Category Archives: State

By Rep. Dusty Johnson

In March, when things went from 0 to 100 at the beginning of the pandemic, our health care system was forced to adapt quickly on so many levels. With patients no longer allowed to visit hospitals in-person for regular appointments, we needed a solution – and fast.

Telehealth was the answer. The administration quickly expanded Medicare’s telehealth coverage during the pandemic, ensuring our seniors had access to their providers from the safety of their own home.

Prior to COVID-19, Senator Thune and I supported the CONNECT for Health Act, which would make the Medicare telehealth expansion permanent – I will continue to push for this bill as a long-term solution.

If you’ve utilized telehealth throughout the last several months – we probably shared a similar thought: “Why wasn’t this an option years ago?” The answer is two-fold – lack of awareness it existed and lack of coverage through programs like Medicare and other health insurance providers.

Telehealth is no longer a secret, and it’s likely more Americans are going to take advantage of it moving forward. That’s why I signed onto the KEEP Telehealth Options Act, which would require the Department of Health and Human Services to study the current state of telehealth and inform Congress about the areas that require improvement on the path to permanence.

It’s been a difficult few months, but I’m proud of our health care community for stepping up in more areas than one.

Because of the CARES Act, hospitals around the country were able to apply for funding through the Federal Communications Commission to increase state access to telehealth services. South Dakota hospitals were awarded hundreds of thousands of dollars to purchase telehealth equipment, ensuring our hospitals could meet the needs of patients virtually.

South Dakota is home to providers like Avera that have led the charge on telehealth services in rural communities for decades. We still have more work to do, but one thing is for certain, telehealth needs to be a permanent option for all Americans.

Several changes to the state’s pheasant season are being proposed.

The South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks accepted the proposals during its regular monthly meeting held Thursday and Friday via conference and video livestream.

Two of the major changes include extending the season’s end date to either Jan. 15 or 31 and increasing the daily bag limit from three to four from Dec. 1 to the end of the season.

The proposals can be reviewed for 60 days and will be up for public commentary in future meetings. They could be finalized later this year, with the season extension potentially going into during the upcoming season.

The increased bag limit will not start until next season. Another proposal is to modify shooting hours to begin at 10 a.m. all season.

That could also be changed for this upcoming fall season.

In June, the GF&P commission agreed to discontinue South Dakota’s roadside brood survey that’s that conducted each year since 1949. Several letters of public input were submitted to the commission prior to the July meeting stating disagreement with the decision.

The decision to discontinue the state’s annual brood count was made after GF&P Secretary Kelly Hepler explained in June the survey does not impact the season structure or harvest limits.

By Governor Kristi Noem
July 10, 2020

On July 3rd, South Dakota got to showcase our state to not only the rest of the nation but also the world. For the first time in more than a decade, we celebrated America’s birthday with fireworks at Mount Rushmore. The excitement leading up to the event could be felt by everyone in attendance. Over just three days, more than 125 thousand people tried to get tickets to the event, and the lucky 7,500 who witnessed it in person saw quite a show.

South Dakotans know just how beautiful and magnificent the Black Hills and Mount Rushmore are, but it was wonderful to share them with millions of viewers from around the globe. Early estimates suggest more than 5.5 million people tuned in to watch our celebration on just one cable news network.

Our team at the Department of Tourism spent countless hours pulling together this great event. The Department of the Interior’s Secretary David Bernhardt was instrumental in helping us overcome countless obstacles to make it a reality. And of course, none of this would have been possible without President Trump’s dedication to making this event happen. Before I was even sworn in as Governor, I asked for his help to bring fireworks back to Mount Rushmore, and he went to work on it immediately.

In addition to the wonderful fireworks display, we were also thrilled to be the audience for President Trump’s best ever speech. It was unifying and focused on his dedication to the things that make America the greatest country in the world. But he also warned of a sinister threat to that greatness: the radical movement to re-write American history.

Make no mistake, this movement is not about equality. This movement’s attempt to “cancel” the founding generation is an attempt to cancel our own freedoms. Our Founders had their flaws, certainly. But every person has flaws. Without our Founders’ words, ideals, and sacrifice, the world would not have a ringing example of true freedom. We can write, worship, work, defend ourselves, and even protest as we see fit because of these men and their ideals.

