Scott Odenbach does not seem as if he’s a happy House Majority Leader in a facebook post yesterday.
The lead Republican in the House was recently quoted in a story from South Dakota News Watch (Lawmaker considers limiting new Black Hills water usage), where he was quoted as wanting to limit new wells into the acquifer. Odenbach took to social media trying to explain his position, and lamenting that he feels his words were taken out of context and being labeled anti-development. This story followed his efforts this last legislative session where local governments across the Black Hills opposed his efforts to form an interim committee to explore adding more regulations on mining and development in the Black Hills.
Representative Odenbach defended his position, referring to opposition as “Soviet style” and invoking Teddy Roosevelt, etc. But he saved a particular venom for community development organization Elevate Rapid City, and Republican advocacy group South Dakota Strong for objecting to his sustained efforts at new regulations. Odenbach noted in part:
I don’t have any amendment legislation drafted yet and as I had told the reporter, I think we need to first gather all the facts and make sure we are making smart decisions with any proposed legislation as we pursue more and more growth in Western South Dakota. With that said, there are greedy, shortsighted locusts in organizations like Elevate Rapid City and “South Dakota Strong,” who would happily strip mine us of our water and other raw materials to turn us into the Denver front range if they could make a dollar or earn a campaign contribution – and then move on to feast somewhere else.
and..
Let’s have this debate. As a lifelong Republican, I am certainly for the free market and organic economic growth. I’m tired of hearing that you are not a good Republican who is for growth if you aren’t for big-government spending to promote it. A conservative wants to promote growth by maintaining an environment conducive to business formation and development: via good schools, small & efficient government, safe streets, natural beauty, smart planning and low taxes. But I am not for growth at any cost, government-spending growth that dictates winners and losers with Soviet-style “economic development” plans, nor growth for the sake of growth, without making sure that in the meantime we are protecting our quality of life, including water resources for the people who live here now.
Scott makes the argument that he’s for “good schools, small & efficient government, etc.” But do you really get a ‘small and efficient government’ when you try to stifle growth with more government, kill schools by stripping money from them via vouchers & more and more government every single year, and passing as many laws as possible to make society bend to your worldview?
It would be nice if we could get back to that, instead of attacking business and claiming that people who want to foster jobs and growth are “greedy locusts.”
Why is he going after South Dakota Strong? What do they have to do with this?
Between Odie, Mills, Jonny, Lemming, and May, this cabal works hard against SD.
Pretty sure saying the other side are “greedy, short-sighted locusts” and attributing to them methods and motives which are illegal under both federal and state environmental laws demonstrates one is very rational, open to more information and that the only “debate” he wants is to mandate to everyone in a Soviet style. Sounds like a nut job.
Also, the old trope that competition to public schools and diverting a PORTION of taxpayer money to allow parents of less means to opt out of our failing public schools will kill the schools is just as nutty. If a diversion of some money to allow some to get their education elsewhere (which INCREASES the average taxpayer support per student in the public schools) will kill the schools, the mismanagement and ineptitude of school administration is worse than we thought. With public school advocates making this argument, they need new friends.
he conservitated himself right into central planning…
“Ask what else we could do for our state with $2 billion.” Hate to school ya Rep. Odenbach, but that’s not how federal support works. The government doesn’t just hand South Dakota money to spend however we want.
Mouthy Odenbach would do well to take some of his own advice and gather the facts before characterizing Elevate and South Dakota Strong as insects. That tends to shutdown communication and discovery.
But since he’s into fauna characterizations, let’s dub Mr. Odenbach as Alligator Odenbach…..all mouth and no ears.
He was taught from the best, our dear leader.
While Odenbach is busy saying “no” and trying to shut every thing down, Rhoden is having conversations with neighboring states on bringing Nuclear power to our Region to help manage growth. That’s vision and leadership.
Rhoden is for something before he votes against it.
Not an Odenbach fan. However, he’s not wrong about some of the government giveaways out there. Lots of developers have gotten really wealthy with the help of TIF’s. The other issue, of course, is the futures fund which has been entirely discretionary. There was a time when that list came out and some of the spending made sense, but… there were also some grants to super successful and wealthy companies already.
Scott should move back to Eureka. Don’t think there’s enough water in the hills for transients like him
He’s closed his law office so we can only hope it’s a sign he’s leaving.
That’s the thing with all this MAGA rhetoric, it sounds great in an imaginary world, but not in your backyard. Project 2025 says this will happen, and you get what you voted for.
Looks like Odie is for local control until he isn’t. Just like a lot of this new breed of cretins that were elected.
Who knew that Scott was a left wing environmentalist?!
Anyone that pays attention
Indeed. Mr. Odenbach is a tight friend of the Water Protectors, and the Sierra Club, and the Norbeck Socialites, and the NODAPL collective. He is a tree-hugger from the old “chained to an old growth tree with a name” era. If Nieman Industries found out he or anybody else was encouraging tree spiking, grudznick would not be surprised. I am sure he is not, but still, not surprised.
This Hobbit is trying to protect his Shire.