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SD Gov. Noem opens college complaint hotline, calls on regents to ban drag shows

Republican Gov. Kristi Noem opened a hotline for complaints about South Dakota colleges and is calling on the state’s higher education governing board to ban drag shows, she announced Friday.

In a letter to the South Dakota Board of Regents, Noem said states have allowed “liberal ideologies to poison their colleges and universities.”

“On campuses across the country, students have been taught the importance of diversity and equity and given access to ‘safe spaces’ instead of learning to tolerate the disagreement, discomfort, and dissent that they will experience in the real world,” Noem wrote.

SOUTH DAKOTA REPORTER PLEADS GUILTY TO MAKING PRANK CALL USING GOV. KRISTI NOEM’S CELLPHONE NUMBER

She called on the college oversight board to increase graduation rates, remove references to “preferred pronouns” in school materials, cut administrative costs and ensure universities are not accepting any money from China.

Republican South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem on Friday called on university regents to ban drag shows on as she opened a tip line for complaints regarding on-campus bias. (AP Photo/John Raoux, File)

An Associated Press request for comment to the regents was not immediately returned Friday.

Noem pitched the hotline to regents as a way to “keep our institutions accountable — and ensure that we are all aware of what is happening at our taxpayer-funded colleges and universities.” She wrote that information gathered from the hotline will guide policy changes.

SD LAWMAKERS FAIL TO OVERRIDE GOV. NOEM’S CRYPTOCURRENCY REGULATION VETO

“As I work with our Board of Regents and Board of Technical Education to chart our path for higher education, we are giving students, faculty, and parents this tool to help voice any concerns so that they can be addressed,” Noem said in a statement.

Republican Tim Rave, a former South Dakota House speaker and Noem appointee, leads the Board of Regents. Noem recently appointed two new members to the board: Jim Lochner, formerly of Tyson Foods, and Doug Morrison, the former Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis director.

On Friday, Noem said she plans to make more appointments soon.

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The Board of Regents in December ordered a review of university campus events and its policy on minors attending them after a drag show at South Dakota State University faced criticism from conservative lawmakers for being advertised as family friendly.

Families of Black crime victims disproportionately denied aid in some states, according to AP

  • In every state across the U.S. there are programs to reimburse crime victims and their families for lost wages, medical bills, funerals, and other expenses. Hundreds of millions of dollars in aid are rewarded each year.
  • An examination conducted by The Associated Press found that Black crime victims and their families are disproportionately denied compensation in many states across the country.
  • States including Indiana, Georgia, and South Dakota were nearly twice as likely to deny Black applicants compared to white applicants.

The cold formality of the letter is seared in Debra Long’s memory.

It began “Dear Claimant,” and said her 24-year-old son, Randy, who was fatally shot in April 2006, was not an “innocent” victim. Without further explanation, the New York state agency that assists violent-crime victims and their families refused to help pay for his funeral.

Randy was a father, engaged to be married and studying to become a juvenile probation officer when his life was cut short during a visit to Brooklyn with friends. His mother, angry and bewildered by the letter, wondered: What did authorities see — or fail to see — in Randy?

“It felt racial. It felt like they saw a young African American man who was shot and killed and assumed he must have been doing something wrong,” Long said. “But believe me when I say, not my son.”

Debra Long had bumped up against a well-intentioned corner of the criminal justice system that is often perceived as unfair.

Every state has a program to reimburse victims for lost wages, medical bills, funerals and other expenses, awarding hundreds of millions in aid each year. But an Associated Press examination found that Black victims and their families are disproportionately denied compensation in many states, often for subjective reasons that experts say are rooted in racial biases.

The AP found disproportionately high denial rates in 19 out of 23 states willing to provide detailed racial data, the largest collection of such data to date. In some states, including Indiana, Georgia and South Dakota, Black applicants were nearly twice as likely as white applicants to be denied. From 2018 through 2021, the denials added up to thousands of Black families each year collectively missing out on millions of dollars in aid.

MASSIVE INCREASE IN BLACK AMERICANS MURDERED WAS RESULT OF DEFUND POLICE MOVEMENT: EXPERTS

The reasons for the disparities are complex and eligibility rules vary somewhat by state, but experts — including leaders of some of the programs — point to a few common factors:

— State employees reviewing applications often base decisions on information from police reports and follow-up questionnaires that seek officers’ opinions of victims’ behavior — both of which may contain implicitly biased descriptions of events.

— Those same employees may be influenced by their own biases when reviewing events that led to victims’ injuries or deaths. Without realizing it, a review of the facts morphs into an assessment of victims’ perceived culpability.

— Many state guidelines were designed decades ago with biases that benefited victims who would make the best witnesses, disadvantaging those with criminal histories, unpaid fines or addictions, among others.

As the wider criminal justice system — from police departments to courts — reckons with institutional racism in the aftermath of the police killing of George Floyd, compensation programs are also beginning to scrutinize how their policies affect people of color.

“We have this long history in victims services in this country of fixating on whether people are bad or good,” said Elizabeth Ruebman, an expert with a national network of victims-compensation advocates and a former adviser to New Jersey’s attorney general on the state’s program.

As a result, Black and brown applicants tend to face more scrutiny because of implicit biases, Ruebman said.

