Speaking of Republican whackadoodles, one Chet Ellsworth of Rapid City brought some real wingnut craziness to the Government Operations and Audit Committee on Tuesday.
According to GOAC chair Representative Dean Wink (R-29/Howes), Ellsworth approached him a couple weeks ago at the Executive Board meeting asking to testify before GOAC about the expulsion process relating to impeached and convicted killer former Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg and censured and gross Senator Julie Frye-Mueller. Wink says he told Ellsworth that’s not really a topic for GOAC, but when Ellsworth got frustrated with rebuffals from other Legislative committees, Wink took pity and offered Ellsworth 15 minutes of mic time at GOAC’s May 2 meeting. Ellsworth showed up Tuesday with 540 pages of documents and a whole bunch of whackadoodlery.
Ellsworth said we view the (temporary) expulsion of Senator Frye-Mueller and (permanent) expulsion of Ravnsborg as “a structural problem that’s going to occur again.” Ellsworth did not explain who the “we” is for whom he speaks, and toward the end of his remarks, he said he wasn’t speaking for anyone else.
Ellsworth told legislators (2:26:30 in the SDPB audio) that there is “more than speculation that you’re controlled by AI” and that he “know[s] some of the characters that have done it…I’ve been around a little bit.”
Ellsworth claimed (2:29:00) that three executive orders issued since 2021 “that switch our constitutional government to an equity thing, a discriminatory regime.”
Ellsworth said 2:29:45: “artificial intelligence is just numbering of ideas” (his ramble could have used some numbering to signpost his ideas) “The month of May is the number 5, o.k.? You put that into electronic form, and there’s a lot of it going on instantly. Humans can’t follow it…. So I’m asking you to use your power to look into this.”
When Ellsworth added something about abortion and transgender, chairman Wink asked Ellsworth to prioritize his comments. Ellsworth said, “We’re going to have to a government solve this problem, or you’re gonna expire on your own, and we’re going to have to have a public… solving of the situation.”
When Ellsworth concluded, the members of the Government Operations and Audit Committee declined to ask Ellsworth any questions that might have helped clarify what Ellsworth’s statements and his documents had to do with the impeachment of Jason Ravnsborg or the censure of Julie Frye-Mueller, what he thought was wrong with those actions, or why our secret robot overlords wanted to punish Ravnsborg and Frye-Mueller. However, Representative Ernie Otten (R-6/Tea) thanked Ellsworth for stopping in, corrected Ellsworth—Ravnsborg was impeached and convicted, not expelled—and said expulsion of Senators is a matter handled by the Senate when it sets its rules at the beginning of Session, not by GOAC during the summer or ever. Representative Hugh Bartels (R-5/Watertown) then moved to adjourn, and that’s the last we heard from Ellsworth, who is now likely having his credit cards and property records erased by our AI overlords.
Note to wingnuts: if you’re going to harass the Legislature with your conspiracy theories, at least organize your thoughts so we can tell what conspiracy theories you are spreading.
For sure there’s too much AI in Washington and State Legislatures. His wording was slightly off…
This is exactly the kind of meeting the legislatures need to have more of. Otherwise, when the AIs come for us all we won’t be prepared.
You’ve got to love his idiocy. Makes your day.
Grudz, that is the usual discussion at your common sense breakfasts. Is Mr. Ellsworth one of your regulars?It sounds like AI has replaced black helicopters in the righty nuthouse.
Mr. Ellsworth is an infrequent fellow and does eat heartily if not disjointedly. He tends to sit alone in a corner talking to the entire room at once and does not remove his hat, which is a breach of decorum.
just another kook who spouts out the same gibberish as mike the pillow guy…that’s what SOUTH DAKOTA deserves after gov noem invited mike to SIOUX FALLS where he tried to con us.