Canvassing Robbinsdale with The Candidates

Today was the PenDems 100 days 100 doors canvassing effort. It was pretty great, and I was out with Sen. Tom Katus and House Candidate Bethany Wojahn on this warm day... it was good to get out there and hear what people are thinking.

More on the 100 days rally and more pictures at Badlands Blue and the Black Hills Dem's new photo album site on Picasa:

One Hundred Days, One Hundred Doors

McCain attacked by applesauce

This is too good to miss.

Healthy Families is Moving In

The South Dakota Campaign for Healthy Famlies is gearing up in Rapid City.

This is about more than unintended pregnancies or medical decisions. This is about the right the government has to make our most personal and difficult decisions for us. It's about liberty; it's about justice. So please give a rouse and show up...

Campaign Office Warming- Tuesday, July 29th 5pm-8pm
Please join us at 1315 Haines Ave (corner of Haines and Anamosa, near Laundry World) to take a tour of the office, meet the staff, and hear more about the campaign.


Campaign Kick-Off Canvass- Saturday, August 2nd 10am-2pm
Join us in reaching out to voters, letting them know that they will be voting on another abortion ban, and asking them to vote no.

New federal credit card rules?

Finally it looks like Congress is looking at some legislation to help us with credit card industry abuses, since many states, including ours, seem to think that having the jobs in your state is more important than protecting younger and older Americans from predatory and immoral business practices.

Reps. Maloney and Frank (both with a "D" after their names; are you surprised?) have come up with a proposal that's worth considering, a Credit Cardholders Bill Of Rights (SR 5244).

Please consider asking Rep. Herseth to join on this bill, on behalf of the many in our state who are under attack by unscrupulous credit card dealers.

Sound familiar?

From the New York Times:

Given a Shovel, Americans Dig Deeper Into Debt

"Today the focus for lenders is not so much on consumer loans being repaid, but on the loan as a perpetual earning asset," said Julie L. Williams, chief counsel of the Comptroller of the Currency, in a March 2005 speech that received little notice at the time.

Try the New York Time's debt calculator to see where you land. It's a little scary as it's a picture of where we are as a nation right now thanks to the free rein we've given the credit card companies and mortgage resellers.

States have quite a bit of responsibility to watch this store. What has the Republican majority in the South Dakota Legislature done from fleecing South Dakotans of their hard earned income? OK, they allowed us to cut up our credit cards when they change the terms. You're all heart, guys. What about the blatantly dishonest come-ons that we get in the mail daily, which prey upon those in the heartland that are pushed to the brink by uninsured medical disaster and high energy prices and depressed wages? How about some limits of any kind on interest? Nah.

Another reason to broaden the conversation in Pierre by supporting us some of them Democratic legislature candidates.

Back at the home front, a hometown debate on marriage equality

(This is a cross-post with Walking With Integrity)

My hope is this will rekindle the debate on the wisdom and morality of South Dakota's discriminatory "quasi-marital relationships" Constitutional Amendment. One thing to note about Amendment C is that rather than a groundswell of grass-roots support the campaign was funded by one source: the South Dakota Family Policy Council (ie Dobson's Focus on The Family Foundation). Given the voting results, you wonder whether this is really what we wanted as a State. Did South Dakotans really think this was needed? In a state where state per pupil spending is #50 an teacher salaries are #51, and very tough child well-being stats, is gay marriage really that big of a threat?

But I digress... here is my post over at Walking With Integrity:

In my hometown of Rapid City, we were blessed with a polemic attacking the "activist judges" in California, from Rev. Richard Wells, local Baptist pastor and a founding faculty member 1972 reactionary Baptist Christian school Criswell College... you can guess where they stand. Wells said, last week:

On May 15, the California Supreme Court overturned the state's ban on homosexual marriage. .. if you care about America, you should be very worried.

I responded with an op-ed published today, representing myself, Integrity, and Equality South Dakota:

Similar words of alarm (accompanied by carefully interpreted Scripture) have been used in some churches to prevent ethnic minorities and women from sharing their gifts as full members of the Church, but (in my view) the Holy Spirit continues to work to open the doors to everyone.

