hard work, to make that investment reap its returns. number two is -- putting in the hard work -- reform and transformation. -- -- federal opemarket committee.

>> c-spanshop.org is c-span's online store. browse our latest collection of c-span products, apparel, books, home decor and accessories. there is something for every c-span fan and have every purchase helps us support our nonprofit operations. shop now or anytime at c-spanshop.org. >> in her final state of the state address, south dakota republican governor kristi noem highlighted the achievements of her administration. the address came before she was confirmed as homeland security secretary. this is about 45 minutes.

>> thank you. thank you. lieutenant governor, mr. speaker, our supreme court justices, constitutional officers and members of the house and senate and my fellow south dakota and's -- south dakotans. i want to thank you as i deliver our 100th state of the state address during our 100th legislative session. as we come into this body today, i want to ask if you will honor our national guard soldiers who serve our country so faithfully and all of our veterans. would they stand and be recognized for your service to this country? [applause]

welcome to the 100th session of the south dakota state legislature. over these 100 sessions, we have made history in south dakota stop the things that have taken place in this building have changed our state forever and today i want to share a story with all of you that inspires me , a story about a south dakota trailblazer named gladys pyle. gladys was born in huron in 1890. her mother secured the right to vote for south dakota women and her father was the fourth attorney general of south dakota.

but gladys w

community has access to care. we are advancing career opportunities for south -- for south dakotans using our state medicare program. south dakotans already have work requirements in place for many of our social welfare programs such as temporary assistance for needy families and food stamps. for folks in these programs, the

department of social services provides south dakota career links to help them find career training, interview skills and opportunities. this past november, -- south dakota career link will be available for all of these folks as well and we are going to connect them with training, guidance and the support that they need to find a stable and meaningful career. this will make south dakota even stronger and more prosperous for the next generation. the number eight reason why south dakota will continue to be an example to the nation's agriculture. agate is more than just our largest industry. when the opposite is true, our entire state faces challenges. i am proud that we have preserved our ad operations, that we have opened up new

markets for our commodities. and we have protected south dakota agate from interference by people foreign governments like communist china. we have put south dakota in a position to be stronger than ever before. we need a robust diverse food supply and our family farms are one of the most critical parts of that. -- today i'm announcing that we are starting a partnership that is going to keep farmers farming in south dakota. we have reached an agreement between the state of south dakota, the south dakota act foundation and first dakota national bank to transfer the keep farmers farming program to the south dakota act foundation. this partnership will work with farm and ranch families on a state and transition planning. it helps producers pass along their land and their legacy to our kids and grandkids. it's about not just transferring

assets, but also experience and work ethic, morals and history. my governor's office of economic development will provide the south dakota act foundation with a one-year grant that will administer market and grow the program and there will be no loss of service for those existing program participants. we have representatives here today from the south dakota act foundation. i would like them to stand and would you give them a round of applause for being willing to take on this work of keeping farmers farming in south dakota? please give them a round of applause. [applause] the number seven reason why south dakota will continue to be an example to the nation is our outdoor opportunities. south dakota has some of the

most beautiful landscapes in the world. from our rolling prairies to the rugged black hills, landscapes are a testament to god's creation. we have worked hard to conserve and enhance these treasuries. -- has been incredibly successful. we have gotten our kids outdoors, we have passed on our outdoor heritage and we have increased our bird population as well. our second century habitat program has taken marginal acres out of -- and created havens for our wildlife. it had the added benefit of opening up more acres for public hunting. in 2020 four, south dakota had a record-breaking 1.6 million acres of private land open for public hunting. we've had the most pheasant hunters in over 10 years and hundreds of thousands of residents and nonresidents enjoyed our pheasant season. we had nearly 8 billion visitors

to our state parks. we are expanding our sioux falls outdoor campus and we competed the fantastic expansion of palisades state park. we broke the record for the highest attendance ever this year at my favorite event, the governor's buffalo round custer state park. we are building a new shooting sports complex near rapid city that will open up later this year. it'll be one of the very best firearms range complexes in the entire nation. it will offer a wide variety of options for firearms enthusiasts of all levels from hunters to recreational shooters law-enforcement training. we are conserving south dakota's natural beauty, creating more opportunities to share in the future. i am so glad that my grandbabies are going to get the chance to enjoy some of the beautiful outdoors that i enjoyed when i was growing up. and then speaking of babies, that brings me to my number six reason why south dakota will