That’s what the celebration of America’s birthday is about. It’s about our core American ideal: “All men are created equal.” It’s about the day our ideal was forever enshrined in one of the most important statements of purpose ever written, the Declaration of Independence. It’s about the work of countless brave men and women, including the four presidents enshrined on Mount Rushmore, to live up to that ideal and make America the greatest country ever.

Everyone who tuned in for our celebration also learned about South Dakota’s commitment to that American ideal, to freedom, and to trusting our citizens to exercise their personal responsibility to do what’s best for themselves and their loved-ones. Let us, like our Founding Fathers, pledge our own lives, fortunes, and sacred honor to the cause of liberty and self-government, so that we may continue to have the freedom to follow our consciences, build our lives, and live in peace.

And let’s continue to celebrate America’s birthday with fireworks at Mount Rushmore!

Entertaining Over 350,000 Fans With A One Night Only Live Concert At Drive-In Theaters Across North America

Garth Brooks managed to accomplish the impossible! On Saturday night, June 27, he entertained over 350,000 fans with a one night only live concert at drive-in theaters across North America. Fans were able to enjoy this special event, with friends and family, from the safety of their own vehicle.

The Winner Drive In Theater was one of the theaters to host the event.

It was the first time anything like this had ever been done. The concert was created exclusively for this event. It was recorded in Nashville, with the full band.

“This time, I was the fan and the people were the entertainment. Watching people all night from coast to coast, in Canada and here in the U.S., laughing, dancing, and singing, made me smile,” said Garth Brooks. “It reminded me how much I miss the crazy, happy, and unpredictable life we lead as entertainers. For one night, things seemed…right.”

The event was produced by Encore Live.

The show adhered to guidelines recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as well as all state and local health mandates.

About Garth Brooks

Garth Brooks is the 7-time CMA Entertainer of the Year, a first for any artist.

He is also the first and only artist in history to receive eight Diamond Awards for the now eight albums certified by the RIAA at over 10 million album sales each.

He remains the #1-selling solo artist in U.S. history, certified by the RIAA with 156 million album sales. In March, Garth received the esteemed Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. He has received every accolade the recording industry can bestow on an artist.

In January, Billboard announced that Garth Brooks was the first artist to make it on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart in the 80s, 90s, 00s, 10s and now 20s.

PIERRE, SD- The South Dakota Beef Industry Council (SDBIC) unveils the new Junior Beef Ambassador program for the summer, giving area youth the opportunity to share their beef story.

The program is an opportunity for youth ages 5 to 18 to help them share their beef story. The SDBIC is proud to announce that 19 Jr. Beef Ambassadors will be joining us throughout the 2020 summer, sharing photos and videos.

These young beef leaders’ stories will highlight their own ranch and what they do day in and day out. “Our youth continue to be our future and we have to prepare them and encourage them to be proud of their heritage and willing to promote the beef product,” states SDBIC Executive Director, Suzy Geppert.

The 2020 Jr. Beef Ambassadors are: Charles Barber, Jayne Blume, Lena DeMers, Maggie DeMers, Bentlee Holt, Cashley King, Koyle King, Rylee K., Brooklyn Marshall, Natalie Marshall, Baylor Pazour, Jennings Pazour, Ladd Pazour, Scarlett Radke, Fidelia Rasmussen, Kaycee Scheel, Ella Stiefvater, Kingston Wulf, and Madilyn Wulf.

These beef ambassadors come to the SDBIC program from across the state.

Follow along all summer as we highlight and recognize these young leaders and share their great beef stories!

By Rep. Dusty Johnson

The world has had a rough few months. It’s easy to harp on the negatives, especially as infections and job losses continue to rise. Our country still needs to make substantial improvements in our response to this crisis, but we also should take time to focus on the positives — what we’ve gotten right.

First, I need to begin by saying thanks to South Dakotans. It didn’t take a forced stay at home order, you all took personal responsibility, stayed home, and flattened our curve.

You’ve heard the phrase “South Dakota commonsense” a lot lately, but it rings true.

