BROOKINGS (10-6-26) — The three District 7 State House candidates met at a forum hosted by the Brookings Regional Growth Alliance last night (Monday, October 5).
All three were asked about workforce development in the Brookings area.
Incumbent Republican Roger DeGroot said the state is doing a good job helping Brookings grow… “Our state I think has done a really nice job of lending money, getting money out there for start-up businesses. Our research park out here is a prime example. … If you go through that we are starting up basically small businesses from a seed and growing them into a big plant and an expansive business. So Brookings does an exceptional job there.”
Incumbent Republican Mellissa Heermann said affordable daycare is needed locally… “I think part of it is going to be daycare services. We don’t have enough. I know I’ve known employees … who have made a decision that it would be more cost-effective to stay home than the high cost of having two or more kids in daycare. And so that is expensive. You talk to the daycare providers, and they aren’t having enough revenue to stay open with their costs.”
Democratic challenger Blake Stevens said affordable housing is required for local growth… “One of the big issues that I see —especially with developing housing — is suburban sprawl is preventing us from creating affordable housing. We need to re-look at our regulations when it comes to building housing, so we’re not just building more suburban sprawl. (We need) individual and single-family homes and more affordable housing, so that families can afford to move up in the world.”
The three candidates were also asked about state government’s use of economic incentives.
DeGroot said South Dakota has success stories… “The governor has at his disposal lots of money available for economic development, and you’ve seen what he’s done with some of that, moving that money around. And really he can move that — spend that money — without approval from us (lawmakers). Bel Brands, big addition. We flew down with the governor — I’d never been in a plane with the governor before — that big expansion. Solventum, their big expansion. The governor just signed some big thing in Aberdeen.”
South Dakota Governor Larry Rhoden has awarded two new business parks in Aberdeen a $1 million award from the state’s Future Fund.
Heermann said economic initiatives can work if applied smartly… “I am not against incentives. I think there are reasonable applications for those. I think there remain certain companies in South Dakota that have key economic impact. I think we’re already seeing — in some situations — where perhaps we scared some companies away, that we are missing some of the impact or the benefit of those companies had they decided to stay in South Dakota. So I think there are responsible ways to use them, and I think they are one of the few tools we have — one of the key levers we can pull — to make South Dakota look more attractive.”
Stevens said the state needs better pay in order to spur economic development… “Our current minimum wage is $11.85. When people can’t afford to just pay rent, they’re never going to be able to afford to get a small business loan to start a new business to develop their town, their state, their community. They’re going to go someplace where they can make more money and then have the opportunities to actually build a business that they want.”
Two District 7 House seats are up for grabs on November 3.
The complete forum can be viewed at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3nfuc_XSXI
— Brookings Radio News