continue to be an example to the nation. it is our babies. south dakota has the highest birth rate of any state in america. our people are happy, they are having babies and that is a hope for the future. [applause] every baby brings boundless potential. we are caring for south dakota moms and babies both before and after birth. last year we talked about the first thousand days of a child's life. these days are the most crucial to a child's development. our bright start program supported more than 600 mothers and over 500 infants and

toddlers last year. one mom that started the bright start as a teenager is now registered nurse in an emergency room and she wrote to the department of health and said i talk about you and the bright start program all the time to new moms. i tell them the big impact you had on my life and i am forever grateful. this past november, the people of south dakota endorsed the way we are taking care of moms and babies. they voted to support life and the department of health will continue emphasizing care for our next generation. if you have any questions about pregnancy, parenting, financial assistance or adoption, life.sd.gov as a one-stop shop that will help you get the help you need. our commitment to moms and families ensures that our state's future is as bright and hopeful as a newborn's eyes. we all need to keep our families safe. the number five reason why south dakota will continue to be

an example to the nation is safety. i'm proud of the work we have done over the past six years to make south dakota safer. we supported and respected our law enforcement officers and when much of the nation was attacking them and defunded them, we thanked them and respected them. we lead the way in cybersecurity by banning tiktok for state government and we enhanced the mission at dakota state university, and we led the nation in prioritizing our border security when the biden administration had failed to keep america safe. [applause] we made south dakota the first state in america to offer a statewide lead tribal specific law enforcement training. for the very first time, future tribal law enforcement officers were trained right here. they didn't have to leave their families for months and go to

new mexico for training. and this year we are going to make this training a part of our ongoing budget so that we can help train tribal law enforcement officers far into the future. [applause] today we have with us here, two gentlemen i would like to have stand. coursing county sheriff and z bell county -- you have to listen to me. stand up. we need sheriff gary cut more to stand as well. these were the sheriffs that represent counties on two of our south dakota tribal lands and they are the ones who helped me come up with the idea that

started the tribal law enforcement training academy. would you please thank them for helping build partnerships to get more public safety to our tribes? [applause] we've also kept south dakotans safe through natural disasters. south dakota saw a historic bomb cyclone and we saw other flooding events that year that had 63

-- the department of health provided free tetanus shots. even the bureau of information set up a network in the emergency operations center to support response efforts. i want to thank all of these emergency responders, the volunteers, the local governments and the state employees whose quick and professional actions helped make these communities safe and secure, and to prevent further damage. i want to honor a few of those individuals here today that went above and beyond the call of duty. first i would like to have tim kalman stand and be recognized. tim is ours -- our south dakota state geologist with the department of natural resources. he saved lives with his water flow projections. without 10, we would not have

had accurate rejections on the rising rivers. the data we were getting from the federal government and the federal river forecast center was too unreliable and we couldn't depend on it. tim gave us accurate projections to know when the crest was coming and we would have the most water hitting us. -- when we would have the most water heading us. conservation officers acted heroically to save lives. you all stand as well? i want to highlight one story in particular. one individual was stuck on a highway overpass. they were stuck without food or water or a way out of the extreme heat. emergency management officials were trying to coordinate a helicopter rescue in the middle of the flood. that would have been extremely dangerous because of the fast water, debris and other hazards. a local official walked into the emergency operations center and

explained scratch that plan, some crazy gfmp guys launched their boat and a highway ditch and they were able to get to them. these were the crazy game, fish and wildlife guys. [applause and cheers] they risk their own safety and eliminated the need for a more dangerous rescue. they used a drone to scout the possible route. they boated across cornfields with unknown hazards. they walked across a narrow berm to the overpass and rescued that south dakotan. i appreciate their example, their leadership and heroism. the sioux falls swift water rescue team came that request because of their special skill set.

