Solano Leaves Legislature—Time to Bring Back Stan?

For the second time this decade, District 32 in Rapid City will be represented by someone whom the voters did not elect. Senator Alan Solano (R-32/Rapid City) announced Monday that he’s resigning from the Legislature, effective November 30. Evidently he’s found that balancing legislating with his duties as president and CEO of the John T. Vucurevich Foundation, which he assumed early this year, too demanding. We can speculate that the demands were not just on his time but also on his emotional health: the Vucurevich Foundation works for “the advancement of the arts, education and science, and the promotion of social welfare within South Dakota…,” so Solano proabbly had to come home from Pierre and explain why his caucus was working so diligently in opposition to those goals.

Solano legislated somewhat moderately, although he still jumped in bed with the fundagelicals and sponsored 2017 Senate Bill 149, which legalized discrimination in adoption against homosexuals and other people who aren’t sufficiently pious in the eyes of his God. Solano himself was appointed to replace moderate Republican Senator Stanford Adelstein, who had some health issues that prompted him to step down.

Adelstein sends me money to advertise on this blog (another demonstration of Adelstein’s keen intellect), but he did not send me money to offer the following argument:

Hmmm… so maybe Solano’s resignation is an opportunity to restore the voice of the people. District 32 lost one full Session of Adelstein’s elected service due to his illness. Adelstein appears to be in better health now. He was healthy enough to publish a book this year; perhaps he is healthy enough to publish (or stop!) some laws for one more Session.

So how about it, Governor Noem? Appoint Stan Adelstein to the Senate, allow him to finish the service to District 32 for which his neighbors elected him without opposition back in 2012. Not only would you be bringing intelligence, experience, and willingness to resist the destructive excesses of your right flank to the Senate, but as a political bonus, you’d be showing great magnanimity in appointing a prominent maverick who backed your Democratic opponent in last year’s election.

Team of Rivals, Kristi! Put some real Stan back in Trumpistan! Pick Adelstein, Governor Noem, and both your 2022 political stock and the Senate IQ go up five points.