Broadcaster Press 5 January 22, 2019 www.broadcasteronline.com Ring: I Need To Hear From You By Rep. Ray Ring District 17 The first week of this year’s Legislative Session has come and gone, so it’s time to report back. First, thank you to the voters of Clay and Turner counties for re-electing me last November, and thanks to all those who supported me in other ways. It is a privilege to represent you in Pierre. This is my seventh Legislative Session, the beginning of my fourth and last two-year term. I am again serving on the Education Committee and the Taxation Committee. To serve you most effectively, I need to hear from you. My contact information is at the end of this report. The session started with our swearingin, followed by Gov. Noem’s State of the State address. She made several excellent points with which I agree. Drugs, especially meth, continue to be a serious problem. It’s critical that we provide more addiction treatment; incarceration by itself is not the answer. We seem to be moving in the direction of greater reliance on drug and alcohol courts, but still don’t adequately fund these programs, even though they are much cheaper than incarceration. Most of our prisoners are nonviolent offenders, many with addictions. Gov. Noem mentioned several ideas for workforce development. We need more affordable housing, but we also need higher wages. The governor said “our economy has fallen behind in recent years.” I think we have been behind for longer than that: our wages have been among the nation’s lowest for many years. I agree that “we need to kick-start our economy.” One way we need to explore is to ask how a different tax structure might enhance economic development, leading to, among other things, higher wages. Several matters were conspicuous by their absence from the governor’s speech. Research shows that early childhood education helps students directly, and enhances economic development. South Dakota is one of about seven states with no state support for pre-K education. This important need should be addressed, along with teacher salaries where we are again falling behind other states. Governor Noem expressed concern for families “one medical emergency away from financial disaster.” Expanding Medicaid would substantially reduce that risk for many thousands of South Dakotans, but that wasn’t mentioned. Access to healthcare is a moral issue that we can address by joining the 36 states that have already expanded Medicaid or will expand soon. Five have expanded or will expand within the last six months. In Wednesday’s State of the Judiciary address, Chief Justice Gilbertson reported on the success of drug and alcohol courts in keeping offenders out of jail or prison, where they can continue to hold jobs, support their families, and be with their children. Keeping someone in one of these courts for a year costs about $8,000 about one-third the cost of keeping them in penitentiary for a year. The judicial system, with the Legislature’s support, has shortened the times people are stuck in county jails waiting for a mental competency exam. Another new program is also training officers to more effectively deal with crisis situations that Rounds Accepting Summer 2019 Internship Applications WASHINGTON– U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) today announced that he is currently accepting internship applications for summer 2019. The deadline to apply for internships in his Washington, D.C., Pierre, Rapid City and Sioux Falls offices is Friday, Feb. 15, 2019. College credit is available. Duties in the Washington, D.C., office may include tracking legislation, researching bills, attending committee hearings and briefings, leading tours of the U.S. Capitol, handling constituent phone calls, sorting mail and providing legislative support. Duties in the South Dakota offices include researching constituent inquiries and requests, participation in outreach activities, assisting staff on are often related to mental illness and to seek needed treatment. These alternatives to incarceration are more humane and reduce costs otherwise borne by taxpayers. Rosebud Sioux Tribe President Rodney Bordeaux gave the fourth State of the Tribes address on Thursday. Pres. Bordeaux cited many of the same issues affecting the tribes as mentioned by the previous week’s speakers. Indian Health Services provides inadequate health care and Pres. Bordeaux called for Medicaid expansion, too. After listing benefits of Medicaid expansion, he said it has the “added benefit of being the right thing to do.” I couldn’t agree more. The reservations also need better mental health resources, addiction treatment, and education resources. He also mentioned tribal concerns for Grandmother Earth, related to the Keystone XL pipeline. On Wednesday, I attended the Interfaith Day gathering and ecumenical prayer service in the Rotunda, to show my support for religious liberty, tolerance, and openness to people seeking a better life free of oppression and violence. District 17 residents representing the Association of Rural Water Systems and the Rural Electric Association were in Pierre this week. Lobbyists and organizations give us important input, but I also need to hear directly from constituents. The best way to reach me is email at rringsd@gmail. com or Ray.Ring@sdlegislature.gov or cell phone at 605-675-9379. You can also call the Legislative Research Council at 605-773-3251 and leave a short message that will be delivered to my desk on the Rounds To Chair Armed Services Cybersecurity Subcommittee In 116th Congress WASHINGTON—U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds, a member of the Senate Armed Services special projects, handling phone calls and Committee (SASC), today announced constituent requests and sorting mail. that he will serve as chairman of the In all offices, students will work closely Senate Armed Services Subcommittee with constituents and staff, polish their on Cybersecurity in the 116th Congress. research and writing skills and gain an in- He also chaired the Subcommittee on depth understanding of a Senate office. Cybersecurity during the 115th Congress. Interested college students should This subcommittee was first established complete the online internship applicaby the late SASC Chairman John McCain tion and