Growing Importance of Health IT

As more and more of America’s economic growth centers around our evolving technological world where job openings, educational opportunities, and the newest music, movies, and news are but a click away, it only makes sense that the health care industry also continue to lead the way in innovative technologies. While... Continue Reading

Lessons From the Locker Room

Tune in to the radio on a Friday night in South Dakota and it is hard not to find a station carrying a high school football game. From Belle Fourche to Kimball to Milbank, high school football is a time-honored tradition in our state. The hot summer afternoons give way... Continue Reading

Another School Season

As baseball tournaments come to a close and summer days spent by the pool dwindle, South Dakota families slowly gear up for the start of a new school year. I always enjoy this peaceful time of year in South Dakota. The song of cicadas is a reminder of the last... Continue Reading

Spotlight on Adoption

Out of any title a person can hold, the role of “mom” or “dad” may be the most important. While the title doesn’t bring you fame and notoriety, the role bears tremendous responsibility and brings with it great joy and rewards. Each year, I recognize a South Dakota family who... Continue Reading

Sounds from the Midway

I can always tell it is fair season in South Dakota when the smell of funnel cakes mixes with the sounds of summer concerts coming from the grandstand or cheers from the crowd at the rodeo. Fairs are time honored traditions in South Dakota with events that bring together young... Continue Reading

Financial Transparency Critical to Combatting Union Corruption

From political targeting at the Internal Revenue Service to secret wait lists and delayed care at the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Obama presidency has been riddled with crises of misinformation and mismanagement at the highest levels of the administration. Despite these missteps, the president and White House continue to... Continue Reading

Brand USA is Good for South Dakota Tourism

Our state slogan, “Great Faces, Great Places,” has helped make South Dakota a household name for vacationers around the world. The South Dakota Department of Tourism does a great job marketing South Dakota’s numerous iconic and historic sites, such as Mount Rushmore and the Corn Palace, to people throughout the... Continue Reading

EPA Power Grab Evidence of Out of Touch Administration

As stewards of the land, our state’s agriculture producers and property owners take seriously the responsibility of caring for our wide open spaces. Agriculture, hunting, and travel are all big business in South Dakota and greatly depend on well-maintained cropland, forestlands, and wetlands. For these reasons, more than anyone, our... Continue Reading

Oversight and Coordination Key to Improved South Dakota Rail Service

As South Dakota farmers plan for another harvest season, many producers and other rail shippers remain concerned about the availability of rail cars and the price of cars upon receipt. I understand the impact these delays have on our state’s economy, especially our agriculture industry, and continue to work directly... Continue Reading

Apply Common Sense to the Conservation Reserve Program

South Dakota is famous for its numerous outdoor recreation opportunities, especially pheasant hunting. Dubbed the “pheasant hunting capitol of the world,” the state attributes much of the success and popularity of upland bird hunting to the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). The CRP land, along with shelterbelts, crop stubble, and patchwork... Continue Reading

Independence Day: Remember Why We Celebrate

Throughout South Dakota and across the nation, friends and families will gather this July 4th to celebrate our nation’s independence. While it is a day of national pride, the parade of backyard barbeques, endless red, white, and blue paraphernalia, and community fireworks displays can sometimes make it easy to overlook... Continue Reading

Picking up the Pieces

Mother Nature’s storms, floods, and tornados move quickly into communities, but can leave a lasting wake of devastation and destruction in their paths. We’ve seen the pictures on the news and heard the stories about the damage of the flooding in southeast South Dakota and the wreckage from the tornado... Continue Reading