Noem Taps New Underwood Native for Policy Team
PIERRE, S.D. – Governor-elect Kristi Noem today announced that Jason Simmons, a New Underwood native, will join her staff as a policy advisor.
“Jason’s commitment to service and process will be an incredible benefit to my team,” said Noem. “I look forward to utilizing his experience and knowledge as we work to design a balanced budget and shape legislation to create a stronger South Dakota.”
Simmons is presently the principal fiscal analyst at the South Dakota Legislative Research Council where he’s worked with the legislature to craft legislation and develop the state budget since 2013. Prior to his work with the LRC, Simmons served as a utilities analyst with the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission.
Simmons is a partial owner of his family’s livestock and small grain agriculture operation near New Underwood.
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Great addition to the Noem Team. Big hit to the LRC and Legislative Body.
Hmmm I am confused what are her critics going to say now, darn he is from west river….
how many “policy advisors” does she need ?
Apparently a lot, she doesn’t have enough confidence in her own team so she had to keep Tony Venhuizen.
There isn’t a new Governor I can remember in my lifetime who didn’t retain/recruit at least one (and usually more) top people from the prior administration in their party. Janklow did it, Mickelson did it, Janklow did it again, Rounds did it, Daugaard did it, and now Noem is doing it. Kneip maybe didn’t because he had to go back so far in history.
I always marvel at how many ways people infer they want their government run by newbie, inexperienced people but never go to newbie, inexperienced Doctors for serious maladies.
Noem ran a campaign on draining the swamp in Pierre so the expectation of her hiring some outsiders was highly anticipated. For her supporters to be disappointed is justified, hiring her daughter and keeping Tony Venhuizen are not the change she promised.