Category Archives: State

Governor Dennis Daugaard signed Senate Bill 140 on March 10, making South Dakota the 36th state in the nation to require that every high school student in the state receive training in Hands Only CPR prior to graduation.

The new law adds more than 10,000 Hands-Only CPR-trained young adults to South Dakota communities each year by requiring that schools offer a 30-minute Hands-Only CPR training class within a required course at some point in the students’ high school career. Individual school districts maintain control over when the course is offered, keeping local control over curriculum decisions. In addition, the trainings are offered to schools at no charge through a partnership with the South Dakota Emergency Medical Services Association. Local EMS agencies have agreed to provide the trainings to school districts free of charge.

“Having a new generation of lifesavers in our communities will have an incredible ripple effect for years to come,” said Eric Van Dusen, President of the South Dakota Emergency Medical Services Association. “We know that young adults trained in CPR at school will save lives by knowing what to do during those precious few minutes after someone suffers sudden cardiac arrest.”

Nearly 424,000 people have sudden cardiac arrest outside of a hospital every year, and only 10.4 percent of them survive, most likely because they don’t receive timely CPR. Given right away, CPR doubles or triples survival rates. Teaching students Hands-Only CPR in a rural state like South Dakota could save thousands of lives by filling our communities with young adults trained to give cardiac arrest victims the immediate help they need to survive until EMTs arrive.

“In addition to saving lives, this legislation will also give high school students the opportunity to have hands-on training and exposure to a career in healthcare and, possibly, on their local EMS agency. Our rural areas have a need for trained healthcare workers, and by exposing kids to Hands-Only CPR training, we are giving them an important glimpse into a potential career field,” said Van Dusen.

SB 140 unanimously passed the Senate last month and passed the House last week with a vote of 65-3. The bill was originally sponsored by 12 senators and 10 house members. Senator Larry Tidemann was the lead sponsor of the bill in the Senate and Representative Jean Hunhoff was the lead sponsor of the bill in the House.

By Katie Hunhoff

We met the miners early on a Sunday morning on Rockerville’s only street. I was hoping they would look like miners because I knew my eight-year-old son Steven had some colorful preconceptions of how our first mining expedition might go.

Steven, a rock hound since the day he was born, wasn’t disappointed. Don Hamm and Gary Mallams weren’t riding mules or carrying shotguns, but the officers of the Black Hills Prospecting Club do look the part of rugged miners.

Off we drove, deep into the pine forest toward Deadman Gulch. Finally, after 10 miles of rugged mountain trails and a hundred questions from Steven, we arrived at the club’s Garnet Claim.

We parked along the trail, grabbed pails, shovels, pans and a pickaxe from Don’s truck, and hiked down into the cool gulch. A clear mountain stream ran on one side of a 10-foot high bank. “Watch for rattlesnakes and mountain lions,” cautioned Gary. Suddenly, Steven wanted to carry the axe.

At the claim, Don and Gary each shoveled a scoop of clay dirt from the bank into 5-gallon buckets. Wearing tall rubber boots, they stepped into the stream, which was inches deep but flowed fast, clear and cool.

They began the process of panning — swirling the dirt and minerals around and around — as they told their stories. Gary has been in the Hills for 46 years, but still calls himself a Missouri hillbilly. He worked for the U.S. Forest Service, and then became involved in manufacturing wood furniture parts for the lumber industry. “My regret is that I came here as a young guy and didn’t get involved until 10 years ago,” he told us.

They soon encouraged Steven to help. Gary showed him how to let the water fall away by holding the pan at an angle and swirling slowly. I was anxious that any gold specks might fly out of the pan with the muddy water and gravel. Gary insisted that gold is heavy enough to stay put while mica, the legendary imposter known as fool’s gold, will float away.

Gary said the tools of the mining trade can be expensive for serious prospectors. “My wife said, ‘I thought golf was expensive, until I got into this.’ There’s always a new thing to buy. But we enjoy it. It’s just like fishing or hunting, we’re enjoying the outdoors.”

Panning kits for children and adults new to the hobby can be had for the price of a pizza at outdoor stores in the Black Hills. Kids are not likely to find gold without some help, however, so you may want to consider a guided mining trip at the Big Thunder Mine in Keystone, Black Hills Caverns west of Rapid City or the Broken Boot Mine at Lead. Visit the Clock Shop in downtown Rapid City and take a look at the Icebox Nugget, the largest chunk of Black Hills gold found in the last 120 years.

Don was working with a sluice box in the stream as he told his story. He learned to pan and sluice from his father, Bob Hamm, who grew up working around his father’s steam-powered lumber mill in Deadman Gulch and watching miners working Spring Creek.

