Kristi Noem on Jobs Republican Governor (S.D.)

Businesses welcomed apprenticeship programs with open arms

AdWatch: S.D. accepts out-of-state professional licenses

[Narration by Gov. Noem with the Governor inspecting an electrical circuit box with a flashlight]: "Let’s look on the bright side: South Dakota stayed open for business during the pandemic. Now, we’ve got more jobs than people!"

[Governor flips a switch and lights go on to reveal the Governor wearing electrician's overalls]: "So, I’m filling in -- until you get here. South Dakota's the freest state in America, and the best state to live, work, and raise a family. We accept most out-of-state professional licenses. And we have over 20,000 open jobs, including for electricians."

[Voiceover as Governor closes circuit box and lights go off, panning to neighborhood lights sequentially going off]: "South Dakota--Freedom Works Here."

[Governor's voice in the dark]: "Oh, no; I'm a lousy electrician."

Keep right-to-work laws instead of labor unions

The news release said unions have contributed more than $10,000 to Sutton's campaign. The release also highlighted a tweet by the South Dakota Democratic Party that celebrated Tuesday's rejection of a so-called "right to work" law by voters in Missouri. The law would have banned compulsory union fees in that state.

South Dakota has a right-to-work law, which Noem supports. "That's why we're seeing out-of-state union heads investing thousands into Billie Sutton's campaign," the news release said. "He's their best bet to repeal the state's decades old right-to-work laws and force South Dakotans into labor unions they don't want to be a part of."

Member of House Education and Labor Committee.

The House Committee on Education and the Workforce`s purpose is to ensure that Americans` needs are addressed so that students and workers may move forward in a changing school system and a competitive global economy. The following issues are under the jurisdiction of the Committee:

• Elementary and secondary education initiatives, including the No Child Left Behind Act, school choice for low-income families, special education, and vocational and technical education;
• Higher education programs
• Early childhood & preschool education programs including Head Start;
• School lunch and child nutrition programs;
• Programs and services for the care and treatment of at-risk youth, child abuse prevention, and child adoption;
• Anti-poverty programs, including the Community Services Block Grant Act and the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).
  
  
• Labor: The Committee also holds jurisdiction over workforce initiatives, including:
• Pension and retirement security
• Access to quality health care for working families and other employee benefits;
• Job training, adult education, and workforce development initiatives, including those under the Workforce Investment Act (WIA)
• Continuing the successful welfare reforms of 1996;
• Worker health and safety, including occupational safety and health;
• Providing greater choices and flexibility (including `comp time` or family time options) to working women and men;
• Equal employment opportunity and civil rights in employment;
• Wages and hours of labor, including the Fair Labor Standards Act;
• Workers` compensation, and family and medical leave;
• All matters dealing with relationships between employers and employees.

Rated 100% by CEI, indicating a pro-workplace choice voting record.

The Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI), a public policy organization dedicated to the principles of free markets and limited government, has created a Congressional Labor Scorecard for the 112th Congress focusing on worker issues. The score is determined based on policies that support worker freedom and the elimination of Big Labor`s privileges across the country.

Votes in the current Congress score include:
• Bill: H.R. 658, LaTourette Amendment No. 21: NO on repealing changes to the Railway Labor Act`s voting rules.
• Bill: H.R. 658, Gingrey Amendment No. 18: YES to prohibit Federal Aviation Administration employees from using official--that is, taxpayer sponsored--time for union activities during the official workday.
• Bill: H.R. 1, Price Amendment No. 410: YES to defund the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).
• Bill: H.R. 1, Guinta Amendment No. 166: YES to prohibit imposing `prevailing wage` and other requirements in project labor agreements that advantage unionized contractors.
• Bill: H.R. 2017, Scalise Amendment No. 388: YES to prohibit project labor agreements in DHS contracts
• Bill: H.R. 2055, LaTourette Amendment No. 411: NO on funding for federal project labor agreements.
• Bill: H.R. 1, King Amendment No. 273: YES to eliminate the `Davis Bacon` prevailing wage rate requirement for federal projects.
• Bill: H.R. 2017, Gosar Amendment No. 386: YES to eliminate the `Davis Bacon` prevailing wage rate requirement for Department of Homeland Security contracts.
• Bill: H.R. 2354: Gosar Amendment No. 655: YES to restrict application of the Davis-Bacon Act to contracts exceeding $20 million.
• Bill: H.R. 2017: Rokita Amendment No. 2: YES to prohibit collective bargaining at the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).