IssuesFor too long, the current leadership in Pierre has spent too much money, wasted precious resources and failed to provide real leadership while conducting the people's business in secrecy whenever possible. South Dakotans everywhere tell me they're tired of the same old politics. They want a government that reflects the values of South Dakota - hard working, honest and sensible. They want a government that makes sacrifices when times are tough, just like South Dakota families and businesses. In this spirit, I will make the following issues a top priority during my term as GovernorScott Heidepriem for GovernorSHfG_80f00d18-9511-11df-9f35-57677a64ea2a_80f010ce-9511-11df-9f35-57677a64ea2a_80f012d6-9511-11df-9f35-57677a64ea2aSpending CapCap Spending at 3% or the Rate of Inflation._80f0139e-9511-11df-9f35-57677a64ea2a1This bill will limit increases in spending by state government to no more than 3% or the rate of inflation, whichever is less. Our current Administration has talked a lot about smaller government, but their actions have never matched their rhetoric. It’s past time to finally make this fundamental change. If this philosophy had been implemented several years ago, we would not have a structural deficit today. _80f0154c-9511-11df-9f35-57677a64ea2aEmployee GrowthCut Full-Time State Funded Employee Growth to the Pre-Rounds\Daugaard Level._80f0161e-9511-11df-9f35-57677a64ea2a2Eight-years ago, South Dakota had 12,800 state employees. Today, we have 14,500. That is a growth rate of nearly 14 percent. The state of South Dakota added, on average, a new employee every other day of the entire Rounds’ Administration. All of this while the state’s population remained virtually the same. The best illustration of the current leadership’s failure to keep government lean was when Governor Rounds responded to the downturn by stating that “no longer would we hire anyone who is not essential”. That begs the question – where we previously in the practice of hiring “non-essential” staff? We think the Governor and current leadership answered that question. We believe the growth can be cut to pre-Rounds\Daugaard levels, without a reduction in service. Then we should limit FTE growth to no more than the growth in the state’s overall population._80f01718-9511-11df-9f35-57677a64ea2aConsolidationConsolidate Departments_80f01808-9511-11df-9f35-57677a64ea2a3We believe we should do more than talk about making government smaller. People deserve action, especially in these tough times. Democrats support combining the functions of the State Treasurer and the Commissioner of School and Public Lands. In 1889, it may have made sense to have separate offices, but technology is a wonderful thing and it is time for state government to start using it. We need to make smaller, smarter government. State government has hundreds of boards and commissions; some are no longer needed and others can be downsized._80f018ee-9511-11df-9f35-57677a64ea2aCompetitive BiddingRestore Competition/Eliminate “No Bid” Handouts._80f019e8-9511-11df-9f35-57677a64ea2a4Our country is built on free markets and competition. Unfortunately, South Dakota spends about $97 million on personal service contracts, with significant amounts of these dollars being spent on “no-bid” contracts. This is cronyism that would make Cook County blush. It’s very simple: when the power of the marketplace is not being used to set the best (not necessarily the lowest) possible price, the taxpayer is being cheated._80f01ace-9511-11df-9f35-57677a64ea2aPay to PlayEnd Pay to Play._80f01bc8-9511-11df-9f35-57677a64ea2a5Our state’s top political appointments (cabinet level, executive staff, our state “lobbyist,” etc.) have contributed over $100,000 to the campaigns of South Dakota GOP candidates. This has continued a pattern of “pay-to-play” that has gone on in the Governor’s Mansion for years. Under our current Administration, South Dakota taxpayers have hired a lobbyist and paid him a six-figure sum each year. The same lobbyist has turned around and contributed tens of thousands of dollars each political cycle to South Dakota and out-of-state GOP candidates. South Dakota has a lobby in Washington and their names are Johnson, Thune and Herseth-Sandlin. Our state needs to hire and appoint people based on their ability, ingenuity and drive; not based on their history of giving massive political contributions to a political party and its candidates._80f01cc2-9511-11df-9f35-57677a64ea2aSpecific CutsIdentify specific budget cuts._80f01dd0-9511-11df-9f35-57677a64ea2a6Taxpayers deserve specific budget cut ideas. We will introduce a bill to eliminate Washington lobbyists, sell off some or all of the 10 unneeded state airplanes, eliminate phantom FTE positions that are never filled (currently these dollars are labeled “salary salvage” and end up funding other unappropriated items). We also support a total suspension of legislative out-of-state travel and a reduction in state legislative salaries in the spirit of shared sacrifice. We will work with our Republican colleagues to find other savings, but we must be careful that we don’t pass the costs of essential services onto local units of government and masquerade such actions as “cuts.” If program cuts are not enough to balance the state’s books, we