In some states examined by AP, such as New York and Nebraska, the denial rates for Black and white applicants weren’t too far apart. But the data revealed apparent bias in other ways: While white families were more likely to be denied for administrative reasons, such as missing deadlines or seeking aid for crimes that aren’t covered, Black families were more likely to be denied for subjective reasons, such as whether they may have said or done something to provoke a violent crime.

In Delaware, where Black applicants accounted for less than half of the compensation requests between 2018 and 2021 but more than 63% of denials, officials acknowledged that even the best of intentions are no match for systemic bias.

“State compensation programs are downstream resources in a criminal justice system whose headwaters are inextricably commingled with the history of racial inequity in our country,” Mat Marshall, a spokesman for Delaware’s attorney general wrote in an email. “Even race-neutral policy at the programmatic level may not accomplish neutral outcomes under the shadows that race and criminal justice cast on one another.”

The financial impact of a crime-related injury or death can be significant. Out of pocket expenses for things like crime scene cleanup or medical care can add up to thousands of dollars, prompting people to take out loans, drain savings or rely on family members.

After Randy was killed, Debra Long paid for his funeral with money she had saved for a down payment on her first house. Seventeen years later, she still rents an apartment in Poughkeepsie, New York.

Thousands of people are denied compensation every year for reasons having nothing to do with the crime itself. They are denied because of victims’ behavior before or after a crime.

Applicants can be denied if police or other officials say they failed to cooperate with an investigation. That can inadvertently harm people who are wary of retribution for talking to police, or people who don’t have information. A Chicago woman who was shot in the back was denied for failing to cooperate even though she couldn’t identify the shooter because she never saw the person.

Debra Long walks near the tombstone of her son, Randy Long, in Poughkeepsie, New York, on April 19, 2023.  (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

And compensation can be denied merely based on circumstantial evidence or suspicions, unlike the burden of proof that is necessary in criminal investigations.

Many states deny compensation based on a vaguely defined category of behavior — often called “contributory misconduct” — that includes anything from using an insult during a fight to having drugs in your system. Other times people have been denied because police found drugs on the ground nearby.

CORONAVIRUS EXERTS HEAVY TOLL ON BLACKS IN PLACES LIKE CHICAGO

In the data examined by AP, Black applicants were almost three times as likely as applicants of other races to be denied for behavior-based reasons, including contributory misconduct.

“A lot of times it’s perception,” said Chantay Love, the executive director of the Every Murder is Real Healing Center in Philadelphia.

Love rattles off recent examples: A man killed while trying to break up a fight was on parole and was denied compensation, the state reasoned, because he should have steered clear of the incident; another was stabbed to death, and the state said he contributed because he checked himself out of a mental-health treatment facility a few hours earlier against a doctor’s advice.

Long scoured the police account of her son’s shooting. She called detectives and pleaded to know if they had said anything to the Office of Victims Services that would have implicated her son in some kind of a crime. There was nothing in the report. And detectives said they hadn’t submitted any additional information.

Every chance Long got, she reminded detectives and the state officials reviewing her claim that Randy had never been in trouble with the police. She wanted them to understand the injustice was also being felt by Randy’s then-toddler son, who would only know his father through other people’s memories.

Long kept information about her son’s case in a box near her kitchen. As more than 20 notebooks full of conversations with detectives piled up, Long tucked the state’s rejection letter inside a folder so she wouldn’t lose it, but also so she didn’t have to see it every time she searched for something.

“What plays in their mind is that their loved one wasn’t important,” said Love of the Philadelphia-based advocacy group. “It takes the power away from it being a homicide, and it creates a portion of blame for the victim.”

In recent years, several states and cities have changed eligibility rules to focus less on victims’ behavior before or after crimes.

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In Pennsylvania, a law went into effect in September that says applicants cannot be denied financial help with funerals or counseling services because of a homicide victim’s behavior. In Illinois, a new program director has retrained employees on ways unconscious bias can creep into their decisions. And in Newark, New Jersey, police have changed the language they use in reports to describe interactions with victims, leading to fewer denials for failure to cooperate.

Long, who now works as a victims advocate, was in a training session in 2021 when a speaker began praising New York state’s compensation program. Long tried to stay quiet and get through the training session, but couldn’t. She told the group about her experience and the weight of the letter.

Later, an Office of Victims Services employee approached Long and convinced her to reapply, saying the agency had been improved through training and other changes that would benefit her case. A few weeks later, and nearly 15 years after Randy was buried, Long’s application was approved and the state sent her a check for $6,000 — the amount she would have received back in 2006. She used part of that money to help Randy’s son, who is now in college, pay for summer classes.

“It’s not about the monetary amount,” Long said. “It was the way I felt I was treated.”

Kentucky GOP governor candidates sign anti-CRT pledge, following education lead by Noem, Youngkin

The three leading GOP candidates for governor in Kentucky are following in the footsteps of the successful campaigns of South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem and Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin by signing an anti-critical race theory pledge related to public education policy.

“As a parent, you want the best for your child. And when you see something in your child’s education that concerns you, you have every right to speak up,” Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron, who is also running for governor in the state, told Fox News Digital.

