Former SD Governor Rounds weighs in on BPI lawsuit and possible - KTIV News 4 Sioux City IA: News, Weather and Sports

Headquartered in the Rushmore State, former South Dakota Governor Mike Rounds calls BPI a good corporate citizen.

He says he's worked with them during his time in office and calls them a leader in technology.

Gov. Mike Rounds said, "The reality is anytime you get a business that's challenged with public sentiment or public expressions of concern, they should have the right to get the truth out and I think that's something that BPI is going to have to do and I suspect that is the reason for the lawsuit."

Rounds was in Dakota Dunes Thursday night to keynote the Union County Republican Party's Lincoln Day Dinner.

The 31st governor of South Dakota, who's been out of office for less than two years, is back running his own insurance and real estate business.

But there's talk he may run for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by democrat Tim Johnson.

"If we decide to make a Senate run in 2014 we would make that decision after the 2012 election. I don't think it's appropriate to do that at this time. Our focus will be, as it is tonight, on the 2012 races and energizing our base and the hard workers that literally help get elected in South Dakota."

Rounds says the country needs to get the budget under control, grow jobs, and stop the over-reach of the federal government that he says our forefathers wouldn't have approved of.

The two-term governor from Pierre says we need to "Take our country back."