Category: South Dakota Politics

A column by Gov. Dennis Daugaard
October 13, 2017

Pierre, SD – Two years ago, South Dakotans joined together to solve a longstanding problem. Our state’s average salaries for teachers were lowest in the nation. Even after adjusting for cost of living differences, teachers made significantly more in our neighboring states. I heard from many educators that the problem had reached its breaking point. As many older teachers retired, schools were struggling to fill vacant positions.

The Blue Ribbon Task Force met throughout 2015, and after seeking input from thousands of South Dakotans, it recommended a number of solutions. I proposed several legislative changes based on that report, and a bipartisan coalition in the State Legislature passed versions of those proposals with two-thirds votes. We raised the state sales tax to put more money into education, changed the funding formula to prioritize teacher pay and put strict requirements in place for use of the new money.

Those salary increases took effect for the 2016-17 school year, and the state recently received the final results from that first year. We made great progress. In one year, salaries increased by an average of 8.8 percent. The Blue Ribbon legislation set a target average salary of $48,500, and in one year we moved more than halfway toward that goal.

Raises varied in individual school districts, but I was pleased to see that the largest increases happened in some of our smallest districts. Several districts, including Wall, Gayville-Volin and Mobridge-Pollock had increases of more than 20 percent, and Leola had an increase of nearly 30 percent.

The State Legislature wanted assurance that the new money would be spent as intended – for higher teacher salaries – so the legislation included strict accountability measures. A school district that failed to direct at least 85 percent of those funds to teacher salaries could forfeit 50 percent of the new money it received – a very serious penalty. At the same time, however, the Legislature recognized that schools might fall short due to unforeseen circumstances, and created a waiver process by which a school district can explain its unique situation.

Thirty-six school districts failed to meet at least one aspect of the accountability requirements. They tend to be smaller districts. Although approximately one-quarter of districts missed a requirement, these districts account for less than 11 percent of the teacher salaries paid.

Most of these districts missed the target by a very small margin. Edgemont, for example, was short of the required spending on teacher salaries by 0.1 percent. Herreid missed the required average salary by $109. In Pierre, the district was short by 0.2 percent because a teacher passed away during the school year, which meant the school district spent a little less on salaries than planned.

Examples like these will be considered by the School Finance Accountability Board and the Joint Appropriations Committee. If a school made a good faith effort to comply with the law, and has a corrective plan in place, I hope these bodies will consider a waiver. If, on the other hand, a school district knowingly took the teacher salary funding and spent it for another purpose, it is important that the problem is remedied. The Blue Ribbon legislation was passed with the understanding that the money would be used for teacher salaries, and we owe it to taxpayers to keep that promise.

September 26, 02017
By Representative Tim Goodwin

September 21, 2017

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – South Dakota Democratic Party Executive Director Sam Parkinson released the following statement today reacting to the news that Senators Mike Rounds and John Thune support the latest attempt by Republicans to take healthcare away from millions of Americans, including thousands of South Dakotans:

“South Dakotans will suffer under the Cassidy-Graham-Heller-Johnson bill. This harmful bill will end Medicaid as we know it, cancel tax credits that help families afford health insurance, and eliminate subsidies that reduce out-of-pocket costs for working families. Tens of thousands of South Dakotans will lose their healthcare, and those who still have healthcare coverage will pay more for worse coverage. Instead of supporting this cruel bill, John Thune and Mike Rounds should listen to the South Dakotans they represent and work with Democrats to improve our health care system.”

