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HB 1130: Aylward Tries Again to Keep National Guard Home

The right-wing mugwumps in Pierre are taking another swipe at Governor Kristi Noem. House Bill 1130, filed yesterday by Freedom Caucus leader Representative Aaron Aylward (R-6/Harrisburg), recycles Aylward’s failed 2021 proposal to prevent the deployment of National Guard troops out of state unless Congress declares war or otherwise explicitly calls them up, per Article 1 Section 18 Clause 15 of the U.S. Constitution, “to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections and repel Invasions“.

Under HB 1130, Governor Noem could still send the National Guard to haul firewood from the Black Hills to snowed-in South Dakota Indian reservations, but she absolutely could not send them to answer another governor’s falsely pretensed call to stage costly photo opportunities and play flashlight tag with immigrants at the U.S./Mexico border.

Such restriction of the Governor’s abuse of the Guards for political posturing is a fine idea. But if the Freedom Caucus is pushing the idea, it doesn’t stand a chance. Aylward’s effort to keep the Guards home met swift death in 2021 in committee upon blood-boiling testimony from South Dakota National Guard Adjutant General Jeffrey P. Marlette. Like most impractical grandstanding from Aylward and his Fraucus, this year’s HB 1130 will likely meet a similar fate.

10 Comments

  1. larry kurtz 2023-01-25 07:10

    This is a Qochtopus dealio. Tyler Lindholm was defeated in the 2020 primary in Wyoming District 1 by an Earth hater even more insane than he is. While in the nutball Wyoming Legislature Lindholm introduced the “Defend The Guard Act” that would have prevented members of Wyoming’s guard from being deployed by their government to serve overseas without the signing of a formal declaration of war by Congress. Americans for Prosperity is a Qoch-soaked dark money group masquerading as grassroots that now has an agent in tiny Sundance, Wyoming and the far white wing of the Wyoming Republican Party wants to ban electric cars even as the state mines lithium and rare earth metals to make EVs.

  2. Donald Pay 2023-01-25 08:16

    I’d still like to understand the provenance of this bill. Last year’s bill seemed to be written and pushed by out-of-state nutcases, perhaps would-be insurrectionists who might not want National Guard to put down their attack on Congress. Clearly if Congress is under attack, let’s say by Trumpistas, and therefore can’t meet to call up the National Guard for protection, the bill would seem to leave our democracy doomed. On the other hand, efforts by weak politicians to pump some artificial enhancement into their image by using the National Guard as toy soldiers should be staunched.

  3. Mark Anderson 2023-01-25 11:32

    Why not a bill to change the name to the South Dakota Guard. A bill to prevent the study of CRT by the guard. You can work in rainbow flags somehow. It goes on and on.

  4. Bob Newland 2023-01-25 17:57

    I am somewhat confused by the philosophy being promoted here. I think it’s nuts that Kristi sent the Guard to Texas, where I observed National Guard twiddling their thumbs along highways in the Big Bend country a year ago.

    Aylward’s proposal seems somewhat sane, which is strange for Aylward.

  5. grudznick 2023-01-25 18:13

    Lar, remember that last time you and ol’ grudznick were at the Dime Horseshoe Bar there? That was a time, I’m just sayin…

  6. larry kurtz 2023-01-25 18:22

    Name the owner of the Dime in 1986.

  7. grudznick 2023-01-25 18:46

    Before or after that poker game where I lost a horse and he lost the bar paperwork? Man, that was a crazy night. I was sooo drunk, and you were sooo stoned and shroomed out, I’m surprised any of us can remember any part of it. I do remember those pictures taped on the wall of the booth we were in, though.

  8. Dan Shields 2023-01-26 06:52

    Every current and former South Dakota National Guardsmen should be behind this bill, It is shameful and all Guardsmen who are subject to participate in this kind of political dog and pony show should stand up and be counted and let this Governor know she has NO right to use our State hero’s for her political games.

  9. Dan Shields 2023-01-26 06:56

    What is next? Is she planning on invading Minnesota or Iowa or Nebraska? Maybe she needs those oil resources in North Dakota. Montana and Wyoming.

Comments are closed.