Broadcaster Press 7 August 11, 2015 www.broadcasteronline.com Planned ParenthoodFunding Fight Might Cut A Different Way BY BOB MERCER STATE CAPITOL BUREAU PIERRE – The decision by Paula Hawks to be a Democratic candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives means U.S. Rep. Kristie Noem, a Republican, will have an opponent in the 2016 election for South Dakota’s only seat in the chamber of 435. Noem starts with big advantages. She holds the office, has been through four statewide contests and won all four, and is very much a Republican in a very Republican state. This is Hawks’ first statewide run. On federal funding for Planned Parenthood to provide services to women, Hawks takes the opposite side of Noem and South Dakota’s two Republican U.S. senators, Mike Rounds and John Thune. Noem, Rounds and Thune are part of a national Republican effort to strip Planned Parenthood of the money. Federal law prohibits using it for abortions. The goal is to financially cripple Planned Parenthood, the only publicly acknowledged provider of abortions in South Dakota. South Dakota went through two difficult fights over banning most abortions. Each time the question went to a statewide vote, abortion remained legal. The first came in 2006, after the Legislature approved a ban on most abortions and then-Gov. Rounds signed it into law. Abortionrights supporters referred it and voters blocked it. The outcome was 146,648 yes for the law and 185,945 against it. Abortion opponents came right back and put a similar ban on the 2008 ballot. Voters rejected it too. The tally was 167,560 yes and 206,535 no. The attempted bans were direct challenges to the 1973 decision in the Roe v. Wade case where the U.S. Supreme Court legalized abortions nationwide. Going after Planned Parenthood funding now is a roundabout route toward the same goal. It is a concerted effort. For example, Thune and Rounds issued identically worded news releases from their offices on the topic last month. In the U.S. Senate they were part of a Republican effort Aug. 3 to proceed to consideration of legislation from Iowa Republican Joni Ernst to strip the funding. The attempt needed 60 yes votes. The outcome was 53-46, with Thune and Rounds among the 53. The Senate Republicans’ leader, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, voted no. That maneuver enables McConnell to bring the matter up again. Noem meanwhile declared she would again cosponsor House legislation to cut off the funding. It has passed there before. Hawks, a second-term member of the state House of Representatives from Hartford, immediately staked her spot on the Planned Parenthood side. Abortions, as reported to the state Department of Health, have declined somewhat in South Dakota but remain prevalent since the attempts at the bans. There were 707 in 2007; 848 in 2008; 769 in 2009; 737 in 2010; 597 in 2011; 634 in 2012; and 601 in 2013. Those numbers include South Dakota residents and others. The 2014 data aren’t completely available yet. Elections are decided on many issues. Eventually the Planned Parenthood fight will come down to voters understanding how body parts of unborn children are disposed after abortions. This is gruesome. Oddly, if public sentiment from the 2006 and 2008 ballot measures still holds, Hawks might have helped herself. Employing People With Disabilities A COLUMN BY GOV. DENNIS DAUGAARD: My mom and dad took pride in self-reliance and taught me the value of hard work. They both worked hard on our family farm, and when the farm went upsidedown financially, they both took jobs as janitors at Augustana College to make ends meet. Mom and Dad were also both deaf, but their inability to hear did not prevent them from working to support my sisters and me. They taught us that all work has dignity and that idleness is not an option. Their disability led them to develop higher levels of determination and persistence. In 2013, about 65 percent of Employment Opportunities CNA Days/Afternoons & Evenings RN/LPN Charge Nurse Part-time Cook Part-time evening Offering $1,000 new hire bonus for CNA and RN/LPN’s Competitive starting pay for CNA with excellent benefits Drug-Free Workplace All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability or protected veteran status. Please apply online at www.good-sam.com 300 N. 2nd St. Bloomfield, NE (402) 373-2531 If You Read This... You Know Advertising Pays! Call the Broadcaster at 605-624-4429 or stop by to place your ad today! 201 West Cherry St Vermillion, SD 624-4429 Americans with disabilities were not working or looking for work. In South Dakota, that number is about 51 percent. Even though our unemployment rate for those with disabilities is much lower than other states’, it’s still too high. There are too many South Dakotans with disabilities who want a job but can’t find one. My goal is to make South Dakota an “employment first state.” This means making employment the first priority and the preferred outcome for our citizens with disabilities. As a result of the Employment Works Task Force I established in 2013, the Department of Human Services is now providing technical assistance to employers and connecting them with qualified individuals. I am also challenging the state of South Dakota to become a model employer of people with disabilities. As a part of this employment first effort, we’re striving to show employers what Walmart, Camille’s Sidewalk Café in Sioux Falls, Larson Manufacturing and SDSU in Brookings, Black Hills Corporation and many other businesses already know. We are a state that faces considerable workforce needs and there is an untapped labor pool comprised of people with disabilities who are ready, willing and completely ABLE to work. On Tuesday, Aug. 11, the South Dakota Retailers Association is partnering with the Department of SOUTH