Who needs Saturday Night Live? The floor debate leading up to the Senate’s 27–8 vote to repeal Initiated Measure 22 with the doubly unconstitutional (multi-subject, bogus emergency clause) House Bill 1069 was filled with laugh lines.
After disposing of amendments, Senator R. Blake Curd opened debate (SDPB video 1:51:00) on the main bill praising the vigorous, dare-he-say unparalleled public participation that he witnessed on HB 1069. He then yielded the floor to a bunch of colleagues who would join him in rejecting the legitimacy of public participation as expressed in a fair, democratic, statewide vote of 349,800 South Dakotans.
Senator Brock Greenfield (2:11:10) expressed shock and appallment (appallation? appallance?) that supporters of IM 22 are raising money for more advertisement and litigation. What?! Political activists raising money to support political activism? Perish the thought!
Senator Justin Cronin (2:38:58) said he’s “torn” about respecting the will of the voters. “Torn.” Just chew on that for a moment.
Senator Cronin actually justified his comment by pointing that his District, 23, rejected IM 22 by 68% majority. That’s actually an interesting point. If only Senator Cronin had told his fellow legislators to apply the same principle of fealty to their districts’ voters on IM22, we would have seen a very different outcome.
Senator Jeff Monroe said (2:53:48), “I darn near starve to death every year we do this.”
On tonight’s Legislative Social Calendar: American Legion Legislative Reception, Realtors’ Legislative Appreciation Chili/Oyster Stew Feed, and School Superintendents Buffet.
Senate President Matt Michels thanked Senator Monroe for his “very eloquent” commentary.
Senator Al Novstrup said (2:42:30), “Every election I’m called corrupt.” Expect that single sentence to appear on every campaign postcard from Novstrup’s opponents in 2018… along with pictures of gold watches and bags of cash. Several Republicans spoke seethingly of the gold watches and bags of cash that appeared in the pro-IM22 ads last fall. Whew—criticism and metaphors drive Republicans like Al bonkers!
Senator Novstrup went beyond the “sure, there’s a problem, but we gotta protect the constitution” line his GOP colleagues were adopting and claimed there is no problem. He bragged about how there’s only been one conviction for public corruption in fifteen years on the same day that Joop Bollen pled guilty in Novstrup’s hometown to misusing money he held for the state.
Novstrup added that most of the couple hundred lobbyists in the Capitol are “my friends and neighbors.” Heck no, Novstrup’s never seen corruption in the Legislature… not even the corruption of a fellow House member spending the last two years boinking interns without anyone in the Republican leadership taking action.
Senator R. Blake Curd (2:57:07) closed debate by going to great arithmetic and telepathic (reading the minds of folks who did not mark a ballot) pains to explain that only a minority of South Dakota voters—47.66%—in November actually supported Initiated Measure 22, so repealing IM 22 is really an expression of the majority’s will.
Donald Trump received only 45.94% of the vote in November. Hmm… what conclusions shall I draw from the Curd Principle about the President’s legitimacy?
I’d better stop. My Republican friends have me laughing so much it hurts.
Senator Peters is very young and very pretty, and she can speak with a lot of brains. I am surprised she is not already leading the Republicans in the legislatures but I bet she soon will be.
DO ‘YA WONDER? … Wonder why the Koch Bros. were outspent on advertising when they clearly have the deepest pockets? Perhaps, their political operative in Brookings put out the word down in Kansas that even if IM22 passed, something like this “corrupt repeal” would undoubtedly happen. Americans for Prosperity should just save their money to pay him and the Republican politicians that take their donations a little more, once the dust settles. Oh, yeah. Repubs can throw in a few lines about how good coal is for USA, too.
It’s not hard to see why voters here just don’t care anymore.
Very good masterful satire Mr. grudznick
Isn’t Monroe the dude who keeps submitting annual attempts to sneak Intelligent Design into public science classrooms? Shame on that guy. #church/state
Saved Us a lot in litigation by dumping it now. If the voters are disenfranchised, we will see it in 2018. Don’t hold your breath. IM22 was bad and it got shown for what it was. Congrats tomy Senator John Wiik for getting this done this afternoon.
