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The vote of the House to send impeachment to the Senate for trial is in..

Voting Yes: Anderson, Aylward, Bartels, Beal, Blare, Bordeaux, Chaffee, Chase, Cwach, Davis, Derby, Deutsch, Drury, Duba, Fitzgerald, Goodwin, Healy, Hoffman, Keintz, Koth, Ladner, Lesmeister, Mortenson, Olson, Pourier, Reed, Rehfeldt, Schneider, Jamie Smith, St. John, Thomason, Tiemann, Weisgram, Willadsen, Wink, and York.

Voting Against Impeachment: Barthel, Dennert, Finck, Greenfield, Gross, Hansen, Gubernatorial Candidate Steve Haugaard, Jamison, Kevin Jensen, Phil Jensen, Chris Johnson, Karr, Marty, May, Mills, Milstead, Miskimins, Mulally, Otten, Overweg, Perry, Kent Peterson, Sue Peterson, Tom Pischke, Randolph, Reimer, Soye, Stevens, Vasgaars, Weis, and Gosch.

Excused were Scott Odenbach (Recused), Marli Wiese, and Congressional Candidate Taffy Howard keeps her streak of absenteeism up and misses 100% of the votes today, similar to how she skipped 14% of the votes on the House floor during the regular session.

The vote required a majority of the membership to send to the Senate, and receiving 36, they literally had 1 vote to spare.

Fred Deutsch had offered a measure to amend the articles of impeachment to remove the portions regarding malfeasance, which was heard, and quickly voted down. Voting in favor of the measure were Representatives Dennert, Deutsch, Hanson, Gubernatorial Candidate Steve Haugaard, Karr, Ladner, Marty, May, Miskimins, Otten, Overweg, Perry, Soye, Stevens, Vasgaard, Weis, and Speaker Gosch.

Excused were Scott Odenbech (again, recused), and Marli Wiese.  Continuing to not do her job is Congressional Candidate Taffy Howard who is 2 for 2 in skipping votes in this matter.

There were 16 votes against placing impeachment on the calendar today – Dennert, Finck, Greenfield, Gross, Candidate for Governor Steve Haugaard, Kevin Jensen, Phil Jensen, Karr, Marty, May, Mills, Overweg, Randolph, Soye, Vasgaard, and Weis.

Excused were Scott Odenbech, who recused himself due to conflict, and Marli Wiese.

Also missing today – Congressional candidate Taffy Howard, continuing her unbelievable trend of missing votes.  After missing 14% of floor votes during session, so far during this special session she’s got an even worse batting average.

Kind of ironic that while the clerk was reading the title of the measure with regards to the impeachment of the Attorney General, Speaker Spencer Gosch pulled out his cell phone and started scrolling through it.

Rounds, Johnson Introduce Traveler’s Gun Rights Act

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) introduced the Traveler’s Gun Rights Act. This bill would update federal law to account for various residency-related issues facing full-time Recreational Vehicle (RV) travelers, individuals with multiple physical residences, active duty military personnel and military spouses. Companion legislation was introduced in the House of Representatives by Congressman Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.).

“The Traveler’s Gun Rights Act removes an unfair prohibition facing Americans with unique living situations,” said Rounds. “This legislation will make certain that law-abiding citizens do not face a burdensome roadblock when trying to exercise their Second Amendment rights.”

“An address is an address – individuals who rely on a P.O. Box as their primary mailing address shouldn’t have their right to possess a firearm compromised,” said Johnson. “Our bill fixes that problem.”

Currently, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) requires firearm buyers to fill out paperwork listing an address. However, the ATF prohibits buyers from listing a P.O. Box or Private Mailbox (PMB) on this form. This prohibition unfairly hurts full-time travelers, many of whom live in their RV year round and utilize a P.O. Box or PMB in order to receive mail. These alternate addresses are able to be listed on driver’s licenses, but they cannot be used on the ATF paperwork.

Rounds led a group of 17 senators in introducing this bill, including Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Mike Braun (R-Ind.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), John Thune (R-S.D.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) and Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.).

Additionally, Johnson’s companion legislation is cosponsored by 28 Members of Congress, including Doug LaMalfa (R-Calif.), Ralph Norman (R-S.C.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Don Bacon (R-Neb.), Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), Greg Steube (R-Fla.), William Timmons (R-S.C.), Randy Weber (R-Texas), Pete Sessions (R-Texas), Scott DesJarlais (R-Tenn.), Jake LaTurner (R-Kan.), Brian Babin (R-Texas), Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas), Ben Cline (R-Va.), Mo Brooks (R-Ala.), Chris Stewart (R-Utah), Buddy Carter (R-Ga.), August Pfluger (R-Texas), Alex Mooney (R-W.Va.), Richard Hudson (R-N.C.), Scott Perry (R-Pa.), Roger Williams (R-Texas), Tom McClintock (R-Calif.), Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), Randy Feenstra (R-Iowa), Jeff Duncan (R-S.C.), Thomas Tiffany (R-Wis.) and Austin Scott (R-Ga.).

