NORTH SIOUX CITY, S.D. (KTIV) -
The candidates running for the District 16 in the South Dakota State Senate say there's not much lawmakers can do to save the Hyperion project.
State Senator Dan Lederman and Democratic challenger Michael O'Connor debated the issue during a candidate forum sponsored by the Dakota Valley Business Council Tuesday night.
O'Connor, actually opted his farm land into the project, but the company dropped their options the first time the agreement expired.
Both say they support measures to strengthen the state's business-friendly climate.
"I think the state has really gotta walk very cautiously in dealing with something like this cause you know, you don't want to get hooked for millions of dollars," said O'Connor, an Alcester Democrat.
"I think one of the biggest misconceptions is that a state or a legislator, or a governor can create jobs. Government isn't there to create jobs, but it can help the environment for jobs to flourish," said Lederman, who is running for his second term in the State Senate.
Lederman says the most critical issue facing the next legislature is the proposal by the federal government to automatically stop funding hundreds of programs to get control of the nation's debt, otherwise known as sequestration.
For O'Connor who served in the South Dakota House from 1987 to 1993, the two biggest issues are property taxes and education funding.
