Meet the Candidate: Scott Odenbach

Spearfish attorney seeking third-term in the state House

Rep. Scott Odenbach is seeking re-election to the South Dakota state House in District 31 for the third time. He faces incumbent Mary Fitzgerald and Mark Mowry in the primary.

District 31 consists of Lawrence County.

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: 51
City of residence: Spearfish
Profession: Attorney and realtor
Public service/community service experience: Three years on Spearfish School Board and served the past four years in the South Dakota House of Representatives.
Family information: Wife Laura, married since 1995. Three children: Ashley (25) (nurse in Scottsdale, AZ), James (22) (farming in Eureka) and Jack (18 graduates 2024 from Spearfish High School).

1) What's the government's role in facilitating economic development in South Dakota?

To keep South Dakota open for business but not for sale. The government should maintain an atmosphere favorable to free enterprise consisting of low taxes and limited regulations that do not discourage people who want to pursue their livelihood. It should focus on government’s core functions including public safety and good infrastructure, both of which make an area a good place to live, work and play, which is also good for business and naturally attracts people. As we grow, necessary regulations include those that protect our clean water and environment in general, also a main ingredient in keeping an area desirable for people to live. Government should not spend tax dollars on public-private partnerships that favor certain people or companies, pet projects, or as a slush fund to help those with the best connections.

2) If you could have dinner with any person, dead or alive, who would it be and why?

If I could go back in time to do it, then George Washington. I’d tell him to make sure James Madison wrote federal term limits into the Constitution.

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?

No. I opposed the so-called “Landowner Bill of Rights” which is a parody of the real Bill of Rights that all landowners already have in the 5^th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution which prohibits the government from taking private property for public use without just compensation. It was never intended to allow private companies to use eminent domain until a flawed 5 to 4 Supreme Court ruling in 2005, which I expect the current court to overturn at the next opportunity. The Ag industry and supporters of carbon capture pipelines are being shortsighted in accepting the federal government’s attempt to control all aspects of our lives via our carbon index score. This will not end well. Opposing these kinds of schemes is what I mean when I say “Keep South Dakota Free.” I hope voters overturn this law in November and we keep carbon sequestration pipelines out of our state.