will seek a modified across-the-board budget cut._80f01f06-9511-11df-9f35-57677a64ea2aTransparencyMake State Government Transparent._80f02028-9511-11df-9f35-57677a64ea2a7Under the Rounds\Daugaard Administration, too much of the “peoples’” business is conducted behind closed doors. We will offer sweeping changes to open up state government to the people and the press so that everyone has a clear view of how the mechanisms of state government function and so that they can have input as to how to make it leaner, more open and more accountable._80f02154-9511-11df-9f35-57677a64ea2aGovernor’s ClubEliminate “Governor’s Club” and Similar Funds_80f0228a-9511-11df-9f35-57677a64ea2a8We will sponsor legislation to reform our state campaign finance laws and end the increasingly questionable Governor’s Club, which has become nothing more than a secret political fundraising arm of our recent GOP Governors. _80f023ca-9511-11df-9f35-57677a64ea2aRegulatory Authority ReformSponsor legislation to eliminate fund raising from regulated companies._80f0250a-9511-11df-9f35-57677a64ea2a9Currently, our Public Utilities Commission is allowed to raise funds from the very companies they regulate (electric utilities, telcos, etc.) to help finance PUC conventions and workshops. This is another example of a clear conflict of interest between our elected officials and the private sector, and we will sponsor legislation to eliminate this unsavory practice._80f02654-9511-11df-9f35-57677a64ea2aVeteran ConcernsSupport South Dakota veterans._80f02866-9511-11df-9f35-57677a64ea2a10I have been a strong supporter of South Dakota veterans throughout my legislative career. During the 2007 session, my first upon returning to the Senate, I co-sponsored a bill providing for certain property tax exemptions for veterans who were disabled due to a service-connected event. It passed both houses and became law. In the 2009 legislative session, I was the prime sponsor of a bill which called for the Legislative Research Council to study the feasibility of establishing a cabinet-level department of veterans’ affairs. In addition, and at the request of South Dakota’s veterans, I introduced a bill providing that no one might serve as Director of the Division of Veterans’ Affairs or as a county veterans’ service officer who had not been honorably discharged. As a result of my demonstrated commitment, the South Dakota American Legion named me “Legislator of the Year” in 2009. I was honored to receive the Legion’s recognition, as well as ... endorsement from Eliot Annable, a World War II veteran, who served in the Battle of the Bulge with my father, Herb Heidepriem. _80f029ba-9511-11df-9f35-57677a64ea2aEducationInvest In Education._80f02b18-9511-11df-9f35-57677a64ea2a11I believe that every child, teen and young adult in South Dakota is entitled to a high quality public education. We currently have more than 120,000 students in K-12, and over 35,000 in post-secondary education. They represent our most important natural resource, and a quality education is the single most important thing we can provide to help them succeed. I know education from the perspective of a student, a legislator, a lawyer and a parent. I was educated in Miller’s Public Schools, and at the University of South Dakota where I earned my undergraduate and law degrees as well as a master’s degree in history. My legislative record reflects my advocacy for our state’s public schools, technical institutes, colleges and universities. Investing in Education - I see education as an investment, not simply a line item in a budget. Smart investments, timely made, save money and lives down the road as well-educated kids are substantially less likely to go on welfare or end up in the juvenile justice system. Parents and educators can continue to count on me to fight for the interests of all students, from pre-K to Ph.D. If you read the Constitution of our state, you are struck by the number of times our Founders mentioned education. They were obsessed with it. We need to rediscover that obsession. Step one is to change the culture in South Dakota by using the bully pulpit. The next Governor must spend a great deal of time correcting the impression given by this Administration that education is really not that important. Education is important, and prospective educators must be able to see immediately how much South Dakotans value education. If we cannot show them that, how can we expect them to spend their professional and personal lives in South Dakota? Look at the number of teachers educated at Black Hills State University who cross the border into Wyoming! We lose many of our best educators to other states because they do not feel that teaching is valued here. Money is one of the issues, but culture is just as important. Step two is to get our fiscal house back in order, which we must do in to make the kind of long-term commitment of resources that our state needs and our children deserve. I have devoted much of my time and effort in the legislature to finding a long-term funding solution for our K-12 school systems. Starting in the 2007 legislative session, and continuing through this past session, I championed a change in the funding formula to expand our investment in children. I also supported the creation of