For too long, the current leadership in Pierre has spent too much money, wasted precious resources and failed to provide real leadership while conducting the people's business in secrecy whenever possible. South Dakotans everywhere tell me they're tired of the same old politics. They want a government that reflects the values of South Dakota - hard working, honest and sensible. They want a government that makes sacrifices when times are tough, just like South Dakota families and businesses. In this spirit, I will make the following issues a top priority during my term as Governor:

Cap Spending at 3% or the Rate of Inflation

This bill will limit increases in spending by state government to no more than 3% or the rate of inflation, whichever is less. Our current Administration has talked a lot about smaller government, but their actions have never matched their…


Cut Full-Time State Funded Employee Growth to the Pre-Rounds\Daugaard Level

Eight-years ago, South Dakota had 12,800 state employees. Today, we have 14,500. That is a growth rate of nearly 14 percent. The state of South Dakota added, on average, a new employee every other day of the entire Rounds’ Administration.…


Consolidate Departments

We believe we should do more than talk about making government smaller. People deserve action, especially in these tough times. Democrats support combining the functions of the State Treasurer and the Commissioner of School and Public Lands. In 1889, it…


Restore Competition/Eliminate “No Bid” Handouts

Our country is built on free markets and competition. Unfortunately, South Dakota spends about $97 million on personal service contracts, with significant amounts of these dollars being spent on “no-bid” contracts. This is cronyism that would make Cook County blush.…


End Pay to Play

Our state’s top political appointments (cabinet level, executive staff, our state “lobbyist,” etc.) have contributed over $100,000 to the campaigns of South Dakota GOP candidates. This has continued a pattern of “pay-to-play” that has gone on in the Governor’s Mansion…


Specific Cuts

Taxpayers deserve specific budget cut ideas.

We will introduce a bill to eliminate Washington lobbyists, sell off some or all of the 10 unneeded state airplanes, eliminate phantom FTE positions that are never filled (currently these dollars are labeled “salary salvage”…


Make State Government Transparent

Under the Rounds\Daugaard Administration, too much of the “peoples’” business is conducted behind closed doors. We will offer sweeping changes to open up state government to the people and the press so that everyone has a clear view of how…


Eliminate “Governor’s Club” and Similar Funds

We will sponsor legislation to reform our state campaign finance laws and end the increasingly questionable Governor’s Club, which has become nothing more than a secret political fundraising arm of our recent GOP Governors.


Regulatory Authority Reform

Currently, our Public Utilities Commission is allowed to raise funds from the very companies they regulate (electric utilities, telcos, etc.) to help finance PUC conventions and workshops. This is another example of a clear conflict of interest between our elected…


Veteran Concerns

I have been a strong supporter of South Dakota veterans throughout my legislative career. During the 2007 session, my first upon returning to the Senate, I co-sponsored a bill providing for certain property tax exemptions for veterans who were disabled due …


Investing In Education

I believe that every child, teen and young adult in South Dakota is entitled to a high quality public education. We currently have more than 120,000 students in K-12, and over 35,000 in post-secondary education. They represent our most important natural resource…


Women’s Issues

It is no secret that I believe South Dakota women and their families should have choices when they face important life decisions. The women of South Dakota have a long history and a strong culture as some of the most loving, hard-working, self-sacrificing people in our nation. I’m proud to stand up for them. …


Fighting for Rural America

South Dakota has always been about the family farm and ranch. Even today, as corporate agriculture continues to expand, 95% of farms and ranches in South Dakota are independent, family-owned operations. …


Better Health For South Dakota

A healthy population is a great asset not only to the individual members of that population but also to the state in which they reside. A healthy population is more productive and less dependent on state resources. …


South Dakota Tourism

Nearly twenty-years ago the beauty of our state was prominently featured in Dances With Wolves, and just a couple years ago South Dakota once again was featured in a Hollywood production when Nicholas Cage made the Black Hills a focal…


We must enact these tough, principled proposals to get our state's fiscal house in order and show South Dakotans that we can govern in an open, honest, responsible manner. Moreover, I believe we have to enact these proposals to bring fiscal accountability and responsibility back to Pierre and to state government. Further, I believe we have to make these tough choices without levying any new or raising any existing taxes. South Dakotans do not ask us to help them balance their checkbooks and those in state government should not expect them to help balance ours.

Coupled with these changes, I also commit to growing the economy of South Dakota in a variety of ways including by developing the burgeoning alternative energy markets including wind, bio-diesel, and ethanol and by encouraging and supporting efforts that link education, economic development and South Dakota's entrepreneurial spirit. I will be talking more about these plans as I move down the road.