Q&A: Retiring lobbyist says South Dakota Capitol environment is increasingly hostile

Q&A: Retiring lobbyist says South Dakota Capitol environment is increasingly hostile

David Owen, head of the South Dakota Chamber of Commerce and Industry. (Joshua Haiar/South Dakota Searchlight)The environment in Pierre today is “more strident” than it was when David Owen began lobbying South Dakota lawmakers in 1998. Much has changed since then, Owen said, but that’s been the biggest shift. Owen said Pierre’s deeply divided political environment, particularly among Republicans, is one where policy debates turn personal. He des…