A driving force during my time on the PUC has been my desire to keep utility rates as low as possible for my fellow South Dakotans.  Because of ever increasing federal environmental regulations, there is tremendous upward pressure on utility rates.  I have been tenacious about analyzing each rate request that comes to the PUC.  That involves digging into the minute details of each case, analyzing the facts, and determining how the law applies to those facts.  As a commissioner I can’t “just say no” to a rate request.  What I can do and am committed to doing is the thorough examination needed to reduce rate requests to only the amounts absolutely required by law.  That dogged determination along with my experience and knowledge protects consumers and allows for our utility systems to remain reliable.  I am committed to being your advocate in the arena as we work together to keep utility rates as low as possible.

Like many parts of rural America, South Dakota has a rural/rural divide when it comes to broadband internet access.  A person living on one side of a gravel road may have world class fiber to the farm internet service.  Their neighbor on the other side of the road may have no internet service of any kind.  It’s all dependent on their local telephone company’s  broadband build out policy and schedule and whether they are in an area served by a wireless provider.  In 21st Century America that is unacceptable.  Broadband access is necessary for farmers and ranchers to do business, for students to complete homework assignments, for patients to access important healthcare information, and for individuals to connect to family and friends.  As chairman of my national association’s telecommunications committee I work to advocate for federal policy that encourages broadband build out in rural areas.  South Dakota has seen progress.  CenturyLink recently announced they are partnering with the Connect America Fund to build out to over 15,700 locations in South Dakota.  Our state’s rural telephone companies continue to expand the amount of fiber to the farm and home that they are installing in their territory.  More needs to be done to advance this build out to the farthest reaches of each telephone exchange.  I am committed to working on and seeing this expansion happen for the benefit of rural South Dakotans!

The Public Utilities Commission functions as a judicial body when making its decisions.  Our decisions must be based on the facts presented in each case and the law that applies to those facts.  Decision-making based on political agendas or personal whims would be chaotic, unfair to the parties involved, and violate the rule of law which is a bedrock principle in our country.  All decisions of the PUC can be appealed to the court system.  I have an established track record of decisions being based on fact and law.  Those decisions have repeatedly been upheld by the judicial system when appealed.  You may never need to come into a PUC proceeding but no doubt you will be affected by many of the decisions we make.  I bring integrity, experience, and trust to that process.  You deserve no less.