US Senator Mike Rounds’ Weekly Column: Repealing Obamacare First Step Toward Replacing it with a Truly Affordable, Patient-Centered Plan

Repealing Obamacare First Step Toward Replacing it with a Truly Affordable, Patient-Centered Plan
by U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.)

When I ran for Senate, I ran on the promise to do everything I could to repeal and replace the unworkable Affordable Care Act (ACA) and mitigate the damaging effects it was having on South Dakota families, health care providers and small businesses. After two years and a Republican entering the White House eager to work with us, the 115th Congress has finally begun the process of repealing and replacing the ill-advised law.

The Senate took the first steps recently by passing a repeal resolution, a necessary component that will allow us to repeal the law later this year by a simple majority vote. Meanwhile, the Senate continues to work on a replacement that is affordable, market-driven and truly centered around the patient. These are the fundamental principles that Obamacare has failed to deliver to the American people.

As the repeal timeline is established, there will be a transition period before its replacement is fully implemented. We recognize the need to protect healthcare benefits during this transition. There is agreement that continuation of coverage is an important part of any replacement plan. We anticipate that there will be many options made available for health care design and coverages through this replacement legislation. However, all will include a guaranteed renewal of coverage, portability of coverage and children remaining on their families’ plans until the age of 26. 

Since the partisan law was enacted seven years ago, Americans have been painfully aware of its shortcomings. Supporters of the law promised that premiums would go down. Instead, they continue to skyrocket, increasing 37 percent in South Dakota this year alone. Supporters also promised that those who liked their coverage could keep it, yet since the ACA was enacted nearly 5 million Americans lost the health care plans they enjoyed.

Americans are also left with fewer health care options when seeking coverage. Because insurers are losing so much money on Obamacare, many have left the marketplace altogether. Over half of the Obamacare co-ops have already failed. South Dakota is one of nine states which have only two health care providers offering insurance plans on the exchange. Five more states have only one provider in their state, a dramatic decrease from the pre-Obamacare era. 

Countless South Dakotans have contacted my office to share their problems with Obamacare. One father of three from Rapid City wrote me recently to explain that his family’s premium was rising 357 percent for 2017. “I do not know what my next year will bring,” he wrote, “but I do know that I will likely be unable to afford my premiums or my needed health care.”

Another gentleman, from Sioux Falls, is facing a 47 percent increase in his premium this year, on top of an increase in copays and the deductible. A South Dakota veteran also wrote asking Congress to provide Obamacare relief to small business owners after seeing his premium more than double from $800 a month to more than $1,600 between 2014 and 2016. Hard-working, middle-class South Dakotans “are falling through the cracks,” he pleaded. I couldn’t agree more.

Since the law was being debated in 2009, I have warned that Obamacare is unaffordable and unsustainable, and that it would eventually crumble under its own weight. That is what we are seeing today, and that is why the 115th Congress acted swiftly to begin the process to repeal it. As we continue the march toward repeal, we will also work on a replacement that is truly affordable, patient-centered and market-based.

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Release: Bill to Allow the Release of Certain Booking Photographs Passes Full Senate

Bill to Allow the Release of Certain Booking Photographs Passes Full Senate

PIERRE, S.D. Attorney General Marty Jackley announced today that SB 25, a bill providing the release of certain booking photographs has passed the full Senate. The Senate Judiciary Committee passed the bill on Thursday, January 12.

“The release of criminal booking photographs to the public will result in greater transparency in the criminal process, enhance public safety, and will further assist the media and the public in the proper identification of individuals in the criminal   process,” said Jackley.

The bill would allow routine criminal booking photographs to be defined as a public record under South Dakota law. The statutes would not require a law enforcement agency to reproduce a criminal booking photograph older than six   months.

Furthermore, an agency requested to provide or reproduce a criminal booking photograph would be entitled to recover reasonable retrieval and reproduction costs.

This legislation was a result of the work of the Attorney General’s Open Government Task Force, which included members of the media, law enforcement and municipal organizations.