Rev. Wells was right to quote Aretha Franklin saying that what's at stake is r-e-s-p-e-c-t. Marriage equality is one of the ways we can respect the rights of all citizens (including LGBT folk) and allow them and their families to live in liberty, freedom, and integrity with their God and their fellow humans. This day is coming and it is not to be feared; rather, it is something to joyfully celebrate!

The Rapid City (South Dakota) Journal does not post editorials online, but I have posted captured images of both editorials (400K pdf).

Full Text of Initiated Measure 11. Please read it.

Section 1. That chapter 22-17 be amended by adding thereto a NEW SECTION to read as follows:
The people of the State of South Dakota find:
(1) That all induced abortions, whether surgically or chemically induced, terminate the life of an entire, unique, living human being, a human being separate from his or her mother, as a matter of
scientific and biological fact;
(2) That the State of South Dakota possesses a duty to protect the life of all human beings within the state, and it is a legitimate exercise of the state’s power to protect the life of all human beings within the state, including those human beings living in utero;
(3) That submitting to an abortion subjects the pregnant woman to significant psychological and physical health risks, and that in the majority of cases there is neither the typical physician-patient
relationship nor sufficient counseling between a pregnant woman contemplating submitting to an abortion and the physician who performs the abortion;
(4) That a pregnant woman possesses certain intrinsic rights which enjoy affirmative protection under the Constitution of the United States, and under the Constitution and laws of the State of South Dakota, and that among these rights are the fundamental right of the pregnant woman to her relationship with her child, and her fundamental right to make decisions that advance the well-being and welfare of her child;
(5) The state has a right and duty to protect the life of the unborn child, and to protect the life, health, and well-being of any pregnant woman within its jurisdiction, and it is therefore necessary to reasonably balance these interests to allow abortions only in certain circumstances which are set forth within this Act;
(6) That the state has an established history of working to protect the life of the unborn child, and the life, health, and well-being of pregnant women within its jurisdiction.

Section 2. That chapter 22-17 be amended by adding thereto a NEW SECTION to read as follows:
Except as permitted by section 3, 4, 5, or 6 of this Act, any person who knowingly performs any procedure upon a pregnant woman, or uses any instrument upon a pregnant woman, or administers any medicine or drug or substance or device to a pregnant woman, or prescribes or procures or sells any medicine or drug or substance or device for use by a pregnant woman, or employs any other
means, with the intent of causing the termination of the life of an unborn human being, is guilty of performing an illegal abortion, which is a Class 4 felony.

Section 3. Life of the Pregnant Woman Exception. That chapter 22-17 be amended by adding thereto a NEW SECTION to read as follows:
No person may be prosecuted under section 2 of this Act if a licensed physician has made a judgment that an abortion is necessary to avert the death of the pregnant woman, unless in reaching that judgment the physician knowingly disregards accepted standards of medical practice. The basis of that judgment shall be specifically identified and documented in the woman’s medical records.

Section 4. Health of the Pregnant Woman Exception. That chapter 22-17 be amended by adding
thereto a NEW SECTION to read as follows:
No person may be prosecuted under section 2 of this Act if a licensed physician has made a judgment that an abortion is necessary because there is a serious risk of a substantial and
irreversible impairment of the functioning of a major bodily organ or system of the pregnant woman should the pregnancy be continued and which risk could be prevented through an abortion, unless in reaching that judgment the physician knowingly disregards accepted standards of medical practice.
The basis of that judgment shall be specifically identified and documented in the woman’s medical records.

Section 5. Rape of the Pregnant Woman Exception. That chapter 22-17 be amended by adding
thereto a NEW SECTION to read as follows:
No person may be prosecuted under section 2 of this Act if the woman has reported to the licensed physician that her pregnancy is the result of a rape as defined in § 22-22-1, in which she was the
victim, and the physician has complied with sections 7 and 8 of this Act.

Section 6. Incest Exception. That chapter 22-17 be amended by adding thereto a NEW SECTION to read as follows:
No person may be prosecuted under section 2 of this Act if the woman has reported to the licensed physician that her pregnancy is the result of incest as defined in section 14 of this Act, and the physician has complied with sections 7 and 8 of this Act.

