DELL RAPIDS NEWS

South Dakota is open for business

Kristi Noem
South Dakota governor
Gov. Kristi Noem

While I was growing up, my dad often talked about building a better tomorrow. He dreamed of all four of his kids being able to stay on the family ranch if we wanted to. Whether that was developing the family farm and ranch into something all of us kids could one day work on or instilling godly values in us that we could one day pass those along to our kids, at the end of the day, he just wanted to give the next generation an opportunity to thrive.

My vision for South Dakota is the same.

We must ensure that every person can build a life in South Dakota and make a good living to provide for their families. This is why I have committed to four pillars of protection: keeping taxes low, limiting government regulation, fighting government intrusion, and keeping government open and honest.

After a year of serving as governor, I’m proud to say we stuck to these pillars in 2019, and we made a lot of progress, too.

One of our main priorities last year was recruiting new industries to South Dakota and helping businesses who are looking to grow or expand. And people have responded. It’s not hard to understand why. There are so many reasons why South Dakota is the best place in the nation to do business.

Our state has the best people - our work ethic and values are second to none.

We don't have a corporate income tax.  And there’s also no business inventory tax. We are one of the few remaining states with no personal income tax, and I am committed to keeping it that way. We also don't burden our citizens with a personal property tax or an inheritance tax.

The taxes that we do have to fund state government are stable and predictable. In addition to my commitment to not raising taxes, our constitution requires a 2/3rd vote in both chambers of the legislature to raise taxes. In short, if you’re worried about tax increases, you don’t need to be.

Government in South Dakota lives within its means. We balance our budget without accounting gimmicks or tricks. And we believe in smart regulation. We roll out the red carpet, not the red tape.

Our part-time legislature is one of just a few that is a true citizen legislature. Our legislators come to Pierre, tackle the problems that need to be tackled that session, and then go home to their jobs, their families, and their communities.

I have traveled all across this country and around the world, and I can tell you, there is no better place to operate a business and raise a family than in South Dakota.

My goal is to make sure folks across the country and around the world know that South Dakota is THE PLACE to do business. Whether you’ve owned and operated a business for four generations, or you’re looking to start, expand, or even relocate your current operation, my message is crystal clear: South Dakota is OPEN for business.