South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R) is making it clear her state has managed to stay out of financial trouble amid the coronavirus pandemic and ultimately does not need the extra help from President Donald Trump’s executive order.
Noem released a statement on Friday where she commended Trump for his leadership and explained why South Dakota does not require the boosted federal unemployment.
“Despite significant disfunction in Congress, President Trump continues to problem solve and provide great leadership during this recovery effort. My administration is very grateful for the additional flexibility that this effort would have provided, but South Dakota is in the fortunate position of not needing to accept it,” Noem said.
She added, “South Dakota’s economy, having never been shut down, has recovered nearly 80% of our job losses. South Dakota is the only state in the nation that didn’t have extended benefits kick in because our insured unemployment rate has been the lowest in the nation.”
Trump’s executive order requires states to chip in $100 or 25 percent of the up to $400 additional benefit Americans could receive.
Noem reiterated her state does not need the additional aid and noted South Dakota is prospering.
“We have the third best housing construction market in the country. And many, many businesses are looking to relocate to South Dakota because of the decisions we made during the pandemic. South Dakota is open for business – that applies to our business owners and their employees,” Noem said.
The president signed the executive orders after Democrats and Republicans failed to reach an agreement on the next coronavirus relief package, as IJR previously reported.
Aside from unemployment relief, Trump’s executive orders include a payroll tax, a provision for “temporary financial assistance” to renters and homeowners, and a suspension on interest on student loan payments until the end of the year, as IJR previously reported.
