Noem Discusses the Impact of Faith during National Bible Week

Pat Powers

Noem Discusses the Impact of Faith during National Bible Week

WASHINGTON, D.C. – In celebration of National Bible Week, Rep. Kristi Noem spoke on the House floor about the impact of faith in her life, as a mom, a citizen and a policymaker. This week marks the 76th annual National Bible Week.

Noem describes growing up in a church-going family and sharing that faith with her children. She also explains that “so many times, people try to navigate policy debates … by fighting to change another person’s mind.” Instead, she argues, policymakers should seek to change people’s hearts.

Director of CFPB resigns, giving Trump opportunity to reshape rogue agency whose structure had been found unconstitutional

Pat Powers

Hot off the press from the Hill, Richard Cordray, head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which has been hindering lenders in America from serving consumers through draconian regulation, (and is the subject of multiple lawsuits for operating in an unconstitutional manner) has announced his resignation from the agency:

The director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) announced his resignation Wednesday, giving President Trump the chance to reshape an agency that has long been the target of Republican ire.

Richard Cordray expects “to step down from his position here before the end of the month,” he wrote in an email that was sent to CFPB staff.

and..

Cordray’s departure came as welcome news to his detractors, who called for sweeping changes at the bureau under the next director.

Hensarling said “we are long overdue for new leadership at the CFPB,” which he called “structurally unconstitutional and completely unaccountable to the American people.”

“The resignation of the Bureau’s director is an excellent opportunity to enact desperately needed reforms,” Hensarling said. “Properly designed and led, it can truly protect consumers by ensuring they have access to competitive markets that are vigorously policed for fraud.”

Read it here.

With the departure of the director, this would be a great opportunity for President Trump and Congress to rein in the rogue agency, and place it back within constitutional authority.

Thune: Senate Tax Reform Bill Provides More Relief for Middle-Income Americans

Pat Powers

Thune: Senate Tax Reform Bill Provides More Relief for Middle-Income Americans

“Our bill provides immediate, direct relief to hardworking Americans.” 


WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today discussed the Senate’s tax reform plan, which is currently being considered in the Senate Finance Committee, of which he’s a member. Thune touted a recent Politico articlestating that middle-income people would see the largest decline in their tax bills, according to an analysis released by the nonpartisan Joint Committee on Taxation.

Thune also expressed his support for modifications that were made to the original bill by Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, which include Republican and Democrat amendments and will provide even more relief to middle-income American families.

To learn more about Thune’s work on tax reform, please visit the tax reform section on www.thune.senate.gov.

Release: Janet Brekke for City Council At Large

Pat Powers

Janet Brekke for City Council At Large

Former City Attorney, Janet Brekke, is inviting the media and public to a press conference kicking off her 2018 campaign for Sioux Falls City Council At Large.

The press conference will be Wednesday, November 15, 2017 at 2:00 p.m. at the downtown Siouxland Public Library, Conference Room B (200 N. Dakota Ave, Sioux Falls, SD).

“I have had the rare honor and privilege of serving this great city under five mayors operating under three different forms of City government and I believe my unique background in law, business and government will help move the City forward” Brekke said.

At the press conference she plans to give her reasons for running, her vision for the City and will take questions from the media on her ideas for a positive Sioux Falls future.

Brekke also states:  “When I am part of the policy making or legislative branch of Sioux Falls government, we will work together to advance the interests of our neighbors.  Our current mayor/council form of government is not as effective as it should be.  Having strong leadership on the Council establishes a much more proactive policy initiative role for the City.  My experience as both a successful businesswoman and the attorney who helped shape our form city government, I will move the City Council to better utilize the powers it has and improve the role it plays in City government.”

In asking the public to join her campaign she adds, “This is a critical time for Sioux Falls and us.  There are numerous issues and opportunities facing our city.  This is the time for our City government to map out a solid future for our children and grandchildren!”

Janet Brekke filed her Statement of Organization with the Sioux Falls City Clerk’s Office on Thursday, November 9, 2017 officially declaring her intent to run for City Council At Large Position A.

Is it a rumor if you leak stuff about yourself? Nelson hinting about some sort of campaign announcement.

Pat Powers

In response to my column below about Stace Nelson “wanting his $8 but saying hell no to raising legislator pay,” Nelson came out with his standard and predictable retort, the same one he uses with everyone he disagrees with, calling them a RINO.

But in an odd twist, he drops a rumor out there. About himself:

(An emoji too…)   I’m not sure that you can call it a rumor if you write it about yourself. Unless he’s referring to one of the other rumors out there.  I did poke around, and no one has heard anything recently.  You have to go back a few months to find anything.

The last rumor I’d heard came from Lora Hubbel, who criticized Nelson, and claiming his preference for the Democrat in the race for Governor…

So it could be that he’s supporting the Dem, or wants to be his running mate, or something like that. Prior to that, in May I had noted what I’d heard:

Insiders don’t expect State Sen. Stace Nelson, who placed third in the 2014 US Senate primary, to jump in a major statewide race in 2018. I’ve had people cite both health and lack of funds as reasons he’d likely stay out, although as recently as this past legislative session, it was noted to me that he was trying to talk people into it.

