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April 17, 2012 · By Newswire · 0 Comments
Lt. Gov. Matt Michels
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tuesday, April 17, 2012
CONTACT: Tony Venhuizen or Joe Kafka at 605-773-3212
PIERRE, S.D. – Gov. Dennis Daugaard announced today that Lt. Gov. Matt Michels has moved from a full-time role to a half-time role. The change, being made for personal and family reasons, was effective April 15.
“This has been an eventful first year in office, as we balanced the state budget and responded to the flooding threat last spring,” Gov. Daugaard said. “Through it all, Matt has been a strong partner to me. As he transitions to a half-time role, Matt will remain an important advisor and a valuable servant to South Dakota.”
Under the state constitution, the lieutenant governor serves as President of the Senate, and is first in the line of succession to the governorship. The constitution also allows the Governor to assign additional duties to the lieutenant governor.
Over the past year, Lt. Gov. Michels has overseen the Department of the Military, the Bureau of Personnel, and the Department of Tribal Affairs, and he led the state’s efforts relating to federal health care reform. Michels helped to lead the flood response in Union County last spring, and is currently the interim Secretary of Veterans’ Affairs, a role in which he will continue until early next year.
Michels was the second full-time lieutenant governor in South Dakota history, following Lt. Gov. Walter Dale Miller. As Michels transitions to half-time, some of his current duties will be reassigned to other staff. The move will result in a savings of 0.5 full-time-equivalent employee (FTE) in the Governor’s Office, and Michels’ salary as lieutenant governor will be cut to correspond with the change.
“I want to thank Gov. Daugaard for the continuing opportunity to serve with him as lieutenant governor,” said Lt. Governor Michels. “Even as I step into a half-time role, I will continue to work hard for the people of our state.”
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We have not forgotten the 2007 McCain-Kennedy amnesty bill that was killed in the face of intense outrage from the American people. This administration has engaged in criminal conduct by granting amnesty through presidential edict to certain illegal aliens. If we were outraged back in 2007 at the McCain-Kennedy amnesty bill, we are now outraged to the hundredth power at the latest attempt by Congress to shove amnesty for illegal aliens down our throats.
South Dakota Gov. Dennis Daugaard announced today that he will appoint Vern Larson of Vivian as Commissioner of School and Public Lands. Last month, Commissioner Jarrod Johnson resigned from office, effective Aug. 15. The Governor’s appointment of Larson will be effective at the same time.
South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley today released the testing results of the ignition interlock devices. The devices were added to the 24/7 Sobriety Program in October of 2012. Since being added, 119 participants passed 124,771 tests with a pass rate of 99.5%.
Just in time for Memorial Day, we’re being treated to a generous serving of praise and grandstanding by politicians, corporations and others with similarly self-serving motives eager to go on record as being pro-military. We erect monuments for those who die while serving in the military, yet for those who return home, there’s little honor to be found. Making matters worse, thanks to Operation Vigilant Eagle, a program launched by the Department of Homeland Security in 2009, military veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan are also being characterized as extremists and potential domestic terrorist threats.
In testimony before the House Ways and Means Committee, outgoing Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Commissioner Steven Miller’s suggested that the targeting of tea party and other groups was in part caused by Congress’ failure to provide “clear rules” on what constitutes political activity. But those rules are already clear, Americans for Limited Government President Nathan Mehrens noted.
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"We don't intend to turn the Republican Party over to the traitors in the battle just ended. We will have no more of those candidates who are pledged to the same goals as our opposition and who seek our support. Turning the party over to the so-called moderates wouldn't make any sense at all." - Ronald Reagan, Nov. 10, 1964 |
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