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GOP Governor Candidates Spar Over Transparency During SDPB TV Debate

With less than a week before the primary election, the gubernatorial race for the Republican ticket is heating up.

Last night on South Dakota Public Broadcasting TV, the GOP’s two candidates sparred over issues ranging from healthcare to transparency.

Both Congresswoman Kristi Noem and Attorney General Marty Jackley point to a lack of accountability and oversight of federal money coming into the state through programs like Gear-Up as a reason there’ve been scandals in the past.

Noem says that oversite is something she’d like addressed as South Dakota’s chief executive.
 
During the debate, Noem says her opponent failed to prosecute those involved in the state’s two recent scandals. Noem also points to a connection between a Sioux Falls businessman accused of wire and mail fraud charges, and her opponent.

“In EB5, the state oversite program, nobody went to jail. On Gear-Up, still, nobody’s been punished. When we talk about what’s been going on in Brookings with the Global Aquaponics scam—a con artist, Tobias Ritesman, held a fundraiser for Marty Jackley. Marty attended his phony groundbreaking for his phony project,” Noem says. “People lost hundreds of thousands of dollars. Still, nobody’s been investigated and nobody’s been prosecuted. That needs to change in our state.”

Global Aquaponics was a proposed high-tech fish farm that called for private investments. The project never took off.

During the debate, Jackley denied that Reitsman held a fundraiser for him.

“Congresswoman, he didn’t hold a fundraiser for me. I was at an event that he was at, and I did go to a ground breaking because that’s what important in South Dakota,” Jackley says. “When we have businesses expanding I think it’s important that we attend those. You talk about Gear-Up, there hasn’t been a sentencing because these defendants are presumed innocent. But I as attorney general, unlike Washington, have done something about it. I actually formed a grand jury. Indictments have been issued. They’re schedule to begin jury trials in July—or, excuse me—June, June 26th and I plan on trying those personally, because that’s what a leader does.”

Jackley points to state legislation he’s sponsored that further clarifies misusing pubic funds for personal financial gain is theft.

Medicaid Expansion
 
Both candidates for the Republican ticket for South Dakota governor say they won’t support expanding Medicaid for the state’s working poor.
 
Medicaid expansion would cover those making less than $1,000 dollars a month.
 
Representative Kristi Noem says instead of adding South Dakotan’s to the Medicaid rolls, she says she’ll work for better paying jobs that offer health insurance.
 
“My goal is to not put more people on the Medicaid program, my goal is to get people off of Medicaid by increasing their wages, giving them more opportunities and letting them take care of their children in a better way that provides a career for them.”
 
Noem’s opponent, Attorney General Marty Jackley agrees that expanding Medicaid is not right for the state. He says that includes funding requirements the state must comply with…
 
“We can’t let the federal government dictate what’s happening on our Medicaid programs. We need work requirements. We need to make sure we’re doing everything that we can to provide affordable healthcare, and that includes expanding and having more insurance carriers.”
 
Medicaid expenses for FY 2017 were $931 million.
 
The primary election is on Tuesday, June 5th.
 
To watch the full debate, visit our Facebook page.