Cameron is one of the three front-runners in the race for Kentucky’s GOP nomination for governor who signed on to 1776 Action’s “Parent Power Pledge,” joining former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Kelly Craft and former Agriculture Commissioner of Kentucky Ryan Quarles.

The Parent Power Pledge signed by the candidates has the goal of prioritize “learning, merit, transparency and civic pride” in education while giving parents the “final word” in anything that affects “the education, health and moral development of their children.”

DESPITE YOUNGKIN WINNING ON EDUCATION REFORM, VA TEACHERS UNION FINDS WAY TO BYPASS CRT BAN

Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron. (Jon Cherry/Getty Images)

The pledge is an expansion on a similar one made by Noem and Youngkin ahead of their successful campaigns for governor, which promised to “restore patriotic education” in schools. 

Youngkin’s 2021 election victory came as a surprise to many observers after Virginia had trended increasingly toward Democrats in recent years, with Youngkin being the first GOP candidate to win an election since the successful 2010 campaign of Republican Bob McDonnell.

Youngkin heavily stressed education during his campaign, a strategy many analysts believed helped him win the election. In the aftermath of his victory, Youngkin stressed to Republicans across the country that prioritizing education was a winning formula for the party, arguing GOP candidates can win by pushing for “strong schools that teach our children how to excel, not watering down the curriculum, a school where parents have a say in what their children are being taught.”

“The polls kept telling us that education was the seventh or eighth or ninth most important issue,” Youngkin said at the time. “Let me tell you, it is the top issue right now, and Republicans across the country can own this topic.”

Then Virginia Gov.-elect Glenn Youngkin speaks at an election night party in Chantilly, Virginia, early Wednesday, Nov. 3, 2021, after he defeated Democrat Terry McAuliffe. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

YOUNGKIN PICKS OPPONENTS OF ‘RADICAL’ CRT AND OUTSIDERS FOR TOP EDUCATION POSITIONS

In the years since, 1776 Action has expanded the pledge to encompass more than just ending critical race theory curriculum, adding parental rights language aimed at allowing parents to “review and influence both instructional materials and extracurricular activities.”

The pledge has appealed to the Republican candidates for governor in Kentucky, with Craft saying that “career politicians” in the state have allowed “radical, woke ideologists into the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) and Board of Education to indoctrinate our children.”

“I was the first republican candidate for governor to call for the KDE to be dismantled and rebuilt to bring the focus back to kids, parents and teachers,” Craft told Fox News Digital in a statement. “Parents should have the right to be involved in their children’s education. We must eradicate these woke ideologies from the classroom.”

Kelly Craft, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. (Sarah Silbiger/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Whoever wins the Republican primary will take on Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear in the general election, whom Cameron said has largely ignored the concerns of parents in the state.

GLENN YOUNGKIN VOWS TO BAN CRITICAL RACE THEORY IF ELECTED VIRGINIA GOVERNOR

“It’s appalling that Andy Beshear and Joe Biden dismiss these concerns and label parents as part of the problem for demanding a say in their child’s education,” Cameron said. “We need to focus on teaching our kids critical skills and a well-rounded curriculum, not pushing divisive liberal racial and gender ideologies. The radical left indoctrination of Kentucky’s kids will end the day I become Governor.”

Cameron currently holds a lead slim lead ahead of the primary next week, according to the latest polling available at Real Clear Politics, though all three candidates currently trail the incumbent governor in hypothetical general election match ups.

However, according to 1776 Action President Adam Waldeck, making a strong statement on education can be a winning formula to the candidates like Youngkin predicted after his surprise victory.

Democratic Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear speaks at the Kentucky state Capitol. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley, File)

“Kentucky will play a major national role this year,” Waldeck said. “It’s the only state where a Democratic Governor who’s been a hindrance, rather than an ally to the parental rights movement, will be running for re-election.”

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Waldeck believes the three Republican candidates signing on to the pledge will make education a “defining issue” in Kentucky’s election, something that will benefit the states students and parents.

“The fact that all three leading GOP contenders are on the same page means this will likely become a defining issue, and that’s good for students and parents,” Waldeck told Fox News Digital. “They deserve a clear choice, and a roadmap for future reform.”

Meanwhile, 1776 Action Senior Fellow Xi Van Fleet, who said Kentucky was his first U.S. home after he fled Communist China, expressed optimism that all three candidates were committed to ending “toxic racial, sexual and political propaganda in the classroom.”

“It is where I learned to love America and came to understand the importance of teaching this country’s proud history – the good and the bad – to every child,”” Van Fleet told Fox News Digital, adding that he hopes the three candidates continue to “make it a centerpiece of this important race.”

Beshear’s office did not immediately respond to a Fox News request for comment.

Michael Lee is a writer at Fox News. Follow him on Twitter @UAMichaelLee

South Dakota’s Kristi Noem takes action on Second Amendment as 2024 rumors ramp up

INDIANAPOLIS – EXCLUSIVE: Republican South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem took firm action over the weekend to strengthen the Second Amendment rights of people in her state, signing an executive order on stage during her address to the annual National Rifle Association convention to stop what she called “discriminatory action” against those rights.

Speaking with Fox News Digital immediately after signing of the order, the rumored 2024 presidential candidate stressed the need to “lead by example” when it came to the Second Amendment, and shared what was on her mind as she mulls a potential run for the White House.

