Author: @SoDakCampaigns

In case you have been living under a rock since yesterday, State Representative Steve Haugaard has come under fire for comments he was making in a floor debate yesterday where he refers to a child of a client – a woman that had addiction issues – as a “wrung out whore.”

Predictably, this has met with a firestorm of negative reaction, including from Governor Noem who is suggesting he be censured for his comments.

In case you wanted to hear for yourselves, with a little context..

 

Tonight, Republican State Representative Tamara St. John, representing District 1, expressed her deep concern with comments by State Representative Steve Haugaard.

Haugaard, representing District 10, was speaking on a bill against medical marijuana where he referred to a woman supposedly addicted using the term “wrung out whore” to describe her:

@Argus_Joe the fact that the Representative told me she is a Native American young woman made it even more personal to me. I reject his apology and rejected his wish to speak to me about it.

— Representative Tamara St John (@tamarajstjohn) March 4, 2022

I spent almost two terms thinking well of him for such concern and care for a young native woman. I doubt I can express how upset I was trying to finish the work I was sent here to do. Disappointed doesn’t describe it.

— Representative Tamara St John (@tamarajstjohn) March 4, 2022

(The second tweet was posted for a while, and appears it was later deleted.)

It’s notable, as St. John is a conservative legislator, and this is a particularly sharp rebuke for the former Speaker.

From the Argus Leader, Governor Kristi Noem he is requesting the state house of representatives censure former speaker of the House Steve Haugaard for some misogynistic language he used on the house floor today:

Noem Thursday evening formally called for the House to censure the former South Dakota House Speaker for the remark.

“I am disappointed and appalled by the inappropriate and offensive language used today on the House floor by Rep. Haugaard,” Noem said in a statement issued by her re-election campaign. I’m calling on the Speaker and the House to take a stand against this irresponsible and abusive behavior by formally reprimanding and censuring Mr. Haugaard.”

Read the entire story here.

After State Democrats rolled their Congressional candidate under the bus for his misogynistic and seriously off base Twitter account earlier today, Representative Haugaard should have had a clue that this was not the thing to do.

Especially since the impression is already there, whether correct or not, that he might tend towards being a bit patriarchal when it comes to women.

From earlier today:

Email from short term Congressional candidate Ryan Ryder
I am withdrawing my candidacy for US House of Representatives.
While tweets I have made in the past were a poor attempt at sarcastic humor, I recognize that they appear to cross a line.

— Jerry Oster (@570WNAXNEWS) March 3, 2022

From an hour ago:

A line was crossed on the house floor today. In a floor speech, Rep. Haugaard called a woman w/a drug addiction a “run out whore”. There is absolutely no room for misogyny and aggression against women in our state legislature—and I’m deeply disappointed he was not gaveled down.

— Representative Erin Healy (@RepErinHealy) March 3, 2022

While apologizing, he said the story was a personal one told to him by someone he knows, and that’s how she described herself to him. Still, he said he should’ve known to pick different words to relay that story

— Joe Sneve (@Argus_Joe) March 3, 2022

Jesus wept. Are some people just not paying attention?

I was just noting that now former Democrat Congressional Candidate Ryan Ryder, with his string of tweets, didn’t even manage to hang on as long as former Democrat Congressional Candidate Ellee Spawn!

Statement from the South Dakota Democratic Party on Ryan Ryder

Sioux Falls, SD – At the request of the South Dakota Democratic Party, Ryan Ryder is withdrawing his candidacy for U.S. House of Representatives.

“The South Dakota Democratic Party has determined it is not appropriate for Mr. Ryder to continue in this race and requested that he end his candidacy, which he has agreed to,” said Executive Director Berk Ehrmantraut. 

“These statements from Mr. Ryder do not live up to the values of the South Dakota Democratic Party, and we do not support this type of language,” said SDDP Chair Randy Seiler.

###

From Austin Goss @ Dakota News Now, Congressional Candidate Democrat Ryan Ryder is no longer a Congressional Candidate:

Ryan Ryder is dropping out of the race for South Dakota’s lone congressional seat. Here’s a statement: pic.twitter.com/0q68lhd0RY

— Austin Goss (@AustinGossSD) March 3, 2022

I suspect someone asked him how many tweets there were, and he had to admit a lot.

Probably for the best.

I do notice he is apologizing to Democrats “and to anyone else for whom these tweets reflected badly.” As opposed to apologizing for intimating that people he didn’t like should die from covid, or the other creepy stuff he said.

With a non-apology apology like this, he should not be running for anything.

I had an update on Senate Bill 175 late last night, that after 90 minutes of testimony into the evening, House Appropriators decided to push off a decision on Senate Bill 175 until today.

What is being speculated? There is thought that like many worthwhile and supported projects this session, the House Appropriators are going to fight it, and may even try to kill it.  Even though the bill is supported by the Shooting Sports Association, National Rifle Association, etc.

It would be nice if it was supported. But I’m not holding my breath at this point.

Stay tuned as we continue to monitor this legislation.

In case you might be trying to reach me through my typical e-mail, my mail server host seems to be down hard at the moment.

Drop me a call or feel free to use my alternate e-mail address.