when the first member arrived on site, he was alone before his other team members got there, but he single-handedly assisted several people for the rest of the team arrived. when they all got there, he was taken for medical attention due to heat exhaustion. the other team members worked with gain, fish and parks to make sure everyone was rescued and after everyone was out, they slept for a few hours in the grass until morning. these individuals went above and beyond throughout the crisis. they truly saved lives and we cannot thank them enough for all that they accomplished. here is what we can do. i would like to give the governor's award for heroism to tim kalman, to those crazy gf&p guys. the six members of the sioux falls water rescue team.

please give them a round of applause, thank you for keeping us safe. [applause] now the number four reason why south dakota will continue to be an example to the nation is our economy. we built the strongest economy of any state in america. our 1.9 unemployment rate is the lowest in the nation today and it has averaged as the lowest since i took office. we even broke the record for the lowest unemployment rate of any state in the history of america. our incomes have consistently grown faster than any other state and we have led the nation in new housing development. our labor force participation

rate is above the national average and we broke ground on a nearly $1 billion food processing facility with cj schwan's. last year we won the governor's cup as the top state in america for economic development projects. [applause] now we are poised to do that again this year and it will be announced in a few weeks. our gdp has grown consistently and it's been the fastest growing gdp in the nation as well. rising income means even during a historic inflation crisis, south dakota families have better been able to keep food on the table. new jobs mean our kids don't have to leave our state to pursue their career or their dreams and new-home is mean we are able to welcome more americans to come and join us in south dakota. our biggest challenge has been

our workforce and when i started the freedom works here campaign in june 2023, we had more than 25,000 open jobs in south dakota. today that number is down by over 7000 jobs, and we are felling some of the most important job needs like nurses, electricians, plumbers and accountants. our apprenticeship programs have completely changed how south dakotans get trained for the future. our teacher apprentice pathway is on track to turn out 150 new certified teachers in just the first three years. we have more than 1500 apprenticeships in professions like electricians and plumbers, k-12 teachers, carpenters, sheet metal workers, hvac installers, welders and even more. businesses across the state have welcomed apprenticeship opportunities with open arms. speaking of arms, south dakota's firearms manufacturing industry

is thriving as well. we recently welcomed paradigm carbon to south dakota and they manufacture carbon wrapped gun stocks and barrels. silencer central is one of the fastest growing companies in america and coal tack joined us from out of state and they love our freedom. our firearms industry supports 1600 jobs in south dakota and it generates more than 400 million dollars in annual economic activity. we are aggressively recruiting other arms and ammo manufacturers to bring business to the second -- to the most second amendment friendly state in america. i want to show the diversity of our state economy as well. i'm going to focus on another growing business. i want to welcome leaders from a business that is revolutionizing our largest industry, agriculture. our economy cannot thrive unless act thrives, and dell brands is

doubling their production capacity. they will create additional markets or act products and they will help ensure that south dakota's best economic days are ahead of us. please join me in welcoming the leadership of dell brands with us today -- bell brands with us today. ][applause -- [applies] ause] we are excited about your growth, expansion and investment in south dakota. the number three reason why south dakota will continue to be an example to the nation is our values. south dakota embodies the values that make america special. people visit here and they think this is the way that america is supposed to be. i recently had the opportunity to meet with a rabbi, south dakota's only rabbi.

he talked to me about how the traditional morals in this country are leaving and eroding. anti-hatred continues to rise into many other states and places. in south dakota we addressed that last year in this legislative body. we defined anti-semitic discrimination so we can identify it when it occurs and we can stop it. the rabbi and i also discussed how this nation needs to turn back to south dakota's example to help face this moral decline. we embody the values and the morals that built this nation. make no mistake, america was built on judeo-christian values. this might be a controversial statement for some people, but it wasn't for our founders. take it from the father of our nation, george washington. it might surprise you to learn that george washington did not sign our declaration of independence. he was with his troops on the battlefield when the continental

congress met. john hancock mailed him a copy and on july 9, five days after it was signed, general washington wrote general orders to his men that they all should gather and should listen as the declaration was read aloud. these were washington's words to his troops. the blessing and the protection of heaven already all times necessary but especially in times of public distress and danger. the general hopes and trust that every officer and man will endeavor to live and act as becomes a christian soldier. that defending the dearest rights and liberties of this country. even in that historic moment, general washington encouraged his troops to first act as becomes a christian, then defend our rights and liberties. foreign a half years ago, we had the tremendous honor of celebrating america's birthday right here in south dakota. we had the celebration with fireworks at mount rushmore and