Calvin—yup. Monroe has a keen grasp of oratory and facts.
“Very young and very pretty”. Always a good reason to rise to the top.
Mike Boswell supports South Dakota corruption.
I was there…Curd reported 180,580 votes for and 169,220 against IM22 (51.62% to 48.38%) but he said with a straight face that about 30,000 people didn’t vote for or against the bill and so it wasn’t really over 50%. I guess this is the new ALTERNATIVE MATH.
He then tried to shame the gallery en masse because some one had been threatened. While I don’t condone that kind of action some one ought to tell Curd that to take a leadership position requires a thick skin.
Many of the proponents seemed to think IM 22 was directly aimed at them for taking bribes…did they even read the bill? Was I mad? Was I ashamed? No, I was disturbed by the hate and disdain that a majority of the South Dakota Senate had (and seemed to show on their faces) for the 200-300 citizens in the gallery.
I would make the following challenge to the citizens of this state. Go to Pierre. Observe the legislature in action. Pay attention (lots of attention). If everyone in this state would do this I believe that about over half the faces would change in the next election.
Monroe is also a co-sponsor of a bill that would benefit chiropractors. Seems totally legit to use his position to favorably regulate his own profession.
Move along, nothing to see here folks. Just business as usual in the Tammany Hall of South Dakota.
I was traveling in my car and listening to the livestream through my phone (paired to my stereo’s Bluetooth) and I could not believe what I was hearing. I have never heard such self-absorbed, self-aggrandizing, fist-waving, foot-stomping, red-faced, back-patting, whining childish, fact-twisting Orwellian doublespeak in my life. Except, perhaps, for when I had to read translations of Kremlin Politburo ramblings for history and political science classes in college thirty years ago. I am disgusted, appalled and ashamed that this is my legislature, and apparently this has gone national as well.
They all seemed to think that because they, personally, had not engaged in any unethical activity (and I don’t even believe that anymore, frankly) that such a bill was not only not necessary but a complete insult to them personally and how dare the citizens they represent actually want to hold them ethically accountable. They kept throwing around the words “citizen legislature” like it’s some magical potion that automatically protects against any unethical behavior or corruption. Only one even mentioned the GEAR UP and EB-5 messes.
But Curd had to take the cake. He went on and on and on and on about the 30,000 who didn’t vote on it and how we just didn’t know what they really intended and how that was really the key to why the initiative should be defeated. Then he brought out a new math form he’d invented, in which an eleven thousand vote margin of victory is actually minority vote. On what planet would that be the case? Planet arrogant Republican, where they can do what they want because they have complete control over the legislature and a stranglehold on state politics and people will vote for them no matter what as long as they have an R after their name. I was in Minneapolis rush hour traffic at the time I was hearing this and I’m amazed I didn’t smash into the cars in front of me.
And they can do this because they know bleeping well that, as angry as people will get, they’ll still end up voting for the R names no matter what they do or say, all the while complaining about the people they’ve voted for while they’ve completely ignored strong opposition candidates. And they claim that they will start over from scratch and replace it with their own ethics bill. Who the bleep are they kidding? We all know that’s not going to happen.
Congratulations on the now for temporarily undermining the people by the peoples for the peoples ordered Verdict, The people have not violated any of the servants constitutional clauses or their Bill of Rights that protect them as long as they are noncompliance within the law. They have violated their agreement to serve the people. Democracy has now fully engaged in oligarchy. The power is revoked the second we the peoples person attempts to follow thru with the crime of impersonating a public servent. Jail for Judges is returning to the capital.
Roger you got to prove corruption exist first. I am still waiting.
I’m all for expensive litigation. The Repugnantlicans’ cynicism has merit; South Dakotans are stupid. They keep voting the clowns into power.
Thanks for pointing at the parade, Cory.
btw, unless I was aurally hallucinating, early this morning I heard dfp mentioned on npr piece on the South Dakota Pugnant party’s repeal progress. Yes? Very cool!
So pleased Gubner Dagwood Doogood believes South Dakotan majority who approved the innitiative are naive and stupid, too. He’ll be a U.S. Senator someday!
