9,000 Dollars For The Governor’s Desk?

Would you pay $9,000 for a desk? That's what the total is sounding like it will be for Governor Noem's new black walnut desk.

According to Dakota News Now and sources back in September 2020, Noem's office asked Pheasantland Industries, which is the prison workshop, if they could make her a black walnut executive desk.

At this time a quote for the desk was given for the dimensions of 80 inches long and three feet in width.

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Fast forward to April 2021 and Noem then made the decision to order the desk with now higher costs for the materials than originally planned for the desk's components of originally  $6.38 per foot to now $8.20 per foot.

"After inmates were well on their way with the project, change orders came in. The desk size was changed to accommodate another person to sit and collaboratively work with the Governor, increasing the size from 80 inches to over 100. Pheasantland Industries had to re-work its design. More change orders were made, including brass embossing, a gun drawer, leather inserts for the drawer, a footrest, and a state map embossed on the top" Dakota News Now.

With these new seemingly last-minute changes the desk's total price tag came to "just over $9,000."

Shortly after this, there was an order that came from Interim Secretary of Corrections Tim Reisch to discount the desk's price. This discount then sadly resulted in a $3,000 loss to Pheasantland Industries.

Which then made Governor Noem’s cost after the mandated discount at $2.02 per foot.

Nevertheless, "a spokesperson for the Governor says their initial bid was between $5,000 to $6,000 and they have not received the final invoice."

Source: Dakota News Now.