Kristi Noem in 2022 SD Governor's race
On Abortion:
No mother should be pressured into ending a child's life
No mother should ever be pressured to have an abortion due to outdated stereotypes about what and who is "normal" or the potential of a life with Down syndrome. For that matter, no mother should ever be pressured into ending a child's life.
Instead, our country and the world should acknowledge the inherent worth and dignity of every human person, born and unborn, regardless of preexisting conditions like Down syndrome.
The South Dakota governor's office includes an unborn person advocate, a post created by Gov. Noem, whose job is to fearlessly fight to protect both expectant mothers and unborn babies.
South Dakotans have also stopped late-term abortions more than halfway through pregnancy, when science shows unborn children can feel pain.
Source: LifeNews.com on 2022 South Dakota Gubernatorial race
Mar 29, 2021
On Civil Rights:
Bars transgender athletes from women's sports
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R) has signed executive orders barring transgender athletes from women's sports in the state. "Only girls should play girls' sports," Noem tweeted. "Given the legislature's failure to accept my proposed revisions to
HB 1217, I am immediately signing two executive orders to address this issue: one to protect fairness in K-12 athletics, and another to do so in college athletics."
Source: The Hill e-zine on 2022 South Dakota Gubernatorial race
Mar 30, 2021
On Government Reform:
Summoned employee who denied daughter's license
Just days after a South Dakota agency moved to deny her daughter's application to become a certified real estate appraiser, Gov. Kristi Noem summoned to her office the state employee who ran the agency, the woman's direct supervisor and the state
labor secretary. Noem's daughter attended too.Kassidy Peters, then 26, ultimately obtained the certification in November 2020, four months after the meeting at her mother's office.
A week after that, the labor secretary called the agency head, Sherry Bren, to demand her retirement, according to an age discrimination complaint Bren filed against the department.
Bren, 70, ultimately left her job this past March after the state paid her $200,000 to withdraw the complaint.
Source: Washington Post on 2022 South Dakota Gubernatorial race
Sep 27, 2021
On Health Care:
COVID: vaccine passports are oppressive and un-American
Vaccine passports are un-American, according to Gov. Kristi Noem. It's "one of the most un-American ideas in our nation's history," read a tweet posted on Noem's personal account. This is separate from her official governor account on the social media
website. "We as Americans should oppose this oppression." She made it clear she doesn't support making vaccination a requirement to get access to certain events, flights and businesses, calling the idea oppressive and at odds with American values.
Source: KOTA-TV ABC-3 on 2022 South Dakota Gubernatorial race
Mar 29, 2021
On Abortion:
Focus on doctors breaking the law; ban telemedicine abortion
GOV. GRETCHEN WHITMER (D-MI): With the current legislature that I have, there is no common ground, which is the sad thing. They've already introduced legislation to criminalize and throw nurses and doctors in jail.GOV. KRISTI NOEM (R-SD):
I think we'll continue to have those debates on how we can support these mothers and what it means to really make sure that we're not prosecuting mothers ever in a situation like this when it comes to abortion, that it will always be focused
towards those doctors who knowingly break the law to perform abortions in our state. I brought a bill that would ban telemedicine abortions, which means a doctor of the Internet or
over the phone could prescribe an abortion for an individual, because these are very dangerous medical procedures.
Source: CBS Face the Nation on 2022 South Dakota Gubernatorial race
Jul 26, 2022
On Abortion:
Supreme Court gave authority back to the states to decide
GOV. KRISTI NOEM (R-SD): I anticipate there will be more debate and discussion. What was interesting about the Supreme Court decision is that it gave the authority back to the states to make these decisions. So, now that this decision has been made, it
will be up to each of the states and the state legislatures and the people there to talk to their elected representatives about what their laws look like closer to home.SEN. ELIZABETH WARREN (D-MA):
Look, what she's really saying is that when this decision is made, it should be made by the government. That the government should move in and the government should determine whether or not a pregnancy is forced to continue or whether or not a
pregnancy can be terminated. We have never left individual rights to the states. The whole idea is that women are not second-class citizens. And the government is not the one that will decide about the continuation of a pregnancy.
Source: ABC This Week on 2022 South Dakota Gubernatorial race
Jun 26, 2022
On Abortion:
South Dakotans overwhelmingly support right to choose
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem indicated during her reelection campaign's lone debate with her Democratic challenger, state lawmaker Jamie Smith, that if reelected she will uphold the state's abortion ban that provides no exceptions for rape or incest.
The Republican governor explained her position simply as "pro-life," while pledging to push for expanded parental leave in the state and alleviate the toll of inflation on people's budgets.
Smith called Noem's stance extreme and said it was endangering women's lives and causing concern among physicians for its lack of clarity on when an abortion is allowed--only to save the life of a pregnant
woman. "It's clear to me that South Dakotans overwhelmingly support a woman's right to an abortion," Smith said. "We talk about freedom all the time, except the freedom to make this choice."