Spent the afternoon at the SD senate gallery about IM22. The SD legislature was extending their middle finger to the voters of this state. The Dems were steadfast in opposing this obnoxious bill. My hat is off to them. All GOP with two notable exceptions, Senators Nelson and Russell defied their party and voted their conscience (please note that I spelled that correctly). I am very impressed with these two senators. They did show respect for the people who voted for IM22. They are extraordinarily courageous in an environment which considers dissent against their party as “betrayal.” I know I would most likely disagree with these two gentlemen on most other issues. But I can also be comfortable in calling them gentlemen.
Not one word on here about the great job done by Sutton, Heinert, Nelson and Russell. All four were masterful. In the case of Nelson for sure and probably Russell, even though they did not agree with the Initiated Measure, they felt that HB1069 was the wrong way to attack it. The fallacy of the emergency was pointed out first by Nelson and then by others.
To listen to Grudz’ darling, Peters (I don’t get your take on that Jerry) whining about not taking bags of cash and not having a gold watch and then listen to a few others follow the same tac, (and what a heartfelt speech according to Curd) one would be absolutely positive that there could have never possibly been any corruption in South Dakota, let alone in State government, and for sure not in the governor’s office or the legislature.
Never mind the fact that not one legislator Democrat or Republican stood up with Kathy Tyler in November of 2013 when she called for an investigation into the EB-5 program before the 2014 session even started. Then at the end of the session a small group of the legislature got together for about a half hour and said “nothing to see here lets move on.” And what did it get her, you may ask. Tossed out of the legislature in the 2014 election, by the power brokers with a smear campaign and then the same thing in 2016.
Corruption in State government is your name South Dakota and the day that you finally admit at the governmental level what the people who have been paying attention have known for a long time, it may be too late to save the reputation of our state.
Boy, I could say that again! Oops, guess I did that. Sorry.
Trying to maintain the decorum that the Lt. Gov. so forcefully insisted upon, I felt sorry for the fellow gallery occupants who were painfully biting their tongues to keep from outwardly cringing at the crocodile tears displayed by Greenfield (?) and Monroe. However, after listening to Novstrup’s ramblings, just started wondering what dressing he prefers to put on his word salad?
Ray Tysdal, I was there too. I do not like your description of the proceedings _ it was much better than I could have done. Kudos to you
Lanny Stricherz: Well said sir. Am wishing I had said everything as well as you did.
Senator Brock Greenfield (2:11:10) expressed shock and appallment (appallation? appallance?)
Try dumb wonder.
sigh. this legislature, as always, is pathetic in every way. With the “alternative math” that Curd is applying – doesn’t that mean alot of these folks shouldn’t have been elected? Their seats should be “repealed”? (sarcasm, of course, but you know)
I echo the comments of everyone who was left aghast at the tortured reasoning of these elected officials. The Alternative Facts by Blake Curd trying to convince people that IM22 didn’t receive a majority vote took the prize for top tortured reasoner.
They could have taken a much more respectful and reasoned tone toward the will of the voters by curing any perceived constitutional deficiencies. They could have passed an improved version of IM22. They could have waited to repeal IM22 until they were ready to replace it. They certainly could have left off the bogus emergency clause.
Their collective arrogance was breathtaking. The optics of a legislature and executive branch who have continually failed to enact ethics reform now overturning the vote of the people to enact it are horrible.
Cory, I wonder if Stace Nelson isn’t on to something with his argument that the legislators that sued to stop IM22 were then conflicted out of voting on legislation to do away with IM22. I wonder if a lawsuit could be in the works. Senators Sutton and Heinert also preserved their rights to object to the conflict of interest by those suing to stop IM22 because it effects them personally and then voting on the matter of the repeal of IM22. Apparently South Dakota legislators are like the President–they cannot have a conflict of interest!
That mustache makes Curd appear as if he is playing Fu Manchu in an SNL skit. It would be funny if it were not so pathetic.
I’m glad I don’t live in South Dakota anymore and feel bad for my family that still lives there. I didn’t listen to this but can only imagine how pathetically pretentious these goofball legislators were, and I don’t know if I want to listen to it, as I would just get too mad.
