On the recordSeptember 18, 2014
Mr. President, I rise today along with my colleague from South Dakota, Senator Johnson, to commemorate South Dakota's 125th anniversary of Statehood. One hundred twenty-five years ago, on November 2, 1889, President Benjamin Harrison shuffled the Act of Admission Papers for North and South Dakota to ensure that no one knew which State entered the Union first. To this day, we still don't know which act President Harrison signed first. South Dakota is perhaps best known as the home of the Shrine of Democracy at Mount Rushmore, which opened to the public just 50 years after South Dakota attained statehood. This monument captures the way of life and governance structure that we have in South Dakota. Our elected officials take the concerns of their constituents to Pierre and ensure that our State is bettering the lives of its citizens in a fiscally responsible manner. We believe in limited government which provides room for individuals and businesses to grow and thrive. Our model of free enterprise has allowed businesses to flourish in South Dakota, and as a result, is one of the best States in the country to start a business. We consistently have one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country, which is currently at 3.7 percent. Our labor force and our economy are driven by our State's top industries of tourism and agriculture. The 28,000 South Dakotans who work in our tourism industry ensure that people from all over the world enjoy our great places.…