You can read the full bill HERE.

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From Twitter:

We’re not allowed in the room, but GOP reps appear to be making their case for and against impeachment. When asked via text how it’s going in caucus, one lawmaker replied “tense.” https://t.co/Iz11ozRuhf

— Joe Sneve (@Argus_Joe) April 12, 2022

Several people familiar with the situation have said that with the vote against the AG looking grim, an appeal was made by House Republican leadership, amongst others, because it is “the right thing to do,” and to avoid being the first in state history to be impeached.

— Austin Goss (@AustinGossSD) April 12, 2022

And the day has hardly begun.

From the South Dakota State Constitution, here are the portions under ARTICLE XVI which cover impeachment which are of particular importance in the Jason Ravnsborg matter today:

§ 1. Power of impeachment in house—Majority required. The house of representatives shall have the sole power of impeachment. The concurrence of a majority of all members elected shall be necessary to an impeachment.

§ 2. Trial of impeachments–Presiding officer. All impeachments shall be tried by the senate. When sitting for that purpose the senators shall be upon oath or affirmation to do justice according to law and evidence. No person shall be convicted without the concurrence of two-thirds of the members elected. When the Governor or lieutenant governor is on trial the presiding judge of the Supreme Court shall preside.

§ 3. Officers subject to impeachment–Grounds–Removal from office–Criminal prosecution. The Governor and other state and judicial officers, except county judges, justices of the peace and police magistrates, shall be liable to impeachment for drunkenness, crimes, corrupt conduct, or malfeasance or misdemeanor in office, but judgment in such cases shall not extend further than to removal from office and disqualification to hold any office of trust or profit under the state. The person accused whether convicted or acquitted shall nevertheless be liable to indictment, trial, judgment and punishment according to law.

§ 5. Suspension of duties between impeachment and acquittal. No officer shall exercise the duties of his office after he shall have been impeached and before his acquittal.

The House will decide today by a majority of members whether they believe grounds exist to impeach, and send the matter to the State Senate for the actual trial of the impeachment.

And, if there is an impeachment, the AG would appear to be immediately suspended from the duties of his office until such time the Senate held a trial.

This is very new territory in South Dakota, so whatever happens, we will be watching precedent being made today.

Governor Kristi Noem wasted no time this morning firing back at the Attorney General’s letter to legislators regarding his response to the investigation, telling legislators that they should ignore his “bizarre letter” and pay attention to the presentation from the Highway Patrol, instead.

The people of SD deserve to know the truth. The facts speak for themselves. Anyone who wants to know the facts should ignore the AG’s bizarre letter and instead read Secretary Price’s letter to Speaker Gosch and watch the Highway Patrol presentation from last week. (1/) https://t.co/cfGtH3KeOg

— Governor Kristi Noem (@govkristinoem) April 12, 2022

This week has been moving fast in the form of pushback from Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg and his supporters in the face of today’s special gathering of the State House of Representatives.

In a facebook post on Sunday, State Representative Scott Odenbach, who has announced he will be abstaining from the proceedings,  reminded us that it was Palm Sunday, which is remembered as the final week of the life of a man who many of us view as the spiritual savior of humanity. And he was a man who faced two investigations:

And while we were being reminded of the fact that Jesus faced investigations, it appears that the Ravnsborg team was not idle, as bright and early this morning, Austin Goss of Dakota News Now posted multi-page documents from Team Ravnsborg on why they believe the matter does not rise to an impeachable offense:

I just received the following letter from a spokesperson for AG Ravnsborg: pic.twitter.com/Sph5MnmTbQ

— Austin Goss (@AustinGossSD) April 12, 2022

But even more interesting, the document also seemed to take a right turn directly into the campaign for Attorney General, and contained a hard shot against his predecessor and competitor for the race, former Attorney General Marty Jackley, in perhaps a foreshadowing of the Republican Party convention showdown between the two:

Wow.. That was unexpected.  And I can’t help but point out that perhaps it was just a little unwarranted.  If the Current AG is going to throw out some smack talk as to the team who came before him, he’s going to have to point out what he changed in the office in response to these apparent concerns when he took over.

Going into the impeachment hearing appears to mark a bit more defiant Jason Ravnsborg in the face of his detractors.

And they’ll largely be facing off today in the House of Representatives as they make a decision as to whether sufficient evidence exists for the matter to be determined by the State Senate.