Category: SD Legislature

Special session for impeachment to move forward. Not that they’ll release the actual vote on it.

@SoDakCampaigns

According to the Argus Leader, the House of Representatives now has passed the minimum number of members needed to call a special session for purposes of impeachment:

Enough South Dakota House members have signed onto a petition to call a special session on Nov. 9 to consider the potential impeachment of Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg, Speaker of the House Spencer Gosch confirmed Saturday.

The House needed to reach a 47-member threshold to call a special election, and Gosch confirmed that threshold had been met. The names of lawmakers who signed the petition are not being made public.

Read that here.

Not that they’re going to release to the public who did and did not sign the petition. Ugh.

For crying out loud, please stop damaging the Republican brand. (And maybe sleep on it before you say it. )

@SoDakCampaigns

For the second time this legislative session, the headlines have blared nationally over stupid things that Republican legislators have come up with off of the top of their heads. First, we were treated to Representative Isaac Latterell bringing decapitations and terrorists into the pro-life/pro-choice debate: isaac And this week, we got to enjoy how Representative Elizabeth May brought terminal test anxiety as the last straw in tipping crime and poverty stricken teenagers on Pine Ridge to take their own lives: common_core Does anyone bounce these things off of anyone before they put them out there for public consumption, and ask “Does this make me look stupid” before they make these wild-eyed pronouncements? At this point, I’m kind of wondering if they do.

How does saying test anxiety is contributing to a disturbing suicide rate encourage a young professional businessperson to run as a Republican candidate for office when asked? When going door to door, how does saying “Planned Parenthood is beheading children people like ISIS terrorists” convince people that helping Republicans get elected is a worthwhile cause? The answer is that they don’t. They’re just incendiary bombs being lobbed for the sole purpose of getting personal attention.

And of course they’re going to get attention. They’re over the top, offensive and just plain stupid. And all that attention comes at the expense of all the other Republicans who are trying to do the difficult job of governing, and are now at risk of being painted with the same broad crazy brush by Democrats and the media who look for these opportunities. Every time I read that kind of thing, I find myself asking “For crying out loud, please stop damaging the Republican brand.”

If you feel the need to say something offensive and incendiary, sleep on it first. Bounce it off of a colleague for a read on how it sounds. Sometimes it’s inadvertent, accidental, or it can’t be helped.  But, when you look at the people who have been around for a while – those who have risen to the top, and have longevity – They’re are known for their thoughtfulness and intelligence.

Not for lobbing bombs.

Secretary of State hasn’t seen language on Felon voting bill, feels 2012 measure is appropriate.

@SoDakCampaigns

In recent days, much has been written about State Senator Craig Tieszen’s proposal to relax the current voting prohibition on convicted felons voting until completion of their sentence. But don’t look for the Secretary of State to support Tieszen’s proposal.

In fact, it remains to be seen whether anyone has asked the incoming Secretary of State for input on the measure being proposed.

In an interview with dakotawarcollege.com, Secretary of State Shantel Krebs, while she cedes authority to propose the measure rests with the legislative branch; as the person who would work with the court system to implement it, Krebs notes that she “hasn’t seen the language in the bill” yet. Krebs went on to note that ultimately, “any changes would be voted on by the legislature.”

While the American Civil Liberties Union was active in lobbying for relaxed voting restrictions on convicted felons in 2012, as the state’s chief elections officer, Krebs hasn’t heard from any outside groups on the bill at this point.

Krebs told SDWC that “Anything that has to do with felons voting is a public policy issue that rests with the legislature.” And, while she “can’t speak for the legislature,” Krebs doesn’t “see supporting any changes to current statute,” and feels that the changes in the 2012 proposal primed by State Senator Gene Abdallah “are what’s appropriate.”

Krebs went on to say that she is in “approval of the current law.“