The Josh Haeder for State Treasurer campaign has released a campaign video to facebook this morning:

The Republican nominations for State Treasurer and other constitutional offices will be held June 20-23 at the State Republican Convention in Pierre.

Can’t say I would have pegged District 30’s Republican Rep. Tim Goodwin pushing a Medical pot message.

An odd press release was sent out by the city of Sioux Falls on Friday:

As with most things related to Mike Huether, it seems pretty self-serving. And coming from city staff, I’m not sure of any way it might be proper to have them issue anything about his future plans, especially if it’s of a political nature.

We’ll find out more on the propriety tomorrow, I suppose.

Happy 57th Birthday wishes to South Dakota’s Senior United States Senator John Thune!

Let’s Keep the Momentum Going
By Sen. John Thune

The Republican-led Congress had a successful 2017. We confirmed a record number of the president’s nominees to fill circuit court judgeships, and we confirmed Neil Gorsuch to the U.S. Supreme Court. We used the Congressional Review Act a record number of times to roll back burdensome regulations implemented by the Obama administration. We closed the year by passing historic legislation that reformed our outdated tax code and cut rates for all taxpayers, repealed Obamacare’s unpopular rule that forced Americans to purchase an insurance product they might not want or can’t afford, and opened additional land for domestic energy production.

I hope we can keep that momentum going in 2018, and it starts with finding a responsible solution that funds the federal government through the remainder of the fiscal year. While I’ve never been a fan of the congressional budget process, and I strongly support reforming it so it works more efficiently, it’s important for all Americans, particularly our men and women in uniform, that the government is funded for the long term. My goal is to ensure that it is.

I’m also hopeful that early this year we’ll be able to find a bipartisan solution that strengthens U.S. border security. Our national security depends it, and it’s long overdue. As part of this effort, I expect Congress will address several immigration-related issues, too. In particular, those faced by children who, at no fault of their own, entered the United States illegally. While the previous president acted unilaterally, without congressional buy-in, I’ve always believed this was an area where Congress should be responsible for finding an acceptable long-term solution.

At the Senate Commerce Committee, which I chair, we made significant progress in 2017, and I look forward to continuing our important work on self-driving vehicle technology, expanding access to broadband internet – particularly in rural parts of the country, like South Dakota – and improving transportation security and other infrastructure needs.

Finally, it’s never too early to start working on the next farm bill, as I like to say. The current bill, which I helped write, expires later this year, and it’s important that we complete our work on the next bill on time. That’s why I spent 2017 writing seven individual farm bill proposals that cover multiple portions of the overall bill. I hope that by doing a lot of this work early, we can get a final farm bill to the president before the current one expires.

On New Year’s Day in 1983, President Reagan said, “[L]et us thank God for life and the blessings He’s put before us. High among them are our families, our freedom, and the opportunities of a new year.” I’m looking forward to what 2018 has in store for South Dakotans and the rest of the American people, and I can’t wait to continue my work in Congress on their behalf.  

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Tax Reform Can Enhance 2018 Goals
By U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.)

As we turn the page to a new year, January is a time in which many Americans take the opportunity to make positive changes in their lives. Business owners may seek to expand their businesses, entrepreneurs may seek to start a new enterprise, and families may wish to purchase a new car or save enough to buy their first home. With the recent passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, the opportunity to achieve these goals – whether personal or professional – is greatly enhanced.  Now if you’re looking to lose weight, this probably won’t help you!

The average American family will get to keep more than $2000 this year under The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. In addition to lowering the rates for every income bracket, this law doubles the standard deduction, doubles the child tax credit and repeals Obamacare’s individual mandate which imposed an unfair tax on mostly lower-income families making less than $50,000 a year. Businesses will also see relief, with a new corporate tax rate of 21 percent (from 35 percent), taking the U.S. from one of the highest to one of the lowest corporate tax rates in the world.  Small businesses also benefit, as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act creates the first-ever 20 percent deduction for pass-through business income.

The American economy is already responding. The stock market is breaking records this month as the Dow reached 25,000 for the first time ever. Businesses are announcing new investment and bonuses for staff. Over 100 U.S. companies have already announced plans to increase wages, pay yearly bonuses, increase 401K matches and expand charitable contributions because of the tax reform bill. Wells Fargo, which is chartered in South Dakota, has announced that it plans to increase its minimum wage to $15 per hour, effective in March 2018. We expect even more businesses to follow suit in coming months, as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act provides companies with the capital and stability to reinvest in themselves, their employees and the economy.

Agriculture, South Dakota’s largest industry, is poised to benefit from tax reform as well. In a Farm Forum article from December 26, 2017, Wheat Growers CEO Chris Pearson calls tax reform a “win” for farmers. This is due to an amendment in the final bill that stops a massive tax hike for farmer co-ops that was projected to cost them $2 billion annually.

Individuals can expect to start seeing the amount of taxes coming out of their paychecks decrease within the next few months, possibly as soon as February. This is great news, and will benefit the majority of South Dakota workers. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act includes a reduction in individual tax rates, doubles the standard deduction and doubles the child tax credit from $1,000 per child to $2,000 per child.

For far too long, Americans have been saddled with high taxes and an overly-complicated tax code. As we welcome in this new year, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act will finally provide the tax relief they deserve. In 2018, I look forward to working with my colleagues in Congress and President Trump on other legislative priorities to further grow our economy and make life even better for all South Dakotans.

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