submit a resume no later than (R-Ariz.) in 2017, and continues to be Feb. 15, 2019. Resumes should be submit- supported by current SASC Chairman Jim ted to intern coordinator Kari Weller at Inhofe (R-Okla.) kari_weller@rounds.senate.gov. Informa“It is a privilege to have the opportion about the internship program, along tunity to chair the Subcommittee on with the application, can be found online Cybersecurity once again,” said Rounds. at www.rounds.senate.gov/internships. “I thank Chairman Inhofe for his support Additional questions can be directed to of our subcommittee’s mission, which is Kari Weller at (605) 336-0486. to strengthen the Defense Department’s The Beach Boys To Appear At SD State Fair HURON, S.D. – As The Beach Boys Platinum and Gold record awards. mark more than a half century of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fammaking music, the group continues ers were also honored at the 2001 to ride the crest of a wave unGrammy Awards with the Lifetime equalled in America’s musical hisAchievement Award. With more tory. The Beach Boys have become than five decades of touring under synonymous with the California their belts, The Beach Boys have lifestyle and have become an Ameri- performed more concerts than any can icon to fans around the world. major rock band in history. Sounds The Beach Boys will pull into town Of Summer: The Very Best Of The to perform on Friday, Aug. 30 at the Beach Boys, Capitol/EMI's 30-track SD State Fair. collection of the band's biggest hits, Since lead-singer man Mike Love has achieved triple-platinum sucpenned the lyrics to The Beach cess with sales of more than three Boys’ first hit, “Surfin’” (1961), million copies in the U.S. since its dozens of the bands chart toppers release. The Beach Boys are led by have become eternal anthems of Mike Love and Bruce Johnston, who American youth: “Surfin’ USA,” along with Jeffrey Foskett, Tim Bon“Surfer Girl,” “Fun, Fun, Fun,” “I Get homme, John Cowsill, Keith HubachAround,” “California Girls,” “Help er, Scott Totten and Christian Love Me Rhonda,” “Barbara Ann,” “Good continue the legacy of America’s Vibrations,” “Wouldn’t It Be Nice,” iconic band. This concert will not “Rock and Roll Music” and “Kokofeature Brian Wilson, Al Jardine or mo.” The Beach Boys have sold over David Marks. 100 million records worldwide and A pre-sale on VIP tickets will begin have received more than 33 RIAA$30 on a Summer AC Tune-Up! May 21, followed by backrest holdSave Turn Yo ur Clutterwe’ll Just give us a call and i sendCash! nto out a qualified Service Technician like Tyler, to make sure your AC unit is ready for those hot summer South Dakota days and save $30!* Advertise your Garage Sale to thousands of readers! House floor. I can’t respond to every message, but I’ll give priority to my District 17 constituents. Be sure to let me know where you live. Please come to the Cracker Barrels on Feb. 2 and March 2, both at 9 a.m. at the Vermillion City Hall. I welcome other opportunities to meet with groups in District 17. CULLS However, immediately-applicable job skills should not come at the expense of educational fundamentals that provide the longer-term, broader perspective that is so important for getting and keeping a job, but also for good citizenship and a rewarding life. The State of the State address was as notable for what it didn’t address as for what it did. Much still needs to be done to make state government more transparent and accountable. The governor wants to impose a work requirement on the very small number of very low income parents of children on Medicaid, but unfortunately 50,000 or so of our lower-income neighbors would have health insurance if we had expanded Medicaid when we had the chance. Instead they are going without needed health care, desperately seeking out expensive emergency room care, shifting costs onto the rest of us, or (as multiple studies have found) dying. The justice reform that began with one of the first laws we passed when I joined the Legislature in 2013—as well as juvenile justice reform passed two years later—is still a work in progress, but on balance seems to be working. ers on June 3 and June 6 for Friends of the Fair. General public ticket sales will begin June 10. The 2019 South Dakota State Fair will run from Thursday, Aug. 29, through Monday, Sept. 2. Channel Seeds Preview night will be Wednesday, Aug. 28. This year’s theme is “There’s No Time Like Fair Time.” For more information on State Fair events, contact the Fair office at 800-5290900, visit www.sdstatefair.com or find them on Facebook or Twitter. Agriculture is a major contributor to South Dakota’s economy, generating $25.6 billion in annual economic activity and employing over 115,000 South Dakotans. The South Dakota Department of Agriculture's mission is to promote, protect and preserve South Dakota agriculture for today and tomorrow. Visit them online at sdda.sd.gov or find them on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. ability to swiftly respond to cyberattacks. Over the past two years, the work of the subcommittee has resulted in legislation that has improved the Defense Department’s cyber efforts, both offensively and defensively. We hope to build on that momentum in the coming years. I look forward to working with my colleagues on the committee and members of the administration so we can continue to make progress on U.S. cybersecurity.” The Subcommittee on Cybersecurity has primary jurisdiction over all cyberrelated oversight and legislation for the Department of Defense. In addition to his subcommittee chairmanship, Rounds will serve on the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Strategic Forces and the Subcommittee on Personnel. More Bang for Your Buck! 10,800 copies distributed with 27,000 readers per issue and now in a larger, reader-friendly format! Call 624-4429 to get your ad in! Earn as much as $400+ this month & $120 this week Irrigation Sales & Service Tyler Reiser Service Technician 13 years experience 624-4429 ' 3 HDGOLQHV When You Want Comfort...You Want Kalins Irrigation PVC, Wire Installed, Well Drilling Domestic & Irrigation Pump Installation When You Want Comfort… You Want Kalins! Vermillion: 605-624-5618 Classified Ads: Call for full details. 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