And they say MN politics is goofy. Man, after living in both states, SD takes the prize, it’s not even close.
Too Mike Boswell, you don’t believe the state govt ratings where SD is listed as most corrupted? Unfortunately people, SD won’t change for a long time b/c Bos is your typical South Dakotan.
Did any of you read IM22? Explain to me how the “commission” is a good thing? Two would be appointed by the Presidents of USD and SDSU? WTF. The AG already is responsible to investigate etc on ethics.
I think every one of you liberals and the out of state groups behind this law wanted one thing and one thing only. The ability to throw out an allegation in mid-election season and let it fly in the media and the commission wouldn’t vett it until after because investigations take time but your “ethics” flags would do their damage. You want that because you keep losing here…it’s your Nuclear option.
Sorry Steve, but IM22 won by a majority, and the vast majority of voters in SD are registered Republican. This wasn’t something only “liberals” wanted, and frankly if you’re going to talk about throwing out allegations, Republicans are more than happy to do that against fellow Republicans during primary season.
IM22 wasn’t perfect in my view, and the legislature could have taken steps to improve it, but they weren’t interested in doing the right thing. Ethics haven’t been there concern which is why everyone seems to turn their heads at situations like EB-5, Gear Up, legislators sleeping with interns, or legislators voting upon bills that they have vested financial interests in.
Are ethics only a concern for liberals? If so, we have a bigger mess than originally thought.
Don’t Let Steve P on Your Democracy!!
At least So Dakotas are learning to protest. Minnesotans would be proud of the protesting that is starting to happen in SD!
A few words of encouragement: Keep up the protesting, get larger crowds (come on Sioux Falls, come on state colleges).
Don’t ever give up.
Attend ALL of the meet and greet your legislators put on. You HAVE to tell them how you feel, but do it in a nice way. Getting mad doesn’t solve anything. Keep in their face though.
Politefully ask for more meet and greet public legislator get togethers (or whatever you call them in SD). You have to keep doing this, it’s the only way to get things to change.
Make more signs, send money to the organizers for gas money, food, sign making.
Ask your local libraries to sponsor public forums. Get people out to talk about what’s happening in Pierre. Invite your legislators to attend and if they don’t show up, let it be known how you feel.
Write letters to your newspapers. It all starts at the grassroots level! :)
Last but not least, support our Cory at the Dakota Free Press! He deserves it!
Hear, hear Jenny. A few of us remember when Minnesota Avenue and Hwy. 50 in Vermillion were resplendent with the protests of future Democrats. Aberdeen and Brookings, too. Public expression scares the bejeezus out of “under the carpet” sweeping, liberty denying, populist oppressors aka SDGOP.
So just where is the opposition to this stewardship travesty going now? Not all that long ago, Weiland and Samuelson said that opponent organizations were gearing up for legal action. What the heck does that mean. I’ve supported these organizations in the past thinking that we’d go to the mat with these unprincipled ideologues but we’ve seen nothing. Then Curd goes on a public forum rampage and declares Weiland a wimp of sorts for not even testifying against the measure in Committee. All this bluster about a fight to the last man standing and it turns out to be a scant 300 people in Senate Chambers biting their tongue (as it should be) and watching the circus clowns sweep up the elephant dung. I’m beginning to wonder about bluster and who can back it up. I’m thinking I better hold my check book a bit tighter from now on and quit speaking out of turn.
Private Richard, you weren’t hallucinating! NPR cited my January video interview with Doug Kronaizl on Represent SD’s first Pierre protest:
http://www.npr.org/2017/02/01/512799979/south-dakota-lawmakers-set-to-repeal-recent-ethics-reforms
Deb Peters was annoyed that someone might think she was a bad person. If everyone was a good person we would not need any government at all. Laws are so we can stop bad people. That does not mean everyone is a bad person. Her not wanting a law on ethics is pure arrogance and disreguard for the problems in the government. That amount of coverup without knowing anything is what lets problems get huge. If the bad priests in the Catholic church had been exposed and prosecuted fifty years ago that church would be healed by now. Fear of being checked is turning a blind eye to how big problems can get. It also makes it possible to cover up problems so that those ‘good people’ will never find out how big the problems will get. It also makes it possible to problems to grow easily. But if we found that out, the Republicans might lose their grip on power, and that is what they do not want.