DAKOTA HUMAN SERVICES CENTER Nurses We currently have employment opportunities for full-time and parttime RN’s, all shifts, at the South Dakota Human Services Center, Yankton. Positions will participate with the interdisciplinary team to provide treatment for a facility serving psychiatric and chemical dependency patients including Adolescent and Geriatric Units. Competitive salaries and excellent benefit package. To apply go to http://bhr.sd.gov/workforus. Job ID’s #5056 & #5057. For more information contact the HR Office, SD Human Services Center 605-668-3118. SOUTH DAKOTA HUMAN SERVICES CENTER Human saw it Dispatchers Tell them youServicesin the Broadcaster! The South Dakota Human Services Center, Yankton, SD, an inpatient psychi624-4429 atric and chemical dependency treatment facility, is seeking Human Services Dispatchers. These positions monitor, relay and disseminate information received through the Center’s telephone, radio and paging system network. These positions work rotating day and pm shifts, including holidays and weekends. For more info call 605-668-3118 or apply on-line at http://bhr.sd.gov/workforus. Job ID #5216 Tell Time Steel Welders Full them you saw it in the Broadcaster!seeking Solid Metals Mfg. of Yankton is motivated full time steel welders shift operation. Hours are Monday 3:30 PM – 3:00 AM, with additional required. Pay based on experience. 624-4429 highly for their 2nd thru Thursday overtime when Applicants must possess: Strong communication skills, attention to detail, ability to work with others with a positive attitude and promote a safe and friendly work environment. Tell them you saw it in the Broadcaster! Benefits Include: Vacation, paid holidays, company match 401K, health/dental/vision, bereavement leave, company uniforms. Human Services to host a webinar to guide employers through the process of finding and hiring people with disabilities. That same day, the Department of Human Services is launching an awareness campaign called “Ability for Hire.” This campaign aims to educate employers about the benefits of hiring those with disabilities, and to change misperceptions about them. South Dakota is making definite progress in this arena, but there is always more to be done. I urge all South Dakotans to pitch in on this issue – to hire more qualified workers with disabilities; to support businesses in their efforts to employ people with disabilities; and to prepare youth for an expec- Sunset Manor Avera is now accepting applications for the following positions to join our excellent team of caring professionals: Certified Nursing Assistant Part-time & Full-time positions available RN/LPN Charge Nurse Full-time night position Laundry Part-time position available. Activity Assistant Full-time position available. For application materials contact the Personnel Office at Sunset Manor Irene, S.D. at (605) 263-3318 or apply online at www.avera.org/careers Sell it Local! Use The Broadcaster Classifieds! 624-4429 • Facility Worker Multiple Shifts Benefits: USD offers an excellent comprehensive benefits package including paid medical insurance and life insurance plans for our employees, South Dakota State retirement plan, paid holidays; and a generous vacation and sick day allowance, as well as offering additional medical, dental and vision coverage for spouses and dependents. For detailed descriptions and to apply, go to http://yourfuture.sdbor.edu EEO/AA QUALITY TECHNICIAN TruXedo, Inc. is seeking a motivated team player who enjoys hands on work in a fast-paced environment. If you have experience with measuring devices, auditing or inspecting, this may be the position you’ve been seeking. •Read & understand technical drawings •Understand & interpret measuring devices •Strong attention to detail •Organized and successful at multi-tasking •Great communicator •Strong computer skills TruXedo offers competitive pay and excellent benefits. Submit letter of interest and resume to TruXedo, Inc., attn: Human Resources, 2209 Kellen Gross Dr., Yankton, SD 57078 jobs@truxedo.com • 605.664.8211 • Fax: 605.664.8391 jobs@truxedo.com • 605.664.8200 • Fax: 605.664.8391 Join a WINNING TEAM! Are you looking for a career that offers great benefits, PLUS a lucrative monthly incentive plan? 201 W. Cherry • Vermillion, SD Pre-employment drug screen required. Applications can be picked up in person at 2204 West City Limits Road at the L&M Radiator Plant, from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM Mon. – Fri. Or call: 605-260-8660 624-4429 Tell them you saw it in the Broadcaster! 201 W. Cherry • Vermillion, SD 624-4429 tation of a lifetime of work rather than public support. You can also help spread the word about AbilityForHire.com when it launches Aug. 11. The experiences of businesses like Camille’s and Black Hills Corporation demonstrate that change is possible. These businesses are proving that employing people with disabilities is not an act of charity or sympathy; it’s enlightened selfinterest at its very best. It enriches and diversifies our workforce. It’s good for business and good for taxpayers. Best of all, it provides a willing worker an opportunity for the self-respect earned through personal achievement. Full Time Collection Representative APPLY ONLINE TODAY @ www.firstnational.com Our growth has created openings with our Collection team in Yankton. We are looking for self-motivated individuals who possess negotiation skills. Previous experience is not required, we will train you for your new career. Go online to learn more about these opportunities. www.firstnational.com, click on Careers Tab Job ID# 35-11338 We offer: •Lucrative monthly incentive plan •Vacation •Holiday Pay •401K •Health, life, dental and vision insurance •Long term/short term disability insurance 605-665-4181, Yankton, SD Equal Opportunity Employer