Rounds speaks on national and some state issues
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HURON – While he doesn’t fault Gov. Kristi Noem for her decision to move the annual Governor’s Hunt to Sioux Falls next year, former governor and current Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., said as a long-time Pierre area resident he is disappointed.
“For me, the Governor’s Hunt was a very special chance to bring folks into the real outdoor spaces,” he said in answer to a reporter’s question on a conference call.
But he said he’s not going to criticize Noem for relocating the hunt, which she believes will attract more business prospects.
Since former Gov. Joe Foss started the hunt many years ago, the event has been all about celebrating the fruits of a good hunt in a casual atmosphere while exposing to visitors what South Dakota has to offer. Economic development has been the underlying goal of it as envisioned by Foss, Rounds said.
He said he understands that Noem wants to promote the state in a convention-type atmosphere in Sioux Falls.
“Most certainly I will miss it being in Pierre and all the work landowners did every year,” Rounds said. “We couldn’t have done it without them.”
He said now is a good time to thank all those who have made the annual pheasant hunt a special event.
Meanwhile, the senator has joined with Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., and others in introducing the Academic Partnerships Lead Us to Success (A-PLUS) Act, a first step in eliminating the Department of Education.
Passage of the legislation would restore state and local control of education by giving them the option of declining participation in the rules of federal education programs while focusing on specific community needs, he said.