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April 2020
April 15, 2020
"breaking down political issues* *giving you raw facts* *hot topics* *talking points* *speakers* *educational* *congressional updates*
PCRW (Pennington County Republican Women) is a Republican Club for women and men which seeks to build the local Republican party by educating and providing a local venue for political engagement.
Pennington County GOP's Lincoln Day Dinner Update:
The June 6, 2020 Lincoln Day Dinner event date has been canceled and plans are being made for rescheduling the event to a later date.
What you can do during the COVID-19 crisis:
1. Let President Trump know that you support him by following this link: Thank you Trump!
2. Let Governor Noem know that you support her efforts here in South Dakota by following this link: Thank you Governor Noem!
3. Reach out to encourage and thank Senator Thune, Senator Rounds and Representative Johnson for their hard work for South Dakota.
4. Let PCRW know if you or anyone you know of has a need during these challenging times, and we will do our best to assist. You may email at thepcrw@gmail.com, call us at (605)215-0455, or send a Facebook message to us at fb.me/thepcrw.
5. If there are ways you can support our local businesses in keeping with social distancing, please do so. These are our neighbors, friends and fellow community members. They need our support.
6. Vote!!! You may elect to vote by absentee mail-in ballot rather than in-person. If you fill out and send in this attached application for an absentee ballot, you can vote in the school, municipal, primary, and general elections by mail. (Click on this link for the absentee ballot application form: Absentee Ballot). Absentee voting begins April 17th!
7. Most importantly, pray fervently for our leaders and our country.
PCRW's next meeting:
Our next meeting is a work in progress. We hope to host a virtual South Dakota congressional candidate forum this month and will keep you posted as to the specifics of this item.
As always, please feel free to call or email with your thoughts, questions and ideas!
PCRW Executive Board
(605)215-0455
Newsletter by Pennington County Republican Women
Update
PCRW (Pennington County Republican Women) is a Republican Club for women and men which seeks to build the local Republican party by educating and providing a local venue for political engagement.
PCRW Members and Friends,As you all know, PCRW strives to provide solid information for our community, as well as be a venue for political engagement. Since we canceled our Break*Down meeting this month, we have put together this newsletter consisting of updates from PCRW and most importantly, the most current Congressional reports and the Governor's report.
PCRW updates: Membership Report:We have a total of 93 members and associates combined. To make the 2020 PCRW Directory this year, please pay your dues by March 25, 2020. Membership is also taken into consideration for delegate counts at convention. If you are on a Board of Directors in any capacity, please pay your dues. Please contact Jennifer Ezzell at 713.254.2483 or at jezzell@swkins.comto obtain a membership form.
Pennington County GOP's Lincoln Day Dinner Update:The event is on June 6, 2020, with confirmed keynote speaker, U.S. House Republican Whip, Steve Scalise. PCRW has reserved a couple of tables so that we can sit together at the dinner. You can reserve your seats at a PCRW table or reserve your own by emailing Jennifer Ezzell at jezzell@swkins.com, and pay at a later date.
What PCRW members can do during the COVID-19 crisis:
- Let PCRW know if you or anyone you know of has a need during these challenging times, and we will do our best to assist. You may email at thepcrw@gmail.com, call us at (605)215-0455, or send a Facebook message to us at fb.me/thepcrw.
- If there are ways you can support our local businesses in keeping with social distancing, do so. These are our neighbors, friends and fellow community members. They need our support.
- Pray fervently for our leaders and our country.
Congressional and Governor's Reports: Report from U. S. Senator Thune's office: The focus for the past several weeks has been, and will continue to be, the Coronavirus. The president signed into law yesterday Phase II Assistance (the Families First Coronavirus Response Act) totaling $100 B. The focus in the Senate now is the $1 T Phase III package. The summary of this document is belowof Phase II along with other releases from Senator Thune.
