate changes.

Last week, Noem joined members of the House Agriculture Committee for a Farm Bill listening session to hear from producers about changes needed in ag policy. In addition to today’s legislation, Noem has introduced the DRY Act and the Wetland Determinations Efficiency and Transparency Act, which are all being considered as the Farm Bill moves forward.

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The former Rothenberg Report, now “Inside Elections” came out with an article this week with an extensive review of South Dakota’s US House Race, with a number of tidbits in it that.

What are they noting in their report about the 2018 Congressional race?

*Dusty Johnson is using General Consultants Jeff Burton and Bruce Harvie of Prevail Strategies, and Lawrence & Schiller for Media and Digital.

* The Krebs campaign team consists of general consultant Sean Brown of Axiom Strategies, who is also handling Direct Mail.

* Tim Bjorkman‘s general consultant is Drey Samuelson, and they’re still in the process of assembling their team.

* And Dem’s potty-mouthed candidate Chris Martian has supposedly sent an e-mail to the Democrat Party early this summer saying he’s no longer running.

The article also speaks a bit about how the candidates line up, and Neal Tapio’s potential entrance into the race:

Lots of interesting stuff in it.

Check out the entire article here (subscription required)

If you’re reading one of those other websites this morning, you learned at least one new thing.

While you already might have known about an endorsement for Shantel Krebs that we wrote about back in March, you also learned that Marty Jackley has a new opponent:

(Cory doesn’t seem sure what race he’s writing about, but I’m sure he’ll figure it out eventually.)

Sponsors of a legislative measure dictating that people use the bathroom that corresponds with the gender on their birth certificate announced that they will be abandoning their effort and wait for a new Governor, but also made a point to call the bathroom/locker room mandate “an issue for the legislature, not the ballot.”

According to the associated press:

A major supporter of restricting which facilities transgender students could use in South Dakota schools plans to pause its effort at the Capitol and instead wait until the 2019 session when a new, potentially more favorable governor will be in office, a top official said Thursday.

Family Heritage Alliance Action won’t bring a “student privacy act” next session in part because of GOP Gov. Dennis Daugaard’s past opposition, said Ed Randazzo, the nonprofit’s director of political operations.

And…

But Randazzo said he’s buoyed because the two top Republicans vying to succeed Daugaard — Attorney General Marty Jackley and U.S. Rep. Kristi Noem — have offered support for the idea. Daugaard can’t run again next year because of term limits and leaves office in 2019.

And…

Randazzo said that the last he’d heard, the initiative (similar measure backed by another individual – pp) was going to be withdrawn. He said it’s an issue for the Legislature, not the ballot.

“The reason for that is: I think you invite outside forces, outside money, outside interests … influencing the laws of South Dakota, and we don’t particularly like that,” Randazzo said.

Read it here.

Whatever you think about the bathroom measure, not putting it to the ballot because it should go through the legislature is actually a refreshing change of pace.

The annual Brookings County Republican picnic is tomorrow night in Hillcrest Park here in Brookings. 

You can meet local & state officials and candidates… and with potentially two legislative seats open, maybe pick up some support for running yourself.

Be there!

Attorney General Jackley Joins Request to U.S. Supreme Court to Review Establishment Clause of the United States Constitution 

PIERRE, S.D –  South Dakota Attorney General Marty   Jackley announces  that South Dakota has joined with 20 other State Attorneys General as amicus curiae, or friend of the court, requesting that the United States Supreme Court review whether a   monument of the Ten Commandments placed on city property violates the Establishment Clause of the United States Constitution.

“One of my primary responsibilities as Attorney General is to protect state and individual rights.  The joining State Attorneys General seek freedom to erect, authorize, and maintain constitutional religious displays on public property without   the ongoing threat of wasteful litigation and request our United States Supreme Court clarify its Establishment Clause doctrine,” said  Jackley.

The brief requests the United States Supreme Court grant certiorari to clarify when religious text and symbols on monuments many be displayed on public property without violating the Establishment Clause. The State Attorneys General request the Supreme Court provide a clear, workable test for lower federal courts in order to avoid the potential of all states having to enter into costly litigation to preserve the historical practice of religious monuments on public property.

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From the Watertown Public Opinion, Speaker of the House Mark Mickelson was out on the road yesterday to promote his ballot measure increasing taxes on tobacco products to help fund tuition for Tech Schools:

and…

Although Mickelson acknowledged there is little correlation between tobacco and technical institutes, he had a simple explanation as to why the potential ballot measure is looking at raising only the tobacco tax: It’s easier.

Polling conducted by Mickelson’s associates showed about 65 percent support for the tax.

“We only picked tobacco because the public will support it. It’s that simple,” Mickelson said. “We already know the public supports tech students. But it’s a lot harder to get people to reach into their pocket with their support. We think this is a place they will reach into their pockets to support it.”