“We’ve recently seen in this country that banking institutions are discriminating against firearm companies or ammunition companies. So what I did was sign an executive order that would prevent the state of South Dakota from doing any business with financial institutions that would do that type of discriminatory action against our Second Amendment rights,” Noem said when asked about the order she signed in front of the thousands of NRA convention attendees.

WATCH: GOP VOTERS WEIGH IN ON 2024 CHOICE FOR PRESIDENT, SHRED ‘BOGUS’ TRUMP CHARGES

South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem speaks to guests at the 2023 NRA-ILA Leadership Forum on April 13, 2023, in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

“It’s incredibly important that we set and lead by example. And this executive order is one way that we can do that, to continue to stand for constitutional rights of the people in our state,” she said.

In addressing the numerous recent deadly shootings snatching headlines across the country, Noem argued there were laws already in place needing to be enforced that she said would protect citizens and ensure the safety of children. 

“Now, it’s more important than ever that those of us who value this country, that value what our founders gave us as our rights, to continue to defend them and to explain why they’re in place. They’re in place so a normal, everyday citizen has the chance to deter a corrupt government that would come in and take away their ability to provide for their families,” she said.

GOP CONGRESSMAN ENDORSES TRUMP FOR PRESIDENT DESPITE ‘POSITIVE’ MEETING WITH DESANTIS

With NRA Executive Vice President and CEO Wayne LaPierre by her side, South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem signs an executive order to protect gun rights in her state at the 2023 NRA-ILA Leadership Forum on April 14, 2023, in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

When asked about the rumors swirling around the possibility she might launch a campaign for president, Noem said she wasn’t going to announce a decision just yet, but instead said she saw a country “desperate for a president” that would fight for the values and principles America was built on.

“I’m looking for an individual like that. I hope that people in this country are as well, because now more than ever, we’re seeing federal government come in and take away our ability to even conduct business, to raise our families as we see fit and to use our values that we were raised with,” she said. 

“I do think that it’s important that we keep our eye on the ball and make sure that we have the best individuals stepping forward to take on that role because we’ve got some big fights ahead and we need to make sure that we have a president who will hang in there with us,” she added.

TRUMP, HALEY, DESANTIS? HERE’S EVERYONE RUNNING, RUMORED, OR SITTING OUT THE GOP 2024 PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem takes part in a panel discussion, Nov. 15, 2022, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack, File)

Concerning the 34 felony falsification of business records charges facing Trump in a New York court, Noem described them as “unprecedented action,” and argued district attorney Alvin Bragg was ignoring the statute of limitations on the former president’s alleged crimes.

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“It’s clearly all politics. You know, I’m sure President Trump will go through the process and will come out recognizing that these kinds of attacks can be withstood and that he will continue to work for the people in this country,” she said.

Brandon Gillespie is an associate editor at Fox News. Follow him on Twitter at @brandon_cg.

Judge cancels Montana gas plant’s permit over climate concerns

A judge canceled the air quality permit for a natural gas power plant that’s under construction along the Yellowstone River in Montana citing worries over climate change.

State District Judge Michael Moses ruled Thursday that Montana officials failed to adequately consider the 23 million tons of planet-warming greenhouse gases that the project would emit over several decades.

Many utilities across the U.S. have replaced coal power with less polluting natural gas plants in recent years. But the industry remains under pressure to abandon fossil fuels altogether as climate change worsens.

US CITIES RECEIVE NEARLY $200M IN GRANTS TO UPGRADE AGING, LEAKING NATURAL GAS PIPELINES

The $250 million plant is being built by Sioux Falls, South Dakota-based NorthWestern Energy and would operate for at least 30 years. The company will appeal the order, a spokesperson said in a statement Friday, saying that the ruling could jeopardize reliable power service.

Montana officials had argued they had no authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions. They also said that because climate change is a global phenomenon, state law prevented them from looking at its impacts.

But Moses said officials from the Montana Department of Environmental Quality had misinterpreted the law. He ordered them to conduct further environmental review and said they must gauge the climate change impacts within Montana in relation to the project. Major flooding on the Yellowstone last year wiped out bridges and triggered widespread evacuations following extreme rains, which scientists say are becoming more frequent as the climate changes.

A judge has revoked an under-construction Montana gas plants air quality permit over climate concerns. (Larry Mayer/The Billings Gazette via AP)

“The emissions and impacts of the (gas plant) are potentially significant,” Moses wrote. “Defendants do not dispute this.”

The judge also faulted officials for not considering how lights from the project could impact surrounding property owners. It’s on the outskirts of the town of Laurel across the river from a residential neighborhood.

The plant would produce up to 175 megawatts of electricity. Its air permit was challenged in a 2021 lawsuit from the Montana Environmental Information Center and Sierra Club.

The Department of Environmental Quality was reviewing Moses’ order and agency officials had no immediate comment, spokesperson Moira Davin said.

BIDEN AGENCY REFUSES TO CITE RESEARCH SUPPORTING POTENTIAL NATURAL GAS STOVE BAN

A NorthWestern Energy representative did not say if the ruling would halt construction. The company says the plant would ensure enough electricity is available at times of high demand, such as on hot days or cold nights.