Here is a look at a few of the ways South Dakotans will suffer under the Cassidy-Graham-Heller-Johnson bill:

• 70,000 South Dakotans would lose their healthcare coverage.
• It puts 81,672 South Dakota children’s healthcare at risk.
• It would raise costs for people with pre-existing conditions.
• 68,000 South Dakotans could see lifetime and annual limits again
• It could cost seniors in South Dakota $17,221 in higher premiums and out-of-pocket costs.
• It ends Medicaid as we know it, hurting seniors, people with disabilities, and other communities across South Dakota.
• It cancels tax credits that help 24,953 families – 91 percent of South Dakota marketplace enrollees – afford health insurance.
• It eliminates subsidies that reduce out-of-pocket costs for 16,144 residents, which is 59 percent of the total marketplace enrollees in South Dakota.
• It slashes billions in federal funding to states for expanding health insurance coverage and lowering costs, including $4 billion to South Dakota.

By Sen. John Thune
September 15, 2017

President Reagan once said, “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same.” For nearly 250 years, America has been blessed because from each new generation of Americans have come leaders and warriors’ who have not only protected freedom and liberty on their watch, but have helped ensure those pillars of American democracy are preserved and strengthened for those to whom they’ve passed the torch of freedom.

South Dakota has been home to many of these leaders over the years – it still is today – and I’m humbled to play a small role each year in helping South Dakota’s future leaders take the next step in life by nominating them to one of the service academies throughout the country, including the Military Academy, Naval Academy, Air Force Academy, and Merchant Marine Academy. Any South Dakotan who meets the requirements (age, marital status, etc.) can apply for a nomination through my office.

There are many well-known leaders and pioneers in their field who graduated from one of America’s service academies. Astronauts like Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins, who both flew to the moon, graduated from the Military Academy, as did U.S. Presidents Ulysses S. Grant and Dwight D. Eisenhower. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), who I’m fortunate to serve with in the U.S. Senate, graduated from the Naval Academy. Generations of other Americans who went on to serve in countless other fields, including business, academia, and athletics, have all gone through the ranks of one academy or another.

If you’re interested in beginning your career at a service academy, now is the time to act. You can find more information on my website,www.thune.senate.gov, under the “services” tab. Once there, you’ll be able to determine if you’re eligible to apply. You can also write, email, or call any of my offices for more information or to discuss this opportunity with a member of my staff.

The class of 2018 has already been selected, but the deadline to apply for the class of 2019 is on October 31, 2017, which is right around on the corner. I’ll review all of the applicants and will announce my selections early next year.

The men and women who choose to pursue this path deserve our respect and gratitude, and those who are selected will have their names etched among some of the most prominent leaders our nation has known. I want to thank all of the young South Dakotans in advance who will consider this opportunity, and I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Paris Climate Agreement Another Misguided Step That Puts U.S. At Competitive Disadvantage

By Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.)

April 28, 2017

Last year, President Obama entered into a radical climate agreement called the Paris Agreement with other global leaders in an attempt to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and greenhouse gas. Unfortunately, it is a bad deal for America. We all want to pass on a clean, safe environment to future generations, but the Paris Agreement was made without the support of Congress or the American people. The new energy restrictions outlined in the Paris Agreement will lead to higher electricity rates and regulatory costs for U.S. producers and manufacturers, which are passed onto us in the form of higher prices. This puts our country at a competitive disadvantage with the rest of the world as we compete for new markets to sell our goods and services.  Simply put, the Paris Agreement is a bad deal for the United States’ economy.  It shackles our economy and raises electricity costs without even meeting the agreement’s goal of having an effect on climate change.

Currently under the agreement, the United States is obligated to cut our greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent by the year 2025, or about 1.1 billion tons. That’s in addition to the more than 820 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions we’ve already cut over the past decade. Meanwhile, other signers, including Russia, India and Iran, are allowed to actually increase or have no cap on their emissions output. Crazier yet, China, the world’s largest producer of greenhouse gases, has no emissions cap. So, while we increase our costs of production, the rest of the world continues to produce greenhouse gases and grow their economies which explains why research has shown the agreement has no measurable effect on the environment.

