Senator-Elect Al Novstrup continues to show little ambition and less leadership. Elisa Sand reports that Novstrup is visiting with constituents but doesn’t have any planned legislation.
Evidently suing to overturn the will of his constituents to protect his free suppers sapped Novstrup’s strength.
Good grief: I’m not even elected to the position, and I’ve already come up with more legislation based on visiting with constituents than Novstrup has.
Novstrup could defend his laziness by claiming he’s living up to the conservative ideal of not passing lots of new laws, but his more conservative District 3 colleagues are outworking him. Rep. Dan Kaiser is making up for time lost last Session by working up three bills: one to require that we yield to railroad maintenance equipment on tracks, another to keep us from seeing naked people on police videos, and a third to give non-town residents in the three-mile muni-rule-making zone around towns some say in the process. Rep.-Elect Drew Dennert is bringing an NRA-stroking amendment to clutter our ballot and our constitution with feel-good, do-nothing language about our hunting, fishing, and trapping heritage and a bill to follow the liberal courts in recognizing the legality of ballot selfies. The latter would contradict language the Board of Election wants to clarify that we can’t exercise our First Amendment right to document our ballots.
All three of Rep. Kaiser’s proposals sound reasonable (although let’s hold judgment until we see his actual text in the hopper). Rep.-Elect Dennert is batting .500. Senator-Elect Novstrup is, so far, just a zero.
Way off topic, but did you see the ironic joke making the rounds that Michelle Obama is losing her job to an immigrant.
It cracked me up when Cory was criticized for not having a full time job by Al Novstrup. He runs a carnival for goodness sake. That’s about 5 months of work. He was a teacher for a while and a computer repair guy for a while but hustling the kiddies parent’s bucks must be easier ’cause you get winters off.
Since negativity and crying before you’re hurt is a popular hobby and it can’t be realized without something to be against …
How about these ideas, Al?
1. An official demand that Amazon and online sellers collect sales tax, even though they legally don’t have to. They do legally have to be aggressive with their patrons and remind them often that the sales tax is due to South Dakota. Amazon’s policy is to just collect the tax rather than irritate their customers.
2. A plan to create affordable housing options for the homeless.
3. A plan to clean up the Sioux river and create a greenway commission to plan a bike trail from Watertown to Sioux City.
4. A regulation that no law that discriminates against any group and lowers the overall perception of the state regarding tourism is allowed. (e.g. The potty bill)
5. Create an independent ethics commission.
6. A law that prohibits fake news by any commercial information purveyor.
7. Forbid any law that betrays Roe vs Wade and obstructs women’s rights.
There’s a few things to be against.
Missed that one, Vance. I encourage people to tell it at the Inauguration.
Note, too, Porter, that Al’s part-time job has its down-time during the Session, so playing legislator basically supplements his income. My work—teaching and judging debate—happens throughout the Session, meaning that when I someday win election and got to serve District 3 in Pierre, I will be sacrificing some of my usual income.
I will also come up with more ideas for legislation than Al, in part because I’m actually listening to constituents. Of course, I will ignore any suggestion Cher Kolb makes for racist, unconstitutional legislation.
Say, Porter, we shouldn’t have to demand Amazon pay sales tax. Amazon already collects sales tax for 34 states and D.C. Maybe we just have to ask nicely.
How about a compromise? South Dakota could “demand” nicely. :)
Actually, Vance, Michelle’s job is going to Drumpf’s grope toy- his daughter Ivanka. The immigrant is not sure she will ever be in the White House. I can imagine the fun Playboy photographers would have with her romping around the Lincoln bedroom in her birthday suit with another woman.
Remember how Eastern European women were depicted in the Olympics with heavy 5 o’clock shadow and hairy legs and armpits from taking steroids.
ps I believe Drumpf would have to deport his wife to keep his campaign promise.
Hey, this is not a Trump post. Novstrup, Kaiser, Dennert, SD Legislature, please.
As Cory says, would it hurt someone in the legislature to draft a formal letter to Amazon and just ask them to collect the tax? I bet they would do it. They came off their stance that people shop online to avoid the tax, years ago. Nowadays, people shop online because it’s cheaper and easier with more variety.
In today’s Rapid City Journal there was an article on HB1007 that would lessen restrictions on carnival rides.
You don’t think Al is busier in the House than in the Senate, do you?
Mr. C, I saw that in the papers this morning but I think it is the typical misleading headline. I do not read that bill 1007 to really lessen restrictions but just changes what drawers the papers would be put in.
Mr. Novstrup, the only Novstrup now in the legislatures, probably doesn’t care at all about that but I am sure people will go to him because he is one of the experts on carnival rides in the state. Probably he is the biggest carnival ride expert.
Grudz, it reduces the drawers in which those papers are put: carnies don’t have to file papers with the state.
Roger, provocative as that article is, I don’t think HB 1007 affects Al and son David’s paperwork, since Al already swung permanent carnies like himself an exemption from that reporting law in a past Session.
Novstrup has a Klaudt haircut.
Was ist das klaudt?
Porter, Bob is lodging an ad hominem attack by likening Novstrup’s physical appearance to former Republican legislator turned felon Ted Klaudt.
I generally avoid commenting on hairstyles, since they are irrelevant to lawmaking. However, Al has a definite hair advantage over me with his thick, dark locks.