The state Chamber of Commerce has posted the 2018 Legislative Social Calendar, the handy list of events where our elected legislators can save their per diem and eat for free.
Today’s schedule offers a variety of dining options:
Breakfast at RedRossa with the Judicial Branch, lunch with the electric utilities, supper with the Department of Tourism, and drinks with the bikers at the Longbranch—now that’s public service!
And the old fat guys get fatter.
I don’t see too much to be concerned about. These are announced events. You can go and monitor them, if you want. I used to go and eat. I doubt they would throw you out of the social portion of their events. Several of them are conferences that Legislators and others can just drop in on for a brief time.
Any group can sponsor a social event. In the 1990s, environmental groups put on an environmental day. It was actually kind of fun. I don’t think we swayed any votes, but we showed we were interested in talking to everyone, even if they knifed us in the back.
Dakota Free Press should think about doing it next year. I think groups that do this should have disclosure requirements and some dollar limits, and they should be open to the press. Do it and set the precedent for full disclosure.
Missing from this schedule is the FFA breakfast this morning at 0630 at Drifters. Getting to meet these young South Dakotans is always a highlight of the session.
Donald Pay is correct. They are great opportunity’s for the public to interact with their legislators, and other state officials.
We need more groups coming out as well as more Cracker Barrel’s across the state.
Almost as if on cue.
I remember ABATE from when I was young and dumb, fighting the law to let bikers determine for themselves whether to wear helmets or not. Are they still up to that challenge?
If it is public interest they are concerned about, they should be working to pile restrictions on wingnuts legislators.and save our freedoms and liberties.
grudznick is all for these free food events, especially when open to everybody. I bet there are a whole pack of un-helmeted bikers swilling beer two bottles at a time with their choppers parked in an orderly line outside of that Longbranch place.
None of those appear open to the public. Some specify that “everyone” or “all” are welcome. Most seem limited to legislative cogs and are by “invitation only”.
Mr. Noah, back in the day I saw food fests under the dome that invited anybody who walked by to partake. I expect Mr. H is only showing you a limited part of the free foodings. The high brow breakfasts are the tightest security to get into but they aren’t really that good of a breakfast anyway.
I suspect that these “social events” are the reason why IM 22 was repealed. It seems they like to be wined and dined.