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US Senator John Thune’s Weekly Column: A Health Care System That Works for South Dakotans

A Health Care System That Works for South Dakotans
By Sen. John Thune

The Republican-led Congress heard the American people loud and clear on Obamacare. The law is broken beyond repair, and Americans are looking for a better, more patient-centered approach. According to a recent poll, eighty percent of Americans want to see the law substantially changed or repealed and replaced entirely. In South Dakota alone, I’ve heard from hundreds of people who have been negatively affected by Obamacare, and it is heart wrenching to read some of their stories.

One person in particular told me the premium for his family’s health insurance spiked by 357 percent this year. Stories like this one are why South Dakotans are upset and why they feel let down by a political party in Washington that sold them a lemon of a health care system. Obamacare was supposed to drive down costs, but premiums and deductibles have skyrocketed. It was supposed to increase choices, but some Americans have been relegated to a single option for coverage. That’s not choice, and it’s not affordable either.

The law isn’t working, and the sooner my Democrat colleagues accept that reality, the sooner we can move toward a health care system that actually works for the American people. Democrats have been so focused on the number of people they claim have signed up for Obamacare that they forget about the millions of Americans who lost the coverage they had and liked before the president signed the bill in the first place. They also forget that when it comes to Obamacare, “coverage” and “affordability” aren’t exactly synonymous. The deductibles for some plans are so high that it’s hard to even call it coverage at all.

That’s why Republicans have for years pledged that when we had majorities in both houses of Congress and a willing partner in the White House, we would repeal this failed law once and for all and replace it with common-sense reforms that put the American people first. Congress has already taken some important first steps that have laid the groundwork to fully and finally repeal and replace Obamacare, but there’s more work ahead.

It’s important to know that when we send a repeal bill to President Trump, we won’t be pulling the rug out from under the American people. Our plan will include a transition period to protect Americans with existing Obamacare coverage from being left high and dry. While we’re still determining how long that transition period should be, Republicans are unified in our goal to repeal Obamacare, which is why we’re using it as a starting point.

When it comes to replacing Obamacare, you’re not going to see Republicans roll out a massive government-knows-best bill that takes over the nation’s health care system. Democrats tried that with Obamacare, and it failed miserably. Republicans will work toward replacing Obamacare with step-by-step reforms that actually lower costs and increase access to care. It’s what the American people deserve and have been asking for, and I hope Democrats join us in working toward this important goal as well.

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Congresswoman Kristi Noem’s Weekly Column: Nothing Less than a Miracle

Nothing Less than a Miracle
By Rep. Kristi Noem

March 4, 1797, marked one of the most important days in American history: the inauguration of our second president and the first transition of power. In the two-plus centuries since, more than three dozen men have stepped aside as George Washington did, watching as their successor placed his hand upon the Bible and promised to “preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.”  While the inauguration ritual can seem ordinary to us today, President Ronald Reagan reminded America during his 1981 inaugural address that “this every-four-year ceremony we accept as normal is nothing less than a miracle.”

January 20, 2017, will mark the first time I get to observe this “normal miracle” up close. I’ll have the opportunity to sit behind President-elect Trump on a stage built at the doorstep of the people’s legislative house, the U.S. Capitol, as Chief Justice Roberts administers the 35-word Oath of Office.  It’s a rare meeting of the federal government’s three branches and a powerful symbol of our constitutional government.

Behind us, five American flags will be hung.  At the center, our current flag with 50 stars to represent the Union the president-elect will lead today.  To the left and right, flags with as many stars as there were states when New York – President-elect Trump’s home state – joined the Union, pointing us back to our roots as a republic.  At the far left and right, flags symbolizing our small, yet united, beginning, with 13 stars shaped to form an unending circle.

From this stage to the ceremony itself, Inauguration Day is a moment of unity, joining the past with the present, the states with the federal government, the Executive Branch with the Legislative and Judicial, Republicans with Democrats.

For many, 2016 was one of the ugliest elections of their lifetime.  But as divided as we may feel today, America is still rooted in a truth John Adams expressed during his inaugural address: we have a government where those writing and executing our laws are fellow citizens that have been selected “by their neighbors.” This is a government in which we, the people, govern ourselves.  It’s a government, not administered by those who were born into power, but by those who were chosen by their neighbors to lead.