We have to remember; we are doing what we’ve never done before. In the last seven days, testing in the United States has increased by 28%. Moderna Therapeutics Clinical Trial announced this week that a vaccine candidate showed participants in the trial received antibodies to COVID-19. Moderna will begin Phase 3 of this trial in July for a potential vaccine. That’s the hope and the news we need.

More than 11.5 million tests for COVID-19 have been performed in the United States. Just yesterday, more than 400,000 tests were performed. This week, we saw the most tests ever reported in a single day – our response hasn’t been perfect, but we are making big progress.

As of May 15th, the federal government has coordinated the delivery of 83.3 million N95 respirators, 133.7 million surgical masks, 10.6 million face shields, 23.1 million surgical gowns, and 989 million gloves.

More than 20,000 South Dakota businesses utilized the Paycheck Protection Program – keeping thousands on payroll. States throughout the country are beginning to enter opening phases.

This is welcome news. I don’t want to sound tone deaf though, I know thousands of South Dakotans have lost jobs and are struggling to make ends meet, but there’s hope on the horizon.

Like I said, our efforts as a nation and as a government haven’t been perfect. But as we strive daily to improve our response, we should occasionally recognize the progress we’ve made so far.

The efforts of so many researchers, health care workers, public health experts, and frontline employees have made a real difference in the lives of millions.

Taryn Pike, Rapid City, formerly of Winner, was one of three finalist chosen in the female founder’s veteran small business award grant program.
Pike is the daughter of Phil and Cyndy DeMers of Winner.
Pike along with her sister Kelsey Baird own a Rapid City business known as Outside In, which is a children’s indoor playground.
Since Pike is a veteran she qualified for this special award.
Pike served 10 years in the National Guard which qualified her to apply for this special grant. The public was allowed to vote for the persons they felt should be awarded the grant.
Pike, as one of the top three finalists, will have the opportunity to pitch her business at the StreetShares foundation pitch competition event.
Due to COVID-19 plans are underway to have a virtual Virginia Women Veterans Summit which will be held on line. This is where Pike will give her pitch to win the grand prize

Secretary Kim Vanneman, Secretary of the South Dakota Department of Agriculture, publicly announced her retirement on May 5. Her last day as Secretary of Agriculture will be May 8.

Lieutenant Governor Larry Rhoden will step in as Interim Secretary of Agriculture.

“Kim and I have worked together on agriculture policy for almost twenty years, and she is a dear friend to me and to South Dakota agriculture,” said Governor Noem. “Her service has been invaluable for today’s farmers and ranchers, the next generation to follow them, and the state of South Dakota as a whole. While her title will change, she will continue to be a valuable advisor and advocate to me on behalf of South Dakota farmers and ranchers.”

Prior to her time as Secretary of Agriculture, Vanneman of Ideal, served as a director for Farm Credit Services of America, Farm Credit Council, Farm Credit Foundations, and FCC Services. She was a member of the State House of Representatives from 2007-2013, serving on the Agriculture and Natural Resources committee all six years.

“I want to thank Governor Noem for the opportunity to serve as South Dakota Secretary of Agriculture. It has been an honor to work with the producers and agricultural organizations promoting, protecting, and preserving South Dakota agriculture,” said Secretary Vanneman.

“The remote work model the past several weeks has made me aware of what I am missing out on with my family and operating our family farm. It’s spring—a time of new beginnings. It is time for me to spend more time home with family and focus on our 111 year old family farm.”

Vanneman and her husband, Clint, own and operate Vanneman Farms north of Winner. Their diversified operation includes row crops, small grains, feeder pigs, a commercial beef cow herd, and a feedlot.

Kim and Clint have three children and four grandchildren.

“I also want to thank Kim for her years of service fighting for South Dakota agriculture,” said Lieutenant Governor Rhoden.

“I realize these are big shoes to fill, but given that my life’s work has been in agriculture, I appreciate the opportunity to advocate on behalf of our state’s number one industry.

My immediate focus will be on helping our state’s agriculture industry turn the corner following this pandemic, especially the meat producers who have become all too familiar with supply chain bottlenecks.”

“Lieutenant Governor Rhoden has been instrumental in helping South Dakota’s producers handle the fallout from the Smithfield situation,” said Governor Noem. “He’s well-prepared to step into this role. I know he’ll serve as the strong leader our agriculture industry needs right now.”