“Our air permit was reviewed and approved by the DEQ using standards that have been in effect for many years,” Vice President John Hines said in a NorthWestern’s statement. “We will work with the DEQ to determine the path forward.”

The ruling comes as the Montana Legislature weighs bills that would make it more difficult for organizations and individuals to sue state agencies over environmental decisions.

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The state Senate passed a bill requiring anyone who wants to challenge an agency environmental review to have commented during the review process. They’d also have to pay for some of the agency’s court costs. The bill would also bar nonprofit organizations from using tax deductible donations to pay for lawsuits against state agencies.

Noem warns Biden admin over proposed Title IX regulations for transgender athletes: ‘We’ll see you in court’

South Dakota Republican Gov. Kristi Noem has vowed to fight back against the Biden administration’s proposed set of Title IX rules to expand the meaning of sexual discrimination to include gender identity that would prevent schools and colleges from barring biologically male transgender athletes from competing on female sports teams. 

Under the U.S. Department of Education’s proposed rule, no school or college that receives federal funding would be allowed to impose a “one-size-fits-all” policy that categorically bans transgender students from playing on sports teams consistent with their gender identity. Such policies would be considered a violation of Title IX.

“South Dakota will not allow this to stand. We will lead. We will defend our laws. Only girls will play girls’ sports,” Noem wrote in a Thursday evening tweet.

“President Biden, we’ll see you in Court,” she added.

BIDEN ADMIN RELEASES NEW TITLE IX REGULATIONS ON TRANSGENDER ISSUES IN SCHOOLS

“The U.S. Department of Education (Department) proposes to amend its regulations implementing Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (Title IX) to set out a standard that would govern a recipient’s adoption or application of sex-related criteria that would limit or deny a student’s eligibility to participate on a male or female athletic team consistent with their gender identity,” the Department of Education wrote Thursday.

The proposed regulation, according to the department, would “clarify Title IX’s application to such sex-related criteria and the obligation of schools and other recipients of Federal financial assistance from the Department (referred to below as ‘recipients’ or ‘schools’) that adopt or apply such criteria to do so consistent with Title IX’s nondiscrimination mandate.”

Noem’s warning of legal action against the Biden administration’s proposal comes as the GOP-led South Dakota legislature works to take action to ensure that school sports are fair and that minors do not have access to certain types of gender care.

Last February, Noem signed into law a bill to ban transgender female athletes from participating in girls’ or women’s school sports. Noem — who has received an outpouring of support from Republicans for her stance on the issue — positioned her signing of the bill as a defense of Title IX, federal civil rights law that prohibits discrimination in school and education programs on the basis of sex.

SOUTH DAKOTA GOV. KRISTI NOEM SIGNS BILL BANNING SOME GENDER-RELATED MEDICAL, SURGICAL PROCEDURES FOR MINORS

South Dakota Republican Gov. Kristi Noem has vowed to fight back against the Biden administration’s proposed set of Title IX rules to expand the meaning of sexual discrimination to include gender identity that would prevent schools and colleges from banning transgender athletes. (Kevin Dietsch, Anna Moneymaker via Getty Images)

“This bill’s about fairness,” the Republican said during a news conference after she signed the measure. “It’s about allowing biological females … to compete fairly on a level playing field that gives them opportunities for success.”

In a press release, the administration said the “proposed rule affirms that students benefit from the chance to join a school sports team to learn about teamwork, leadership, and physical fitness.”

“The proposed rule would establish that policies violate Title IX when they categorically ban transgender students from participating on sports teams consistent with their gender identity just because of who they are. The proposed rule also recognizes that in some instances, particularly in competitive high school and college athletic environments, some schools may adopt policies that limit transgender students’ participation. The proposed rule would provide schools with a framework for developing eligibility criteria that protects students from being denied equal athletic opportunity, while giving schools the flexibility to develop their own participation policies.”

The proposed rule sends a political counterpunch toward a wave of Republican-led states that have sought to ban transgender athletes from competing in school sports that align with their gender identities. If finalized, the proposal would become enshrined as a provision of Title IX, the landmark gender equity legislation enacted in 1972.

The South Dakota state capitol building is shown in downtown Pierre, South Dakota. (Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

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Earlier this year, Noem signed into law the “Help Not Harm” bill, which prohibits certain medical and surgical interventions for transgender minors.

“South Dakota’s kids are our future,” Noem said in February amid her signing of the measure. “With this legislation, we are protecting kids from harmful, permanent medical procedures. I will always stand up for the next generation of South Dakotans.”

State Republicans introduced the bill in January, which keeps children under 18 from accessing puberty-blocking drugs, hormone therapy or surgeries that enable them to present as a gender different from the sex on their birth certificate.

Fox News’ Andrew Mark Miller and Michael Lee contributed to this article.

South Dakota prison staffing shortages leave inmates with no showers

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A staffing shortage in one South Dakota prison has reached a point where inmates were temporarily not able to take showers. 

Staffing at the South Dakota State Penitentiary in Sioux Falls was low enough on April 22-24 where inmates could not leave their prison cells for showers, according to KEVN.

The staffing issues also caused an event with community and family members at the penitentiary to be canceled.