post-secondary scholarships for a broad range of students, recognizing that our focus needs to be not only the best students, but also the ones who work hard and demonstrate potential, not necessarily reflected in academic achievement Finally, it also means a willingness to obey the plain language of the Education Enhancement Trust Fund, adopted by the citizens of South Dakota at the ballot in April 2001. The purpose of the fund is actually to“enhance” education, not simply to use that interest for the ordinary and customary funding of state aid, as the current Administration so clearly does. Measuring Quality - I support efforts to measure excellence in education, but too often we mistakenly assume that a successful test score reflects great teaching and learning. It does not. I am skeptical of “No Child Left Behind,” of South Dakota STEP testing, and frankly, of the recent federal initiative, “Race To The Top.” Education is best when it is homegrown and well-funded. Federally-imposed financial constraints based on standardized tests will end in failure. We need to keep our focus on our kids, our teachers and other school leaders. My efforts have been recognized by a number of organizations, including the South Dakota Education Association (SDEA). SDEA has endorsed me in all of my legislative races, and sees me as the point-person for public education in Pierre. As Governor, I would continue to fight just as hard for our children, our teachers and our schools._80f02c76-9511-11df-9f35-57677a64ea2aWomen’s IssuesSouth Dakota women and their families should have choices when they face important life decisions._80f02e10-9511-11df-9f35-57677a64ea2a12It is no secret that I believe South Dakota women and their families should have choices when they face important life decisions. The women of South Dakota have a long history and a strong culture as some of the most loving, hard-working, self-sacrificing people in our nation. I’m proud to stand up for them. The Republican ticket, on the other hand, doesn’t trust them to make responsible choices. My opponents sponsored and supported the radical effort to amend the state Constitution in 2006 to ban all abortions, regardless of the threat to the life or health of the mother and with no exception for rape or incest. In fact, most believe their real goal was to craft a law which would be a vehicle for a Supreme Court challenge, potentially costing taxpayers thousands of dollars to defend, and making South Dakota a pawn in the national abortion wars. I appreciate and respect that good people may disagree on giving women a full range of options. But we should all agree on doing everything possible to help women prevent diseases and avoid unintended and unwanted pregnancies. That would mean providing comprehensive sexuality education, including an emphasis on abstinence, and increased access to comprehensive health care. When the time comes for South Dakotans to plan their families, they should have available to them the necessary information and services to make responsible decisions. But Republican insiders in Pierre too often have done everything they could to make it harder for South Dakotans to plan their families. They defeated efforts to require insurance companies to cover contraceptives, and even insisted that pharmacists shouldn’t have to fill prescriptions written by doctors for contraceptives if they don’t want to. Thanks to some Republican insiders in Pierre, contraceptives will be expensive and hard to come by. It doesn’t sound to me like this Republican administration trusts South Dakotans to make responsible decisions for their families. I also do not believe this is an issue on which we’re going to agree, but I think most South Dakotans understand that and would simply like to move on._80f0300e-9511-11df-9f35-57677a64ea2aRural AmericaFight for Rural America._80f031d0-9511-11df-9f35-57677a64ea2a13South Dakota has always been about the family farm and ranch. Even today, as corporate agriculture continues to expand, 95% of farms and ranches in South Dakota are independent, family-owned operations. As tremendous a job as they do feeding the nation, our farm and ranch communities also play an incredibly important role in the traditions and values they pass down to our next generation of leaders. Hard work, respect for the land, common-sense business principles and a fundamental faith in each other are just some of the values our kids learn in small town South Dakota. Our state continues to make an impressive footprint on the national agriculture scene. South Dakota is now the 6th largest producer of corn in the country. In 2008, our 12,000 corn farmers harvested 585 million bushels of corn. We lead the country in the production of bio-tech corn. This year, we are scheduled to consume 300 million bushels of corn as we produce a billion gallons of ethanol. Ethanol increases demand for corn, reduces our dependence on foreign oil and adds value to our South Dakota corn producers. We need to continue to educate the public on its benefits. During the past legislative session I worked to expand renewable energy, including the ethanol blender pump incentive program. I believe it is critical to provide customers access to different blends of ethanol and to provide retailers