Section 7. Condition for Rape and Incest Exceptions. That chapter 22-17 be amended by adding
thereto a NEW SECTION to read as follows:
Any abortion performed pursuant to section 5 or 6 of this Act must be performed before the
completion of the twentieth week following the date of the pregnant woman’s last menstrual period,
as determined by the physician, according to accepted standards of medical practice, and as
confirmed by ultrasound. Any physician who knowingly disregards accepted standards of medical
practice in making this determination is subject to a Class 4 felony.

Section 8. Reporting and Counseling Requirements. That chapter 22-17 be amended by adding thereto a NEW SECTION to read as follows
Before performing an abortion pursuant to section 5 or 6 of this Act, the physician shall meet the following requirements:
(1) Advise the woman that a report of the rape or incest must be made, and prior to performing the abortion shall report the rape or incest immediately by telephone or otherwise to the state’s attorney or law enforcement of the county in which the rape or incest occurred, or, if the location is unknown, to the state’s attorney or law enforcement of the county in which the report is made to the physician. The report shall include the name, address, and date of birth of the woman, and, to the best of the woman’s ability, the date or dates of the reported rape or incest, the location where it occurred, and either the name and address of the perpetrator, if known, or, if not known, a description of the perpetrator and, in the case of incest, a description of the relationship between the pregnant woman and the perpetrator;
(2) Obtain the woman’s consent to collect a buccal or other biological sample from the woman, and a tissue sample from the remains of the embryo or fetus, each sufficient to perform forensic DNA analysis. The physician shall collect, secure, clearly label, and refrigerate the samples, and within twenty-four hours arrange with law enforcement to transfer custody of the samples;
(3) Provide the woman with the phone numbers and addresses of counseling services qualified in counseling victims of rape and incest in the area of her residence and also in the area in which the procedure is performed;
(4) Document all the actions taken pursuant to this section and maintain copies of all the documents and consents as part of the woman’s permanent medical records. Nothing in this section limits a physician’s duty to report any information required by any other
provision of South Dakota law.

Section 9. That chapter 22-17 be amended by adding thereto a NEW SECTION to read as follows; Each facility that performs abortions shall have a written policy on reporting rape and incest.
Section 10. That chapter 22-17 be amended by adding thereto a NEW SECTION to read as follows:
The Department of Health shall publish, within one hundred eighty days after the effective date of this Act, forms to aid physicians in the accurate collection and reporting of information pursuant to
this Act. The forms shall include the text of § 22-22-1, §25-1-6, and the definition of incest in section 14 of this Act, and such other information as the department shall conclude is necessary or helpful and appropriate to aid physicians. The department shall also provide, upon request, materials necessary to collect and preserve the biological samples required by this Act.

Section 11. That chapter 22-17 be amended by adding thereto a NEW SECTION to read as follows:
Nothing in section 2 of this Act prohibits the prescription, sale, use, or administration of a contraceptive medicine, drug, substance or device, if prescribed, sold, used, or administered prior to the time when it could be determined that the woman is pregnant through conventional medical testing, and if the contraceptive measure is prescribed or sold in accordance with manufacturer instructions.
Nothing in section 2 of this Act prohibits any person from assisting a pregnant woman in obtaining an abortion in any other state where such procedure is legal.

Section 12. That chapter 22-17 be amended by adding thereto a NEW SECTION to read as follows: Whenever a physician is performing an abortion permitted by section 3 or 4 of this Act, the physician shall make reasonable medical efforts under the circumstances to preserve both the life of the pregnant woman and the life of her unborn child in a manner consistent with accepted standards of medical practice. Any physician, who knowingly disregards accepted standards of medical practice in failing to make such efforts, is subject to a Class 4 felony.

Section 13. That chapter 22-17 be amended by adding thereto a NEW SECTION to read as follows:
Medical treatment provided to the pregnant woman by a licensed physician that results in the accidental or unintentional injury or death of the unborn child is not a violation of this Act. Nothing in this Act subjects the pregnant woman upon whom any abortion is performed or attempted to any criminal conviction and penalty for an unlawful abortion. No good faith report of rape or incest made under this Act may provide the basis for any criminal prosecution against the woman making such a report. No woman making a report of incest who is eligible to obtain a legal abortion under section 6 of this Act may be prosecuted for the sexual conduct resulting in the pregnancy.