There was a good turnout of us in the balcony, but we were outnumbered by all of the straw men that were getting beaten up by the legislators down on the floor. What a farce!
By the way, the emergency clause does not mean it can’t be referred. Refer it, and see how fast you collect the signatures.
This is for Craig:
Here is another fact (real, not alternative) the Republican Party only amounts to 46% of registered voters in South Dakota, down from 47% in just 10 years. Look it up on the official South Dakota website. The Republicans do not have a majority but they run everything just like on a national level. The damage done is not to the Democrats or the liberals or the progressives, it is damage to the United States of America!
Deb Peters annoyed me also. She came across as very conceited and it was all about her, “me me me” Honestly legislators, we don’t care how long you’ve been in the legislature and how many committees you have chaired. The more they’re in the legislature year after year, the more full of themselves they get.
She says she was voting for 1069 to ‘protect the State of SD’ is a FU to the voters. The State of SD – the voters- VOTED FOR IM22 TO CLEAN UP THE SYSTEM TO DRAIN THE SWAMP.
Vote these people out, for the sake of God!
By the way, thanks Stace and Lance! You two GOPers made my day!
Sometimes women as pretty as young Ms. Peters come across as conceited when they really are not but it is just a perception of some because of how they look. I suspect that might be the case with Ms. Peters.
I too appreciated the support of Sutton, Heinert, Nelson and Russell.
Now can we get one of them to strike the State Motto from the record. The actions in Pierre are far from Godly and the Tammany Hall of South Dakota certainly doesn’t represent the people of South Dakota.
Curd was just boring, Nelson always makes a firm presence, Greenfield is righteous, Monroe is a joke, Cronin needs a diet. Matt Michels is the aw shucks good ol’ boy but don’t cross his path.
Anymore you want me to evaluate, grudz?
Heinert and Sutton are true SD heroes. :)
I really think Nelson and Russell should shake things up and change their party affiliation to Independent! That would really make the GOP swamp nervous.
Ray, you’re right that the the Republican Party only amounts to 46% of registered (active) voters in South Dakota, but Democrats only hold 31% of those voters and Indy’s have 22%.
Add in some slick moves to gerrymander districts, and you quickly realize that the GOP overwhelmingly controls state government. I agree with you that they may not have a majority of actual voters in the nation, but they have taken steps to ensure their voice is the loudest.
Thus, if something passes in SD via a public vote, we need to acknowledge the Republican voters for making it happen. Too bad their own legislators refuse to do the same.
If assuming what people wanted that didn’t vote, we would have a different prez right now.,, how is this assumption even valid in a legal argument
I am a constituent from Brock Greenfield’s district. I called Pierre yesterday and left him a message to vote no on HB 1069. I gave him both of my phone numbers to return my call so I could discuss my feelings with him. I have never gotten a response. That tells me everything I need to know about how he feels toward the people he is supposed to be representing.
South Dakota legislature makes national news for all the wrong reasons again:
http://www.cnn.com/2017/02/02/politics/south-dakota-corruption-bill-republican-repeal/index.html
Ms. Jenny, if you really want to worry about corruption:
http://caselaw.findlaw.com/sd-supreme-court/1564780.html
In the Matter of the DISCIPLINE OF Lance RUSSELL
Talk about corrupt.
I was there, too! What rubbish! Legislators were implying that they were pure as the driven snow, scarificing everything to the point of starving to death, and deeply wounded because “we, the people” want to hold them accountable! They whined about the influence of outside money that helped us get IM22 on the ballot! But they never have any problems taking money funneled to them from the Koch brothers! Money that helps the citizen’s participate in their own government they think is bad! But money, meals, booze, campaign donations given to them to obtain their cooperation or more, they don’t have a problem with!
Corruption breeds like a disease in an environment where there are few rules and no independent agencies who have the powers of investigation, supoena or prosecution to enforce any laws! That’s why there have been so few prosecutions for such crimes!
