Sibby Online

District 19 Legislative Forum held in Scotland, Rep Schoenfish calls critics "lying cowards"

I received this press release from Frank Kloucek:

The District 19 Legislative Forum in Scotland at the Recreation Bar was well attended. Over thirty individuals participated.   Legislators gave responses for all questions asked. The primary focus of most of the meeting was on nursing home funding shortages and the potential new revenue stream from internet sales tax collection. Estimates were given by Dist 21 Representative Fink of 13 to 25 million dollars of new revenue available.  A good discussion was held on the shortage of nursing home and hospital staff and high hourly cost of temporary workers for both. Questions were asked about the possibility of another blue ribbon task force to study the issue and results of the last Nursing home task force led by Gail Walker of Parkston were presented. Nursing home costs and long term care insurance were also discussed.

Bon Homme County officials asked for funding solutions for mental health involuntary commitments and prisoner public defender and court costs associated with prisoners at Mike Durfee state prison.

 

Discussion was held on wind development with costs and benefits.  All three legislators said they supported changing the current law that deprives local schools of tax moneys from these projects, oil pump stations and state DOT weigh stations.

 

Questions were asked about Medicaid expansion in South Dakota. Senator Nelson and Rep Peterson opposed the expansion and Rep Schoenfish supported it. Vaping issues concerning the health of our youth and possible tax of nicotine rich vaping were discussed. 

 

Questions were asked about what each legislator has done and will do to try to prevent Gear up and EB 5 scandals. Each gave a response with Sen. Nelson clearly doing the most to uncover the corruption and collusion involved. Rep Schoenfish made defamatory unpopular remarks which made no sense. He called anyone who questioned him “lying cowards”.  His father and Sen Nelson then had a discussion on how much money was miss spent on Gear Up and related Native American education programs. Mr. Schoenfish said 1.3 million. Sen Nelson said 100 million dollars. It was pointed out clearly to all present that Marshall Damgaard and the USD students that did the research on the Gear up program have estimated it was approximately 100 million dollars.

 

The event concluded with closing remarks by the legislators. Frank Kloucek moderated the event and Linda Kluthe was the timer and parliamentarian.

Legislators file challenge to contested District 27 legislators residency

I received this press release this morning:

PIERRE, SD (January 5th, 2019) – Two Republican incumbent legislators officially filed challenges to District 27’s Representative-elect Peri Pourier (D-Rushville, NE), and Senator-Elect Red Dawn Foster’s (D-Denver, CO) Constitutional residency qualifications to be seated in the South Dakota Legislature.  South Dakota’s Constitution Article III Section 3 qualification requirements for Legislative office is the person must be a resident of South Dakota for the two years preceding the election.  In recent weeks, legislators have been bombarded with mounting evidence showing both Pourier and Foster were in fact not residents of South Dakota, but of Nebraska and Colorado.  Red Dawn Foster’s candidate nomination petition cited an apparent  city park, with no dwellings on it, as her residence.  Official complaints of election fraud have been levied against both candidates at the county and state level, with state and Legislative officials avoiding addressing the growing scandal for months.  

Bennett County Commissioner Judd Schomp filed complaints with the county auditor who filed them with the county states attorney.  Schomp was told the Attorney General’s office responded that they did not want the complaints. Schomp  said he wrote every legislator and received only three responses back “This is election fraud, and it needs to be addressed.  Peri and Red Dawn have broken the law.  They have deceived the voters of District 27, which is election fraud.   The residents of District 27 feel completely cheated and deceived.  We have filed our complaints and we have followed the correct chains, but nothing is being done to make this right with the voters.” Fellow Bennett County Commissioner Rod Kirk echoed Schomp’s concerns stating  “I believe election laws were broken and an investigation is warranted. Laws are created for all people to follow, not whom ever wishes to or not.”

 

Haakon County States Attorney Stephanie Trask expressed dismay and disappointment at the lack of response that she and her constituents have received from state and Legislative officials.  “As an elected official within District 27, I am embarrassed at the lack of leadership within our Legislature.  Our local voters turned to county level leaders when they got no solution or response from state Legislative leadership. The sad reality is the state legislature itself has the sole authority and responsibility to enforce South Dakota’s Constitutional requirements on its members elect.  All but a few in our Legislature have chosen to ignore this reasonability.”

 

Senator Phil Jensen (R-Rapid City) pointed out that in the analogous cases of Dr. Annette Bosworth and Pennington County Commissioner George Ferebee, the state and counties aggressively pursued and prosecuted to the full extent of the law in both cases.  “In this case, Legislators are worried about being accused of racism when in fact Margaret Ross and Nicole Little Whiteman (both Native American women) have been disenfranchised. I don’t think South Dakotans want to set precedent in the state and the Constitutional eligibility requirements to run for office based on fear, but based on duties as elected officials that take an oath to uphold the SD Constitution.”  Senator Jensen states that he filed the challenge because the rule of law applies to all South Dakotans and not addressing the filed complaints of election fraud was a dereliction of duty.

 

Representative Julie Frye-Mueller (R-Rapid City), who voted for disciplinary committees against Republican House colleagues Rep. David Johnson (R-Rapid City) in 2018, and against former representative Mathew Wollman (R-Madison) in 2017, stated the evidence showing Peri Pourier was not a resident of South Dakota should not be ignored.  “The last thing any of us want to do at the beginning of session is to deal with this type of scandal; however, first of all, it is our Constitutional duty.  We have all seen the ugly wide spread effects of election fraud in other states and if we show we will do nothing now to address these reported violations of our law, then the credibility of our elections is already gone.  I’ve received numerous phone calls and emails from concerned citizens regarding these reports of election fraud, demanding the Legislature look into this.  To my knowledge, neither Pourier nor Foster have denied the numerous allegations, nor have they provided any evidence satisfying the Constitutional residency requirements.  These allegations are serious and they need to be looked into.” 

 

For more information contact:  

Senator Phil Jensen

(605) 209-7404 (cell)

Email: [email protected]

 

Representative Julie Frye-Mueller

(605) 391-1663

[email protected]

 

Haakon County States Attorney Stephanie Trask

(605) 515-0235

[email protected]

 

Bennett County Commissioner Judd Schomp

(605) 490-0604

[email protected]

 

Bennett County Commissioner Rod Kirk

(605) 685-6618

[email protected]