May 9, 2025
Dear John,

Strengthening Small Businesses

BIG Update

This week the Midwest Honor Flight came to D.C., and I had the opportunity to greet the 85 veterans at the World War II Memorial. The Honor Flight does a great job of bringing veterans to our nation’s capital to see the memorials dedicated to their service. It’s always an honor to meet them and thank them for their service.

Johnson with veterans on the Honor Flight

BIG Idea

Nearly 99% of South Dakota’s businesses are small businesses. From Main Street storefronts to manufacturing facilities, these businesses drive innovation and economic growth. I’m celebrating these entrepreneurs and leaders during Small Business Week and am grateful for their hard work to support our communities.

This week, I introduced a bill to give small business owners in our state more options to keep ownership local. Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs) are a valuable tool in providing an option for a business to become employee-owned, as many in South Dakota are. The American Ownership and Resilience Act will improve the ability for business owners to convert their operation into an ESOP, rather than sell to foreign capital firms or dissolving. This bill will keep these companies local, strong, and American-owned, protecting jobs, preserving communities, and countering efforts by foreign competitors like China to buy U.S. businesses.

BIG News

I’ve been supportive of many of the big changes to our federal government over the last few months. Many of these changes have long been needed. Not every change has been perfectly executed, though. National Weather Service offices across our state are facing staff and resource reductions. The Rapid City office was forced to suspend its overnight shift and their weather balloon launches, which provide valuable data on atmosphere conditions. We know severe weather can strike at any time of the day or night, so maintaining 24/7 operations is critical to ensure public safety.

Just last week, in the middle of the night, a tornado touched down near Rosebud and injured six people. Thankfully, no lives were lost, but this highlights the need to have around-the-clock weather monitoring to protect lives. I reached out to the Administration to express my concerns and request the resources needed to keep public safety a top priority.

Johnson joins Keloland to discuss National Weather Service shortages

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