Not all Democrats are afraid to test Legislative committees’ authority to subpoena witnesses to investigate the GEAR UP/Mid-Central scandal. Rep. Susan Wismer (D-1/Britton) offered a minority report to the Government Operations and Audit Committee yesterday dissenting from GOAC’s decision in October not to summon witnesses for testimony. That minority report states in part that GOAC “chose NOT to use all of the tools granted to it by statute, including the “statutory authority to subpoena witnesses” and the “statutory authority to swear in witnesses before testimony.” The minority report supports this position by citing the same statutes I have cited in arguing that GOAC can indeed subpoena witnesses (see SDCL 2-6-2 and SDCL 2-6-4).
Signing the proposed minority report alongside Rep. Wismer were Senate Minority Leader Billie Sutton (D-21/Burke) and arch-conservative Senators Stace Nelson (R-19/Fulton) and Neal Tapio (R-5/Watertown). GOAC Chair Senator Deb Peters (R-9/Hartford) and the other Republicans on the committee refused to amend the agenda to consider the minority report for entrance into the record.
Oh, the memories! They did the same with the EB-5 scandal. And who knows, if they would have done their due diligence, maybe, just maybe, future scandals would have been thwarted. (Is that a word?)
And some will never pay for their crimes – it is sad
The courts should or could, I would think, uphold the subpoena power of the legislative branch merely on the grounds of the separation of powers doctrine and the enjoining checks and balances philosophy.
Our “House of Lords Legislature” wasn’t afraid to use the courts on IM22 – so why not on the question of subpoena power by seeking a declaratory judgment on this issue?
As a legal mind, some are second to many.
What, you expected those in power to actually investigate corruption? They might find something then where would you be?
Deb Peters and her ilk – life among the willfully blind.
Do not raise the legislators’ pay until they begin to legislate in the peoples interest.
You had to bring this up AGAIN after Dennis is getting ready to climb out of the “fishbowl” for the farmhouse and more time with the grand kids. EB5 and MCEC, Medicaid Expansion and Reservation Grannies are not gonna kick him around anymore. (oh well maybe Mike Rounds will come forward). Oh, Dennis, what happened to the Spearfish Canyon take-over?
Ms. Wismer should consider another go at the Governorship. With her name recognition and positive, gung-ho positive attitude being so infectious, she’d be a shoe-in to win the Democratic primary. She seems to have the backing and I would guess that her powerful ground forces and campaign machine is still in working order, needing only to be turned on with the flip of a switch.
Mr. John, I don’t think young Ms. Peters is much into her job for the pay. She is a very pretty young woman and is seeking fame and power, not money. You can tell if you just read her bloggings.
[Tara’s link is audio of a March 2016 KSOO interview, with Beth Warden speaking with an initially unidentified writer about a GEAR UP report. The audio needs a better citation so we know right away who is speaking and don’t have to slog through 12 minutes of analog audio to find out.]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOH4igaI_iw
Hey, new rule: if you’re going to slap a link in the comment section, and if the link doesn’t include any descriptive text (as is the case with YouTube URLs), include a description so people know what they are clicking on. Otherwise, the link could just be spam.