Read that here.

I was told that he probably wouldn’t enter the race for a couple of reasons.  (He called me names after that post as well.)  So, loving the Dem, or not running, are the only two things we’ve heard to this point.

If Nelson is trying to let on he is doing something else, if he’s dropping information about himself and a campaign announcement, I’d call it more of a hint or telegraphing his intentions than a rumor, per se. If he’s running, I don’t know that it would come as a shock.  But by the same token, I don’t know that it would cause any fanfare, either.

As I’ve noted before, Lora Hubbel has a head start on him, and likely would be splitting some of the vote for the same universe of supporters.

So, Nelson trying to tell us he’s getting into the race? Meh.  Despite the claim of a ‘campaign announcement rumor,’ no one has been buzzing about it up to this point.

If he gets in, it would be what it would be.

Legislative panel advances 70% wage increase. It might not pass, but it’s a discussion worth having.

Pat Powers

The State Legislative Executive Board advanced a proposal yesterday to increase legislative salaries  by nearly 70% in the first serious proposal on the measure since 1998:

The Executive Board unanimously approved a resolution that would tie legislators’ salaries to the median household income in the state. And that would likely mean a 70 percent raise for the state’s 105 lawmakers.

and..

The resolution’s supporters want to set legislator salaries at one-fifth of the most recent median household income. According to the 2015 U.S. Census, South Dakota’s median household income was $50,957 for that year, which would put lawmakers’ salaries around $10,191 annually.

Read it all here.

Is an increase in legislative salaries needed, and perhaps warranted based on the amount of time that legislators are taking time away from their primary jobs? Absolutely. At the very least, discussing it every 20 years may be warranted.

Everything is more expensive now than in 1998, and there are expenses people serving run into that aren’t compensated by salaries, as evidenced by this recent legislative complaint from Senator Stace Nelson:

Recently got back travel reimbursement for the hearings. $8 worth of parking meter expense (over 2 days) denied by the State Auditor… Wait for it… because of no receipts.

Read that here.

Legislative salaries in South Dakota have long been pointed to as a problem for our citizen legislature as a reason why you don’t see more active businessmen or others from a more varied walk of life serving in the office. Because for some odd reason, they don’t see the value in it costing them sometimes tens of thousands of dollars (or more) on an annual basis to serve a term as State Representative or State Senator.

As one State Legislator who departed in the past few years noted to me, “you only have so many productive years to provide for your family,” and serving in political office is sometimes more expensive than the personal or societal rewards.

I think most who study the issue agree that the current salary limits who might consider running. The problem is that the concept of ‘legislative salary increases’ is always a political hot potato, and that the headlines about it don’t really lay out the fact that it is less than a part-time salary for what in many cases is a full time job during the months they’re in session and for far beyond.

Now that the story has come out, the concept already seems to be the target of newspaper editors who write the story headlines as “South Dakota legislators want a pay raise” and “SD Legislators seek larger salaries.”   Well, not exactly.   That’s more than an over-simplification.

Newspapers are playing up the financial aspect for more sensationalized headlines, and there are politicians who are already playing it up for purposes of political grandstanding:

Yep. Senator “Where’s my eight dollars” is already protesting the proposal to put an increase to the voters.  What was I saying about ‘political grandstanding?’  Talking about how to get more people involved in the process deserves more than a knee jerk.

The reality is, the Legislature’s Executive board – which tries to look at the big picture – is offering a proposal to get more people to serve, or at least to consider running.  From here, it goes to the legislature to be further discussed and possibly amended by both the House and the Senate. And only then does it get sent to be considered for the ballot.

Do I think the measure is going to ultimately succeed? I’m a bit doubtful.  There are more working parts in getting something like this passed than just coming up with it, and the people proposing it are well aware of it, but you have to start somewhere.

First, is money. It’s going to be expensive to propose a bump in legislative salaries. And I believe both revenue may be down from projections, and what the federal government sends to South Dakota in several areas may be in a state of flux. That might be an impossible hurdle to get past among legislators to have the measure move forward in 2018.

Secondly, and more of an abstract concept, I think we’re in a time of hostility between the public and ‘the legislature’ as a broad concept, similar to how people feel about ‘Congress.’ They like and will vote to return their federal representatives, just as they like and will vote to return their state legislators.. but they just have a negative impression of the institution.    I think politically, that could make it a tough sell with the voters.

But tough sell or not, finding ways to make legislative service more accessible to a broader spectrum of the electorate is a discussion worth having. And amidst all the debate and testimony, we may find reasons which override and supersede any short term objections in the public’s eye, and bring more people into the process.

That’s not an ignoble goal.

And at the least, maybe someday Senator Nelson will get his $8 back.

Congrats to Julie Gross, new State Rural Development Director for South Dakota!

Pat Powers

Just saw this on Facebook where my friend Julie Gross with Lake Area Improvement Corporation in Madison just received an appointment from President Trump as announced by Secretary of Ag Sonny Perdue:

Julie and I worked together waaaay back when I was a Student Reserve Officer with the SDSU University Police writing parking tickets and she worked in the office.   A well deserved honor for a great person.