Congresswoman Noem visits South Dakota Girls State

By Marisa Smith

Kristi Noem used her personal experiences to inspire Girls State delegates at Thursday morning’s assembly.

When Noem was a little girl, she wanted to be a rancher. But after her father died in a farming accident, she got a letter in the mail from the IRS asking for death tax.

She couldn’t figure out why the government wanted to tax all of their farmland after the tragedy. That’s when she decided to peruse government.

Noem decided to run for the legislature in 2006.

In 2010 she ran for Congress and was chosen to represent South Dakota in Washington, D.C. When she went to Washington, D.C., she was surprised by how many South Dakotans were in the nation’s Capital.

In order to connect with these South Dakotan natives, Sen. Thune, Sen. Rounds and Noem invite South Dakotans for coffee every Wednesday morning.

The crowds range from 60-100 people. They ask the legislators questions ranging from topics of education to Environmental Protection Agency issues.

Noem wanted to join the Ways and Means Committee in 2014 so there would be rural perspective on the committee.

The Ways and Means Committee is the most powerful in Congress, she said. She was the first South Dakotan representative to be elected to this committee.

During a Sacajawea Scroll interview, Noem said she has many influential people in her life, and one of those people was her grandmother.

Her grandmother told her to be a mother who says “yes.” When Noem’s children ask to try new things, she now encourages them.

Delegates such as Brook Fraasch, Los Angeles, thought because Noem came from a similar background of many of the girls, that made her influential.

Elaine Hines, also from Los Angeles, said Noem represents South Dakota well by staying connected, and she keeps the values of the South Dakota residents.

At the end of her presentation, Noem gave advice: “Don’t be afraid of failing. This week you might be running for different offices and positions, and you might not get the first one or the second one or even the third one. Try again.”

She said some of the greatest leaders failed miserably: Walt Disney, Henry Ford and even Abraham Lincoln.