Rapid City Journal, Rapid City, Dec. 14
Sexual harassment training needed at Legislature
Sexual harassment, misconduct and even assault are no longer confined to the offices, homes and hotel rooms of powerful men. America’s dark secret is being exposed. Now, it needs to be confronted.
Before Harvey Weinstein, Matt Lauer, Al Franken and a growing list of others were seen in a new light, sexual harassment really wasn’t taken seriously. The behavior was dismissed as men being men or worse yet blamed on women whose very existence tempted men who lacked self-control.
Now, however, a new viewpoint is emerging that is changing the rules of the game in the workplace - men are being held accountable. Weinstein and Lauer were dismissed by their employers. Franken was forced to announce his resignation from the U.S. Senate.
Companies and institutions are taking stronger steps to protect women in the workplace. The U.S. House of Representatives and Senate, which have a secret fund for sexual misconduct settlements, have voted to require sexual harassment training for their members and staffs - an important step toward protecting women in the workplace.
It is a step the South Dakota Legislature needs to take as well. In the past year, state residents have learned that female lawmakers and lobbyists have felt the pain of being victims of sexual harassment.
Sen. Angie Buhl O’Donnell of Sioux Falls said she had to endure comments about her breasts when Brian Gosch of Rapid City was the House majority leader. Gosch said he was only joking and asked for a hug. Ro Ann Redlin was a lobbyist supporting a bill that required a third person to be in a room when a woman was getting a Pap smear. She said a male lawmaker asked her to describe the procedure in detail. “I felt so dirty I wanted to take a shower,” she told the Argus Leader.
Another lobbyist, Tiffany Campbell, was discussing legislation at a bar when she said a lawmaker asked if he could watch her go to the bathroom. The next day, a female lawmaker said members of the House Republican Caucus found the incident funny. In January, a Madison lawmaker resigned after having admitting to having sex with two interns, who are typically college-aged. Other allegations of groping and inappropriate touching were made by women who worked in various capacities at the Legislature.
When asked about the report, Gov. Daugaard said those who are victims of sexual harassment or misconduct should report it but added that he didn’t believe it was a problem in Pierre. Maybe that is the case, but one also has to wonder what makes the most powerful man in state government the authority on the sexual harassment of women.
The unfortunate reality is this insidious and harmful behavior will continue to exist unless steps are taken that include education and training on what constitutes sexual harassment and misconduct.
The Legislature needs to take this step in the 2018 session and then hold those accountable who persist in the behavior. It is the right thing to do, and now is the time.
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The Daily Republic, Mitchell, Dec. 12
Keep an open mind about the restoration of Lake Mitchell
It seems like everywhere we go in Mitchell someone has the answer to addressing water quality issues at the city’s lake.
Now, armed with three preliminary scenarios to solve Lake Mitchell’s algae woes, Omaha-based water quality specialist Fyra Engineering is the latest to throw its hat into the restoration ring, aiming to answer a decades long problem.
But let’s not go ahead and treat Fyra Engineering like a snake oil salesperson looking to make a quick buck from a city desperate to fix its lake.
It’s been a week since we got our hands on Fyra’s report, and we’ve done our best to lay their data out for the public without bias. That said, we understand if locals are hesitant.
One proposal, albeit one Fyra does not recommend, features a plan to dump aluminum sulfate in the lake. If that sounds familiar, it’s because it is. Mitchell tried this approach about a decade ago, to no avail.
But at around $6 million, it’s by far the most affordable plan, so we’d be open to Fyra at least giving it a closer look.
Another plan features a “by-pass” system that would divert some nutrient-rich, algae-feeding water away from the lake and into the James River. That approach, at an estimated $31.2 million, makes us wonder how those downstream would feel about the city of Mitchell pumping its worst water directly to the James River.
However, the cost of the plan, especially if the majority of funding comes from sources other than city dollars, feels like it’s worth considering compared to the final scenario.
At $81 million, a major watershed restoration plan feels like an insurmountable cost - something that would burn a hole in the pockets of all Mitchell residents. But if it saves the dying manmade reservoir, it should be considered.
Another approach Fyra tossed out at a meeting last week involves draining the lake. That would allow for more cost-effective dredging, but we suspect lakeside residents wouldn’t love the idea of sitting next to a massive hole in the ground for a long period of time.
These plans all come with major benefits and downfalls, but the economic benefit of having a clean and clear recreational lake in Mitchell are immense.
So whether this plan goes to a public vote or not, as some city officials have suggested, we hope as many locals as possible can take a look at Fyra’s report or speak with a neighbor or friend on one of the three Lake Mitchell committees. Those folks have become a valuable source of insight on the lake restoration, and we wonder if the city would even be this far in the process without their voluntary help.
We’re looking forward to the refined plan Fyra presents to the public in January, and hope the costs are much lower than the initial projections. We also hope Mitchell residents attend that meeting with open ears and open minds.
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The Capital Journal, Pierre, Dec. 15
Schools need more help in dealing with juvenile justice reform side effects
Can schools deal effectively with students who refuse to show up or who get caught selling drugs, using drugs or otherwise breaking the law? Should teachers and other school staff be asked to put up with students who simply don’t or won’t respect their peers or school.
Since 2015, schools have been asked by default to shoulder more of the burdens associated with truant or otherwise problematic students, thanks to a set of juvenile justice system reforms made that year.
So far, the reforms have done almost exactly what they were designed to do. Fewer kids are being taken out of their communities and placed at such facilities as the former Star Academy near Custer State Park in the Black Hills. The number of juveniles being held at county level juvenile detention centers also has fallen.
As reported in today’s Capital Journal, according to a draft of the annual report required by the 2015 legislation, the initial data indicate a decrease in juvenile recidivism, less frequent revocation of probation, and positive impacts of Functional Family Therapy.
That’s really good news.
The kids who used to be sent to places such as the Star Academy didn’t just disappear, though. In fact, they’re remaining in their schools that often don’t have the staff or programs they need to handle those kids. Pierre School District Superintendent Kelly Glodt said Monday during the Pierre School Board’s December meeting that a recent survey found that not one of the state’s school superintendents felt that the juvenile justice reforms had had a positive impact on schools.
Why? Well, kids that cause problems or fall behind because they don’t come to school, tend to take up an inordinate amount of teachers’, administrators’ and counselors’ time. One or two students who cause problems can crowd out other students who don’t cause problems but still need help, thus making an educator’s already difficult job that much harder.
The 2015 legislation did indeed provide additional funding for outside counseling services. Of course South Dakota has a chronic shortage of trained counselors. A program can be fully funded, but if it can’t be fully staffed, it’s still not going to work. The counselors the state does have typically don’t live in rural areas.
School superintendents also are saying that more students are in need of counseling for non-academic issues. More students are suffering from emotional and social problems, which school counselors are having to help address. Here again, there just aren’t enough counselors to go around.
Juvenile justice reform was a necessary step for the state to take and it has, mostly, been successful. But it might be time to recognize the initiative’s shortcomings and give schools more tools to deal with the extra burden it has caused.
A good step would be for the legislature to find a way to help schools pay for more guidance counselors.
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