On the Issues

I'm the current Chair of the Lawrence County Republican Party. I pledge to put families first and protect our state for future generations. I am pro-life and pro-Second Amendment. I support common sense solutions to create jobs and to cut taxes and regulations.

WHAT ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUES THAT NEED ADDRESSED IN DISTRICT 31?

I believe District 31’s most important issues are creating better paying jobs and affordable housing without increasing taxes or diminishing our quality of life in the process. Now, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic response, South Dakota is dealing with lost sales tax revenues and significantly higher unemployment pay-outs. Spending reductions will need to be implemented that do the least damage to the services we enjoy without crippling critical core services we need to function as a state. This will affect every portion of our state’s budget, which in the end, will affect Lawrence County.

WHAT'S WORKING AND HOW TO MAINTAIN THAT PROGRESS

I think the residents and families of Lawrence County are what’s working. The people and families in our area are doing a great job of creating and maintaining businesses, serving in them as employees, working our lands as ranchers and farmers, and working together to build a community that has remained strong throughout our history. This is the time to encourage and expand innovation, entrepreneurial freedom, new business and job formation… and to discourage government over-regulation, overreach, and undue higher taxation.

FOCUSING A LIMITED BUDGET DURING COVID-19

We will all have to tighten our belts and look for ways to reduce our budget while causing the least amount of harm to our citizens. Obviously, if tax revenues are down, cuts will need to be made. As with any budget, there are “gotta-haves” and “nice-to-haves.” Everything will need to be scrutinized for both necessity and usefulness. Governor Noem is already working with the Federal Government to try and change the way the federal tax dollars we receive can be spent.

ASSISTING LOCAL BUSINESSES

Governor Noem is working with the SBA to offer low interest loans EIDL (Economic Injury Disaster Loans) to business owners in South Dakota. Making low interest loans available, along with offering tax incentives, will assist businesses as they emerge from the shut-down period and begin to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic response. Senator Thune is working to pass legislation providing for a shield of limited liability to protect small businesses from coronavirus-related litigation when stores and companies begin to operate. This would protect employers from frivolous lawsuits that could bankrupt a business. I support both of their efforts.

COUNTRY-OF-ORIGIN LABELING

We MUST reinstate MCOOL (Mandatory Country of Origin Labeling) and start a federal investigation into possible anti-trust violations by the meatpacking industry. MCOOL requires labels show the source of the product. The USDA does not mandate that ONLY beef raised and slaughtered in the U.S. carry a “Product of the USA” label. This means beef from outside the U.S. can be labeled “Product of the USA” if it goes through processing at a U.S.-based plant. Consumers want to know where their food comes from; current rules place our family farms and ranches at a disadvantage.