A Joint House Resolution was just introduced into the State House of Representatives with hopes of being placed on the 2020 ballot, despite no one asking for it.
Now that I look at the measure, House Joint Resolution 5002, I get this sense of Deja Vu..
Yep.. this is largely the same measure that was brought in 2019 that went through several permutations :
Back then, HJR 1001 also started out in its first form declaring that “The Legislature shall provide the manner by which a person may be appointed to fill a vacancy occurring in either house. The person appointed under this section shall be of the same party affiliation, if any, as the person whose vacancy is being filled,” allowing the legislature to pick themselves under a proposed amendment to Article III of the State Constitution.
Literally, it’s the same bill. And the problem now is the same problem the bill had then – where is the hue and cry in the state calling for a new way to make legislative appointments? There isn’t one!
And at risk of repeating myself from 2019 (but I will, since it’s the same bill.)..
Under Article IV, Section III of our South Dakota State Constitution, our state’s founders had granted with almost total exclusivity to the Governor the power of appointment. This very power that the legislature is trying to usurp for itself.
Who in the public is still calling for the legislature to strip away one of the Governor’s Constitutional duties? That would be no one. So why are we bringing back old rubbish?
This is a power grab that I don’t believe voters will stand for. In fact, I would point out that the last time an amendment was proposed to put the legislature on an equal footing with the Executive and Judicial branches, this was the headline (Nov 6, 1974):
“The proposal was billed as a necessary step to put the legislative branch of government on equal footing with the executive and judicial departments, but voters apparently didn’t buy the argument.”
Our parents and grandparents didn’t buy it in 1974 (by about 62% to 38%).
The legislature thought better of it in 2019… or at least the State Senate did.
Still no one in the public asking for Governor Noem to be stripped of the power of appointment in 2020.
And there’s no reason to bring back a bad bill 2 years later.
Once again, an unnecessary bill that will waste time and effort in Pierre. There is nothing wrong with the system that is in place now for appointing legislators. You think its politicized now, just let the legislature get their hands on it!
I am not surprised that in the House, Haugaard, Phil Jensen, Liz May, Tom Pischke, and Tina Mulally have signed on and in the Senate Julie Frye-Mueller signed on. They are all wackadoodles that do little to nothing for their respective districts and only want a more powerful, centralized government in Pierre (because you’re just barely smart enough to elect them – otherwise leave it up to them to make decisions for you, you poor dolt). What is odd is that Bolin is the prime in the Senate and that Brock Greenfield and Art Rusch also signed on along with Zikmund. These four seem to be somewhat level-headed. But….
Maybe it’s time to summon the spirit of Gov. Bill Janklow in order to crush all of those who dare to challenge the Governor’s office!
If my legislator resigns, dies etc, I want the replacement picked by someone accountable to me and my neighbors in the District.
Legislators of other districts are accountable to their consituents of which I am not one. The Governor is accountable to me. It is really that simple: “You aint my legislator. Stay out of my picking who represents me.”
The Haugaard Whaackadoodles are not nearly as smart as most, and insaner than nearly all.