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Phrenologist Jensen to Restage Discarded Anti-Refugee Bill

Several days after Rep. Rev. Scott Craig (R-33/Rapid City) saw the light and withdrew his ill-informed, fear-mongering, and unconstitutional anti-refugee bill, his reliably reason-impervious neighbor Senator Phil Jensen (R-33/Rapid City) says he plans that bill back:

Using a legislative tactic called  “hog-housing,” state Sen. Phil Jensen, R-Rapid City, plans to breathe new life into an bill that would block refugees from settling in South Dakota.

Jensen fears that “radicalized Muslim” terrorists will exploit the refugee process to infiltrate the state.

“I’m not satisfied with the vetting process” now in use before refugees are allowed in, Jensen said [Mike Anderson, “Bid to Keep Refugees out of State Re-Emerges,” Rapid City Journal, 2016.02.17].

Anderson reiterates to his Rapid City readers what numerous observers have noted since the GOP adopted post-Paris anti-refugee hysteria, that the refugee vetting process is already quite rigorous (longer than that for the EB-5 investors that this state recently embraced and occasionally fleeced), that Lutheran Social Services works with new refugees for five years to help them adjust happily to South Dakota, and that not one of the 784,000 refugees resettled in the U.S.A. since 2001 has committed a terrorist act.

But Senator Jensen rejects all that fact and evidence in favor of one call from a constituent about funny-skulled foreigners in town:

Senator Phil Jensen, R-33/Rapid City
Senator Phil Jensen, phrenologist

Speaking over the phone on the way to Pierre on Tuesday, Jensen recalled when one of his constituents told him he witnessed “dozens of South Americans” fleeing a white bus parked near downtown Rapid City.“He knew they were South Americans,” Jensen said, “because they had different skull structures and skin tones from Mexicans” [Anderson, 2016.02.17].

This comment is so radically bigoted and irrelevantly lunatic (what, does Senator Jensen see Shining Path staging a comeback on St. Joseph Street?) that I can’t believe we even have to have this discussion. But, like so many other members of the South Dakota Republican Party, Senator Jensen keeps saying radically stupid things and keeps getting re-elected.

Come on, Rapid City. You’re better than Phil Jensen. And South Dakota, you are better than this Republican Party. Stop electing phrenologists, and start electing problem-solvers.

25 Comments

  1. Tim

    “Come on, Rapid City. You’re better than Phil Jensen. And South Dakota, you are better than this Republican Party.”

    No Cory, sadly they are not better, they have exactly what they want. How many millions of our hard earned tax dollars is going to be spent defending the garbage this legislative session has come up with in court? I have quit telling people that don’t know, where I live. It’s embarrassing.

  2. larry kurtz

    Actually, Rapid City deserves Phil Jensen.

  3. I won’t give up on Rapid City any more than I’ll give up on South Dakota.

  4. Spike

    I am always hopeful like Cory. But Tim’s quote is unfortunately “more true than false” Pennington County removed Daschle, removed Herseth and for some reason just likes this attitude. It will continue to vote repub, but will continue to be a place that gladly accepts its more than fair share of tax money n federal reservation dollars. Although there are many examples of open minded, caring organizations and people.

    Pennington County Democrats last Friday had a wonderful turnout at Prairie Edge. Democrats must work hard in Pennington County to inform and gain people’s trust. Until then, Phil et al will flourish, Thune gets re-elected and we will continue to move away from the center where we belong.

    The stuff coming out of Pierre is just unbelieveable. I support the anti-ridiculous caucus.

  5. Stumcfar

    Minneapolis is the largest recruiting area for terrorists in the nation. It isn’t natives of Minnesota that are becoming terrorists. Just think about that for awhile. Sometimes you have to push your crazy left wing feelings aside and think about what is truly best for your state and our nation.

  6. jerry

    The only way to get rid of this flea is through term limits it looks like. His gerrymandered seat is disgusting in so many ways that the only way is term limits that remove him or the Scalia term limit.

  7. mike from iowa

    Stumcfar-prove it. Let us see the stats to back you up, or are these Fake Noize talking points?

  8. Roger Cornelius

    Some what related to this thread is that today the Pope said Donald Trump was not a Christian.

    Will South Dakota Catholic republicans heed his advise and not vote for Trump?

  9. mike from iowa

    Trump has already ordered drone strikes on the Vatican and has personally sicced ISIS on the Pope.

    I remember about 15 years ago some FBI agents had tracked terrorists to Minnesota and the then un-elected Potus chose not to pay any attention to them until they took the WTC towers down on 9-11 2001. OMG,Minnesota has a Muslim in Congress, The sky is falling! Nice article,btw.

  10. larry kurtz

    Betty Olson is au pair to a sleeper cell.

  11. Spike! I’m glad to hear you had a good turnout for the Friday event. Keep rounding up those Dems, get them some local candidates to support! (And once they’ve loaded up their local candidates’ coffers, tell them to send me some leftovers!)

  12. Stu, your ignorant pasting together of assertions to patch together your failing worldview boggles me. Minnesota is a good place to live. They have lots of Lutherans who put their Christian faith into practice by supporting refugee resettlement. They help thousands of fellow humans find a safe place to live.

    And to date, not one of them has committed a terrorist attack in the United States.

    Stu, you take a baseless fear, with no evidence of harm in the U.S., and use it to indict good work done not by liberals or conservatives but by Christians. Using your logic (it pains me, but I can play), I could make a stronger argument that Christianity leads to Islamic terrorism than the silliness you offer.

    We’re not auditioning here for Rush Limbaugh’s entertainment chair, Stu. We’re talking about reality. Get real.

  13. larry kurtz

    Bob, don’t make me dress you down here.

  14. larry kurtz

    For the record, I have urged Governor Daugaard to veto any industrial cannabis bill.

  15. Bob Newland

    I suspect the governor may sign it just to spite you.

  16. Roger Cornelius

    Larry,

    Betty Olson is not running for re-election. Said she wants to spend more time with her cows.

  17. larry kurtz

    Dennis Daugaard is last Republican in South Dakota with any balls whatsoever.

  18. larry kurtz

    Roger, Betty Olson is a criminal.

  19. larry kurtz

    The IRS and FBI are crawling into Betty’s colon with a microscope.

  20. Roger Cornelius

    Larry,

    I know Betty is a welfare queen, didn’t know she was a criminal. What did she do?

  21. Lynn

    Oh no! More conspiracy theories Lar?

  22. larry kurtz

    Betty is directly linked to the American Lands Council being investigated as part of the Bundy indictment.

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