-- honors president washington and three other monumental american leaders. we invited and welcomed president trump to celebrate with us and we are the first nation built on the principle that our rights come from god, not government and that our people have the unalienable rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. in the coming days, we will once again move forward with planning the return of fireworks to mount rushmore for america's birthday. and get ready america. [applause] our nation's 250th birthday is coming up in 2026 and south dakota is going to throw the biggest birthday party ever at mount rushmore. [applause]

the number two reason why south dakota will continue to be an example to the nation is our freedoms. south dakota has been a shining city on a hill over the past few years. we have proven that freedom works here. here is what i love most about that fact. we don't have to just talk about freedom. we can look from state to state and compare the results. when covid came in 2020, south dakota was the only state that never forced a business or church to close. [cheers and applause] i never mandated anything, i trusted our people to use their personal responsibility to make the best decisions for themselves and their loved ones. we defended the first amendment, including the freedom of assembly in ways that no other state did. later that year when other states attacked and defunded our law enforcement, south dakota invited officers to move to our state, a state that would

respect them. several times over the past few years when other states excepted piles of federal money with strings attached to leftist policies, south dakota said no thanks. we've defended our second amendment more than any other state. the first bill i signed as governor was constitutional carry. we blocked local governments from using emergencies to seize people's firearms. we strengthened stand your ground laws. i signed an executive order to protect our god-given right to keep and bear arms from being infringed on by financial institutions. we made south dakota the first state in america where it will not cost you a penny to exercise your second amendment rights. thomas jefferson once wrote a letter to james madison where he said i prefer dangerous freedom over peaceful slavery. [applause] the media thought that the

decisions we were making in south dakota were dangerous, but those decisions were right. in the future when tough decisions are in front of our state, we will have an easier time making the right choice. we have the courage of our convictions. but freedom is only as good as the people exercising those freedoms which brings me to the number one reason south dakota will continue to be an example to the nation. it is our people. you've heard me recite our state motto many times. under god, the people rule. i hope you will remind each other of what that motto means every single day. everything we do is for the people. the everyday south dakotan does not have a lobbyist in this capital. it is the charge of each legislator in this chamber to be that voice. listen to your constituents. do the work to learn the facts and then make the best decisions you can as they are elected leaders. i want to thank one particular

group of fantastic south dakotans, my family. several of them are at the back of the room and i would like to say a few words honoring all of them. my mom is here. you can wave, i won't make you stand. [applause] you spoke life into me and you made me realize how special i was to god. you taught me i could do anything and your love showed me i was already enough. my son could not be here today. he is across the world telling people about jesus. booker, i am so proud of you and i'm proud of your example of christ's love. god has you right where he wants you and i'm sure we all enjoy all of our time we get to spend with you but we know -- but know that your dad and i are so proud. my daughter and her husband could not be here because they are having our next grandbaby any day now.

i am amazed that you have already accomplished so much in your young lives. i will be praying for you as you start parenthood and i know you will do a great job just like you always do everything. my oldest is here with her husband and they brought their oldest child who is sitting there as well. [applause] i am her best friend. [laughter] are you my best friend? yeah, it's true. they have two other beautiful babies. for a minute, they had three kids under the age of three. they still do. and they are still achieving fantastic things in their career. i don't know how they do all that they do. you have such a bright light around you, and you are such an

example to other people. you are raising amazing people and individuals and it's a wonderful reflection of your love of each other. thanks for letting me babysit so often and there is nothing i love more. last but not least i want to thank my husband for being the best partner through this crazy journey together. when he married me, he thought he was marrying a farmer. [laughter] but you've always been there with advice and support. thank you for all the adventures, the love and the years that we are enjoying together. thank you. [applause] i have other family here today.

