Governor Noem asks lawmakers to pass abortion law during State of the State speech  (Audio)

January 12, 2021
Mike Tanner

PIERRE, S.D.–The 2021 South Dakota legislative session began in Pierre Tuesday with Governor Kristi Noem’s State of the State address.

During her 45-minute speech, the governor touched on a host of subjects, including South Dakota’s business-friendly environment…

Governor Noem says one of her top priorities has been to “grow” South Dakota, and she cited some examples…

Then the governor touched on abortion, asking lawmakers to pass a law that bans the abortion of an unborn child, just because that child has been diagnosed with Down Syndrome…

Later in her speech, the governor recognized the late Lee Weber, the chief deputy of the Hughes County Sheriff’s Department with this year’s Governor’s Heroism Award.

Weber died last July while rescuing his son who’d fallen out of a boat into the Missouri River.

She also recognized Geri Opsal, the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate Veteran’s Service Officer, for her outstanding work on behalf of military veterans.