Cutting emissions comes at a big cost to our economy. According to a March 2017 study by NERA Economic Consulting, the Paris Agreement will cost the United States $3 trillion and cut 6.5 million jobs by 2040. Industry in the United States has already been stymied by the countless regulations imposed throughout President Obama’s tenure in office. It’s time that we allow industry to grow and create more jobs for our citizens. They should not have to leave the U.S. to competitively produce their products. The Paris Agreement is a bad deal, one which impacts our economy while allowing other countries to continue producing greenhouse gas emissions.

Good energy policies include an ‘all of the above’ approach that will strengthen our economy, create jobs and enhance our energy independence.  While we only have one clean coal power plant located at Big Stone in South Dakota, we still rely on electricity produced at clean coal fired plants in other states.

In South Dakota, we have clean air and water. We intend to keep it that way. We also intend to have a strong economy that creates jobs for our citizens. These are not mutually exclusive. Let’s do both. Let’s not destroy our economy by adhering to the Paris Agreement, an agreement which clearly allows for the production of greenhouse gases by most of the rest of the world.

Looking Back On A Successful Legislative Session

 A column by Gov. Dennis Daugaard

Friday, March 10, was the last day of the main run of the 2017 Legislative Session. Although the session was more “low profile” than in some past years, we can all be proud of our legislators’ hard work.

South Dakota balances its budget every year, and the Legislature overcame very slow revenue growth to pass a structurally balanced budget again this year. I was very pleased that we were also able to find a way to offer small inflationary increases to K-12 schools and many Medicaid providers.

Perhaps the most important legislation this year received the least attention: a package of bills relating to the South Dakota Retirement System. Unlike many states, South Dakota’s pension plan is 100 percent funded. This year, retirement system trustees unanimously recommended legislation to secure our strong footing decades into the future – and it passed the Legislature with bipartisan support and only five dissenting votes.

The Legislature also kept its commitment to South Dakota voters to deal with IM 22, which a judge enjoined from taking effect due to its numerous constitutional problems. A package of replacement bills includes a bipartisan bill sponsored by Democratic Rep. Karen Soli to create a Government Accountability Board to investigate ethics complaints. Other bills reinstated a ban on gifts from lobbyists to elected officials, new whistleblower protections and enhanced ability to prosecute conflict-of-interest cases.

We also took action to confront the scourge of meth. We are adding more treatment capacity for meth addicts, imposing tougher penalties on probationers or parolees who use drugs, educating young people about the dangers of meth and encouraging first-time drug offenders to complete treatment to break the cycle of abuse.

A task force convened by the Chief Justice brought important legislation to help our state do a better job of identifying and responding to mental health issues in the criminal justice system. This will allow counties to handle these cases more quickly and avoid lengthy, unnecessary, expensive jail stays for those affected.

The Legislature also approved the construction of a new state animal diagnostic and research lab at South Dakota State University. This lab is crucial to protecting our public safety and our state’s livestock industry. I was very pleased that the ag community and legislators found a way to finance this project, despite the tough budget year, without using new state general funds.

We also made progress in open government. BoardsAndCommissions.SD.gov will become a mandatory portal for all state boards and commissions to post their meeting notices, agenda, minutes and other materials. The Legislature also approved the public release of police booking photos, or “mugshots,” for felony cases.

Many other important pieces of legislation passed this year: bills allowing for the sale of state lands and buildings that are no longer needed, a bill to strengthen laws to respond to a potential protest emergency, legislation to create a new Board of Technical Education, and a bill to improve primary care, especially in rural areas, through more independence for nurse practitioners.

Our legislators accomplished all of that, and much more, in just nine short weeks. South Dakotans can be proud that we have a part-time, citizen Legislature. They are not “career politicians.” This session, the average state legislator had four years of legislative experience, and 29 of the 105 had never served in the Legislature at all. They are our friends and neighbors, and they take time away from their jobs and families to come to Pierre and serve our state.

If you see one of our state legislators in the next few weeks, please thank them for their hard work and for a job well done.