Kristi Noem in U.S. News and World Report

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 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

The above quotations are from Columns and news articles in U.S. News and World Report. Click here for other excerpts from Columns and news articles in U.S. News and World Report. Click here for other excerpts by Kristi Noem. Click here for a profile of Kristi Noem.
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Page last updated: Aug 01, 2023