Thune Statement on Senate Passage of Additional Coronavirus Relief:WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today released the following statement after the Senate overwhelmingly approved additional coronavirus relief funding that will continue to provide support to the American people, including by ensuring there are no financial barriers to testing. The bill, which strengthens protections for employees who have been adversely affected by the coronavirus outbreak, now heads to the president to be signed into law. On March 5, Thune supported the first phase of coronavirus funding and has discussed additional steps that will be required to address this outbreak. “Today we passed important bipartisan legislation that will provide critical relief to American workers, families, and small businesses,” said Thune. “While this is welcome news, there’s a lot more work ahead of us to address the coronavirus’ economic impact, and Senate Republicans are prepared to stay in Washington as long as it takes to get additional legislation to the president’s desk. I’ve been working with Leader McConnell and my Republican colleagues to identify legislative proposals that could be included in a third legislative package, and I’m optimistic about where those conversations are headed. This is a challenging time for our country, but it’s often in challenging times that we see the very best of America. I am confident that if we pull together as a nation, we will emerge from this challenge stronger.”
The Families First Coronavirus Response Act will:·
Provide support to the American people through the duration of the coronavirus outbreak;· Ensure there are no cost barriers for Americans who need to be tested for the coronavirus, regardless of their personal financial or health insurance situation;· Provide tax credits to employers so they can help support American workers who are adversely affected by the coronavirus outbreak (those who are sick, required to self-quarantine, or provide care to others); and· Increase the use and availability of telemedicine, a tool Sen. Thune has long supported, particularly for the benefits it provides to rural America.
Thune, Daines, and King Introduce Bill to Extend the Tax Filing Deadline, Provide Additional Relief to Middle-Income Americans:WASHINGTON — U.S. Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), and Angus King (I-Maine) today introduced the Tax Filing Relief for America Act (S. 3535), a bill to extend the tax filing deadline from April 15, 2020, to July 15, 2020, which would coincide with the Treasury Department’s previous announcement that it would extend the tax payment deadline for filers who owe the IRS for the 2019 tax year. The legislation would provide greater clarity to taxpayers and allow those who need to travel to a secondary location to acquire documents or meet with an accountant to follow CDC’s ongoing guidelines with respect to the coronavirus outbreak. It would also preserve the right of taxpayers who are owed refunds to file their tax returns and get their hard-earned money back today. “Treasury’s decision to extend the tax payment deadline from April 15 to July 15 was an important first step, but it only makes sense to also extend the tax filing deadline itself,” said Thune. “There’s enough confusion amid this outbreak as it is, so I believe it’s incumbent upon Congress to provide as much clarity and relief as possible to American families. While I’m working with my colleagues on additional swift and bold action to respond to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak, this is the least we can do, and I hope my colleagues will support this effort.” “Hardworking Montanans shouldn’t have to worry about meeting a deadline for filing their taxes when we’re in the middle of a public health and economic crisis,” said Daines. “This will give some extra time so Montanans can focus on what they need to do to protect their health and finances.” “In this unprecedented moment, we should be doing everything possible to relieve economic worries and encourage Americans to practice social distancing,” said King. “By moving the tax filing deadline back, we can offer some breathing room for millions of Americans who are trying to do their civic duty and protect their communities.” “During this unprecedented time, taxpayers and tax practitioners are finding it increasingly difficult to comply with upcoming filing deadlines,” said Edward Karl, CPA and vice president of tax policy and advocacy for the Association of International Certified Public Accountants. “Businesses and individuals struggling with coronavirus-related issues should not also be concerned with meeting upcoming tax filing deadlines. The AICPA is grateful to Senator Thune for his leadership on this critical issue and we support his efforts to provide Americans with much-needed tax filing relief in the midst of this national emergency.” Sens. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) are cosponsors of the Tax Filing Relief for America Act. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Report from U. S. Senator Round's Office: Update on COVID-19:Senator Rounds voted in favor of both Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the COVID-19 response legislation. While both were not perfect he felt the good outweighed the bad and Congress needed to act quickly.- Phase 1: The emergency response of about $8B to combat the outbreak and ramp up research.- Phase 2: Focused on Paid sick leave for businesses and paying for all those who need to be tested to receive the tests for free.