SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) – The November election is about three weeks away, and campaigns are hitting the home stretch.
Democratic candidate for governor Jamie Smith was the guest at today’s Sioux Falls Downtown Rotary meeting.
All three candidates were invited — but Smith was the only one to attend.
Several topics at the forum were broached, but the first one was Gov. Kristi Noem’s recent proposal to eliminate the state’s food tax, a reversal of course for her.
Smith called a “political stunt,” and once again pointed out had been an idea put forward by state legislators for over 20 years, including a proposal from Smith himself.
“She knows she needs to have a tax cut somewhere that she hasn’t been able to do,” Smith said.
Smith criticized Noem for not calling a special session of the legislature to eliminate the food sales tax, citing her remarks at an appearance at a Sioux Falls grocery store last week.
“She looked at the camera kind of shocked and she was like, ‘well, I don’t have the votes for it,” Smith said. “Well, OK, my job would be to work to get the votes. We did get the votes in the House this year to pass it. We sent it over to the Senate, but it got a kill order, I’m sure of it, because the way it down was….”
Smith then mimicked with hand gestures and a whistling noise the sight and sound of a flying object crashing to the ground.
When asked about how the state could replace the revenue it gains from the food sales tax,…