Section 14. That chapter 22-17 be amended by adding thereto a NEW SECTION to read as follows:
Terms used in this Act mean:
(1) “Pregnant,” the human female reproductive condition of having a living unborn child within the pregnant woman’s body, throughout the entire embryonic and fetal ages of the unborn child from fertilization to full gestation and child birth;
(2) “Unborn human being” and “unborn child,” an individual living member of the species homo sapiens throughout the entire embryonic and fetal ages from fertilization to full gestation and childbirth;
(3) “Incest,” an act of sexual penetration, as defined in § 22-22-2, in which the woman was less than eighteen years of age at the time of sexual penetration and in which:
(a) The male performing the sexual penetration was related to the woman within the degrees of consanguinity within which marriages are, by the laws of this state, declared void pursuant to § 25-1-
6, or
(b) The woman was the child of the spouse or former spouse of the male performing the sexual penetration.

Section 15. That chapter 22-17 be amended by adding thereto a NEW SECTION to read as follows:
Chapters 187 and 188 of the 2005 Session Laws shall take effect pursuant to section 7 of chapter
187, as amended by section 1 of chapter 188, only in the event that the provisions of section 2 of this Act are declared unconstitutional or its enforcement is temporarily or permanently restrained or enjoined by judicial order.

Section 16. That chapter 22-17 be amended by adding thereto a NEW SECTION to read as follows: Nothing in the provisions of chapters 22-17 and 34-23A permit any action that is prohibited by this Act. To the extent that any provision of chapters 22-17 and 34-23A might be so construed, the provisions of this Act take precedence.

Section 17. That chapter 22-17 be amended by adding thereto a NEW SECTION to read as follows:
Nothing in this Act authorizes a physician to perform an abortion unless the physician complies with all other applicable provisions of law, including the applicable provisions of chapter 34-23A.

Section 18. That chapter 34-23A be amended by adding thereto a NEW SECTION to read as follows:
Any physician who performs an abortion pursuant to section 3, 4, 5, or 6 of this Act shall submit a written statement to the Department of Health setting forth the following information as it relates to
each abortion performed by the physician:

(1) The section of this Act pursuant to which the abortion was performed;
(2) All of the facts and circumstances upon which the physician relied in complying with all of the requirements and conditions of that section. The written statement shall be submitted to the Department of Health at the end of each quarter of the year in which any abortion was performed by the physician. No statement made pursuant to this section may include the name of any pregnant woman having an abortion, but the physician shall
provide a copy of the patient’s records with the patient’s names redacted, if requested by the Department of Health in writing.

Section 19. That chapter 22-17 be amended by adding thereto a NEW SECTION to read as follows: Nothing in this Act repeals, by implication or otherwise, any provision not explicitly repealed.

Section 20. That chapter 22-17 be amended by adding thereto a NEW SECTION to read as follows: If any provision of this Act is found to be unconstitutional or its enforcement temporarily or
permanently restrained or enjoined by judicial order, the provision is severable; and the other provisions of this Act remain effective, except as provided in other sections of this Act.

Section 21. That chapter 22-17 be amended by adding thereto a NEW SECTION to read as follows: This Act shall be known, and may be cited, as An Act to Protect the Lives of Unborn Children, and the
Interests and Health of Pregnant Mothers, by Prohibiting Abortions Except in Cases Where the Mother’s Life or Health is at Risk, and in Cases of Rape and Incest.

Rev. Richard Wells says bigotry needs r-e-s-p-e-c-t

Rev. Richard Wells of Rapid City's hotbed of spiritual correctness, South Canyon Baptist Church, gifted us with an editorial today that was so appropriate, given the PrideFest at Mount Rushmore today. We're talking about people getting together at the Shrine of Democracy to celebrate that most American of values... the right of conscience, the right to choose your own way, the right to live your life unmolested by our government and our fellow man. Once upon a time that was a conservative value.

