Word is on the street that Senate Committees have been assigned

@SoDakCampaigns

I’m hearing this morning that Senate Committees have been assigned already, as related to me by those in the know. Here’s what I’m catching for Chairs and Vice Chairs of committees:

  • Local Government – Ch Herman Otten, VC Mike Diedrich
  • Senate Transportation – Ch Mary Duvall, VC Jessica Castleberry
  • State Affairs – Ch Gary Cammack, VC Mike Diedrich
  • Tax – Ch Tim Johns, VC Marsha Symens
  • Health and Human Services – Ch Wayne Steinhauer, VC Erin Tobin
  • Judiciary – Ch Art Rusch, VC Helene Duhamel
  • Education – Ch Blake Curd, VC Kyle Schoenfish
  • Ag and Nat Res – Ch VJ Smith, VC Josh Klumb
  • Commerce – Ch Casey Crabtree, VC Lee Schoenbeck
  • Appropriations – Ch Jean Hunhoff, VC Bryan Breitling
  • Legislative Procedures – Ch Lee Schoenbeck, VC Gary Cammack
  • GOAC – Ch Kyle Schoenfish, VC Dave Wheeler
  • Retirement Laws – Ch Jim Bolin, VC Larry Zikmund
  • Military and Veterans Affairs  – Ch D Johnson, VC Jessica Castleberry
  • Rules review – Jean Hunhoff and Tim J and Troy Heinert
  • Tribal Relations – Erin, VJ, Rohl, Troy Heinert and Red Dawn Foster

21 thoughts on “Word is on the street that Senate Committees have been assigned”

  2. Wiik was deposed. Stalzer was deposed. Maher was deposed. Bolin was deposed.

    Wow! That was a bloodbath.

    None of Lincoln’s magnanimity there!

    Hopefully, conservatives learned their lesson–you cannot appease the left no matter how much you abandon conservative positions and allies.

  3. Yes, this certainly makes clear just how different the new Senate will be compared to last term. As noted, former Chairs like Wiik, Stalzer, and Maher on the outside looking in now.

  4. Looks like what we have is Senate and committee leadership that has been by and large bought and paid for. The general election wasn’t that long ago, with many of these folks touting campaign promises such as honesty and integrity, yet here they already are. Disappointing. Quid pro quo is alive and well in state government.

    1. Nice slur. Name who you think was bought and paid for and your evidence for such a serious charge.

      Just because your people aren’t running things is not evidence of something nefarious.

    2. Could you elaborate? I’m not familiar with some of the names and the promises that were made. If promises were made such as honesty and integrity why does becoming a committee leader equal bought and paid for? Who participated in Quid pro quo?

      I’m interested in where you are going, just unsure how you’re getting there.

    5. The “buying of votes” concept has been discussed in comments I’ve followed on this blog in the past. Campaign finance reports are public record. Nothing I’m sure that hasn’t happened before, and is bound to happen again. I don’t have a dog in the hunt, but I am disappointed in the Senator I voted to represent me and my district.

  5. I never thought I would live to see the day that somebody accused Lee Schoenbeck of being a liberal. He’s not in any sense of the word. Sounds to me like nothing more than sour grapes.

  6. I don’t fault Senator Schoenbeck for picking his supporters, but a couple of his choices caused me to wonder about his reasoning. He appointed an incoming freshman (Casey Crabtree) to chair a committee over several experienced Senators. He also appointed an incoming freshman (Bryan Breitling) to vice chair the powerful appropriations committee, which is considered by many insiders as a senior leadership position since the President Pro Tem, Majority Leader and the Appropriations Chair and Vice Chair are often in conferences with the Governor and the other chamber about final spending decisions. Institutional experience is valuable to make systems run smoothly and prevent mistakes.

  7. There is nothing wrong with rewarding your supporters. In fact, why would you want to keep around people in leadership positions that didn’t support you or your agenda? That would make it mighty difficult to govern the body.

    There are usually big change ups in these committee roles when leadership changes. Especially when a sitting leader is ousted by a challenger. It’s no different than the changes Sen. Greenfield made 4 years ago.

  8. As a voter and tax payer I appreciate the SD Senate giving the new members an opportunity! We need new thoughts and ideas in politics. Sometimes the old dogs just don’t hunt!

  9. On a rare deviation from my rule about not commenting on stories that I’m mentioned in, two things
    First, the people I appointed are of outstanding ability and if anybody wants to use their name and publicly debate that issue, this is my challenge to you. I am excited for that opportunity. But be mindful of the advice of our party’s founder Abe Lincoln: better to sit silently and be thought stupid, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.
    Secondly, the negative comments here, attacking various Republicans, are amazingly similar to the comments from the far left on this topic over at Mr Cory’s blog. Guess that makes sense
    PS let oat know if you want the debate and I’m sure he can set up a format. To be fair, you can have two non-anonymous folks on your team, and I’ll type with one hand behind my back

    2. My favorite comment on Cory’s blog was the person calling you names and suggesting that you should have appointed a retired judge to a committee chairmanship.

      Aside from failing to recognize that some of us already have wives to call us names, they missed the part where you appointed Art Rusch to chair the Judiciary Committee. … Who happens to be a retired judge.

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