As President-elect Trump places his hand on the Bible, the history of America will be laid out before him.  From the stage, he’ll be able to see the Lincoln Memorial, a striking symbol of the leadership required to unite a nation.  He’ll see the World War II Memorial, which represents America’s power when we work as one while also reminding us all this freedom we enjoy comes at a cost.

Most prominently, the president-elect will see our monument to America’s first president, the man who is often credited with asking: “What is most important of this grand experiment, the United States? Not the election of the first president but the election of its second president. The peaceful transition of power is what will separate this country from every other country in the world.”

As I take in this same view on Inauguration Day, George Washington’s example of leadership will not be lost on me.  I can’t possibly express how humbled I am to take part in this historic event. After all, it really wasn’t that long ago that I would have been getting ready for calving season, never dreaming I’d be attending a presidential inauguration, sitting in awe of this American routine that is nothing less than a miracle.

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Governor Daugaard’s Weekly Column: Amazon’s Big Step In The Right Direction

Amazon’s Big Step In The Right Direction
A column by Gov. Dennis Daugaard:

South Dakota is a state with a low tax burden. We are one of only seven states without a personal income tax. We also have no corporate income tax, no business inventory tax, no personal property tax and no inheritance tax. People who live here get to keep more of their earnings.

We are a state that instead relies on a sales tax. Unfortunately, sales tax revenues have been below projections every month of the current fiscal year, which began in July. The farm economy is one reason for weakness in the sales tax. Another reason is the continued growth of online sales.

Online spending in the United States has grown more than 12 percent each year for the past seven years. Under current federal law, an online retailer is not required to collect and remit sales tax unless they have a physical presence in South Dakota. If you buy a new iPad at your local retailer, you pay the sales tax. If you buy it online at BestBuy.com or WalMart.com, you pay the sales tax, because those businesses have retail operations in South Dakota. But if you buy your iPad from TigerDirect.com, you don’t pay sales tax – simply because Tiger Direct has no warehouse or other physical location in South Dakota. Thus the burden to pay the tax falls upon the individual purchaser, and in most cases, those sales do not get reported.

We have been actively addressing this issue for years, but most recently in the 2016 Legislative Session, the Legislature passed and I signed Senate Bill 106. This legislation requires remote sellers with no physical location in South Dakota to collect and remit sales tax on online purchases. Our SD legislation deliberately conflicts with federal law, to prompt litigation now working its way through the courts.

This is not a new tax. It is an issue of tax uniformity. If South Dakota retailers must collect sales taxes, their online competitors should as well.

The Department of Revenue has been reaching out to many online retailers to encourage them to remit sales tax. Thanks to the Department’s efforts, 101 online businesses without a physical presence in our state are voluntarily collecting sales tax from their customers and remitting those dollars. In my State of the State Address, I announced that the state has reached an agreement with Amazon to collect and remit state and local sales taxes in South Dakota. Amazon will begin collecting sales taxes on Feb. 1 and remitting those dollars beginning in late March.

Amazon is a leading online merchant, growing every year by double digits. Amazon’s decision to collect sales tax doesn’t solve the sales tax issue for online purchases, but it’s a big step in the right direction – for our state and our local businesses. I hope other online companies will follow Amazon’s lead.

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Dusty Johnson continues having a good week, meets with Family Heritage Alliance staff.

After reporting very strong fundraising numbers for a campaign 2 years away, AND receiving an unexpected Gubernatorial endorsement, SDGOP Congressional Candidate Dusty Johnson is continuing to have a good week with some nice comments from Family Heritage Alliance director Dale Bartscher:

“Dusty is optimistic that he is gaining traction in his fundraising efforts and his explanation of why he is running was tied into the qualities that he believes our next Representative should have. These qualities included: being a hard worker, balancing work and family, being able to stay afloat in all the political nuances, and connecting with South Dakotans back home. He also said he puts great weight in his Christian Worldview and that even though there may be disagreements at some point, we are all striving for the same goal.”

Go read the entire article here.

Wait a minute… wasn’t there a campaign on all of that?

I’m listening to the Belfrage show on KELO-AM radio as I usually do during my morning kid drops, and the issue of banning Lobbyists from certain areas came up, and arguing in favor of it, show producer Todd Epp was mentioning something that I’d also had noted to me by a lobbyist.