Bob — now 92 and still panning — and Don mined 50 ounces of gold in 1972, enough to give them bragging rights as the third largest gold producers in South Dakota for that year.” Though they still find gold on their private claim, Don said, “You’re not going to get rich.”

Steven was sorry to hear that, but Gary regained his attention when he said, “Look at that!” He pointed to a flake of bright yellow mineral in the bottom of Steven’s near-empty pan.

‘There are a lot of things that look like gold, but gold don’t look like nothing else,” said Gary as he scooped the flake and a bit of water into a vial and gave it to the happiest kid in the gulch.

The South Dakota Retailers Association (SDRA) today welcomed a summary judgment by Circuit Court Judge Mark Barnett regarding South Dakota’s lawsuit against three large online retailers. SDRA says the ruling is precisely what is needed to move South Dakota one step closer to tax parity between South Dakota brick and mortar stores and giant out-of-state companies.

Although the ruling resulted in the entry of a judgment in favor of out-of-state online retailers, Judge Barnett’s Order specifically recognized that he was bound by existing United States Supreme Court precedent “…even when changing times and events clearly suggest a different outcome; it is simply not the role of a state circuit court to disregard a ruling from the United States Supreme Court.”

This week’s decision by Judge Barnett is an important and necessary step toward U.S. Supreme Court reconsideration of now-outdated tax precedents set by the Court in cases from half a century and a quarter of a century ago.

Last year, South Dakota passed a law, SB 106, requiring large out-of-state companies that sell goods into the state to collect and remit South Dakota sales tax on those purchases. The law applies only to businesses whose sales in the state exceed $100,000 annually, or that make 200 or more separate transactions in the state in a year.

Following passage of SB 106 last year, the State of South Dakota filed a lawsuit seeking a determination that the state may validly require out-of-state retailers that conduct significant business in the state to collect and remit the state’s sales tax on purchases made in the state, even if they do not have a physical location in South Dakota.

The state’s lawsuit was filed one year after U.S. Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy recognized in his concurring opinion in DMA v. Brohl that, “[t]he Internet has caused far-reaching systemic and structural changes in the economy” so that “a business may be present in a State in a meaningful way without that presence being physical in the traditional sense of the word.” Justice Kennedy called on the “legal system [to] find an appropriate case for this Court to reconsider” its prior decisions in 1967 and 1992.

When SB 106 was enacted last year, the bill itself and the State of South Dakota acknowledged that only the U.S. Supreme Court can overturn the 1992 Quill v. North Dakota decision that restricts states from requiring remote sellers that do not have a physical presence in the state from collecting the taxes already owed on those purchases. To reach the U.S. Supreme Court, however, the case must first go through the South Dakota circuit court and the South Dakota Supreme Court. Today’s ruling checks off that first step.

The South Dakota Retailers Association played a key role in the discussions that led the state to pass SB 106 and to file suit against out-of-state online retailers.

“Right now, giant out-of-state conglomerates are able to avoid collecting and remitting taxes only because of a loophole that was created before there was an internet, and before e-commerce,” said SDRA Executive Director Shawn Lyons. “Online commerce is expanding dramatically, and the tax inequity gap between in-state retailers and out-of-state online retailers is widening. We are encouraged that this ruling gets us one step closer to having the U.S. Supreme Court take another look at this crucial tax issue, and one step closer to tax fairness.”

State Senator Gary Cammack, owner of Cammack Ranch Supply in Union Center, South Dakota and president of SDRA’s Board of Directors, agrees.

“Only the U.S. Supreme Court can overturn the 1992 court decision, and Judge Barnett’s decision helps us move the issue along,” Cammack said. “Larger online retailers should play by the same rules as the small businesses on Main Street, and this ruling is one of the necessary steps in accomplishing that.”

South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley also praised the decision.

“South Dakota retailers should have a fair and equal playing field with other large out-of-state companies that have been benefiting from an outdated sales tax structure,” said Attorney General Jackley. “The South Dakota Retailers Association and their retail partners should be commended for their diligent work on this case and serving as a strong voice for South Dakota’s retail industry.”

Lyons said it’s important to note that the law passed by South Dakota last year did not implement a new tax.

“When South Dakotans make purchases, whether that’s in a store in their hometown or online from a company based in another state, the consumer has a legal obligation to pay taxes on those purchases,” he stated. “The law we passed in South Dakota in 2016 says the burden shouldn’t be on the customer, it should be the responsibility of those huge companies to collect and remit the tax. When you get down to it, this is just simply a matter of fairness all the way around.”

