State Senator Erin Tobin commented this evening on one of the posts here at Dakotawarcollege.com below, offering her opinion on State Representative Steve Haugaard‘s comments during session today which are drawing the ire of the governor and his colleagues:
*UPDATE*
Senator Tobin added to her comments from last night on Facebook today:
You can read that and more here. (And good for her for saying so.)
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:
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.
Governor Noem Condemns Rep. Haugaard’s Anti-Women Comments, Calls On Speaker Gosch To Reprimand And Censure
Pierre, SD – Today, Governor Kristi Noem released the following statement condemning Representative Steve Haugaard for his inappropriate comments on the South Dakota House floor. Haugaard’s comments today were just the latest in a long pattern of demanding comments and behavior towards women.
Statement from Governor Noem:
“I am disappointed and appalled by the inappropriate and offensive language used today on the house floor by Representative Haugaard.
Unfortunately, this isn’t the first time he has used his position of power to demean others, especially women.
I am calling on the Speaker and the House to take a stand against this irresponsible and abusive behavior by formally reprimanding and censuring Mr. Haugaard.
I am hopeful the Speaker will set aside his personal friendship with Mr. Haugaard and use his office to send a clear signal to Mr. Haugaard and others that this type of behavior will not be tolerated.”
BACKGROUND
Today’s comments from Rep. Haugaard are just the latest in a long pattern of demeaning and inappropriate comments and actions towards women:
During his brief and tumultuous tenure as Speaker, Haugaard enacted an anti-women dress code that may have been deemed outdated in 1889 when South Dakota first became a state, that mandated women in the state house to wear “hose,” skirts “below the knees,” and that no portion of their legs or their collarbones could show.
He was widely rebuked and then sued for singling out and banning a female lobbyist from the House floor, decided to settle, then asked Governor Noem to foot the bill and when she declined to have the taxpayers of South Dakota foot the bill for his mistakes, he ran to anyone else he could find to cover the legal fees that he would have been personally liable to pay.
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.”
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.
