The Dakota Scout

The Dakota Scout

Viewpoints

VIEWPOINT | South Dakota didn’t wait for prosperity — we built it

Guest column by Ryan Budmayr, South Dakota Chamber of Commerce & Industry

Dec 16, 2025
∙ Paid

Recent opinions published in The Dakota Scout’s guest opinion platform and elsewhere have questioned the value of economic development and public-private partnerships in South Dakota. They question whether the state is promoting “corporate welfare” and only helping big business.

I see it differently.

Instead, I believe it’s important to remind our fellow South Dakotans why a strong, growing economy — and a pro-business environment — have always been central to who we are and what makes our state thrive. South Dakota has never been a state that waits for prosperity to find us.

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