Yet this horror show was carried out on the day that the only person who has been prosecuted for EB5 gets a slap on the wrist in a plea bargain years after millions of dollars were stolen and/or misappropriated! No jail time, no restitution, a small fine and he walks! But our legislators are content with that! A fellow legislator abuses his position having “consentual sex” with interns and he walks! But it’s all good because, according to these self serving legislators, they’re all good people, sacrificing so much for the people of SD!
They believe they have to protect us from ourselves, from our inability to see what’s right or good for us because their wisdom and judgement is so much better than ours! And they apparently don’t trust our SD Supreme Court, either, because they had repeal it before it could even be argued! Then just to be sure it didn’t come back to haunt them, they had to use the emergency clause to completely destroy IM22!
They claim they’re going to replace it! I wonder what kind of watered-down down, ineffective, toothless legislation they’ll try to “hoodwink” us with! Sure won’t be anything that will interfere with the lifestyle in Pierre!
As someone stated, citizens of SD should spend a day in Pierre during session. Then stick around for the night and see what goes on after dark. I was there about 20 years ago and I witnessed some very poor behavior from legislators. I’m sure that not every legislator demonstrates poor behavior, but some of what I witnessed was shocking.
We need something like IM22 for both parties. This is not just a anti-republican measure. Both parties need to clean up their acts.
The 27 Senators who voted to disrespect the people of South Dakota should resign.
Steve P, for the record, I not only read every word of IM 22 but also retyped it for everyone else to readand enjoy in HTML/text format. I understand IM 22. You are conjuring up bogeymen.
We liberals don’t need IM22 to foist our nefarious plots upon you.
Donald, the constitution is pretty clear: we can’t refer a bill passed under an emergency clause. We’d have to take that emergency clause to court, get it declared unconstitutional.
And John W, while Rick Weiland and TakeItBack.org have signaled a couple times that they are willing to take this repeal to court, I am not convinced that or the referral of HB 1069 that such court action could make possible is the wisest course of action. As I said in December after Judge Barnett drove his stake into IM22, channel all momentum from the HB 1069 protests and national media attention to fighting the rest of the bills attacking initiative and referendum, then analyzing the crap the Governor signs to decide which one measure is most necessary and fruitful to refer to a vote in 2018. Pair that referendum with one good initiated constitutional amendment to protect I&R from the Legislature’s attack and make sure this HB 1069 crap (like the Novstrup attempt to undermine the minimum wage) never happens again.
Oh, man, I have GOT to get out of this state.
We need to remove the initiative process. I hope to see that some day. The public is just too gullible and swayed by big dark money out-of-state interests.
Grudz: Are you, or are you not a Member of the public????? I am a member of the general public and I’m neither influenced or impressed with big money and out of state interests like the Kock Brothers and Family Heritage Alliance as examples. You can speak for yourself all you wish but leave me and the general public assumption out of your biased machinations.
We the people of South Dakota need to vote out everyone of these politicians who think they are superior to the people who elected them into office. I mean IM22 was voted on and passed but they decided to say “Oh no we know better”. The Buddy system they have to protect each other has gone to far, saying their is no corruption the same day one of their owns is convicted is so wrong.
Keep a eye open for who gets the Star Academy property and who they are friends with, also where this money goes. Hey the conflict of interest about where certain Educational funds go and the lack of follow up (Millions).
The Star Academy is another example of the state saying it costs to much care for our troubled children so lets close it and sell it so someone can make millions off the land that they get for pennies on the dollar. Here is a true story A mother has been attacked and threated by her child and is scared for he life. First the police fail her, then the courts fail her by saying there is not enough evidence, so the pictures and statements from her and her other child is not enough. The kid destroyed his room and other parts of the house. She was scared and ashamed to file charges, it took a friend to press charges after he was assaulted. The mother was told by her child that he would kill her, she asked the Judge if that’s what it would take to have him sent to
detention. Of course if this was one of our elite politicians it would have been a different story.
Don’t be surprised if IM22 in another form comes on the ballot in the election, our fight has just began.