Wells writes about the California Supreme Court's decision awarding all people equal rights... (and the coming referendum ballot to make LGBT folks less equal than others):

Remember, California already grants Domestic Partners all the rights of spouses. (Well, not all.) At stake was nothing more than Aretha Franklin’s “r-e-s-p-e-c-t.”

No kidding. The State Supreme Court's honest reading of California Constitution has convinced the court that the law must respect ALL families, not just the ones Wells likes.

PrideFest continues today in Rapid City! (More info: centersforequality.org)

More later, for sure....

iPhone 3G envy

Now, if my Rapid City or South Dakota government really wants to make me happy, they should make a deal with AT&T to make the cool iPhone 3G available in South Dakota. Not that I could afford one, but South Dakota is left out again. It kinda smarts to read stuff like this:

Looking for where to buy the iPhone? Look no further. AT&T has thousands of stores that carry iPhone, so you're sure to find one near you.

Not.

No texting during the meeting, please!

The Rapid City Council voted in a new City Ordinance banning... being rude to each other and the public:

The use of computer and cell phone communications during meetings has been a concern of several council members. They felt the technology was being used inappropriately by other members asking for votes or support on issues being discussed during meetings. A few also felt members engaging in the activity were essentially short-changing the public who come to meetings to hear elected officials discuss issues.

I thought this seemed a little draconian, until I read this:

“I think we can police ourselves. Start the meeting and say, ‘Turn off all phones, no IM,’” LaCroix said.

But asking people not to do IM was tried unsuccessfully in the past. Alderman Deb Hadcock said an ordinance would not have been needed if the honor system worked.

Like teenagers that don't get it, apparently some of the City Council members didn't either when they were asked to knock it off.

You abuse it, you lose it. Good call, Council!

Post hoc ergo propter hoc

(warning, rant on the MSM below)

(Latin for "after this, therefore because of this")

We have a extreme example of this fallacy from the mainstream media: (AP: Pet owners prefer McCain over Obama)

This relationship has nothing to do with the wisdom of presidential preferences. This is a spurious correlation with other lifestyle, geographic and economic factors...

Give me a friggin' break. This is arguably one of the stupidest things I've seen come across the Associated Press wire recently..

It isn't even amusing, ESPECIALLY when we have the Supreme Court, our personal economic futures, and America's role in the 21st century, not to mention the composition of Earth's atmosphere in the balance.

Honestly, my wonderful dog, who agree is not a great literary light herself, could do better than this with a little bit of effort.
Randolph E Schmid, Trevor Tompson and Natasha Metzler of Associated Press, you lost my respect on this one.

Go hit the showers (together, if it helps your muses do any better than this pathetic article) and try again.

Sharing our stories at the Heritage Fest

I've been down at the Heritage Festival this weekend getting the message out about the great Democratic candidates, and having good discussions with folks about our fine South Dakota Government, and touching base with... our base, handing out copies of our Democratic Party platform and resolutions and so forth, and doing a lot of listening to the public, and informing folks that need to know that:

• Yes, Sen Johnson has made every vote personally on the Senate floor since his return, you can see it with your own eyes on C-SPAN.
• No, Obama is not a secret Muslim.
• No, we SD Dems own guns too, and we don't want to take yours away. Really; no way, no how.

I've been schmoozing with Republicans too; they were right across the lawn from us down there this weekend. I had an interesting conversation with former Rep. Don Van Etten and his dear spouse (who are supporting Elli Schwiesow's independent end-run--no big surprise there).

It's been a good weekend that way and I have great hopes for the conversation in and around Robbinsdale between now and November.



District 32 Democratic House Candidate Eric Abrahamson discusses public school funding issues (point by point) with retired RC Schools music educator Coral White and an anonymous fellow Republican, who requested not to be identified on my blog.

Shepard to speak at Mount Rushmore July 12

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

More information, contact Equality South Dakota, info -at- eqsd.org

Mount Rushmore is the site of the 5th annual Pride event in South Dakota. Equality South Dakota PAC and its affiliate, Equality South Dakota, will bring a political edge to the festivities this year.