i have my sister cindy. she is the oldest in the family. she loves it when i say that. she is the sister i always wanted to grow up and be more like. she is an outstanding individual and she is the peacemaker in our family. imagine the burden of being a sister to me and being in politics, but she loves me every day no matter what and i'm so grateful for her example and her willingness to raise the rest of us kids along with dad and mom. i don't have my older brother here but i do have my baby brother who is bigger than all of us. i youngest brother i tell people quite often, my brother rock and i may not talk for several weeks and then we will have a four hour conversation. but rob calls me almost every day to check on me and i appreciate that friendship and when we farm together every day, we can fight, get over it and be back to work and love spending

all of our time together. he is here with his beautiful wife and their kids. i am also blessed with the best in-laws that anyone could ever hope for. they accepted me as one of their children and have never treated me any different than any of the rest of their kids and their unconditional love is an example for all of our families in this great state. please thank them for being with us today. [applause] so that's it. my top 10 reasons why south dakota will continue to be an example to the nation. before i go, there is one more thing i wanted to talk to you all about. you probably know that president trump have called on me to serve

if confirmed as the next secretary of the department of homeland security. it's a tremendous honor and a great responsibility. the mission of the department of homeland security is to keep the american people safe from the threats to the homeland. the situation at our southern border is nothing short of an invasion and over the last four years, america's border security has been purposely weakened and ignored. our laws have not been enforced and this has led to millions and millions of law enforcement encounters with illegal aliens. that doesn't include the millions of got a ways that we are aware of and it doesn't include the ridiculous number who got in through the -- and does not include the many thousands who caught a free plane ride and our country, courtesy of the federal government. too many of these individuals disappear why they -- while they wait for an asylum hearing before ever showing up. as you know i've taken a stand against this invasion.

we've deployed our south dakota national guard to our southern border eight times and then includes five state deployments to support texas work to stop the flow evenly -- of illegal aliens. i went to the border several times myself and i saw the illegal immigrants infiltrating our country. i saw our national guard troops enforcing our laws and building a wall. leadership has consequences. we see the consequences of washington's indecision right here in south dakota. we've seen activity from cartels and affiliates in some of our poorest communities and our states around the other country -- around the rest of the country see it as well. increase crime, drugs. overdose deaths, violence, human trafficking and murder. even known terrorists have crossed our border amongst the illegals and they could be anywhere. the invasion is an existential threat to america, and it threatens our national security and our economy. so the basic question is this. what kind of country do we want

to leave to our families? i want to leave them a state and the nation that is even safer and stronger and freer than the one i grew up in. that leaves me in a position where i may say farewell to all of you in the near future. but before i do, i want to say a few words about the man who is sitting right beside me. i started this speech and every speech i have given to this joint legislative session with the words lieutenant governor roden. almost seven years ago, people recommended i pick a sioux falls businessman to be my running mate but i didn't. i asked a west river ranch or to join me on the ride of a lifetime. larry roden stepped up to the plate. he's been more than just a partner in this role, he has been an advisor, a source of wisdom, and more important, a source of laughter. i chose larry to run with me because i knew that one day

there might be a day like this one. i knew that it would always be possible that i might not be your governor anymore. whether that circumstance was the result of tragedy or opportunity. i wanted a partner who would lead this state as i would. i wanted someone who realized that our rights come from god, not the government, that it is our duty to protect the rights and freedoms of our people. i wanted a friend and larry has been a friend since i was first elected to the state legislature almost a year ago. you are next up to bat. [applause]

this is a tool that is going to help you do the job. maybe it'll hold up a little bit better than those gavels you keep breaking whenever you are up here at this podium, but -- good. senators and leaders at your desks, you will find a smaller replicas of this at at your desk -- bat at your desks. you will find those today, i hope you all have them, and these are a reminder that all of you are at that now -- are at bat now. i trust you will knock it out of the park because the people have bestowed a trust in you. our people are worth serving. they are the very best in america. have been such a blessing and a source of joy to me and my family. although i am saying farewell, please know that i'm not going

far. south dakota has always been my home and it will always be my home. i will continue to focus on making our people safer, stronger and freer. to the people of south dakota, thank you for the incredible honor of serving as your state representative, as congresswoman and as governor. thank you for trusting me and thank you for working with me to accomplish great things. but that is enough of that, and we have to keep looking ahead. our state and our nation have even better days in front of us, god willing and the state of our state is strong. with your leadership, it will continue to grow stronger. thank you, god bless you, may god continue to bless the state of south dakota and the united states of america. [cheers and applause]