Tyler Volesky is paying attention to this week’s political news. After joining U.S. House candidate Tim Bjorkman in forswearing PAC money, the District 22 State House candidate is now poking Republicans for swearing their caucus loyalty and secrecy oath.
While some Republicans have said the July 11 “pledge loyalty to the caucus for campaign funds” letter sent by GOP leadership to Republican legislators and legislative candidates constitutes bribery, Volesky says the GOP pledge is unconstitutional:
Volesky also believes the pledge is a direct violation to the South Dakota State Constitution Section 3 Article 15 which states South Dakotans have a right to an open legislative process. Volesky said, “I believe in an open honest government that is transparent to the public” [link added; Tyler Volesky, campaign press release, 2018.08.24].
Note that Article 3 Section 15 says, “The sessions of each house and of the committee of the whole shall be open, unless when the business is such as ought to be kept secret.” I’m not sure we can hang GOP caucus members for holding secret meetings under that specific provision, but the Republicans’ secret caucusing certainly defies the spirit of that clause, which directs the Legislature to do the people’s business where the people can see and hear what’s happening.
Volesky notes that his opponents are all for keeping secrets from the voters. According to Volesky, one of his opponents, Rep. Roger Chase, has admitted signing the loyalty oath, while District 22’s other incumbent House member, Rep. Bob Glanzer, is playing coy, saying “he would leave it up to party leadership to disclose if he signed the agreement.” Glanzer thus compounds the problem: not only will he not answer directly to his constituents, but he will let Republican party bosses from elsewhere determine what he tells his own voters.
Volesky says that both Chase’s and Glanzer’s unwillingness to be open with the people who elect them justifies electing new representation:
By signing a pledge of secrecy, Republicans have shown they want to put up walls in front of the public. I would rather open doors to the halls of our democracy and let the public be informed about the decisions being made in State government [Volesky, 2018.08.24].
Neither Volesky nor I nor any other Democrats we know have ever been asked to sign a loyalty oath or a secrecy pledge by any of our party leaders. Like me, Volesky says any such pledge wouldn’t get far with him:
If a party boss asked me to sign a secrecy pledge, I would simply tell them to take a hike…. I don’t believe in loyalty to a party; the only loyalty a representative should pledge to is the constituents whom elected them to serve the public [Volesky, 2018.08.24].
Huron, Arlington, points thereabouts and in-between, if you want open government, you’ll need to send Tyler Volesky to the State House.
Yeah, they meet in private where they will all have to have the elephant brand burned into their skin on a discrete part of the body. Those without the brand on their body aren’t allowed through the door. The loyalty pledge is really as silly as that. The only loyalty pledge they ought to sign are to their constituents – who should come before party – when it comes time to vote green or red.
There’s a censored version of GOOGLE for citizens of China. It doesn’t allow searches of government decisions or process. In SoDak, censored GOOGLE would stop all these pesky inquiries about “open government”.
The thing about the Chinese firewall is that there are ways around it, though the PRC under Xi Jinping is shutting off more and more of the end runs. Xi is China’s Trump, though he’s much less bombastic and far more competent. And he’s now empowered for life. Watch for Trump to steal a little governing strategy from Xi.
There’s something about Republicans and these anti-Constitutional oaths they take to outside groups and inside party leaders. It’s like they never graduated from middle school “secret societies” and Dungeons and Dragons. And the secret caucus meetings are mostly for nimrods who have to be told how to vote.
Volesky is doing a service to take on these middle school bullies.
Well said, Don. Adolescent secret societies from half-mature adults. There’s even a Catholic caucus. What’s the point of a Catholic caucus except to shove the Catholic dogma down the throats of freedom seeking voters? It’s a pathetic excuse for a majority legislative body.
State Motto: UNDER GOD THE PEOPLE RULE. Remember and cogitate on that, Repub hierarchy!
What? There’s a Catholic Caucus?
“The edict violates the 1st Amendment rights of Republican legislators rights to peacefully assemble, as well as It seeks to illegally punish and restrict legislators engaged in religious activities in the Wednesday Catacomb Caucuses, and the Catholic Caucus.” ~ Sen. Stace Nelson (R) Fulton
Sharp young man. He is spot on with his appropriate criticism.
Are you in the secret Catholic Caucus, Mr. Nelson, and do you meet in the open with your meetings having public comment or do you hide the restroom and murmur your prayers to a non-existent God?
Tyler has grown up to look like his father. Tyler, attended our Church when he was real young.
Tyler, in politics, please always do want is in alignment with God’s will. You can side with the Democrats or even with the Republicans and still not do what is good for people. But doing the will of God is always best for the people you serve