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Noem, Sutton Share Ideas On Ag, Workforce, Trade Jabs During SDPB TV Forum

Melissa Hamersma Sievers
/
SDPB

With an ageing producer population in the state, as well a high cost of land and inputs, both majority party candidates for South Dakota governor want to impact ag going forward.

Both candidates grew up on farms in rural South Dakota, and each has a vision for growing the state’s number one industry.

Despite the challenges facing agriculture today, Democrat Billie Sutton says he’s hopeful for the future of agriculture in South Dakota. Sutton says he supported precision ag and an animal diagnostics research lab during his time in the state senate. He says the state needs to do a better job of supporting the state’s younger producers.

“To work to get the cost of inputs down for South Dakotan farmers and ranchers,” Sutton says. “I think that’s things we need to focus on. By offering more education opportunities, as I discussed with tech school opportunities. There’s a lot of opportunities for value added ag, and I think those are things we need to be focusing on. We do have challenges though, with how the tariffs have effected our producers. That’s a huge issue, because we’re going to have banner crops and they’re not going to be paid for it because of politics.”

Sutton’s opponent, Republican Kristi Noem says all she wanted to do as a little girl was be a farmer. She says she understands the volatility of farming.

Noem says that’s why in previous farm bills she’s ensured farmers have safety nets. She says she’s also advocated for year round E15 ethanol blend fuel.

“I think we should lead by example,” Noem says. “That our state fleet should be running on E30, and then I want to challenge other governors to follow through and support the industry like we are and make sure we drive that policy from South Dakota and be leaders supporting our own renewable fuel that we grow right here at home that brings up prices for our farmers. Our farmers don’t want aid, they want trade. They want new markets, so ethanol is another new market right here domestically that we can build in to help us be successful and to help those young farmers have an opportunity to get a price and to cash flow going forward.”

During a campaign visit by President Trump in September, Noem received a $23,000 cash donation from Jeff Broin, the executive chairman of POET LLC, an ethanol company.

Workforce Development

The unemployment rate in South Dakota hovers around 3 percent. That’s led to a shortage of qualified workers to fill job openings across the state.

The two major party candidates have different ideas on how to address that shortage.

Republican candidate Kristi Noem says she wants to partner with technical schools so students can get skills to get licensed in the state quicker. She also advocates for bringing biotech companies to the state.

“I want to go after the next big industry for South Dakota,” Noem says. “We have a strong state when we can diversify our economy and make sure that all parts of it are thriving. So, not only growing the businesses on Main Street and helping them be successful and expand and reinvest in their people with higher wages. But also going out a recruiting that next big industry to the state of South Dakota. But I’ll tell you what will be a challenge. It will be a challenge recruiting businesses if we raise taxes.”

Noem alleges her opponent, Democrat Billie Sutton, wants a state income tax. An AP fact check shows that claim as mostly false.

Sutton says the state has a lot of opportunities when it comes to workforce development. He points to an example of what his hometown did to address the issue. He says that school district partnered with other area schools to rotate career and technical education courses.

“Whether it’s manufacturing, welding, engineering, biomedical,” Sutton says. “These kids are getting opportunities they would have never had. Those are the types of things we should be promoting as South Dakotans. Those are the things that the state government can partner with our school districts—that we can build public-private partnerships with private entities, like we did with the Build Dakota scholarship, where we’re offering full ride scholarships for kids to go to tech schools. That’s because we’ve worked to find common ground.”

Sutton says he’s opposed a state income tax and will continue to do so.