Gov. Kristi Noem speaks on Aug. 21, 2023, near the nation’s southern border. With Noem are, from left, Govs. Kevin Stitt of Oklahoma, Kim Reynolds of Iowa, Greg Abbott of Texas, and Jim Pillen of Nebraska. (Courtesy of Gov. Noem’s office)
During a rare joint session of the Legislature, Gov. Kristi Noem gave lawmakers an accounting of her recent trip to the “warzone” at the Texas-Mexico border . She was soon caught up in a different kind of accounting amid revelations that South Dakota taxpayers are going to be on the hook for the cost of sending the state’s National Guard troops to Texas.
South Dakota’s National Guard has been deployed to the Texas border three times. Once at the behest of the federal government, which paid for that trip. Noem has sent troops twice, at a cost of at least $1.3 million which has been paid through the state’s Emergency and Disaster Fund. A Tennessee benefactor also kicked in $1 million to pay for one of the deployments.
Noem to lawmakers: Be ready to take action on southern border ‘invasion’