We have almost put the 97th session of the legislative session to bed so to speak. On March 28 we will head back to Pierre for “Veto Day,” where we will be presented with the bills that the governor has vetoed and we will have the opportunity as a legislature to veto her decision. For a veto to succeed, it needs a two-thirds vote from all members of the legislature.
A passion is an interest or hobby that we love to do. It is something special to us, but perhaps that’s why a lot of people are scared to share their passions. Our abilities may pale in comparison or not be appreciated in the same way. Perhaps our passions will even be criticized. After that, they may not seem special anymore.
Greetings! We are in our last week of session with our last day being Thursday, March 10. Next week I will start writing about what happened during the 97th Legislative Session.
On Friday, March 4, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Denis McDonough, sent Robert McDivitt and Lisa Curnes to announce possible changes to veterans’ health care in the Black Hills. McDivitt is the Vision 23 network director and Curnes is the medical director at Veterans Administration Black Hills.
For the past two weeks we have watched and listened to horrific events as they unfold in the Ukraine. The most disturbing to me is the lack of support from the United Nations (UN), North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) or the United States.
The UN was founded in 1945 after WWII by 51 countries committed to maintaining international peace and security, developing friendly relations among nations and promoting social progress, better living standards and human rights.
We need relief. It’s not just the seniors who are struggling. It’s the everyday average household taxpayer who is feeling the effects of rising property values.
Like many of you I just got my 2022 assessment. And to put it bluntly I’m kind of shocked. My tiny little shoe box, which has less than 900 square-feet, is a quarter of a million dollar house! This might sound like I have a windfall. I don’t quite see it that way. It’s more like a nightmare.
I spent part of February driving across eight states and a few time zones to get to Florida. My family had gotten one of those dreaded calls. My grandpa’s memory was fading due to dementia, and the doctor recommended we see him sooner rather than later. So we packed and left five days later.
Greetings! It’s hard to know where to start. Like most everyone, I’ve got this sick feeling in my stomach over the Russian invasion of Ukraine. If gas prices go to $5 or over $6 per gallon, that will really have an impact on our economy here in South Dakota. In the Black Hills it’s not uncommon to see license plates from every state on any given day. Sky high gas prices will definitely have an impact on that. Also, our farmers and ranchers rely on diesel fuel as do our over-the-road truckers. This could be a very serious blow to our state economy.
On Feb. 23 the Senate Health and Human Services voted against protecting doctors from losing their jobs if they prescribed Ivermectin for their patients. The second most published critical care doctor in the world, Dr. Paul Marik, spoke on behalf of this bill and medical freedom. South Dakota doctors also spoke out on their hippocratic oath and stated they weren’t allowed to take care of their patients as they deemed best for their patients’ needs and recovery. Rep. Phil Jensen did a wonderful job presenting this bill and we had many emails to support HB1267.
Well, last week HB 1039 the grassland protection bill was heard by the Senate Taxation Committee. Unfortunately, the bill didn’t pass the Senate Taxation Committee and we literally went down in flames.
Ranchers from all over the state had come to the Capitol yet one more time to stand and voice their support for the bill. However, the sponsor’s presentation and proponent testimonies were limited to 20 minutes. The opponent testimony was allowed considerably longer time.
I watched “Taxi Driver” with my mother when I went to visit. The movie was made in 1976. There is a scene in which Robert De Niro’s character goes to buy guns. The gun dealer asks if De Niro’s character wants to buy some drugs.
“How about dope, grass, hash, coke, mescaline, downers, Nembutal, chloral hydrates. How about amphetamines? I can get you crystal meth nitrous oxide, how about that?”
