So Representative Phil Jensen and Senator Reynold Nesiba walk into a bill….
Go ahead, take a moment, make your own punchlines.
Then read House Bill 1089, in which arguably the two most ideologically and intellectually dissimilar legislators in Pierre join to support a slight opening of South Dakota’s open meetings and open records laws. HB 1089 fiddles with what elected bodies can discuss behind closed doors (open up discussions of protection of public or private property, emergency/disaster response plans and policy, and public ammo stashes; close discussions that involve Social Security Numbers, charge card numbers, and similar financially sensitive data). It moves the closing of certain safety, security, and protection records (computer logins, lock combinations, guard schedules…) to a statute of its own.
Then comes the fun:
Nothing in this section may be construed to exempt or restrict the full disclosure of direct and indirect expenditures, by any public entity, for the provision of protection or security to the Governor or to any other state or public officials, including costs of meals, lodging, travel, and compensation [2021 House Bill 1089, Section 3, final clause, filed 2021.01.25].
Hot diggity dog: Jensen, Nesiba, and prime sponsor Representative Taffy Howard (R-33/Rapid City) are tweaking Governor Kristi Noem for refusing to tell us how much we pay South Dakota Highway Patrol officers to personally guard Noem’s body when she’s off politicking in other states. Great idea, Taffy, Phil, and Reynold! Let’s fast-track that bill, slap an emergency clause on it, and get the details on how much of our public safety dollars Noem is diverting to subsidize her jetsetting lifestyle and nascent 2024 Presidential campaign.
Oh Cory, you know they work for free. Who wouldn’t it’s kristi!
Reading the draft a sensible person could conclude there is a personal motive and not a public purpose for a few of the amendments, revisions and additions. The other stuff is window dressing to mask the deception. Again, the 1 party state governance seems have turned law making into a game of hid and seek… the public good be dang.
Surely they must receive extra $$$ for COVID hazard pay!!
Surely there must be Proud or Boogaloo Boys or other ilk of hers that would gladly do it for free. We can’t even get frugality from her when she has fan boys??? Now that’s just poor management. 😏
If people would only realize that even on opposite sides, one can usually find some common ground between the Parties.
Cory, just FYI, Deutch’s transgender hate bill is being introduced at 8am this morning in the health and human services committee. Go to LRC website to hear it live. If you’re not able to hear it live there will be a recording of it usually a few hours later.
I think Our Governor did deserve and need a security detail. There are some weird folks out there.
It bothers me that our Highway Patrol officers were wearing Trump jackets while on duty.
Jeff Barth, did the Highway Patrol officers who were security detail for Noem truly wear Trump jackets while on duty?
Mr. Barth, I read long ago those fellows with Mr. Trump windbreakers are not South Dakota Highway Patrolmen. Please don’t perpetuate falsehoods.