SOUTH DAKOTA ATTORNEY GENERAL RAVNSBORG IMPEACHED OVER CONDUCT FOLLOWING FATAL CAR CRASH

South Dakota State Penitentary (South Dakota Department of Corrections)

South Dakota Secretary of Corrections Kellie Wasko told Dakota News Now that the shortage is leading to less movement of prisoners within facilities.

“When you’re so low on staff, you need to contain your movement of offenders in the facility. Because if there is a disruption or if there is an assault on staff, we have much less staff to contain it and provide safety to each other,” Wasko said.

KRISTI NOEM’S MESSAGE TO THE REPUBLICAN PARTY: ‘GET OVER YOURSELF’

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) Friday, Feb. 25, 2022, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

Wasko wrote in an April 12 letter to state senators that starting wages for Department of Corrections employees will be increasing from $17.89 to $20 beginning in July.

Current employees will also receive a 6% pay increase, according to Wasko, and full holiday pay will be provided for employees who work a 12-hour shift.

South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem said in July 2021 that the staffing issue was ongoing.

“We have an incredible shortage here right now. So I think that people would like to serve and work here [and] we should recognize the need to fill some of these shifts,” Noem said.

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A spokesperson for the Department of Corrections told the news outlet they are working on staff pay, recruitment, and retention issues.

“Our current, annualized vacancy rate for all positions in the DOC is 31.5%. We’re continuing to work on staff pay, recruitment, and retention issues,” the spokesperson said, listing various examples.

Ian Fury, a spokesperson for the governor’s office, told Fox News Digital that “Governor Noem and the Department of Corrections will continue working to recruit and retain high quality staff at all of our DOC facilities.”

Michael Winder, spokesman for the South Dakota Department of Corrections, apologized for the cancellation of activities at the penitentiary in a statement to Fox News Digital, stating that “The safety of our staff, inmates and visitors is paramount.”

Kristi Noem severs ties with controversial education consultant amid concerns about social studies standards

Gov. Kristi Noem is hitting the reset button on South Dakota’s proposed social studies curriculum, discarding her administration’s previous standards and changing up who crafts the new ones. 

Friday’s announcement comes a week after she said the revision process would be delayed for up to a year. Noem’s office told Fox News that it had severed ties with consultant Beth Ratway and the C3 framework – both controversial influences that raised concerns about left-wing content later surfacing in schools.

“I have asked the Department of Education to restart the process from the beginning,” Noem, a Republican, said in a press release Friday. “I want to ensure we propose standards that accurately reflect the values of South Dakota.”

“Our kids deserve to learn both America’s and South Dakota’s true and honest history, taught in a balanced context that doesn’t pit our children against each other on the basis of race, sex, or background. More work needs to be done to get this right, and we are committed to seeing that process through.”

SOUTH DAKOTA’S NOEM DELAYS SOCIAL STUDIES STANDARDS AMID CONCERNS OVER LEFT-WING INFLUENCES

Noem had encountered backlash from both sides, with Native Americans upset about removals that were favored by conservatives.

Her latest move followed a warning by Stanley Kurtz, a senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, about Ratway’s influence on the Department of Education as well as what he called the “action-civics-based C3 Framework.”

Kurtz also pointed to Ratway’s video presentation on social justice, which has since been removed from YouTube. Obtained by Fox News via Kurtz, the PowerPoint employs plenty of language reminiscent of controversial equity trainings seen throughout the U.S.

For example, under “Connecting Social Justice and Social Studies,” Ratway’s slide reads: “We define social justice education as the pedagogical practice of guiding students toward critically discussing, examining, and actively exploring the reasons behind social inequalities and how unjust institutional practices maintain and reproduce power and privilege that have a direct impact on students’ lives.”

GETTING CRITICAL RACE THEORY OUT OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS IS HARDER THAN PASSING A LAW

She also cites Paulo Freire, a well-known advocate of “critical pedagogy” who has been criticized by anti-CRT advocates like James Lindsay. The ties to left-wing ideas don’t end with her presentation. In 2020, Ratway co-chaired an Advancing Social Justice conference, which featured a speech from the controversial “1619 Project” founder Nikole Hannah-Jones.

Friday’s release pledged to “create a new workgroup of stakeholders to develop standards. This group will propose new social studies standards, and everyone who has expressed concerns will be a part of the process, including Native Americans. The new proposed standards will be reviewed and adjusted based on input from the public, the DOE, and, ultimately, approved by the Board of Education Standards.” 

“The DOE will also hire a new facilitator to oversee the workgroup process. The DOE will work with the Board of Education Standards to approve a new timeline to ensure the standards are adopted after sufficient time for the workgroup’s action and public input into the process.”

Ratway’s employer, The American Institutes of Research, did not immediately respond to Fox News’ request for comment but previously provided a lengthy response defending its work. 

NOEM SEVERS TIES WITH LEWANDOWSKI FOLLOWING SEX MISCONDUCT ALLEGATIONS

Dana Tofig, managing director for corporate communications at AIR, told Fox News: “We conduct and apply research and our work is informed by data and evidence. We have successfully consulted on standards reviews and rewrites in nearly every state in the U.S.  – including blue and red states – and our work is led by the needs and direction of our clients.” 

