South Dakotans along the Missouri River continue to make significant progress in the clean-up and recovery efforts following the historic flooding of 2011. While these recovery efforts continue in earnest, many questions still need to be answered regarding what went wrong and what action should be taken to help prevent... Continue Reading
In 1988, the “Red Ribbon Week” was formally recognized by President and Mrs. Reagan as a time for schools and communities across the country to raise awareness about drug prevention. This year’s celebration has been designated to take place during the week of October 22nd-30th, and I am pleased to... Continue Reading
Recently, taxpayers in South Dakota and throughout the nation were victorious over the threat of yet another unaffordable Washington-created program. As part of Obamacare, Democrats created a new long-term care entitlement program called the Community Living Assistance and Support Services (CLASS) Act that was aimed at providing substantial cash benefits... Continue Reading
Earlier this year, environmental groups filed a lawsuit to require the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to ban all traditional lead ammunition and fishing tackle under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) of 1976. According to industry experts, metallic non-traditional ammunition makes up only one percent of the market share. Banning... Continue Reading
The National Guard and Reserve makes up almost half of the United States’ military forces. Guard and Reserve servicemen and women continue to take on increased responsibilities to protect our nation. These soldiers are bravely serving their country for extended, multiple tours of duty in conflicts across the world, including... Continue Reading
The start of fall sports for students in South Dakota unofficially serves as the kick-off for autumn. It has been over 30 years since I was out on the field suited up in my pads and Coyote jersey, but this time of year always brings back memories of high school... Continue Reading
During the August recess, I had the opportunity to again visit areas affected by Missouri River flooding. While I certainly saw improvement in these areas since my previous visits, there is still much work to do be done. As the water recedes, sandbags remain in the streets and on the... Continue Reading
Sunday, September 11th, marks the ten year anniversary of that fateful day when terrorists attacked America on its own soil – the first such attack since the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Much has changed in our country since that fall morning ten years ago, but one thing has remained constant:... Continue Reading
This past week, I traveled across the state to attend community events and meetings including the Turner Country Fair, DakotaFest, and most recently, Farm Bill round tables. I relish the opportunity to attend these agriculture-centered events and hear first-hand the concerns of those working in the industry. Like many small... Continue Reading
Over the past several months, South Dakota has lost some of its finest citizens who were bravely serving in the line of duty. Prison Guard Ronald Johnson of Sioux Falls, Army Sergeant Lex Lewis of Rapid City, Police Officer J. Ryan McCandless of Rapid City, Police Officer Nick Armstrong of... Continue Reading
The U.S. Department of Labor recently announced that the national unemployment rate for July was 9.1 percent. After 30 consecutive months of unemployment at or above 8 percent, it is clear that the policies coming from Washington are damaging employers’ ability to create jobs for the nearly 14 million Americans... Continue Reading
Over the last year, the debate in Washington has centered on the themes of taxes and spending and whether we tax too little or too much. There is also a misconception out there that if we just taxed more we would not have this problem. However, the math does not... Continue Reading
