Lots of chatter from up at the State Senate today after the events of yesterday.
The talk around the westernmost chamber of the legislature – the Senate – is that the coward of Meade County, Senator Carley, who decided to cut and run from doing his job in Pierre might be subjected to caucus banishment after he delayed the process while people searched for him, as related in many media outlets yesterday, (today claiming an eye doctor visit).
On crossover day? I’m not buying it either.
To any observer of the legislative process, and after other colleagues had unsuccessfully hidden in offices and bathroom to attempt to avoid a vote, no one is buying it, and it places the legislature, and particularly Senator Carley under a harsh spotlight.
But it appears that there are attempts to scapegoat others in the chaos of yesterday’s Senate session.
The other person being villainized by some in our legislative morality play and in risk of caucus banishment? Senator Michael Rohl. Because he has a little red book, and he’s not afraid to read it.
If you’re not familiar with the archaic volume, the “red book” is slang for the much more stuffy name, OFFICIAL DIRECTORY and RULES of the SOUTH DAKOTA LEGISLATURE. You can read and download a copy of the scandalous red sheet right here for yourself.
But why is Senator Rohl being threatened with banishment from the Senate Republican Caucus? What was the unforgivable sin? He did a bad, bad thing in the eyes of some. He read the rules and used them.
People trying to skip off the floor in a show of gamesmanship on votes? “Sen. Rohl moved to invoke JR 2-2 and call all members to the floor.” Senator Rohl also made motions to shift things on the calendar.
Senator Rohl moved moved that all bills on the consent calendar be moved to Second Readings of Senate Bills and Joint Resolutions and Second Readings of House Bills and Joint Resloutions… Which motion prevailed. He requested roll call votes, which were honored.
OH – this might be one of his greater sins. “Sen. Rohl requested that SB 221 be read in full pursuant to Art. III, Sec. 17 of the South Dakota State Constitution.”
Follow the constitution? How dare he?
California Carley is said to be under threat of caucus banishment after running and hiding from the responsibilities of his job. But the other word I’m hearing is that Rohl is being threatened with the same penalty.. for using the rule book, and following the State Constitution.
If reading the rule book and the state constitution and following those rules earns you threats of being red-carded the same as someone who left the state capitol when faced with doing their job.. well, that’s not much of an example of leadership, is it?
We’ll see what the report is after session today.
You’ve got to hope that following their own rules and the state constitution is held in higher regard than someone abandoning ship.
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Update:
I’m informed that no one got kicked out of caucus, and no one is in trouble. all is good… nothing to see here….
So, running away from the Capitol and hiding is the same as reading from the rule book, according to Senate Leadership.
Get ready for the election season. I have the feeling it’s going to be quite the thing.
It’s always Carley, Carley, Carley!
2027 HB001: “If a member of the South Dakota State Legislature requests a leave of absence, it shall be granted and the reason posted publicly. If the leave of absence is for medical reasons, further description is not required. If a leave of absence is granted, that legislators pay shall be reduced on a pro-rated basis. If a member of the South Dakota State Legislature misses a vote with an unexcused absence it is a Class 2 Misdemeanor. The Attorney General’s office shall prosecute.”
He should be prosecuted.
Follow the rules
Why should Carley be punished when it was his de-facto leader who told him to skedaddle? He took one for the team and look what he got for it. And then Smith flipped from yes to no on Crabtree’s first bill of the day and messed up everyone’s plans.
Because what he did violates the trust of his constituents, the rules of the senate, and the law.
Just a lot of hurt feelings today. They failed now we get the chimp out.
The same reason you can’t claim “my boss told me to do it” as a defense if you assault one of your co-workers. Use your damn head.
2 outrageous data center bills get defeated and this place chimps out, Incredible
Ah so you’re a “anything my side does is good, even if it’s illegal and unethical” kind of knuckledragger.
A great example of continuous unethical behavior by leadership. Senator Karr is a disgrace to the legislature.
He was thinking right. Chris was famished. He was less worried about finding Carley than he was locating a bbq rib quesadilla with mayonnaise and ALL THE SAUCES. #quesadilla gate 2026
Accountability and ethics have left the GOP.
yup. I know how Rohl feels: I get trashed the same way when I tell Precinct committee men and women to do the job they were elected to do. No accountability at all.
When Maggie Sutton was Minnehaha County Party Chairwoman, she called meetings for everybody who had signed up to be candidates and tried to tell the people running for precinct committee what would be expected of them. I could tell by the looks on their faces they had no intention of doing the job. As we were leaving I told her how I appreciated the attempt anyway.
I am not at all surprised to see the fungus in the grass roots rise to the top.
Wow, the least you can do is be a “man” and hide out in the bathroom, Stace Nelson-style.
Maybe Carley will take a lesson from the Stace Nelson playbook and quit politics and leave the state after this.
Thailand seems a bit excessive, back to California would suffice
This leadership team is a disgrace. They should all be embarrassed – they’re not, in the slightest, which is the bigger problem.
Karr is having a snacky. Melhoff is silent. And Carl Perry doesn’t even know what’s going on. Seems pretty on par.
Is it 2027 yet? I’m ready for the adults to be in charge again.
This is accurate. Also, I can’t wait for the Leadership Press Conference this week where Carl Peery gives us his weekly interpretation of a how a bill becomes a law.
It would be nice if the press would politely let Carl Perry know they would like to hear from the others in the room. Thank you Senator Perry! We already have that information. Senate Majority Leader please?
Senator Perry we watched school house rock on TV growing up and know how a bill becomes a law and how many bills there are this session. Thank you! Leader Mehlhaff?
Can’t wait to see the milk carton missing person picture on a postcard in my mailbox.
Shocking these morons don’t even know fifth grade civics that the lieutenant governor or vice president in the case of national politics presides over the Senate. It’s like the Supreme Court just explained it to them for the first time.
One thing not mentioned in this story is Senate Majority Leader did a Called to Arm on Senator Michael Rohl after he made the secretary read the bill and then left the chamber afterward. How many of you noticed that senators made Senator Rohl read the remainder of the bill afterwards. In his defense, he wanted it read because the bill was hoghoused.
I’m sorry to say that I was very wrong about this session. I thought we would see issues between the House and the Governor. For the most part I was wrong. The issues instead has been with the South Dakota Senate and the lack of professionalism we have seen throughout. I guess the vote on the Mens prison back in October should have foretold what we were going to see this year. For that I blame the leadership within the Republican Party.
Senate Majority Leader Jim Melhaff who I was referring to.
It would have been a great time for Assistant Senate Majority Leader Carl Perry to show initiative and flex his leadership might.
After Rohl made the motion to read the hog houses bill, the Lt put the body “at ease” because they needed time to pull up the bill. That’s when Rohl walked off the floor to grab his charger – he told members he’s was grabbing it and coming back. Once he left the floor the majority leader did the call to spite him. He was back within a minute of it being called. That’s not a story – that’s just a hot head majority leader mad that Rohl knew the rules better than he did.
Senators didn’t make him read it. Pischke asked the president if they could make him read it (because they didn’t know the rules) and before the LT could even answer – Rohl volunteered to read it.
It’s all just so sordid.