EqSD PAC will announce its list of endorsed candidate for the November general election. On the heels of the PAC's impressive primary results, over $15,000 is being invested in pro-equality Republicans and Democrats running for seats in the South Dakota Legislature.

EqSD will be registering new voters and sharing information about its recent activism on behalf of the LGBT community.

Judy Shepard, mother of Matthew Shepard and founder of the Matthew Shepard Foundation, keynotes in the amphitheater. Senator Tom Katus, Rapid City, will speak briefly about equality issues from a legislative perspective. Members of the Advocates for Creative Theater Students' production of The Laramie Project will perform excerpts from the docu-drama. Brandon Sterling rounds out the program with his brilliant piano instrumentals.

Where: Mount Rushmore
When: July 12, 2008 beginning at Noon
Program begins at 1 pm in the amphitheater

Pride festivities continue at 4 pm and into the evening at 1103 12th Street, a private home in Rapid City. Mrs. Shepard will be present for informal discussion at this potluck open house.

Note Robbinsdale's own Sen. Tom Katus will speak on the SD Legislature's role in working for a more equal and fair South Dakota.

Another Veteran to remember

With all the flap about Wesley Clark's statements, I think this was worth sharing.

While Jack was in Vietnam, his unit came under an ambush. Several men were killed almost instantly. Others scrambled to take cover from the enemy attack. Jack left his position of relative safety and ran into the line of enemy fire to retrieve a radio carried by an officer who had been killed in the ambush. With that radio, Jack called in air support that very likely saved the lives of himself and the other survivors.

When he got sick as a result of spending his good years fighting their unnecessary war, he did not get state of the art medical treatment and the care befitting a man who made the sacrifices he made. The government that sprayed harmful chemicals on him ignored his pleas for help, but Karl Rove was not apoplectic with outrage.

When Jack died in his early 50s, he did not get the wall-to-wall news coverage that Tim Russert got. His family simply got an auto-pen letter from GW Bush, and a flag folded into a triangle.

Let's remember the bravery and sacrifice of all who serve our country, in uniform and out, this Fourth. And let us never dishonor their sacrifice by glorifying war in any way.

Rapid City School Board Reform!

Even if this guy says everything is a-ok, don't buy it. It certainly isn't a-ok.



We need a school board that both will fight for fairness we deserve and are not getting from Pierre, and be more qualified to watch the store at home.

Thank you Eric Abrahamson... yet another reason we should send the man to Pierre!

If you see this petition, please sign it!

If you want to circulate one yourself, email Jeff Lang (jefflang44 at gmail.com)

Dear Friends:

Many of us have talked about the need to reform the way we elect school board members in Rapid City. Consider the following facts:

• only 2 of the 7 board members for the 2008-2009 year have been elected;
• in the last 7 years, fewer than 10,000 votes have been cast in all school board elections; by contrast, in 1990 ( before we went to district elections) more than 10,000 votes were cast in a single election that featured 7 candidates vying for one seat;
  
• in Area 2, there has not been a contested election in 14 years; if you lived in Area 2 and had a son or daughter graduate from high school this year, you would never have had an opportunity to vote in a school board election during all the years your child was in school

Clearly, it’s time for a change. A group of us are coming together to circulate the attached petition (formatted for legal-sized paper) to put a measure on the ballot to change they system. Under this proposal,

• we would have five districts and two at-large seats;
  
• districted board members would represent roughly 14,000 instead of 10,000 voters;
  
• at-large board members would be elected by all the voters in the Rapid City Area School district;
  
• voters would have 3 chances to vote every 3 years instead of 1 chance every three years;
  
• the Board of Education would be more responsive to the concerns of the electorate.

I hope you will get involved in this effort. We need 3,465 signatures to qualify this measure for the ballot. We are hoping to gather more than 5,000 signatures. If you are willing to circulate a petition, please send me an email so we can keep track of who is circulating a petition. (Petition carriers must be 18 years or older.) Please make sure that you witness each signature. When you complete a form, we will get you together with a notary to sign the back of the petition.

If you have any questions about the petition or the problems with school board elections, please let me know.

All the best,

Eric Abrahamson