The South Dakota Democratic Party shares this video from South Dacola showing how slow some Republican Sioux Falls legislators are at reading and addressing bills of concern to their constituents:
I can’t cite every bill off the top of my head, but a quick glance at the bill list and my blog posts on the topic will generally allow me to comment clearly on a bill within a few seconds. Get with it, legislators: less time at the buffet lines, more time back at the motel room studying the issues!
Their reps and they can’t answer the question.What a shame we have elected these so called people of South Dakota.
Nice cricket appearance. He could be the new SDDP mascot. ☠ ⚰ ?
~The cricket is also considered a sign of good luck in some African cultures. Asians and Europeans believe that killing a cricket brings bad luck. The cricket is not a sign of luck in all cultures, however. In one region of Brazil, the sound of a cricket chirping is an indicator of death.
Dreadful. Partly it is just plain old stupidity. Part of is that bills start flooding in about that time, and if you haven’t heard the arguments in committee, you don’t want to get say something dumb. But I think a lot is just a planned effort. If they don’t say anything they don’t create a paragraph or two in the paper about some bill that the power elite hasn’t figure out yet. It’s the old “clap with one hand strategy.” Make no statement and no one can hold you to what you didn’t say. It’s cowardly and corrupt, but that’s Pierre.
Very low energy. The format of coffees/crackerbarrels has a lot to do with the lack of energy, and the total disrespect these legislators exhibit. When you cut real people out of the entire Q portion, you can expect legislators to act as if they are not giving an A to a real person. That moderator is worse than worthless. She’s giving legislators cover.
Remember the movie with Jim Carrey, “LIAR, LIAR” where the lawyer can’t lie for 24 hours? If these legislators couldn’t lie during the Legislative Coffee, they’d answer, “That bill must be insignificant because the Koch Brothers (Americans For Prosperity) hasn’t told me what to say, yet.”
This is what happens when our conservative friends send their “B and C Teams” to Pierre, while their “A Team” stays behind on Main Street and Wall Street to make money, in order to financially and politically prop-up their lesser teams…. A course, gerrymandering helps, too…..
You would think that politicians regardless of their politics would be policy wonks, would own it, and would definitely be political animals, but apparently not. I guess our conservative friends have taken the term “Citizen Legislature” a little too literal or should we say a little too lazy…….
Very good description of the nuttiness that is in Pierre. If there was an opposition party, they could use this for distribution to the voters. Alas, more crickets. These guys are perfect examples of a RICO case, the mob rules in Pierre La Cosa Republican
They should study in groups. Have study groups and quiz each other.
This (crickets) is one YUGE reason why submitting written questions several hours ahead of the crackerbarrel is far more productive for the sen/reps & the public. Attended a public session Friday eve sponsored by SD Forward and the 2 representatives were ready, quick, cogent, and rational in their 2-hours of responses to dozens of questions — that also included audience questions. The audience questions, for the most part, followed the moderator’s & reps discussion of the written questions — fostering a higher plane of rational questions and discourse. It was evident learning occurred on both sides of the room. YUGE hat tip to the District 31 reps and SD forward. Even the time-day conflicted absent senator submitted replies to the written Qs which the moderator read. Of course, not all sen/reps were in complete agreement in all replies, as neither was the audience.
This is just BS! Donald Pay is right, I believe that they are purposely not talking as to not rile up the already disgruntled voters. They know they are not popular this year with their ruthless way of voting out IM22
and this is their way saving face.
But it is bad, really bad (as grudzie would say) to act this way to the voters.
What BS and an embarrassment for SD voters.
Really, legislators should know most of the bills and the ones voters are going to ask about.
Didn’t you get the memo? There are “talking” points and then there are “ignoring” points. These can be reversed if you’re talking to your base…
The problem is that there are only legislators from one party at the cracker barrel. If both parties had legislators in these districts there would be a variety of opinions expressed on each bill. Democrats would make comments that Republicans would have to respond to. When the participants are all on the same team it’s in their mutual interest to say as little as possible on issues that could be troublesome for the party. What that video shows is a party with total control of government circling the wagons. The fact is, Republicans in SD can do whatever they want and get re-elected. They can do nothing and get re-elected. They can show utter contempt for voters and constituents and get re-elected anyway because of the R behind their names. They are just proving it. Voters in SD don’t pay any attention to anything legislators do. All they pay attention to on election day is the R behind someone’s name.
Most are simply “good republicans” and will do what they are told. Why bother wasting time when you can be out getting a free meal??
This is what happens when your state finds itself in a single party circle jerk. Everything makes perfect sense in your little bubble in Pierre. But when people who aren’t in the bubble ask really tough questions like “Why do you support this?” things get kind of fuzzy.
Jenny, agree that there are “hot button” bills. But consider that there are 400 bills. This is down from the 600-some of earlier sessions. Yet, that is a monstrosity for a citizen legislature untrained in law (as are most) or advanced governance – in a 38-45 day session.
Mr. John, the constitution says the legislatures may not go more than 40 days. We don’t need them getting 12.5% more time to do damage, my good fellow. We really don’t need that. The less time the legislatures operate the better.
Not necessarily true, Grudz. A lege full of Dems can get an amazing amount of stuff done that is good for all, not particularly only the wealthy. And Dems don’t have to lie about the damage wingnuts due to everything they look at. Wingnuts are of the opinion that if you can’t see clearly, environmental damage, dirty water, polluted air, hungry poor, elderly and school kids-their job isn’t finished by half.
I think I might agree with Grudz on length of legislative session in SD and also with why it should be so short… that is, just until we elect a far better better bunch of them. Hell, tighten it down to 4 days or something.
These people are not moving us forward at all – haven’t been for a long time. Currently, we’re moving backwards.
Rather than let them take us backwards, let’s shut this whole thing down with an initiated measure to concentrate the legislative session down to four days.
It’s not like there’s any discussion about the state budget when the governor proposes it. Just let the governor announce the budget, within four days, and call it good for a few years.
Consider it a moratorium on a regressive state government.
Mr. Adam could have something there. Just do the budgeting in the 4 days it takes, it doesn’t take any more, and do all the rest of the social MacGyvering through measures initiated. Mr. H should like this as it would be a more direct democracy and could last all year around.