South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, a Republican, said she is forging ahead on a bill to prohibit the Chinese Communist Party, and any of its subsidiaries, from purchasing agricultural land in the state, despite taking flak from some special interest groups.
Noem's bill, co-sponsored by state Rep. Gary Cammack, R-Union Center, and Sen. Erin Tobin, R-Winner, would create the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States — South Dakota, which will investigate proposed purchases of agricultural land by foreign interests and recommend either approval or denial to the governor.
Breitbart News reported Friday the South Dakota Association of Cooperatives was among the groups concerned about Noem's plan, sending an email to the governor's team that "agricultural groups" have reviewed an updated version of the bill and "are deeply concerned about the legality and constitutionality of the proposal."
However, Noem brushed that aside in an interview with "Breitbart News Saturday" on SiriusXM radio last weekend, saying the threat posed by the Chinese Communist Party is too great.
"I think all of us can agree as Americans that China shouldn't be buying up land in the United States. They are an enemy," said Noem, who in late November signed an executive order banning the use of TikTok, owned by Chinese company ByteDance, on state devices.
"They are an evil government built on Communism and taking away freedom. That isn't something we should allow to have a presence here in our great country," Noem added.
Noem said China has been focusing on buying land near U.S. Air Force bases. South Dakota's Ellsworth Air Force Base in Rapid City will be the home to the recently unveiled B-21 bomber, and Noem said she is trying to thwart any Chinese efforts to acquire land in her state.
"This is an issue that came up months ago when we saw a land purchase in North Dakota, our neighbors to the north, where a Chinese entity bought up land next to their Air Force Base, saying they were going to build a corn plant, but there wasn't enough corn grown in that area to sustain a facility like that, and it came under question," Noem said. "I think we all agree that we shouldn't allow our enemies to have a presence, especially close to our national security infrastructure."
Last month, Noem wrote a letter to Congress asking for federal legislation to support state and local governments to divest assets or prohibit the investment of assets from China.
Noem cited two incidents of Congress passing similar legislation: the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability and Divestment Act of 2010, and the Sudan Accountability and Divestment Act of 2007.
"If Congress were to take this step, it would send a clear sign to China that their activities are not supported by the United States of America," Noem wrote. "It would give states the opportunity to follow South Dakota's lead and explore options to divest from a nation that hates us. And it would be the right thing to do for the American people."