District 17 Legislative Candidate Forum - October 13, 2026

No agenda or minutes were provided; this summary is based on the forum transcript. The forum was hosted by the Vermillion Chamber and Development Companies (VCDC) Governmental Affairs Committee and facilitated with USD political science students. Moderators Matt Fairholm, Corey McGoffin, and Simone Work led candidates Leslie Garish, Austin Bernick, incumbent Representative Chris Cassen, and Troy Redler through opening statements, topic questions, audience questions, and closing remarks.

Discussion Items

• Budget and taxes: Candidates discussed SB 245, the homeowner property tax reduction fund. Leslie Garish called the bill fiscally irresponsible and supported targeted relief based on income and property value. Austin Bernick said the fund is uncertain, noted $55 million was added, and argued the sales and use tax increase from 4.2% to 4.5% hurts vulnerable residents. Chris Cassen said property taxes are the top issue he hears and supported evaluating the new program; Troy Redler, who cited $55.9 million in the fund, supported measuring actual homeowner savings before adding more money.
• State reserves: The candidates discussed the reserve fund at roughly $325 million, or 12.7% of the 2027 budget. Bernick said it is a rainy day and the state should spend it now; Cassen said traditional practice is to spend down to 10% and that one-time appropriations require a two-thirds vote; Redler called a strong reserve a strength; Garish supported a 10% reserve and mentioned unmet needs in mental health and USD facilities.
• Income and corporate tax: Cassen and Redler firmly opposed state income and corporate taxes, citing South Dakota's business climate. Garish said she would not introduce an income tax but supports a wealth tax and criticized reliance on regressive sales taxes. Bernick supported a progressive income tax on household income above $300,000, saying it could generate nearly $400 million and fund education and property tax relief.
• Health and social services: On the rural health transformation project, Redler cited $189.4 million in federal funding and urged outcome-based evaluation; Cassen described it as $500 million coming to the state and highlighted maternal health and medical education. Garish said the project is technology-focused and does not solve provider shortages; Bernick called it insufficient compared with federal funding cuts.
• Medicaid: Cassen explained that traditional Medicaid and Medicaid expansion have different federal match rates, with expansion at 90/10 costing the state about $35 million, and warned a 50/50 match could cost $150 million. Redler emphasized patient access and long-term fiscal sustainability. Garish noted 25% of babies in the state are born on Medicaid and said Medicaid expansion is only 8% of the Medicaid budget. Bernick supported expanding access and said health care is a human right.
• Child care: Candidates agreed child care is a workforce issue. Cassen highlighted local grants and federal opportunities; Redler favored local solutions and reducing regulatory barriers; Garish cited a 2025 bipartisan child care employee assistance bill that passed both chambers but was vetoed by the governor; Bernick called for universal child care.
• Education: Redler emphasized workforce preparation, internships, and apprenticeships. Garish said students do not feel valued and need a more diverse legislature. Bernick cited South Dakota's 46th-ranked teacher pay and said teachers are leaving for neighboring states. Cassen defended investments in university facilities and said South Dakota remains a net importer of people.
• Charter schools: On SB 218, Garish opposed using public dollars for charter schools and supported public funding for public schools. Bernick opposed taxpayer funding for private schools. Cassen said he supports school choice and wants to see the federal education freedom tax credit develop. Redler said he is open to charter schools with accountability but opposed the provision allowing an unelected education secretary to override local school boards.
• Economic policy and workforce housing: Bernick prioritized a progressive income tax; Cassen prioritized preserving no-income-tax competitiveness; Redler prioritized removing workforce housing barriers; Garish proposed targeted relief such as requiring insurance coverage for diagnostic mammograms, which she paid for out of pocket as a breast cancer survivor.
• SB 41 housing infrastructure: Candidates discussed the $200 million housing infrastructure program that helped finance infrastructure for 236 planned multifamily units in Vermillion. Cassen said grants went quickly but loans were slower; Redler said he would evaluate results before adding more money; Garish said construction costs are affected by tariffs; Bernick cited roughly $2.4 million for Vermillion, about $10,000 per unit, and called for regulating private equity in housing.
• Data centers: On SB 135, Redler supported the framework requiring data centers to cover costs and follow local rules. Garish said the law does not go far enough and supports a moratorium on hyperscale data centers. Bernick also supported a year-long moratorium, citing power, water, and noise concerns. Cassen said the law protects ratepayers and preserves local control, noting communities can choose their own moratoriums.

Audience Questions

• Amendment L: Garish and Bernick opposed Amendment L, saying a 60% requirement would make it harder for citizens to pass constitutional amendments. Cassen and Redler supported it, comparing it to the high bar for changing the U.S. Constitution.
• State vs. local control: Bernick said the state should step in when local governments ignore voters. Cassen said decisions should start with the individual and move to the most local government possible. Redler said decisions should be made as close to the people as possible unless a compelling statewide interest exists. Garish said local control should generally prevail, with the state acting as a resource for small communities.
• Party alignment: Cassen and Redler agreed with their party on low taxes and local control, but both disagreed with federal beef importation policies. Garish said she is a Democrat because she believes in helping those who need the most help. Bernick said he agrees with the Democratic Party on progressive taxation but disagrees with the national party's neglect of rural areas.

Key Outcomes

• No votes or formal decisions were made; the event was a candidate forum.
• Candidates gave opening and closing statements and answered questions on budget and taxes, health and social services, education, economic development and housing, and audience-submitted topics.
• Several unopposed candidates were recognized. The moderator noted that some audience questions were not asked due to time, including questions on PACs, Medicaid provider support, and role models.
• The forum was recorded and aired on Midco Channel 3 and the City of Vermillion's YouTube channel. Eligible voters were reminded to register by October 19 and to vote in November.