Inauguration: Jan 2019 3 SD Next Election: 2022 State Control Party Governor Party Republican Republican OVERALL RANK

PREVIOUS GOVERNORS AND PARTY AFFILIATION Results Rank (1=best, 50=worst): 2011-2019 A situational measure based on 2003-2011 8 the state’s economic outcomes 1995-2003 (equal-weighted average).These variables are highly influenced by Walter Miller 1993-1995 the Governor’s policy. RESULTS RANK

SENATE 14% 86% Policy Rank (1=best, 50=worst): Democrat 5 Republican 30 A Measure of policy stances and decisions based on each Governor’s 1 legislative history regarding 6 key HOUSE areas (equal-weighted average).

16% 84% POLICY RANK

Democrat 11 Republican 59

KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS RANK ABOUT GOVERNOR KRISTI NOEM TAX POLICY Taking office in 2019, Governor Kristi Noem rose to the Sales, Personal Income, Fuel, and Other Tax Changes 24 occasion. Her hard work at South Dakota’s executive has seen one of the lowest spending growth rates of any state. Including unfunded pension obligations, South SPENDING POLICY Dakota’s outstanding public debt is the sixth-lowest of Proposed and Enacted Changes in State Spending 12 any state. Gov. Noem became famous nationwide in 2020 for her refusal to shut down South Dakota’s economy in response to the COVID-19 virus. The first governor to CARES POLICY make such an announcement, Gov. Noem’s insistence on Handling of Federal Funds as of July 2020 1 an open South Dakota economy was met with criticism from national media. However, after listening to state health officials, South Dakota’s economy remained UNION POLICY Public Employees, Public Employee Raises, open throughout the COVID-19 crisis and only saw a and Prevailing Wage Laws 13 minimal revenue shortfall relative to other states without significantly different COVID-19 case numbers. Gov. Noem’s practice of fiscal discipline, her commitment to WELFARE POLICY independent decision-making and skepticism of a federal Welfare Spending per Capita 2 bailout leave South Dakota as one of the best prepared states for economic growth coming out of the COVID-19 EDUCATION POLICY crisis, and give Gov. Noem the well-deserved ranking of School Choice Participation, NAEP Scores, third-best governor in the nation. and per Pupil Spending 2

ALEC | American Legislative Exchange Council 2020 THE LAFFER-ALEC REPORT ON ECONOMIC FREEDOM GRADING AMERICA’S 50 GOVERNORS

RESULTS

6 8 16 22

DEBT RANK SPENDING RANK PREPAREDNESS RANK ECONOMIC RANK

TAX POLICY DATA RANK

State Spending Top Marginal Personal Income Tax Rate 0.00% Yearly Spending per GSP, 2009-2019: 1

11% Top Marginal Corporate Income Tax Rate 0.00% 1 10% Inauguration 9% Personal Income Tax Progressivity (change in tax liability per $1,000 of $0.00 income) 2 8%

7% Property Tax Burden $33.14 (per $1,000 of personal income) 34 ’09 ’10 ’11 ’12 ’13 ’14 ’15 ’16 ’17 ’18 ’19

Sales Tax Burden $33.69 (per $1,000 of personal income) 45 2020 Unemployment Rate Monthly Unemployment Rate from January to July, 2020: Remaining Tax Burden (per $1,000 of personal income) $19.33 30% 34

25% Estate/Inheritance Tax Levied No 20% 1 15% 11% Recently Legislated Tax Changes 10% 9% (2018 & 2019, per $1,000 of personal 7% $0.00 6% income) 17 5% 3% 3% 3%

0 Debt Service as a Share of Tax Revenue 5.4% Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul 17

THE LAFFER-ALEC REPORT ON ECONOMIC FREEDOM GRADING AMERICA’S 50 GOVERNORS