Noem Releases Sunshine Initiative, Calls for Greater Transparency
Noem to Host Facebook Live Event Today to Highlight Opportunities for Improved Access
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Kristi Noem today released her Sunshine Initiative, which is designed to bring greater transparency to state and local governments. To highlight the opportunities we have to expand access to government entities and officials, Noem will host a Facebook Live event on Tuesday, March 6, at 11:30AM-CT/10:30AM-MT. To participate, please visit https://www.facebook.com/krist
“Voters have repeatedly supported government integrity measures at the ballot box. I want them to know that I hear them,” said Noem. “As governor, I will build on the recent momentum, working to throw open the doors, not only of the state capital, but also encouraging county commission offices and school boards to give South Dakotans unprecedented access to the government decision-making process at all levels.”
For nearly a century, South Dakota was known as “The Sunshine State,” a name sewn into our flag until 1992. Noem aims to embrace the spirit of that motto once again and shed new light on the inner-workings of state and local government through her Sunshine Initiative. Click here for a copy of Noem’s plan.
KRISTI NOEM’S SUNSHINE INITIATIVE
Bring Debates from the Boardroom to the Living Room. Too many important decisions are made in small meeting rooms with limited public access. Using free technologies like YouTube and Facebook Live, I will work to bring these meetings into every home, moving toward an aggressive goal of having state board, county commission, and school board meetings livestreamed.
Modernize and Expand Open.SD.gov. Knowledge is power. As governor, I would work with the state legislature to encourage the universal posting of all agendas, minutes and livestreams to a modernized and easily searchable Open.SD.gov.
Develop an Online Property Tax Toolkit. Where do your property tax dollars go? To the state? The county? The school district? Working in collaboration with the Department of Revenue and using Geographical Information System data, my administration would build out a Property Tax Toolkit that would operate as a digital disclosure database. Here, South Dakotans could easily see how many dollars go to the school district, the county, the state and elsewhere – at any time. It would be paired with links to available programmatic information as well as updates on how to participate in any public debates.
Enable Independent Reporting to Hold State and Local Government Genuinely Accountable. Fact-based reporting can be a valuable tool in upholding the integrity of government entities. On the federal level, it helped shine a light on VA abuses against our veterans. In the state, it’s essential in getting to the bottom of the recent EB-5 and GEAR UP scandals. Even so, South Dakota reporters can be forced to testify for investigating important stories. If elected, I would support a commonsense Reporter Shield law, protecting the constitutional right to a free and independent press.
Limit Confidential Settlement Agreements. You deserve to know how your money is being spent, but current law allows the state to negotiate confidentiality agreements so as to protect wrongdoers – even when your tax dollars are used to pay out a settlement. As governor, I would work to limit the state’s ability to engage in secret transactions like this, allowing it only when necessary to protect a victim’s privacy.
Review Open Meetings Laws. Executive sessions allow state and local governments to conduct certain business behind closed doors. While necessary in some instances (such as when a school board is discussing hiring or firing personnel), these sessions should not be used to hide budget discussions and other important debates from public view. As governor, I would conduct a full review of existing open meetings laws and work to move as much official debate as possible into the public domain.
Noem won’t even release her congressional travel records, I seriously doubt she will shine the light on state government.
Jackley should be doing this. If he is not seen as thee most transparent he will lose. This is the turf war in 2018.
Her sunshine initiative is YouTube and Facebook live?
What? So all meetings will be staged. Then they will have a real meeting before or after.
She could Facebook live her congressional meetings now. Why not?
I recall a committee chairman telling her to put her phone down
I feel like rounds/daugaard are going to take a beating this primary.
Is there anything really new in this other than Facebook live? Didn’t Daugaard’s task force that included media already do this stuff? Looks like she is still keeping email off limits.
Email is dangerous. You use email and the next thing you know you’re under subpoena to bring every email you ever sent or received to a grand jury and you’re drunk, making the rounds of cable news shows.
Don’t do email. Just stop. No more email.
I like it. All of it.
“Develop an Online Property Tax Toolkit. Where do your property tax dollars go? To the state? The county? The school district? Working in collaboration with the Department of Revenue and using Geographical Information System data, my administration would build out a Property Tax Toolkit that would operate as a digital disclosure database. Here, South Dakotans could easily see how many dollars go to the school district, the county, the state and elsewhere – at any time.”
She repeatedly talks about the State receiving property taxes… Does she know that doesn’t happen? Or is that her point, that no one else knows?
“Executive sessions allow state and local governments to conduct certain business behind closed doors.”
Business is NEVER conducted behind closed doors. Discussion on a very limited and narrowly defined basis can occur in executive session but any official action, aka business, must occur outside of executive session.
1-25-2. Executive or closed meetings–Purposes–Authorization–Violation as misdemeanor. Executive or closed meetings may be held for the sole purposes of:
(1) Discussing the qualifications, competence, performance, character or fitness of any public officer or employee or prospective public officer or employee. The term “employee” does not include any independent contractor;
(2) Discussing the expulsion, suspension, discipline, assignment of or the educational program of a student or the eligibility of a student to participate in interscholastic activities provided by the South Dakota High School Activities Association;
(3) Consulting with legal counsel or reviewing communications from legal counsel about proposed or pending litigation or contractual matters;
(4) Preparing for contract negotiations or negotiating with employees or employee representatives;
(5) Discussing marketing or pricing strategies by a board or commission of a business owned by the state or any of its political subdivisions, when public discussion may be harmful to the competitive position of the business.
However, any official action concerning such matters shall be made at an open official meeting. An executive or closed meeting shall be held only upon a majority vote of the members of such body present and voting, and discussion during the closed meeting is restricted to the purpose specified in the closure motion. Nothing in § 1-25-1 or this section may be construed to prevent an executive or closed meeting if the federal or state Constitution or the federal or state statutes require or permit it. A violation of this section is a Class 2 misdemeanor.
http://sdlegislature.gov/Statutes/Codified_Laws/DisplayStatute.aspx?Type=Statute&Statute=1-25-2