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against it on behalf of House Republicans.
• But she did not criticize Daugaard or other governors for considering Medicaid expansion or some type of compromise.
• "This ill-conceived law has put states in a bad position," she said. "So governors across the country are looking for ways to protect their citizens. My preference remains to repeal the health care law and push forward a consumer-driven alternative that addresses the fundamental drivers of rising health care costs."
• Thune is a member of the Senate's Republican leadership team and has similarly been at the forefront of opposition to the law. At regular press conferences of Senate Republican leaders Thune has often derided the law. His Facebook page is filled with critiques of the law, including a post Thursday that asked, "If ObamaCare is as great as Democrats say it is, why are they constantly having to delay parts of it?"
• South Dakota's other senator, Tim Johnson, is a Democrat who is retiring. He voted for the federal law and has continued to support it.
• Daugaard's next step is not clear. He said Thursday that he hoped that federal officials would change their mind on his proposal.
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SD lawmakers look at economic development agency
CHET BROKAW, Associated Press
• PIERRE, S.D. (AP) -- Allegations of misconduct in the state's economic development agency focus only on a former employee, the head of the agency told state lawmakers Friday.
• Pat Costello, commissioner of the Governor's Office of Economic Development, talked at length with a legislative committee looking into the agency and its involvement in issues relating to the financing of a failed beef packing plant in Aberdeen.
• "I respectfully encourage you to remember that no current employee or board member of our office has been accused of any wrongdoing," Costello told the Legislature's Government and Operations Committee.
• "Any alleged wrongdoing in our office is isolated to a former employee who is no longer with us," Costello said.
• State and federal investigations have focused on the agency's former commissioner, Richard Benda, who was found dead Oct. 22 with a fatal shotgun wound. His death was ruled a suicide.
• The legislative panel spent much of Friday's meeting hearing summaries of accounting reviews that were released earlier. Two reviews by private accounting firms and an audit by the state Department of Legislative Audit were ordered by Gov. Dennis Daugaard, who said he sought those reviews after finding about alleged mis (Continued on page 19)
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