“In South Dakota, our role has been to facilitate the revision of the state’s social studies standards under the direction and guidance of the South Dakota Department of Education. When we began this project, the South Dakota DOE provided specific parameters for our work and we abided by those parameters as we collaborated with a team of educators and community members from across the state. We are proud of our work in South Dakota.”

The controversy appeared to prompt the June resignations of two members serving on the social studies standards committee. One of those resignations came from state Rep. Sue Peterson, a Republican who told Fox News that the state’s proposed standards don’t align with a pledge signed by both her and Noem.

“Like Gov. Noem, I signed the 1776 pledge,” she said last week. “The proposed standards do not align with that pledge, nor do they align with what I believe most South Dakota parents want for their children. Gov. Noem’s postponement of the approval process is the right thing to do. It will allow her to get the right people in place to create standards that align with what the Governor says she wants.”

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In July, Noem signed an executive order prohibiting the state’s Department of Education from pursuing federal grants in history or civics until the legislature could consider anti-CRT measures in the 2022 session. This came amid conservatives’ concerns that the Biden administration had proposed grants that would effectively fund CRT-related education in schools.

“Throughout this summer, Gov. Noem took action to stop the teaching of Critical Race Theory in South Dakota schools,” former President Trump adviser David Bossie said in an op-ed this week. “Gov. Noem is one hundred percent correct; allowing our children to be taught to hate America will spell our doom as a constitutional republic.”

Kristi Noem’s decision to reject girls’ sports bill faces new scrutiny amid questions of lobbyist’s influence

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem is encountering heightened scrutiny over decision to reject women’s sports legislation, with many questioning the influence of a longtime advisor – Matt McCaulley – who also has ties to the state’s top employer.

A top speaker at CPAC this year, she’s earned accolades for her refusal to implement certain restrictions during the pandemic. The atmosphere around Noem shifted, however, when she used a “style-and-form” veto to alter Republicans’ version of the women’s sports bill. 

Women’s sports legislation has popped up in several states and become somewhat of a litmus test in conservative media. South Dakota’s legislation specified that “[a] team or sport designated as being female is available only to participants who are female, based on their biological sex.”

Since Noem’s veto, her conservative credentials have come under scrutiny, including from National Review. The conservative outlet published an article last week that raised legislators’ concerns with McCaulley and highlighted the $40 million that his client, Sanford Health, directed towards its sports complex on the same day that Noem announced her veto.

While Noem’s office has maintained the governor makes her own decisions, many have raised questions about McCaulley’s influence.

SOUTH DAKOTA’S NOEM DELAYS SOCIAL STUDIES STANDARDS AMID CONCERNS OVER LEFT-WING INFLUENCES

“It’s a well-known secret in South Dakota that Matt McCaulley has a seat at the Governor’s policy table while simultaneously representing the interests of Sanford Health as one of their key lobbyists,” a person with first-hand knowledge told Fox News.

“During the Women’s Sports debate, we clearly saw this conflict of interest when the Governor came out with a style-and-form veto on the same day that Sanford Health announced their $40M donation to expand a sports complex. McCaulley not only influenced Governor Noem’s decision to derail the women’s sports bill, but he also helped write the press release and worked on the messaging.”

Noem spokesperson Ian Fury told Fox News maintained that the “buck stops” with the governor, but didn’t deny the allegation about McCaulley’s influence on external communications. 

“Anyone who knows or has worked with Governor Noem knows that the buck stops with her,” Fury said Wednesday. 

GOV. NOEM ON ‘FOX & FRIENDS’: SURPRISED AT QUESTIONS ABOUT STRENGTH ON BILL PROTECTING WOMEN’S SPORTS

“Nobody is making decisions for her. As an example, I promise you that the state’s medical establishment, including doctors at Sanford Health, has not always loved the Governor’s freedom-first approach to the COVID pandemic … Governor Noem has been friends with Matt McCaulley since 2007. Their professional relationship dates back to the run-up to her original election to Congress in 2010. That timeline is important, because their working relationship far pre-dates his work for Sanford Health. All of Matt’s potential conflicts are declared, and he never lobbies the Governor on behalf of his clients.”

McCaulley did not respond to Fox News’ request for comment. 

“Our relationship with Matt McCaulley began in 2016, before Kristi Noem announced she would run for governor,” a Sanford spokesperson told Fox News. “We hired Matt to support Sanford’s advocacy efforts at the state legislature because of his expertise and established relationships with South Dakota state legislators.”

Noem famously tweeted her support for HB 1217, but later requested changes she said were necessary to avoid frivolous lawsuits. Still, her decision provoked backlash from Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative mainstay that accused her of “gut[ting]” the legislation.

KRISTI NOEM: STURGIS RALLY IN SOUTH DAKOTA ABOUT ‘PERSONAL CHOICES’ OVER GOVERNMENT MANDATES

Some have suggested that Noem’s policy decisions were made under heavy influence of McCaulley. 

National Review reported on an anonymous state legislator saying that Sanford is “the most consistent and probably the only one that stayed with [Noem] other than her husband, as far as an adviser, throughout her career.”

“So he’s as close as an adviser can be, and I think he’s probably in on every major policy decision that she makes.”

Sanford’s spokesperson told Fox News: “Sanford Health did not engage in or take a position on HB 1217, the transgender women’s sports bill.”  