By the Associated Press

Opponents of the Keystone XL pipeline argued last Wednesday that a South Dakota judge should reverse state regulators’ decision last year to authorize again the portion of the project that would go through the state. A portion of the pipeline will go through Tripp County if construction is approved.

Here is a look at the pipeline proceedings: The Keystone XL project has prompted opposition from Native American tribes, some landowners and environmental groups concerned the pipeline would contaminate water supplies and contribute to pollution. Opponents appealed the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission’s decision to the state court which heard arguments in the case on March 8.

It is not clear when Judge John Brown of Pierre will rule.

The commission initially authorized TransCanada’s project in 2010 but the permit had to be revisited since construction didn’t start within four years.

The commission voted last year to accept the company’s guarantee that it can complete the pipeline project while meeting the conditions of the 2010 approval.

Former president Barack Obama rejected the pipeline in 2015 but President Donald Trump has said he supports it and in January moved to make it easier for the project to proceed.

The $8 billion project would go from Canada through Montana and South Dakota to Nebraska where it would connect with existing pipelines to crude oil to refineries along the Gulf Coast.

TransCanada said last month that it is once again seeking state approval for a route through Nebraska. It has also submitted a new presidential permit application to the U.S. Department of State for approval.

A company spokesman, Terry Cunha, said the company’s “commitment is to ensure we build a state of the art pipeline system that will be monitored 24 hours a day, seven days a week using satellite technology along with regular aerial patrols to monitor the pipeline.”

Robin Martinez, an attorney for conservation and family agriculture group Dakota Rural Action, said the commission’s decision should be reversed because it appeared to his clients that the regulatory panel was biased toward TransCanada during the proceedings and because the company failed to demonstrate that it could build the pipeline safely.

Tracey Zephier, an lawyer for the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, said the commission abused its discretion by allowing an out of state company “drive the bus” in the pipeline permitted process.

Attorneys for TransCanada and the PUC asked the judge to uphold the order.

James Moore, a lawyer for TransCanada said the commission’s proceedings were fair and thorough.

More than 50 pipeline opponents gathered outside the Hughes County Courthouse in Pierre before the hearing.
Crow Creek Sioux Tribe Chairman Brandon Sazue called on South Dakota to “wake up.”

“It’s a human thing,” Sazue said. “It doesn’t matter what color you are. It matters if you drink water or not.”

Gov. Dennis Daugaard is pushing legislation preparing for potential protests in South Dakota like the demonstrations over the Dakota Access pipeline in North Dakota. The bill includes provisions that would make it a Class 1 misdemeanor for someone to stand in the highway to stop traffic or to trespass in a posted emergency area.

Gov. Dennis Daugaard signed a package of bills which allow the sale of surplus lands owned by the state. The measures include lands and properties on the STAR Academy, State Veterans Home, and State Training School campuses.

“Though stewardship efforts such as these may seem run-of-the-mill during a busy legislative session, they are important,” Gov. Daugaard said. “We owe it to the taxpayers to keep the state’s footprint to a minimum, to avoid spending tax dollars on maintenance of unneeded facilities and to return these properties to the tax rolls when possible. It may be an unglamorous undertaking, but it’s a necessary one.”

The following surplus land bills were signed today:

· House Bill 1205 allows for the sale of unused property formerly belonging to Western Dakota Tech in Rapid City.

· House Bill 1206 allows for the sale of the former State Training School campus near Plankinton.

· House Bill 1207 authorizes the transfer of several vacant buildings and adjoining lands from the South Dakota Developmental Center to the city of Redfield.

· House Bill 1208 allows for the sale of underutilized buildings and land on the State Veterans Home campus in Hot Springs.

· House Bill 1209 allows for the sale of STAR Academy property near Custer.

· House Bill 1210 allows for the sale of South Dakota School for the Deaf property in Sioux Falls.

The bills do not require any sale, and provide for an appraisal process to ensure the state receives fair value for the property.

The proceeds from the sale of STAR Academy and Aurora Plains would be deposited in the DOC training school trust fund to support juvenile services. Proceeds from the Veterans Home and Western Dakota Tech land sales would go to the general fund. The bill pertaining to the South Dakota Developmental Center directs any profit to the SDDC trust fund. Proceeds from the sale of the School for the Deaf property would be deposited in a trust fund for the benefit of School for the Deaf programming.

The Wall That Heals, a 250-foot replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, along with a mobile Education Center, is coming to Chamberlain on Aug. 10-13 at the I-90 Information Center/Rest Area (Exit 264) and will be open 24 hours a day and free to the public. The Wall That Heals honors the more than three million Americans who served in the U.S. Armed forces in the Vietnam War and it bears the names of the more than 58,000 men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in Vietnam.