assistance in making this important transition in our energy strategy. There is a clear difference between me and Denny Daugaard on this issue. I would like to see our state continue to make smart investments into cost-effective programs like the blender pump program. However, the Daugaard Administration has jeopardized our state’s ability to make critical investments in a number of areas because of its reckless spending. During the tenure of the Daugaard Administration, state spending increased 53%. That’s unsustainable and it’s robbing future generations of real opportunity. Livestock producers are the backbone of South Dakota agriculture. I have supported a strong brand inspection program for South Dakota and, as your next Governor, I will fight to make sure the program is implemented in an impartial and transparent fashion. I believe cattle producers deserve price-transparency at the sale barn and the development of fact-based, common-sense standards when it comes to animal care and husbandry. I will support efforts to continue the development a South Dakota Certified Beef program and I think it is critical to support the strong enforcement of Country of Origin labeling on all South Dakota food products. All of our state’s producers will benefit from a renewed focus on ensuring that the current Packers and Stockyard protections are being rigorously enforced here in South Dakota. Anti-competitive behavior threatens our cattle and grain industries and also our poultry and dairy farmers. Obviously, there are literally hundreds of issues that are critical to farm and ranch families. Here is a short list of some of the other issues I believe are important to farm and ranch families: Planning and ZoningLocal control of planning and zoning issues._80f03392-9511-11df-9f35-57677a64ea2a13.1I will fight for local control of planning and zoning issues. I believe counties and other local government entities are in a better position to make decisions on a number of issues.State FairSupport and fund the South Dakota State Fair. _80f03586-9511-11df-9f35-57677a64ea2a13.2This should be a showcase event for agriculture like it was for so much of our state’s history.Ethanol and Bio-Diesel FuelsRequire the use of ethanol and other bio-diesel fuels in all state-owned and operated vehicles and equipment._80f03770-9511-11df-9f35-57677a64ea2a13.3Water Drainage RegulationsReview and add common-sense input to our state’s water drainage regulations._80f03978-9511-11df-9f35-57677a64ea2a13.4We need a policy that is clearly understood and fair to producers.Natural Resource ReservesNurture and encourage the continued development of natural resource reserve programs that help maintain quality farming, hunting and fishing lands._80f03b80-9511-11df-9f35-57677a64ea2a13.5South Dakota “Brand”Review the South Dakota “Brand” issue and with the likely conclusion that it is best to return it to the livestock producers instead of housing it in the Department of Agriculture._80f03d92-9511-11df-9f35-57677a64ea2a13.6Youth ProgramsRecognize and encourage the programs (4-H, FFA, etc.) that continue to teach our young men and women who live on farms and in town the important role that agriculture plays in South Dakota and reverse the Daugaard Administration’s cuts to the state 4-H program._80f03fea-9511-11df-9f35-57677a64ea2a13.7HealthBetter Health For South Dakota._80f04210-9511-11df-9f35-57677a64ea2a14A healthy population is a great asset not only to the individual members of that population but also to the state in which they reside. A healthy population is more productive and less dependent on state resources. It is also more stable, more creative and more able to help others in need of assistance. As a result it is clearly in the best interest of state government to do all it can to raise the level of health and well being of the residents of the state. Improving the health of a population involves actions on a variety of fronts. It requires that the environment in which people live be free from both toxins and safety hazards. It requires that the population be educated about life style choices which contribute to better health and longer life. It requires that the population have access to quality health services. These services must include public health and preventive services, acute and emergency services and effective care for the multiple chronic diseases which are increasingly prevalent in our society. Responding to this broad range of challenges will be a major responsibility of the next governor and his administration. CONCLUSION In many ways South Dakota is fortunate with regard to health care issues. We have a relatively healthy population, generally good health care outcomes and progressive health care provider systems. Nonetheless, we face many challenges if we are to maintain and improve on the accomplishments from which we now benefit. Doing so will require hard work, creative thinking and a willingness to accept new structures and new ways of providing care. We must face these challenges with the clear thinking pragmatism which has characterized our state in the past. We must also have an open mind and a willingness to change. Only such an approach will allow us to implement the most promising of the new ideas while protecting the