Gov. Noem Statement on State Attorneys General Amicus Brief in Rushmore Fireworks Appeal
PIERRE, S.D. – Today, sixteen state attorneys general filed an amicus brief in theKristi Noem, et. al. v. Deb Haaland appeal, which seeks to restore South Dakota’s annual Mount Rushmore Fireworks Celebration. Governor Noem thanked the attorneys general with the following statement:
“The Biden Administration’s arbitrary decision to cancel the Mount Rushmore Fireworks Celebration sets a bad precedent for other states who want honest and predictable federal processes,” said Governor Noem. “I am grateful for the sixteen attorneys general who are standing up with South Dakota so that we can return theFireworks Celebration to Mount Rushmore and honor our nation’s birthday at America’s Shrine to Democracy for next year and in the future.”
The Amici States support Governor Noem’s challenge to the federal government’s unlawful decision denying South Dakota’s permit for the Mount Rushmore Fireworks Celebration. They argue that National Park Service’s decision-making was erratic, flimsy, and based on unsupported rationales. The denial itself was devoid of specifics, facts, data, and was internally inconsistent. The Amici States file this brief to defend a federal permitting process that is well-reasoned, consistent, and well-supported.
In particular, the Amici States criticize National Park Service’s contradictory rationale for using the COVID-19 pandemic as a purported reason to cancel the Fireworks Celebration. “Much of the letter refusing to grant South Dakota’s permit was focused on the COVID-19 pandemic,” write the attorneys general. “COVID-19 concerns did not prevent the National Park Service from holding a fireworks display on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. It was arbitrary and capricious to rely on the same concerns to refuse to allow a fireworks display at Mount Rushmore.”
The attorneys general are led by Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt, who is joined by Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall, Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich, Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge, Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita, Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry, Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch, Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt, Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen, Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, Oklahoma Attorney General John O’Connor, South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson, Tennessee Attorney General Herbert Slatery III, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, and West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey.
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How many years in a row did we have our “annual” fireworks show at Rushmore?
We have had 243 – 4th of July’s in a row.
How about you quit wasting money on this and work towards something better? Maybe a coordinated drone and light show that can be used every night or weekend? That could showcase the engineering and programming sides of our colleges and provide a clean and unique show to draw in even more tourists. The first drone show I saw, I was in complete awe. They are so cool and mesmerizing with all the scenes they depict and the motion they can produce. This continued crying about something we don’t need just seems like political posturing at this point.
A great idea!!
The Olympics had a good drone show as did Metallica a couple years ago indoors at the Sanford Event center.
Metallica was the first indoor drone show I saw. That was great! Just think if we were the first federal monument with a drone show each evening set to the national anthem where drones depict great American scenes and then wave in the air like a giant flag. I can think of a 1000 ideas for these drones to do that would make Rushmore even better!
Any numbers yet on how much this has cost the state?
Still not as much as the Trump rally cost the state last time we sponsored the firework show there. These fights are only for Kristi’s campaign, how is blowing up chemicals from China over a tinder box forest in South Dakota patriotic anyway?