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial is one of the most visited memorials in our nation’s capital, with more than 5.6 million visitors each year. However, many Americans have not been able to visit what has become known to many as “The Wall.” The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (VVMF), the organization that built The Wall in 1982, wants to give all veterans and their family members all across America an opportunity to see the Memorial.

“Taking The Wall That Heals on the road gives thousands more veterans and their family members an opportunity to see The Wall and honor those who have served and sacrificed so much,” said Jim Knotts, president and CEO of VVMF. “It helps veterans from all of America’s conflicts to find healing and a powerful connection through their common military experiences.”

South Dakota Public Broadcasting has arranged for The Wall That Heals to be conveniently located at the rest area off I-90 at Chamberlain near the Dignity sculpture. The exhibit is a part of SDPB’s statewide outreach effort to honor veterans from the Vietnam era, Gold Star families, and others affected by the Vietnam War. This effort is in advance of the premiere of The Vietnam War, a new film by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick, premiering this fall on SDPB and PBS stations nationwide.

“South Dakota has a long tradition of honoring its veterans and others involved in war. Being able to bring The Wall That Heals to South Dakota is a thrill and an honor for South Dakota Public Broadcasting,” said Julie Overgaard, Executive Director of SDPB. “We’re grateful to have a scenic location that will make The Wall That Heals accessible to thousands of South Dakotans and visitors to our state.”

More than 200,000 people visited The Wall That Heals in 2016. Since its debut in 1996, the exhibit has been on display in nearly 500 U.S. communities in addition to an April 1999 tour of the Four Provinces of Ireland and a visit to Canada in 2005. Hosting The Wall That Heals provides a community with a multi-day experience that includes an educational experience for local schools and organizations on the history of the Vietnam era and The Wall. The exhibit includes The Wall replica and a mobile Education Center comprised of: digital displays of photos of service members whose names are on The Wall; letters and memorabilia left¬ at The Wall in D.C.; a map of Vietnam and a chronological overview of the Vietnam War. The exhibits tell the story of the Vietnam War, The Wall and the era surrounding the conflict, and are designed to put American experiences in Vietnam in a historical and cultural context.

VVMF coordinates local stops of The Wall That Heals and the accompanying mobile Education Center. The current schedule and more information can be found at: www.thewallthatheals.org. The 2017 national The Wall That Heals tour is hauled through a partnership with the Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) and generously sponsored by: USAA, PBS, and GEICO. The appearance in South Dakota is made possible by Friends of SDPB.

About the half-scale replica

The replica Wall is approximately 250 feet in length, and like the original Memorial is erected in a chevron-shape. The replica is constructed of powder-coated aluminum, supported by an aluminum frame, and is made up of 24 individual panels, each containing six columns of names.

The names on The Wall That Heals replicate the names on The Wall in Washington, D.C. As on The Wall, the names are listed alphabetically by day of casualty. Beginning at the center/apex, the names start on the East Wall (right-hand side) working their way out to the end of that wing, picking up again at the far end of the West Wall (left-hand side) and working their way back in to the center/apex. Thus, the beginning and ending of the conflict are joined at the center, signifying an epoch in American history.

The Wall That Heals is transported from community to community by a 53-foot trailer with cases built into its sides, allowing it to serve as a mobile Education Center that tells the story of the Vietnam War, The Wall and the divisive era in American history.

About VVMF and the Education Center at The Wall

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (VVMF) is the nonprofit organization that built the Vietnam Veterans Memorial (The Wall) in Washington, D.C. in 1982. VVMF is dedicated to honoring and preserving the legacy of service in America and educating all generations about the impact of the Vietnam War and era through programs, ceremonies and education materials.

Three decades after building The Wall, the mission continues as VVMF raises funds to build the Education Center at The Wall. The Center will be an interactive learning facility on the National Mall where our military heroes’ stories and sacrifice will never be forgotten. The Education Center will feature the faces and stories of the more than 58,000 men and women on The Wall and honor America’s Legacy of Service, including those serving in our nation’s Armed Forces today. Time Warner is the Lead Gift Benefactor in the campaign to build the Education Center at The Wall. To learn more about VVMF and the future Education Center at The Wall, visit www.vvmf.org or call 202-393-0090.

Recently campers could begin making reservations for summer stays in the South Dakota State Parks.

Feb. 18 was the first day to make camping reservations for a Friday, May 19, arrival – the State Parks’ Open House Weekend and traditional kick-off to the summer season.