Todd noted that if they’re banned from the lobby area of the Senate Chamber, lobbyists still have plenty of access to legislators by going to dinner, etc. Which was interestingly enough, the same thing that an actual lobbyist noted to me as well.

Except they said it sounds like the proponents “want more lobbying done out of the capitol and out of the public view. More drinks and dinners a result of this action?

Wait a minute… wasn’t there a campaign on all of that? It vaguely rings a bell…..

Aren’t we trying to pick up the pieces and fix a legal and political mess as a result of the unconstitutional Initiated Measure 22, whose proponents based their whole campaign on that premise – to stop private drinks and dinners between legislators and lobbyists?

I think if lobbyists are going to have discussions with legislators, having them in the light of day in their “areas” in full public view is probably the best venue.

Just my 2¢ worth.

Senate moves to move lobbyists out. But is it a good move, or does it limit public access?

From tonight at ArgusLeader.com, it sounds as if there’s a move afoot to push lobbyists out of the Senate chamber areas:

State Senate leaders are proposing new rules that would block lobbyists from the chamber and adjacent hallways during working hours.

Supporters of the rule change said lobbyists on the floor and in the hallway to one side of the chamber have become too much of a distraction. The committee deferred action Thursday but is likely to take up the proposal again next week.

and…

At least one member of the committee, Sen. Terri Haverly, R-Rapid City, said she wasn’t sure why the panel was taking up the debate Thursday.

“I don’t have a problem saying, ‘Leave me alone,’ so I don’t know why we need this,” she said.

The committee is set to reconvene as early as Tuesday to vote on the proposal. After the panel decides whether to adopt the rule change, Senate President Pro Tempore Brock Greenfield, R-Clark, will have the authority to implement it as he sees fit.

Greenfield following the meeting told reporters that he would likely restrict state employee lobbyists during the full work day, as that is what senators have supported, and would restrict private lobbyists during the three hours before floor session, during session and in the hour following unless they have an invitation. He said if any problems developed that he would loosen the restrictions.

Read it here.

I read that story tonight with some mixed feelings.

In years’ past, there has been some discussion around moving many of the state employees/agency lobbyists or “blue badges” out, as many legislators see that as an encroachment of the executive branch upon their turf. They feel that branch of government is powerful enough without swarming the 3rd & 4th floors with their numbers.

But as noted in the story, pushing out other lobbyists…. well, that’s a bit more of an issue. Yes, there are industry lobbyists who try to get legislators to pass bills designed to help the company line. But there are also other lobbyists who want to have their say.

So, should legislators push out representatives for Right to Life from the hallway next to their chamber? Or the Concerned Women of America?  Or in the case of a group that I and other parents formed for the purposes of having our voices efficiently and collectively heard – should they kick the “Parents for Autism Insurance Reform” out of that side of the capitol because we organized as a group?

Absolutely not.  In fact, it’s a bit of an affront to citizen groups large and small, many of whom are the envelope lickers and door knockers for the people who are talking about kicking us out.

Do what you have to do to assert your independence among the branches of government.   And when it comes to citizen groups, If you’re busy, just tell the people trying to talk to you. That’s ok. We can handle that. That’s just good manners.

But don’t throw citizen lobbyists out with the bathwater.

Governor offers early and definitive endorsement of Dusty Johnson for Congress.

Wow! That came unexpectedly and early. But as far as Dusty Johnson is concerned, I suspect it is nonetheless very welcome:

Congressional candidate and Mitchell resident Dusty Johnson will have a powerful ally on his quest to earn a seat in the U.S. Capitol in 2018.

South Dakota Gov. Dennis Daugaard told The Daily Republic on Thursday he would endorse his former chief of staff of four years for the state’s lone seat in the U.S. House of Representatives if Johnson enters the race.

Read it all here.

And the naughty monkeys are at it again…

If you recall my post yesterday where the multiple domains for Shantel Krebs were pointed at the servers for Aberdeen media company production monkeys on November 30th of last year, apparently the naughty monkeys are at it again.

After my story, it looks like – possibly the same party – did the same thing to a couple of domains for Neal Tapio. Possibly to throw people of the scent, but if you look at the date when it was done (yesterday) it dispels any myth that it was done at the same time.