Fresh Ideas

The two major limiting factors on our economic and population growth is that we don’t have enough quality childcare options and we don’t have enough water coming in to support many midsized firms that might otherwise relocate here.

Practical Fiscal Responsibility

Personally, I like it that South Dakota has no personal income tax.  I’ve watched my mortgage payment rise just higher than the place it’s comfortable too! (To be fair, a large share of the increase was insurance, too.)

Property taxes come from Homeowners, Agricultural Land and Commercial Real Estate. Recently, tax rates have risen the most for homeowners. If property tax revenues fall, that loss will have to be made up some where else, and after the changes in Pierre last Spring, it’s about to land on renters and our lowest income earners. Finding the balance is the key, and I don’t think we’re there yet either.

A Fair Tax Code: We must ensure our tax system protects the wealthy from unfair burdens while simultaneously defending family farms, inviting industry, and being fair to the everyday wage earners who keep our economy moving. We can maintain our state’s low tax burden while supporting education, healthcare and government services.

Let’s chose wisely.

Protecting Public Schools and Educational Choice:

>We have a long tradition of putting our strong and vibrant schools and educators at the center of our community. It’s who we are.

Investing in the Next Generation: What would Aberdeen be without Northern State University and our K-12 schools? They are the backbone of our community. We must secure predictable state funding to keep our schools strong and preserve South Dakota values. The stability and long-term growth of our community depends on it.

Respecting Educational Freedom & Responsibility: We must fiercely protect and respect public, private, and home-based educational choices.

Solving the Childcare Shortage: I intend to remove roadblocks and encourage private-public partnerships to implement programs like Early Learners Aberdeen to train local providers and expand slots. This gets parents back into the workforce and grows our economy from the ground up.

Let’s invest wisely.

Affordable Housing and Living Wages for Families

Two-thirds of families in our the NE region of South Dakota live paycheck to paycheck. Hard-working South Dakotans deserve a tax and economic structure where a solid day’s work is enough to buy a home, raise a family, and thrive.

Lowering the Burden on Workers: Families leave here when wages don’t match housing costs. We can better support our local talent in finance, nursing, and teaching to keep graduates here.

We all do better when we all do better.

Sustainable Economic Growth 

Building a thriving local economy ensures our children can raise their own families here, keeping our community connected across generations. To keep young people in town, we need to make them our priority.

Support Working Families: We want our young families and NSU graduates to put down roots and work, live and play in this community. That requires a vibrant culture, supported by people who want plenty to do, and ensuring local wages can support career growth and affordable quality housing.

Investing in Development: Aberdeen is home to many well-established banks, real estate, insurance, and finance firms. We are the regional hub for healthcare and shopping for at least 100 miles in every direction. Creative, long-term thinking is our strength, right? Let’s encourage our proud entrepreneurial tradition with smart, long-term investments that sustainably improve local living standards.

Let’s work smarter, together.

Abundant, Safe Water Supply:

We are already experienced stewards of our land. New challenges always come, but we can be ready.

Secure Water Infrastructure: For 50 years, water limits have stalled Aberdeen’s growth. I will fight in Pierre to continue providing the funding we need to improve our water quality for our residents, and to increase the volume capacity to bring manufacturing jobs to our community.