best of our accomplishments from the past.NUTRITION / OBESITYA broad based approach which should include nutrition education for both parents and children through our educational system and public health agencies._80f04436-9511-11df-9f35-57677a64ea2a14.1One of the most challenging public health problems we face is the emergence of obesity as a threat to the overall health and longevity of our citizens. This is especially true for those in the first 2 to 3 decades of life – a time when we would expect health problems to be at a minimum. We have witnessed over the last several decades a rapid rise in the prevalence of obesity brought on by easily available, tasty and relatively inexpensive high calorie fast foods and high sugar drinks. These changes are coupled with a reduction in energy expenditure by our youth as entertainment options have been increasingly dominated by television and video games and incentives for physical activity whether at school or at home have declined. To combat this trend we need a broad based approach which should include nutrition education for both parents and children through our educational system and public health agencies. Options for healthy meals and snacks though school systems should be increased and food assistance programs should include incentives for healthy eating. The obesity epidemic has major implications for health care costs for state government. As the incidence of diabetes rises among the young – as it is now doing – so too does the incidence of kidney failure, heart disease and long term disability, all of which impair the productivity of our population. All these add directly to the costs of state supported health care programs – especially Medicaid.MEDICAIDDevelop approaches in South Dakota that both improve care and save money._80f04670-9511-11df-9f35-57677a64ea2a14.2Medicaid is a vital program which provides much needed health care services to needy and disabled citizens in South Dakota. Financial support for the program comes from a joint state/federal partnership with the federal government contributing approximately 2/3 of the funding. Even with the large component of federal input the cost of Medicaid is a huge burden on the state budget and it threatens to become even larger as health care costs increase and health system reform legislation mandates an expansion of Medicaid eligibility. To maintain this vital program it is essential that both the clinical effectiveness and the fiscal stability be improved. Analysis of these programs by health care researchers and pilot programs in other states have shown that changes in delivery system and payment structures can be successful in improving both clinical outcomes and fiscal efficiency. Most notable among these new models is the “medical home”. In this arrangement enrollees are linked with a primary care provider or clinic that accepts responsibility for education and preventive services as well as care coordination activities in addition to direct clinical services. There is strong evidence from a number of different settings that these structures both improve care and save money. We need to develop similar approaches in South Dakota.SERVICES FOR THE AGINGSupport this segment of our population._80f048c8-9511-11df-9f35-57677a64ea2a14.3A healthy and engaged retired population is a great asset to any community. Retired citizens bring to a community outside sources of revenue as well as energy for volunteer and leadership functions. It is in the best interest of both local communities and the state to support this segment of our population to every extent possible. Area councils on aging have been highly successful in other states in providing coordination and planning support for senior citizen activities and projects. South Dakota has a high percentage of seniors in our population. Providing support and encouragement through mechanisms like this allows us to tap the energy and expertise they have to offer. It also is an effective way to combat the isolation which too often afflicts seniors who have lost a spouse and whose children have moved away – isolation which damages health and can be devastating to overall quality of life. Access to health services, traditional clinical services as well as in-home rehab services and home care for chronic disease, are very important contributors to health status. However, maintaining such services can be a challenge especially in the sparsely populated areas of our state. It is vital that we make every effort to see that those who live in our rural communities have access to these services which contribute greatly both to longevity and to quality of life. In so doing we reduce the demand for costly nursing home care and give seniors the opportunity to maximize their independence and their ability to continue to contribute to their communities. By supporting this segment of our population we serve the best interests of the state but more importantly provide decent and respectful treatment to our older citizens who have contributed so much to the development of South Dakota.HEALTH PROFESSIONS EDUCATIONProvide adequate general support for our health professions schools as well as incentives to attract students into areas where current shortages exist and where shortages are