Reservations for other summer dates will follow in succession, becoming available 90 days before arrival. Over 40 parks offer camping reservations on the 90-day schedule. The exception is Custer State Park, which offers reservations one year before arrival.

State Parks Director Katie Ceroll encourages campers to keep an eye on the calendar and make reservations for camping trips as soon as possible. Memorial Day reservations open Feb. 25 for a Friday arrival, and campers can reserve for Father’s Day weekend starting March 18.

“The sooner you can plan your camping trip, the better,” said Ceroll. “We had a record number of campers at our parks last year, and campsites at popular parks go quickly.”

Campsites become available at 7 a.m. Central Time on the first day of the 90-day window, but reservations for available campsites can be made until the day you arrive. The 90-day window calendar can be found online

Ever since New Year’s Day, South Dakota’s statewide average price for regular gasoline has remained within a six-cent range, from $2.30 to $2.36 per gallon. According to GasPrices.AAA.com, today’s state average is $2.32.

“I wouldn’t say gas prices have become boring – that will never happen – but they certainly have been a lot more predictable lately,” said Marilyn Buskohl, spokeswoman for AAA South Dakota. “Even with OPEC cutting production, supplies are healthy, demand is down and at least until refineries conduct their annual late winter/early spring maintenance operations, it appears we are poised to see pump prices in this same general ball park.”

Current Price Averages per Gallon of Regular Gasoline

Sioux Falls – $2.32, up 1 cent in the past month … up 66 cents since 2/21/16
Rapid City – $2.31, up 6 cents in the past month … up 49 cents since 2/21/16
South Dakota – $2.32, down 3 cents in the past month … up 62 cents since 2/21/16
U.S. – $2.28, down 3 cents in the past month … up 56 cents since 2/21/16

The national gas price average has increased fractions of a penny to reach today’s price for regular gasoline, which is $2.28 per gallon. Today’s average is the same as one week ago and 56 cents more than the same date last year.

SDSU Extension encourages South Dakota cattle producers to participate in Beef University, a new online learning opportunity provided through the National Beef Checkoff.

“This is an excellent learning opportunity for beef producers to learn more about the product they produce,” said B. Lynn Gordon, Assistant Professor & SDSU Extension Agricultural Leadership Specialist. “Or, they can simply take this course to brush up on production facts, beef labeling issues, beef inspection and grading. Beef University will cover the latest knowledge available to the beef industry.”

Offered free of charge, Gordon explained. Beef University is an online training program focused on one of America’s favorite proteins. The program includes insights and research on marketing and selling beef.

Each section of the training will take about 15-20 minutes to complete with a brief quiz at the end of each module. Additional resources are also available to producers at the completion of each module for those who are interested in studying a specific topic more in-depth.

“With today’s consumers interested in knowing more about the way agricultural products are grown, this online training program will equip anyone associated with the beef industry or other areas of agriculture, with added knowledge on the latest industry information,” Gordon said.

Gordon added that this program is also a useful resource for grocery retailers and foodservice operators. Gordon encourages beef producers to take on the role of an industry leader and invite those who serve and sell beef, in their local area, to view the online training modules to further widen their beef knowledge base.

Topics Covered
Beef University’s online course will cover the following topics: Raising Beef; Nutrition and Health; Beef Basics and Cuts and the Modern Consumer.

PIERRE, S.D. – Gov. Dennis Daugaard has signed a bill relating to licensure of nurse practitioners and nurse midwives into law.

Current law requires nurse practitioners and nurse midwives to practice under an agreement with a physician. Senate Bill 61 allows individuals with those certifications to practice independently following the completion of 1,040 hours under physician supervision.

“There is a need for more health care professionals in rural areas of our state. This bill will eliminate a hurdle for some nurse practitioners and midwives who want to serve in those high-need communities,” Gov. Daugaard said.

In addition to SB 61, the Governor signed eight other bills into law:

HB 1030 – An Act to implement certain vehicle size and weight provisions required by federal law.

HB 1037 – An Act to revise certain provisions regarding delegates and alternates to the national convention, nominating petitions, and runoff elections and to revise certain provisions for new political parties.

HB 1055 – An Act to revise certain provisions regarding the need for a driver license or permit to operate certain motor vehicles.

HB 1070 – An Act to revise certain provisions regarding the licensure of physical therapists and physical therapist assistants.

HB 1081 – An Act to revise certain provisions for establishing a trust for an unlocatable mineral owner.

HB 1088 – An Act to revise certain provisions regarding required stops at railroad crossings.

SB 46 – An Act to revise certain provisions regarding the state geologist.

SB 48 – An Act to provide for the certification of emergency medical responders.