SD State Legislature Candidate Survey: Mary Weinheimer

PIERRE, S.D. (Dakota Information Now) – Mary Weinheimer is working to be elected to the South Dakota State Home in District 24. Cities in District 24 embody Pierre, Fort Pierre, Onida, Highmore, and Philip. Weinheimer faces three major opponents; Will Mortenson, Mike Weisgram, and Jim Sheehan.

1. Inform us about your self?

As a lifelong Pierre resident, I’m very blessed to name this neighborhood and South Dakota residence. My husband Mark and I’ve been married for greater than 23 years, and we’ve been blessed with 5 children — our biggest satisfaction and pleasure. My household enterprise, Morris, a building firm in enterprise for greater than 52 years now, is a robust supporter of the Pierre/Fort Pierre communities and central South Dakota. Although I nonetheless assist out with Morris, Mark and I are full-time farmers in Sully County.

2. Why are you working for this workplace?

As a spouse, a mother, a small businesswoman, and a farmer, I see firsthand the cultural and financial threats to our households and our neighborhood. I consider our legislature wants extra representatives with the imaginative and prescient and braveness to face these challenges head-on.

I consider our state motto, “Below God the Folks Rule,” ought to function the guidepost for policymakers’ decision-making (too many politicians neglect that they’re public servants). I consider the household is the spine of society, and it must be cherished and guarded. I consider South Dakota’s small, rural communities, like our folks, make this state distinctive and shouldn’t proceed to take a backseat to Sioux Falls or Fast Metropolis.

3. What could be your high three priorities if elected?

If I’m given the dignity to serve District 24 within the Home, I’ll combat laborious to maintain our communities thriving and our households robust. I’ll combat towards the erosion of parental rights, the financial erosion of our small, rural communities, and the growth of presidency into areas of our lives the place it doesn’t belong.

· I’m pro-life

· I’m pro-Second Modification

· I consider in restricted, accountable authorities

· I strongly help agriculture

4. What related expertise would you deliver to the workplace?

As a spouse, a mother, a small businesswoman, and a farmer, I’ve spent greater than ten years actively engaged within the state legislature. I do know dozens of legislators and have a great relationship with the Government Department. As a freshman, it’s seemingly going to be laborious to advance any main initiatives, so I’m going to align myself with those that consider within the platform I’m working on: concepts that can strengthen this neighborhood and assist our households compete so our neighborhood doesn’t grow to be an afterthought, however moderately grows strongly and thrives.

5. Do you help tax reduction for South Dakotans? If that’s the case, what kind and the way would you make it occur?

Sure, I help tax reduction. Tens of hundreds of thousands of {dollars} can’t proceed to exit the door with out first giving extraordinary South Dakotans a tax break. Each our representatives voted towards gross sales tax reduction (HB 1327), saying that reduction wouldn’t have accomplished a lot — it was a tiny quantity. I strongly disagree with that. Inflation and taxes are hurting hardworking South Dakotans in District 24. Our representatives’ repeated opposition to placing a refund into folks’s pockets was very disappointing.

Property taxes must be studied and completely reviewed as effectively.

When taxes are levied, keep in mind, somebody needed to work to earn the cash to pay them. With inflation inching its approach as much as 10%, there are some actual challenges our folks face. For instance, fertilizer costs are up 61%, and fuel costs are up 50%. And, moderately than discovering tasks for this cash, I consider our primary precedence must be to place a refund into folks’s pockets.

6. Housing availability has grow to be a difficulty for a lot of South Dakotans. How would you search to make housing extra reasonably priced?

First, when speaking about “affordability,” we have to keep in mind that the foundation reason for that drawback is nearly all the time not cash. The Governor’s Workplace pointed this out a number of instances when the housing invoice was being debated. There are zoning points native communities can take a look at and inventive options that may be adopted right here (similar to they did in North Dakota).

Second, it seems just like the housing invoice might be revisited subsequent yr due to the poor approach it was written. If the housing authority can’t work out find out how to resolve lots of the points with final yr’s invoice, no cash will go into infrastructure tasks till many, many months from now. So the second factor we have to do is keep in mind to draft laws rigorously and thoughtfully, so we don’t have to return to it repeatedly.

7. South Dakota correctional services have been coping with a lot of points, most distinguished amongst them overcrowding and staffing shortages. What would you do to assist fight these points?

I consider the household is the spine of society, and it must be cherished and guarded. The basis reason for our jail issues is that we have now approach too many individuals going into them. Our communities and our schooling system want to take a seat down collectively and assess what extra might be accomplished to forestall crime and finally, the expansion of our prisons.

Relating to the speedy want we have now with workers — they must be higher compensated.

8. What steps ought to the legislature take to entice younger folks to stay within the state?

South Dakota’s small, rural communities, like our folks, make this state distinctive. But, we – Pierre, Ft. Pierre, and all our surrounding communities – persistently take a

backseat to communities like Sioux Falls and Fast Metropolis. There’s no must “entice” younger folks if we arrange the foundations of the highway effectively – low taxes, affordable rules, and rising/thriving communities.

The second element to that is making certain our children have a robust schooling. Relating to state involvement in faculties (moderately than college boards), the right position for us is to make sure we’re offering glorious companies for fogeys and kids.

9. Do you help any modifications to the way in which elections are run in South Dakota?

I haven’t studied this query, so my preliminary reply isn’t any.

10. A U.S. Supreme Court docket resolution is looming on a landmark abortion case that would finally overturn Roe v. Wade. Governor Kristi Noem has indicated she want to ban abortion outright, and a “set off legislation” already on the books would so, with solely an exception in place when the mom’s life is in danger. Do you help banning abortion to this extent? If not, what exceptions would you wish to see made?

I’m pro-life. Prenatal science on this query will get stronger and stronger with every passing day. I’m comfy with each the set off legislation and Governor Noem’s stance on the difficulty.

11. What’s your stance on legalized, leisure marijuana in South Dakota?

I’m opposed.

State legislative candidates in contested districts this major season have been emailed the identical survey to finish for Dakota Information Now/KOTA Territory Information. Candidates have been requested to maintain their responses restricted to roughly 4-5 sentences for every query. Except a fast spelling and grammar examine, solutions weren’t edited by the poster. Those that responded to the survey questions had their outcomes posted.

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