Source: US News and World Report on 2022 South Dakota Governor race
Oct 1, 2022
On Energy & Oil:
Get these American-first energy supplies back online
I think a lot of energy policies should be addressed, a lot of them with opening up American energy supply again. I wish he wouldn't have canceled the Keystone pipeline. I wish he wouldn't have stopped drilling on federal lands.
He's made us much more dependent on our enemies on foreign soil. When we get these American-first energy supplies back online and we start depending on ourselves and become independent, it certainly will be a better day for South Dakotans.
Source: CNN SOTU interviews on 2022 South Dakota Gubernatorial race
Jul 3, 2022
On Government Reform:
So many serious election integrity concerns in 2020 election
Two days after Election Day in 2020, Noem baselessly claimed on Twitter that Trump was fighting "rigged election systems" and hinted that there were issues in "Democrat-run" states. Then, in an ABC interview that aired five days after the election,
Noem asserted that "dead people voted in Pennsylvania" (the number of such cases turned out to be tiny, and at least three involved registered Republicans) and referred to Michigan "computer glitches that changed Republican votes to Democrat votes" (in
reality, a single, conservative county's human error in reporting unofficial results had been quickly corrected). On Twitter, Noem added a reference to unspecified "illegal activity" in Nevada and declared that there were "so many serious election
integrity concerns."Noem attended Biden's inauguration in Jan. 2021 and acknowledged to reporters that "we now have President Biden" but also saying "I think there's lot of people who have doubts" about whether the election was fair and transparent.
Source: CNN on 2020 Election Denial: 2022 South Dakota Governor race
Sep 9, 2022
On Health Care:
Won't vote for Medicaid expansion; will implement if passed
Q: Expanding Medicaid is going to be on the ballot. Will you support that?NOEM: What that does is make sure that Medicaid expansion would cover able-bodied single individuals that are able to work. It also would include about an $80 million cost
to the state.
Q: Will you vote for it?
NOEM: I won't be voting for it myself personally because of the tax increases that would have to happen to pay for it. But if it is passed by the people, I certainly will implement it.
Source: CNN SOTU interviews on 2022 South Dakota Gubernatorial race
Jul 3, 2022
On Health Care:
No to Medicaid expansion; $80 million cost is too high
Noem does not support the expansion of Medicaid, saying it would cost the state $80 million. Noem said she has tried to increase telemedicine to decrease the cost of travel for those who live in rural communities and allow them to have better access to
healthcare. She said she has also worked to try and improve transparency with insurance companies, so people know what they will and will not cover. [Democratic nominee Jamie R. ]Smith said he is in favor of Medicaid expansion, so those in need would
have some relief if they were faced with a huge medical bill. Smith says it will not cost as much as Noem claims.
[Libertarian nominee Tracey] Quint said if the voters show they are for Medicaid expansion, then she would deliver.
Quint said she would shy away from adding to the state's expenses when it comes to expanding Medicaid but says there are ways the state can save money to fund Medicaid.
Source: KEVN Black Hills Fox on 2022 South Dakota Governor race
Oct 2, 2022
On Health Care:
Listen to healthcare professionals for COVID policy
In regards to the pandemic, Smith said by doing little things like using face coverings, we can ensure that people stay healthy and keep businesses open. Smith said 3,000 people died in the state of South Dakota, and it's a larger number per capita than
surrounding states. Smith was not using COVID as a political football. He said in a pandemic, we need to work together and speak to doctors to make sure we can stay safe as a community.Defending her actions during the pandemic, Noem said, "I got up
every day thinking of you." She said she talked to health care professionals and listened to their advice.
[Libertarian nominee Tracey] Quint said shutting everything down caused mental health issues. However, contracting COVID caused physical issues.
Quint said allowing people to have a personal choice is something she believes in, and the government did not have the authority to impose precautionary actions on South Dakotans.
Source: KEVN Black Hills Fox on 2022 South Dakota Governor race
Oct 2, 2022
On Tax Reform:
Repeal state's 4.5% tax on food sales
Noem claimed the state has the "strongest economy" in the nation, crediting her decision to forgo government restrictions during the pandemic. But she also turned attention to the squeeze that inflation is putting on household budgets.
She said she hears from many people who are "struggling because they can't pay their grocery bill. They're struggling because they can't pay gas prices." Earlier this week, she promised to push for repeal of the state's 4.5% tax on food sales.
But Smith was quick to point out that was an initiative he has been pushing for years, and when the House passed the proposal in March, support from Noem was lacking. Noem publicly opposed the proposal after the state Senate dismissed it in March, but
she said [in the debate] that it was an idea she supported and her office had been working on it.
Recently, South Dakota's economic growth has lagged behind the rest of the country. Last year, it had the 15th lowest growth in GDP among states.
Source: US News and World Report on 2022 South Dakota Governor race
Oct 1, 2022
Page last updated: Feb 14, 2023