Noem clarifies role, adds to staff

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PIERRE ­— Governor Kristi Noem addressed a handful of issues in her press briefing Wednesday afternoon, but she spent the majority of her time defining her role as the state’s top elected official.
Noem opened her press conference discussing the significant rise in re-employment, formerly unemployment, claims. The governor strongly encouraged first-time filers to utilize online filing methods due to the increased claims. There will be changes coming due to the recent federal legislation that was approved, and the governor encouraged those working with the re-employment offices to stay abreast of those changes, but not to panic as staff will help work through new paperwork.
The state can also backdate claims, per Noem, so those who are filing need not fret over time to get paperwork completed. The state’s COVID-19 website, covid.sd.us, has been redesigned and has all information one would need on filing a re-employment claim.

Noem then took a strong turn in the press conference, focusing her discussion on the role of government during a crisis and in the daily lives of citizens in general. She discussed how the state constitution puts limits on one person holding too much power, and she was hesitant to change that with the legislation she put forward to S.D. legislators as they met Monday. Instead, the legislature chose not to distribute that power to state departments and/or city and county governments.
She discussed the role of personal responsibility in exercising our freedoms in a democratic society. With the choices of the legislature on Monday, municipalities and individual South Dakotans will be counted on to quell the spread of the COVID-19 virus. She stated very clearly, “It is not our objective to stop the virus. We are trying to slow the spread.”
Noem stated that from her office, “facts, science, and data will guide our decision-making.”
The governor strongly encouraged residents not to be overwhelmed by the world or national news on the issue. She encouraged South Dakotans to follow their local news and the local actions with this virus, as she believes that the state is making proper headway now to flatten the curve.
She was asked about that curve, and Gov. Noem stated that the most up-to-date projections have the state’s peak of daily infections some time in late July/early August. She is encouraged by this as it means that South Dakotans are doing what they need to do, but it also does mean that everything being done now could very well need to be sustained for multiple months yet.
Noem’s office did announce a new hire that will take effect Monday, April 6, as the Governor hired a communications director. Ian Fury brings experience working with Congress for Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio and in the governor’s office in Kansas under Sam Brownback.