Spry seeks District 35 seat in Pierre

| Thursday, May 04, 2006

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RAPID CITY - Theresa Spry, a Democratic candidate for the South Dakota Senate in District 35, said she was inspired to run for the state Legislature by observing the current group of lawmakers.

A Rapid City native and an enrolled member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, Spry said the state Legislature hasn’t been addressing the issues most important to typical South Dakotans.

“Our Legislature is full of well-meaning people,” Spry said. “But this year, not only did they decline to increase the minimum wage — again — but they refused to consider regulating the use of cell phones by teenage drivers because it would be too much ‘government.’ Yet they voted to impose their own morality on any and every pregnant woman in South Dakota, practically without regard to individual circumstances. It seems to me our ‘ship of state’ has been blown pretty far off course.”

Spry said she would work to bring government focus back to key issues, rather than working on “someone else’s agenda of extremism.”

Spry is facing fellow Democrat Leah Lutheran in the June 6 Democratic primary for the District 35 Senate spot.

Spry, a Rapid City native who grew up in a military family, served in the South Dakota National Guard and was called to active duty. She was educated in Germany, Virginia, Chicago and Rapid City. She has raised her family and has been employed here throughout most of her adult life.

“I am Native American, native South Dakotan, native Rapid Citian and proud of all three. I’ve chosen to live in Rapid City. I bring a diverse and broad foundation of experiences and perspectives. I want the opportunity to serve in the Legislature to make this the place we choose to live, now and in the future,” Spry said.

Spry’s work experience includes seven years as a certified family-planning counselor. She also spent 16 years working in early childhood education, nutrition, home liaison, counseling programs, as a substitute and in coordinating and providing tutoring programs.

Health care is another area of major concern, Spry said.

“Too often, for too many South Dakotans, emergency-room care has become the clinic of last resort. We need to address gaps and shortages that exist in our health-care delivery system and focus on maintaining a healthy population, instead of waiting until it may be too late,” Spry said. “It just makes sense, and I know preventive care will be far less expensive than relying so heavily on emergency care.”

For the past 12 years, Spry has worked as a home health-care provider, including caring for her own quadriplegic son, Bill, who broke his neck in a swimming accident at Angostura Reservoir. Spry and her husband of 38 years, Jerry, have raised their family in the North Rapid home they have owned for 34 years.

Spry said that experience taught her that property-tax relief is crucial.

“We don’t need another Band-Aid. The system is flawed and needs to be thoroughly overhauled,” she said. “When elected, I will sponsor legislation to impose a corporate income tax to be dedicated to reducing property taxes. It will not be additional revenue. Every penny will go towards reducing property taxes.”

Spry has five children and five grandchildren. She has served on parent-advisory councils, school programs, sports, arts, music, girls and boys clubs, Scouts, community action, community planning, health-advisory boards, mayor’s committees and political groups.

That experience will help in representing District 35, she said.

“District 35 is very diverse including a growing urban Indian population. We are a citizens’ Legislature, and I believe our Legislature should truly reflect our communities.”