Several years ago I witnessed the House State Affairs committee go after the citizens who represented the South Dakota Gun Owners. Yesterday the same committee went after Rob Bender. Here is the account from the Rapid City Journal:
Harsh words and accusations of lying preceded a committee walkout Friday morning when a Republican lawmaker again clashed with Rep. David Lust.
Rep. Stace Nelson, R-Fulton, left the House State Affairs Committee after exchanging words with Lust, R-Rapid City, during a testy hearing. Nelson repeated accusations from last year that Lust and other Republican leaders had behaved unethically before he and Lust accused each other of lying.
The occasion was a hearing on House Bill 1142, sponsored by Nelson. It would have required confidentiality by Legislative Research Council staff - a reaction to accusations by Nelson that Lust and other leaders violated this confidentiality.
During his testimony, Nelson and Robert Bender of Hanson County rehashed many accusations against Lust, Agriculture Secretary Walt Bones and others.
Lust allowed the testimony to proceed when Rep. Gene Abdallah, R-Sioux Falls, asked him to cut it off.
But matters came to a head when Lust offered his own comments on the testimony.
"What I find unconscionable is when someone comes and throws around lies about legislators," Lust said. "I find it more hurtful and problematic when they do it about someone who's not an elected official and who really cannot defend themselves in public, being the LRC."
At that time, Bender appeared to shout something at Lust from the committee room audience and walk out of the room.
Lust replied that Bender's rudeness to lawmakers had cost him respect and that he was "glad" Bender was leaving.
Nelson then stood up to leave too and joined in the crosstalk.
"I'm glad you're leaving too," Lust said.
"I understand that sir," Nelson replied. "Please pass more lies to the press about me."
"You've done plenty of that on your own, Rep. Nelson," Lust shot back.
After the two left, the House State Affairs Committee voted unanimously to kill HB1142.
They forced Rob Bender to sit on his hands on the sidelines witnessing my removal from the Ag Committee and hearing about the dog & pony investigation that they conducted with their friends to give the appearance that they were "cleared" of all wrong doing all the while they refused to hear his testimony about what he knew. All the while having the knowledge of what happened on July 13th and what was reported by the LRC staff member. I can asssure you, he did not lie as insultingly alleged by Rep. Lust. Rob is well known in Hanson County as being one of the finest people to ever be born in South Dakota. He is an honest, kind man with a generous heart. He is as good a farmer, neighbor, and South Dakotan as Rep. Lust is a lawyer.
It is my understanding that Lust & Rausch were so angry about my editorials in the Aberdeen, Mitchell, & Pierre papers, that they have again mischaracterized the above incident (exactly how they did with lies that I threatened Rep Moser) to the Republican Caucus in an effort to try and get someone to try and move for a written motion on the House floor to form a discipline committee to expel me from the legislature. I guess the public won't stand for them usurping the power of the legislature again in "punishing me" so they are attempting to misinform Republicans to the point they can.
**Of Note- When confronted by Republican legislators, Rep. Nick Moser confirmed to his whip group members that I never threatened him nor did he ever feel threatened during our mutual disagreement. Lust & Rausch LIED to the press & to the Republican Caucus and used that claim to "punish" me and to edict me thrown out of a democratic caucus.
Something is truly ROTTEN in the state of South Dakota, and that smell is not coming from me.
Posted by: Stace Nelson | February 11, 2012 at 12:07 PM