the two newly elected Democratic senators from Georgia, Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock, "communists" in an op-ed for The Federalist, prompting criticism from South Dakota Democrats. RV Park in Custer State Park proposal In 2022, Noem sought to put a government paid RV park in Custer State Park. The proposal was met with significant opposition to include government competing with private business and disturbing the pristine nature of the park. The House Agricultural and Natural Resources deferred the bill to the 41st day, effectively killing it, by a vote of 9–3. School prayer bill In 2022, Noem sought to have prayer put back in school after mentioning it in a speech in Iowa. On January 21, 2022, the "prayer bill", HB 1015, was defeated in the House Education Committee by a vote of 9–6. An aide to Noem admitted to the committee that no schools were consulted about the proposal. Staff On November 19, 2021, Noem named her fifth chief of staff, Mark Miller, to replace outgoing chief of staff Aaron Scheibe. Scheibe served as chief of staff from May 1 to November 19, 2021. Tony Venhuizen preceded Scheibe from March 2, 2020, to April 23, 2021. Josh Shields preceded Venhuizen from October 1, 2019, to January 1, 2020. Herb Jones was Noem's first chief of staff, serving from January 5 to October 1, 2019. Trade In February 2019, she said that the Trump administration's trade wars with China and the European Union had devastated South Dakota's economy, particularly the agricultural sector, "by far" the state's largest industry. Breaking tradition In 2023, Noem broke a decades-old South Dakota tradition. The governor of South Dakota traditionally sits with the state press to discuss policy initiatives and take questions at the beginning of each year. Noem has been unavailable to state media, but has been taking interviews with national television stations. Electoral history Personal life She married Bryon Noem in 1992, in Watertown, South Dakota. They have three children. In 2011, when Noem moved to Washington to take her congressional office, her family continued to live on a ranch near Castlewood, South Dakota. Noem is a Protestant. As of 2018, her family attended a Foursquare Church in Watertown, South Dakota. Noem published her autobiography, Not My First Rodeo: Lessons from the Heartland on June 28, 2022. See also List of female governors in the United States Women in conservatism in the United