- Phase 3: An economic package that is currently being discussed in the Senate. Senator Rounds is monitoring this very closely and advocating for South Dakotans the best he can. Senator Rounds’ focus is on how to help the people of South Dakota and businesses. At this time, details are starting to roll out but much is yet to be completed. The Senate is looking to vote on this ASAP, final passage could come by Monday. Senator Rounds Unveils Three-Pronged Approach to Address the Cattle Market Crisis: U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) today announced a number of steps he is taking to address the ongoing cattle market crisis, which has been magnified during the recent outbreak of COVID-19 and could lead to producer bankruptcies. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Report from U. S. Representative Johnson's Office: COVID-19 Legislative Efforts Update from Rep. Dusty Johnson:These are uncertain times. In the days to come, Congress will be considered a number of proposals to combat Coronavirus and the economic challenges it is creating. There are two packages that have already been passed and another was just recently announced, I’ve included a snapshot of what is in those and I’ve also shared the guiding principles Dusty will be considering as legislation continues to come forward. Finally, our office is working under a modified operating structure, with many people working from home but if you have questions we are still available via phone and email, don’t hesitate to contact us. Our nation is strong and well-positioned to respond to these challenges. We will get through this, together. Package #1 (Passed 3/4/20) · $8 billion to speed development of COVID-19 vaccine, improve access to testing, assist state/local/tribal government with their responsePackage #2 (Passed 3/14/20) · Make COVID-19 testing free, increase access to food for vulnerable populations, reimburse small/medium business owners for sick & emergency leave costs, assist state governments with medical costs
Package #3 (Announced 3/20/20) · Includes small business interruption loans, recovery checks for individuals, health care response, extends tax filing date to July 15th
More information on the 2020 recovery rebates for individuals: Recovery checks of up to $1,200 will be put into the hands of most taxpayers, providing cash immediately to individuals and families. Married couples who file a joint return are eligible for up to $2,400. Those amounts increase by $500 for every child. These checks are reduced for higher income taxpayers and begin phasing out after a single taxpayer has $75,000 in adjusted gross income and $150,000 for joint filers. The IRS will base these amounts on the taxpayer’s 2018 tax return. The rebate amount is reduced by $5 for each $100 a taxpayer’s income exceeds the phase-out threshold. The amount is completely phased-out for single taxpayers with incomes exceeding $99,000 and $198,000 for joint filers. The IRS will base these amounts on the taxpayer’s 2018 tax return.o Taxpayers with little or no income tax liability, but at least $2,500 of qualifying income, would be eligible for a minimum rebate check of $600 ($1,200 married). Qualifying income includes earned income, as well as Social Security retirement benefits and certain compensation and pension benefits paid to veterans. This ensures relief gets to low-income seniors and disabled veterans.
Dusty’s Guiding Principles on Federal Response to Economic Challenges: ·
Be Fact-Based· Not just for the “Big Boys”· Don’t play favorites· Be fiscally responsible · Temporary efforts ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Report from Governor Noem's Office: With the COVID-19 situation changing rapidly, it’s hard to predict what tomorrow may bring. Thanks to the proactive steps we developed with healthcare providers, schools, leaders and businesses and communities across the state, we have delayed community spread beyond initial projections. At the moment, all the individuals that have tested positive in South Dakota are at home resting and healing up. That’s good news for everyone. Perhaps one silver lining of this national emergency is that it forces us to stay home and think local. Together, we will get through this. We always do. To learn more about ways you can protect yourself and the people around you, visit COVID.SD.GOV or call 1-800-997-2880. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- As always, please feel free to call or email with your thoughts, questions and ideas! PCRW Executive Boardthepcrw@gmail.com(605)215-0455 
Newsletter by Pennington County Republican Women
Pennington County 2019 Report
In 2019 PCRW covered a variety of topics and political issues such as: sex
trafficking, the SD Juvenile System, abortion, the power of data collection,
education issues, free speech, and a variety of legislative issues. We also
had out first Legislative Outlook Sessions.
We will start the New Year on January 16, 2020 covering the Rapid City
School Bond issue. Both sides will be presented as the vote on this is this
coming February. Following this, we hope to hear from a variety of political
leaders in our State on important
topics and issues for South Dakota.
We are also working on increasing
our membership and increasing
membership meeting attendance
by creating excellent educational
programs and a variety of
opportunities for political
involvement.
Information Links:
Email: thePCRW@gmail.com
Facebook: fb.me/thepcrw
Twitter: @thePCRW
Instagram: breakdownbypcrw
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