Families across South Dakota have started taking down Christmas trees and kids are getting ready to start a new semester at school. With another holiday season nearly behind us, I want to take a moment to reflect on the many things weve accomplished this year.

In 2019, we expanded internet connection to 4,800 households and more than 100 businesses. Progress in this area means producers can access cutting-edge technology that requires high-speed broadband capabilities, students can quickly upload and download assignments for advanced online courses, and folks in remote areas can pursue online business opportunities, allowing them to hire locally while selling globally.

We also launched a new meth campaign that has sparked thousands of conversations about meth around our state and nation. Ive heard story after story of families who say that because of our ads, theyve been able to talk with their kids about the dangers of meth for the first time. Since we started the campaign, nearly 100 people have called or texted our hotline and more than a dozen have been referred to treatment through the hotline.

This year, we saw more families getting outside together to learn about our outdoor traditions. One area of growth that we were pleased to see was an increase in trapping numbers. People are recognizing the need to protect our strong outdoor heritage, participating in our efforts to create wildlife habitat, providing public access, and introducing kids to the adventure of the outdoors.

In 2019, we also focused more attention on mental health. I allocated roughly $500,000 to mental health initiatives, some of which will be used to increase care coordination services available to local school districts. Were also moving forward to fund a mental health court in southeastern South Dakota, which will focus on clients with mental health needs, providing them both treatment and care coordination services. My hope is to get to the root of mental health issues early on so youth and adults can transition out of the justice system.

On these issues and many others, I relied on your input and am so grateful for those who have called, written, or emailed me with their thoughts. In an effort to be the most connected and transparent governor South Dakota has ever had, my office has made thousands of phone calls and written countless emails and letters to South Dakotans this year.

It truly has been an honor to serve you in 2019, and I look forward to tackling new challenges in the year to come.

On behalf of my entire family, I wish you all the best in 2020!

Read more:

A year of progress - Brookings Register