State Representative John Mills didn’t seem to earn any brownie points with Governor Noem today, as he is the chief legislative source for a hit piece written today at the National Review website attacking Governor Noem, mainly over legislation which would have prohibited transgendered people from participating in high school sports.
Of which there aren’t any right now, but whatever:
But even as she began to position herself as a national contender in the first months of 2021, Noem’s status as a rising Republican star has been dampened by a number of controversies back home. Most notably, her surprise “style-and-form” veto of House Bill 1217 — a law that would have banned biological males from competing in women’s sports — did serious damage to the young governor’s star power. The move effectively gutted the legislation and hurt her self-styled image as a staunch conservative fighter; Noem was accused of caving to the demands of the NCAA, Amazon, and the number of other powerful left-leaning corporations that had opposed the legislation. For many of those on the right who had viewed her as an island of sanity and courage, the decision was a betrayal.
and..
I think one of the most common words that I have heard in recent years in relation to the governor is ‘disappointment,’” says John Mills, a Republican lawmaker representing South Dakota’s House District 4. “And you know, many of us who had high hopes for her have felt that disappointment.”
Noem’s office declined to give an interview but pushed back firmly in an emailed statement on any suggestion that the governor is being improperly influenced.
“Nobody is making decisions for her,” a spokesman tells National Review.
Several months back at a local GOP meeting, Rep. Mills and Senator VJ Smith got in a bit of a loud disagreement across the meeting room over transgendered people in sports, with Rep. Mills having a biblical view of transgenderism in sports, and Senator Smith having an opposing view over whether legislation was needed.
So, I’m not surprised over his vocal opinion.. but maybe a little surprised he’d take after the Governor in this manner as part of a hit piece.
Ultimately, Governor Noem has to do just that – govern. And that’s not just govern those who consider themselves conservative christians, but everyone who lives in the state, regardless of party. And dying on the hill of legislation that would affect 2-3 people across her entire term of office, versus letting the High School Activities Association deal with it on as as needed basis, seems a lot more sensible.
Another example of “Seeking Solutions to Problems That Do Not Exist.”
There were good reasons it didn’t get out of the Senate State Affairs Committee, reasons which the sponsors could have taken the time to fix.
The Governor also had good reasons for refusing to sign it, and made recommendations which they chose to ignore too.
Putting a bill on her desk which prohibits anybody using undefined performance enhancing drugs (like caffeine?) from participating in school sports, and allows any student who suffers an “indirect injury” (hurt feelings?) as a result of competing against a Pepsi drinker to sue the schools AND recover all legal expenses was NUTS. Just nuts.
And being mad at the Governor for not signing that thing was also nuts.
It was certainly an interesting piece. Though I too was surprised to see how vocal Rep. Mills was willing to be.
I agree… Mills lets her have it. No mansion suppers for him I am guessing.
Noem is a flipflopper, doesn’t want to go against her money donors is what it sounds like.
Noem…I was for it before I was against it , but I am not saying i vetoed it because that would make me look worse politically.
I agree with last comment, flip flop
she had to reject it. It literally opened the door for litigation against school districts if a Pepsi drinker hurt a kid’s feelings.
It failed to define what a “performance enhancing drug” is, and it failed to define what an “indirect injury” is. It just set the stage for a lawsuit against a school if a student suffered an “indirect injury” as a result of somebody else using a “performance enhancing drug,” whatever that is construed to mean.
It was a ridiculous bill.
I view the hard right turn nationally, and the extremely hard right turn in South Dakota as the country’s immune system kicking-in and invoking a fever.
It’s a good thing, but it gets hot for awhile.
Nobody is more adamant than me in protecting fair competition for girls. All my daughters competed.
At the same time, as a conservative, I don’t need the state government to get involved in every issue. I am willing to let the HSAA hang themselves by approving a boy to compete against girls.
At some point, we can’t make every issue a major issue, including maybe one boy in girls sports. I also think it food girls learn to compete against boys.
What do you mean by “hang themselves”?
Maybe draw the ire of enough folks that they get subjected to the Rules Review process? They are a quasi-governmental body created by statute, so why not?
Good article actually, I didn’t know about those bills that Sanford lobbied to kill. Some good oppo there for any potential rivals. It’s interesting that Corey L didn’t get a shout out.
Who is Corey L? And relevance?
Lewandowski. Trumps and then Noems right hand man.
There wasn’t a problem BEFORE the SDHSAA adopted their “transgender policy.” It was done after their lawyer (Lindsay Riter Rapp if I’m not mistaken) advised them to get on the right side of history (Obama’s history, for those that remember his “Dear Colleague” coercive letter that went out to all schools nationwide). The problem of a boy competing against a girl shouldn’t happen, but isn’t obviously widespread. The bigger problem is how discrediting it is to government and school authorities who refuse to defend some basic facts about reality in the face of loud, angry (and wrong) progressive activists and their media sidekicks. The very idea that you can “be” the opposite sex is a pernicious ideology and our kids should see the grownups and institutions in their lives explain why its not true. Failing to do so serves to undermine the authority of adults who are supposed to be in charge. The lesson for kids is, if you’re loud and angry enough, you get your way. The corollary lesson is, if basic facts about reality are up for grabs, then what isn’t.
Men just have bigger lung capacity and hearts to pump more blood no matter how many hormones they take to become a woman…..
Also very interesting that someone, anyone would quote Obummer for authority in this state…
Best description to date of the mental psychosis afflicting progressive young people because of the lack of aggressive intellect many of the adults are providing.
Responding to Anon 10:48
Speaking of lack of intellect, I’ve seen your Twitter feed.
“One must assume the correct nose punched with Liberals on Twitter trying to punch back. Hilarious 😂”
Noem: I was for it before I was against it, nit I didn’t want to say I was against it because that would look bad politically