Video: Perry, Greenfield Compete for Policy Wonk Champ at Crackerbarrel

Last updated on 2019-01-29

The winning wonk at yesterday’s Aberdeen crackerbarrel was rookie Representative Carl Perry (R-3/Aberdeen). The new guy used his 5:48 opening speech to cite nine different bills or policies that he’s backing, plus read stats about the amount Brown County receives from the South Dakota Retirement System. The full opening policy score:

1. Rookie Rep. Carl Perry: 9
2. Sen. Brock Greenfield (R-2/Clark): 6
3. Rep. Drew Dennert (R-3/Aberdeen): 2
4. Sen. Al Novstrup (R-3/Aberdeen): 2
5. Rookie Rep. Kaleb Weis (R-2/Aberdeen): 1

Here are those openers, in order, starting with Novstrup on the need to reëstablish a juvenile exile camp and let him run for more offices at once:

Then Dennert, who wasted time meant for allowing the public to learn about substantive bills by reading a resolution in full and allowing NSU President Tim Downs to make his second speech of the event (after already exercising his preprogative as event host to say some words of welcome):

Then came Perry’s policy whirlwind (but points off for running 48 seconds over time), in which he first touts the seriously inane House Bill 1035, in which we rebrand “unemployment insurance” as “reëmployment assistance.” The only merit of that renaming is that I get to use my diacritical mark more often.

More newsworthy perhaps is Perry’s signal that he doesn’t like video lottery much and that legislation on that controversial topic may be coming:

Following Carl was fellow rookie Kaleb, who for all of his conservative pretensions opened his first crackerbarrel speech ever by cheering his vote to keep federal money flowing into mass transit with Senate Bill 13… showing he’s a perfect fit with South Dakota’s hypocritical RINO Party:

Senate President Pro-Tem Brock Greenfield also broke the time limit (Gail! tighten up on the timer!) to go about a policy a minute: permitless carry (and while he didn’t eschew the incorrect propaganda term “constitutional carry,” I thank Senator Greenfield for repeatedly coupling it with the more accurate “permitless carry”), fireworks, wind tower lighting (less blinking! yay!), the rural electrics/municipalities fight (Senate Bill 66), reform on non-compete clauses (SB 120, down from two years to one! Brock! You’re angling for my vote!), and ambulance vehicle license fees.

Greenfield made news noting that the potentially explosive battle between the municipalities (who have already successfully blackened Speaker Steve “Goofus” Haugaard’s eye) and the rural electric cooperatives may be in defuse mode as Senate Bill 66 has been back-burnered for cooler-head negotiations. Perry’s teaser about video lottery could be even bigger news: if he and other legislators bring a bill to curb one of the state’s major revenue sources, what replacement revenue stream will they suggest?

More crackerbarrel video—audience questions and closing speeches!—coming up tonight.