projected to become much worse in decades to come._80f04b34-9511-11df-9f35-57677a64ea2a14.4South Dakota is fortunate to have high quality health care services and, at least compared to national benchmarks, reasonable health care costs. However, we still face many challenges. One of the most immediate of these is assuring that we will have the health care provider workforce which is needed to care for the current population as well as the baby boomer generation as they move into the phase of life when utilization of health care services increases. Accomplishing this means not only that we provide adequate general support for our health professions schools but also that we provide the incentives to attract students into areas where current shortages exist and where shortages are projected to become much worse in decades to come. With regard to physicians our primary care doctors are aging. We are not producing the numbers we need for their replacement let alone the greater numbers needed to deal with increasing numbers of elderly as well as those that are needed to staff the proposed new delivery models such as the medical home. In addition to primary care there are emerging shortages in general surgery, geriatrics, psychiatry and urology. Similar challenges exist in multiple other areas including nurse practitioners and physician assistants, nursing, physical therapy and a number of other professions. Responding to these needs will require creative thinking and a willingness to change. We need to adjust curriculum offerings so that professionals in training receive the preparation necessary to feel comfortable moving into these professional roles. We also must have a willingness to restructure delivery systems to provide the support necessary to attract young professionals. South Dakota TourismLeverage private sector money in keeping our state’s attractions modern and vibrant._80f04db4-9511-11df-9f35-57677a64ea2a15Nearly twenty-years ago the beauty of our state was prominently featured in Dances With Wolves, and just a couple years ago South Dakota once again was featured in a Hollywood production when Nicholas Cage made the Black Hills a focal point of his film National Treasure. While these blockbuster movies get a lot of attention, it’s the small business people — hotel operators, café owners and gas station operators — who put a great face on South Dakota by working day in, day out to cater to the hundreds of thousands of people who travel here each year. And, the good news is, their hard work turns out-of-state tourists into repeat customers as they return to the Mammoth Site, historic Deadwood and Custer State Park. The operators in the Black Hills do an especially good job in this regard. Their enthusiasm, dedication and commitment to making travelers feel welcome serves as a tremendous working model for other industries. Sioux Falls epitomizes the essence of visitor-friendly treatment when they welcome the nation’s pheasant hunters each fall as they come down the escalator at Joe Foss Field. They are made to feel more than welcome and they keep coming back. South Dakota’s beauty extends throughout the state. The Missouri has supported a fantastic boating, fishing and water skiing industry from Mobridge to Pierre and all the way down to Yankon. From Sica Hollow to the Brookings Arts Festival to Palisades State Park and a little treasure called Newton Hills, we have a lot of gems spread all across South Dakota. In these tough economic times, it’s fair to ask what role state government should play in supporting the tourism industry. Leadership means asking ourselves these tough questions. I have made it a point to study the impact investments in tourism have on the number of visitors to a state during the course of the year. I believe strongly that a state can play a leadership role in the tourism industry that includes but also extends beyond providing tax dollars. Leadership means forging a relationship and building a bond between our people, our government and our state’s tourist destinations. It means having a Governor who shows up for the Days of ’76 and the Belle Fourche rodeo. Our state’s top elected official has to lead by example. Leveraging private sector money is a critical step in keeping our state’s attractions modern and vibrant. A good example is the private investment used to remodel the cabins at the Custer State Park resorts. Our officials realized that our best places demand a certain level of amenities, and sometimes that requires an investment. A smart, reasonable investment now can assure a steady stream of people and revenue for our state well into the future. This is a good example of forward thinking and represents a real, working partnership between our private and public sectors. We also need to look a couple moves ahead on the chessboard. Targeting the booming senior market would seem to make a great deal of sense right now. Let’s find out the most important needs of senior travelers and make sure our state provides them in spades. I am committed to keeping our state the great place it is, and building on the important progress we have made over the past decades. _80f0505c-9511-11df-9f35-57677a64ea2a2010-07-21http://www.scottheidepriem.com/issues/OwenAmburOwen.Ambur@verizon.net