They added: “Earlier this year and unrelated to the topic, Sanford Health announced a $40 million philanthropic gift from our benefactor, Denny Sanford, to promote community health and improve access to sports opportunities for all youth. This premier, highly versatile sports facility is an important investment in the community that will help families lead healthier and more active lifestyles and spur significant economic development.”

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Fury has maintained that Noem protected women’s sports through executive orders that directed both the Department of Education and Board of Regents to limit participation based on sex. 

She also intends to pursue legislation codifying those orders – although it’s unclear whether that will satisfy conservatives like those at ADF.

Kristi Noem’s decision to reject girls’ sports bill faces new scrutiny amid questions of lobbyist’s influence

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem is encountering heightened scrutiny over decision to reject women’s sports legislation, with many questioning the influence of a longtime advisor – Matt McCaulley – who also has ties to the state’s top employer.

A top speaker at CPAC this year, she’s earned accolades for her refusal to implement certain restrictions during the pandemic. The atmosphere around Noem shifted, however, when she used a “style-and-form” veto to alter Republicans’ version of the women’s sports bill. 

Women’s sports legislation has popped up in several states and become somewhat of a litmus test in conservative media. South Dakota’s legislation specified that “[a] team or sport designated as being female is available only to participants who are female, based on their biological sex.”

Since Noem’s veto, her conservative credentials have come under scrutiny, including from National Review. The conservative outlet published an article last week that raised legislators’ concerns with McCaulley and highlighted the $40 million that his client, Sanford Health, directed towards its sports complex on the same day that Noem announced her veto.

Noem’s office has maintained the governor makes her own decisions. It also pointed Fox News to Noem’s executive orders directing both the Board of Regents and Department of Education to protect women’s sports. While some have questioned their efficacy, Noem is using the orders as stopgap measures until she can pursue a bill in the next legislative session. 

Still, many have raised questions about McCaulley’s influence given that South Dakota’s initial bill could prompt retaliation and drive away tournaments that Sanford Sports might host.

SOUTH DAKOTA’S NOEM DELAYS SOCIAL STUDIES STANDARDS AMID CONCERNS OVER LEFT-WING INFLUENCES

“It’s a well-known secret in South Dakota that Matt McCaulley has a seat at the Governor’s policy table while simultaneously representing the interests of Sanford Health as one of their key lobbyists,” a person with first-hand knowledge told Fox News.

“During the Women’s Sports debate, we clearly saw this conflict of interest when the Governor came out with a style-and-form veto on the same day that Sanford Health announced their $40M donation to expand a sports complex. McCaulley not only influenced Governor Noem’s decision to derail the women’s sports bill, but he also helped write the press release and worked on the messaging.”

Noem spokesperson Ian Fury told Fox News maintained that the “buck stops” with the governor, but didn’t deny the allegation about McCaulley’s influence on external communications. 

“Anyone who knows or has worked with Governor Noem knows that the buck stops with her,” Fury said Wednesday. 

GOV. NOEM ON ‘FOX & FRIENDS’: SURPRISED AT QUESTIONS ABOUT STRENGTH ON BILL PROTECTING WOMEN’S SPORTS

“Nobody is making decisions for her. As an example, I promise you that the state’s medical establishment, including doctors at Sanford Health, has not always loved the Governor’s freedom-first approach to the COVID pandemic … Governor Noem has been friends with Matt McCaulley since 2007. Their professional relationship dates back to the run-up to her original election to Congress in 2010. That timeline is important, because their working relationship far pre-dates his work for Sanford Health. All of Matt’s potential conflicts are declared, and he never lobbies the Governor on behalf of his clients.”

McCaulley did not respond to Fox News’ request for comment. 

“Our relationship with Matt McCaulley began in 2016, before Kristi Noem announced she would run for governor,” a Sanford spokesperson told Fox News. “We hired Matt to support Sanford’s advocacy efforts at the state legislature because of his expertise and established relationships with South Dakota state legislators.”

Noem famously tweeted her support for HB 1217, but later requested changes she said were necessary to avoid frivolous lawsuits. Still, her decision provoked backlash from Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative mainstay that accused her of “gut[ting]” the legislation.

KRISTI NOEM: STURGIS RALLY IN SOUTH DAKOTA ABOUT ‘PERSONAL CHOICES’ OVER GOVERNMENT MANDATES

Some have suggested that Noem’s policy decisions were made under heavy influence of McCaulley. 

National Review reported on an anonymous state legislator saying that Sanford is “the most consistent and probably the only one that stayed with [Noem] other than her husband, as far as an adviser, throughout her career.”

“So he’s as close as an adviser can be, and I think he’s probably in on every major policy decision that she makes.”

Sanford’s spokesperson told Fox News: “Sanford Health did not engage in or take a position on HB 1217, the transgender women’s sports bill.”  

They added: “Earlier this year and unrelated to the topic, Sanford Health announced a $40 million philanthropic gift from our benefactor, Denny Sanford, to promote community health and improve access to sports opportunities for all youth. This premier, highly versatile sports facility is an important investment in the community that will help families lead healthier and more active lifestyles and spur significant economic development.”

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Fury has maintained that Noem protected women’s sports through her executive orders.

She also intends to pursue legislation codifying those orders – although it’s unclear whether that will satisfy conservatives like those at ADF.