Meet the Candidate: Matt Wagner
Wagner running in three way race for District 8 House
Matt Wagner is one of three candidates running in the District 8 House race. Also running is Rep. Tim Reisch and and Tim Walburg.
District 8 wraps around the city of Brookings and includes the communities of Volga, Arlington, and Madison within its boundaries.
The Dakota Scout sent a series of questions to all legislative candidates running in contested races for the state House and Senate in the June 4 primary election. Candidates were asked to limit their responses to each question to 150 words or less.
Age: 50
City of residence: Volga
Profession: Owner - Contracting Company
Public service/community service experience: I previously served as a School Board Member for Volga Christian School and Sioux Valley Public Schools (9 years combined). I currently sit on the Oslo Township Board as Clerk, and serve as an elder at Peace Lutheran Church in Brookings.
Family information: My wife, Kerri, and I have been married for nearly 26 years and reside on the family farm south of Volga. We have three grown children, Hudson, Haze, and Hope. As empty nesters, we enjoy golfing, hiking, kayaking, gardening, and cooking together.
1) What's the government's role in facilitating economic development in South Dakota?
Small towns, communities, and businesses are the bedrock of our state. The government’s role should be to encourage economic development through lower taxes and investments in infrastructure. This approach benefits all businesses rather than just a few. Incentivizing growth through government subsidies to select corporations creates a culture of dependency for companies to remain profitable. When the government picks the winners and losers it distorts the free market and gives an unfair advantage.
2) If you could have dinner with any person, dead or alive, who would it be and why?
I enjoy history, so I would love to have dinner with Abraham Lincoln. I often think about “the state of our union” during his tenure. I can’t imagine how difficult it was to be President of the United States during a civil war. I would ask him how he balanced the constitutionality of his decisions with the inherent obligation of holding a country together. I have always admired that during the midst of such great upheaval in our country, he led with compassion and adhered to the principles that make our country so great.
3) Does the "Landowner Bill of Rights" -- adopted by the Legislature amid opposition to carbon pipeline companies using eminent domain -- strike the right balance between the interests of property owners, counties and the ag industry - and should voters get a say when they head to the polls in November?
South Dakotans have had a landowner bill of rights for 135 years. It’s known as our State's Constitution. SB 201 didn't enhance these rights but instead took local control from counties and townships, giving it to the State PUC. I'm not against pipelines, ethanol plants, or economic development, but I strongly oppose the use of eminent domain for private gain. The proposed CO2 pipeline is not a common carrier nor is for public consumption/use.
In addition to the abuse of private property rights, the proposed CO2 pipeline has numerous negative effects, such as safety concerns, depletion of our natural resources, questionable economic benefits, and reliance on 45Q tax credits for sustainability. South Dakota's ag industry is strong, and ethanol plants will continue to thrive without carbon sequestration.
No, the "Landowner Bill of Rights" does not strike a balance. The scale is broken and must be fixed. Voters have the right and responsibility to address this imbalance in November. If the petition to refer SB 201 is successful, I urge all voters to vote no on the so-called "Landowners Bill of Rights."
