With yesterday’s efforts to mitigate the damage done to herself, as Julie Frye-Mueller insists on defending herself, it brings up a question as to whether her efforts are dragging down the standing of her few allies in the legislature.
Yesterday’s press conference where Sen. Tom Pichke took the lead in defending his seatmate Julie Frye-Mueller as she continues to deny her harassment of a Legislative Research Council employee further nudges Pischke into Frye-Mueller’s radioactive zone, and begs the question how his close association with her might be affecting his legislative performance.
In a review of Pischke’s record of success this legislative session, you can’t help but notice that every single piece of legislation where he was the originating prime sponsor has gone down in flames.
| Status | Bill | Title |
| Tabled | SB 60 | make an appropriation for completing improvements of the road leading to the former entrance into Palisades State Park and to declare an emergency. |
| Deferred to 41st Day | SB 66 | modify provisions related to the suspension of probationary permits issued to minors. |
| Deferred to 41st Day | SB 96 | provide for the recall of school board members. |
| Deferred to 41st Day | SB 97 | establish a for-cause requirement for inspections of motor carriers on possible vehicle weight and load violations. |
| Deferred to 41st Day | SB 130 | provide for philosophical exceptions to required vaccinations. |
| Deferred to 41st Day | SB 136 | provide a rebuttable presumption in favor of joint physical custody of a minor child. |
| Deferred to 41st Day | SB 137 | provide for the consideration of a child’s wishes in awarding custody. |
| Deferred to 41st Day | SB 194 | to establish certain provisions regarding fairness in repairs of equipment sold or used in this state. |
For 2023, Pischke already finds himself at a ZERO success rate, passing 0/8 of his bills this session. This matches Frye-Mueller’s own performance as mentioned a few days ago.
In reviewing, compared to his previous session in the House, it’s actually about the same, where in 2022 Pischke didn’t manage to pass any legislation, again earning a zero percent success rate, but managed to get one of his six bills into a conference committee before it died. In 2021, Pischke similarly goose-egged at zero, failing to pass any of eight bills.
Whether the toxicity around Frye-Mueller will rub off is actually a moot point for Tom, given his legislative performance as of late where he hasn’t managed to get the job done for several years.
So he might as well be Frye-Mueller’s chief defender. It’s not as if he has anything to lose.
JFM, Pischke, and their supporters are all flash no substance.
Since taking office in the House in 2017, Pischke had an apparent mission to even the score with an ex-spouse. He was the sole member of the “bad dad caucus”, seemingly almost solely focused on non-custodial parent issues. He has little substance and the people in and around Dell Rapids have not been well served since they elected him.
This latest stunt is nothing but a stunt that will go nowhere. SD Constitution has its very own speech or debate clause that insulates members from actions taken in an official capacity (Art 3, Section 11). Class act coming from all the proud “patriots” standing up with this smug loser.
Didn’t he encourage fellow dead beat dad Matt Doyle to run for District 7 house?
yes. These guys would rather run for office than spend time (or money) on their kids.
Saw the picture in the article. If Phil Jensen is standing by you in a press conference, you might be on the wrong side.
Not sure if it is so much of a problem with JFM as she may be a victim of bad advice. Her spouse was knocked off the water board for voting to pay legal fees for the infamous George Ferebee when he wouldn’t pay to pump his sewage. Bad judgement there. Then her spouse ran for County Commissioner and lost to a popular Commissioner. Bad judgement there. I would say that she maybe has bad judgement advisors. But, then again, the voters of District 30 maybe deserve no representation for having the bad judgement to vote for the least effective Senator in Pierre.