Jensen For Senate

Legislative Update Week 5                                    Representative Kevin Jensen

The fifth week of session was not without a lot of controversy and drama. Representative Tyler Tordsen of Sioux Falls introduced HB1198 which would have revised the process for nominating republican candidates for the offices of lieutenant governor, attorney general, and secretary of state. Earlier in session he introduced a bill that would have put every statewide position into a primary instead of the current Republican process of having the precinct committee men and woman select the Republican candidates at the state convention. That bill was killed in State Affairs. HB1198 narrowed it down to having the governor pick their own Lt. governor, the attorney general and secretary of state but still moved it to a primary. Debate on the floor on this bill lasted almost a total of one and a half hours and spanned two days of session. There were 5 amendments offered, each of which had a full debate. The first amendment was offered by Jon Hansen, it proposed that the governor could pick their own Lt. Governor but all other positions would remain in the convention process. That amendment failed, and 4 more amendments were offered, all of which failed. We ended up with a final vote on the bill as written. There was a lot of factual debate and a lot of speculation, but the facts proved to carry the day, the bill was defeated 31-36. 

There are many reasons for the republican candidate selection being held at the state convention. Keep in mind we are a republic and not a democracy, the committee people are entrusted to vote for the candidates that their precinct constituents favor. Most people do not think about the fact that this process is truly how a candidate is selected by the people instead of a contest funded by special interests and millions of dollars from out of state organizations. If you can buy the Attorney General and Secretary of State positions, you can control the state. Please remember this if you see a question on the general election ballot for open primaries, big money wins. 

HB1057 also caused a little stir on my part. If you were listening to the testimony I gave on the floor, I knew this bill was absolutely going to pass. This was the bill to relieve counties of the burden of paying for court appointed attorneys. I announced on the floor during debate that it was very likely I would be the only ‘no’ vote and explained why I was voting against it. This bill will expand state government by creating a new commission of three defense attorneys. It will get larger and larger over time. At a preliminary cost estimated of 1.4 million dollars, the cost will grow as the state grows and so will the number of attorneys serving on the commission. My solution was to keep it local, giving the counties a voucher system that the state would pay; a local attorney is paid by the county and the state reimburses the county. I think the local attorneys know their areas best. This bill will also take jobs out of the local community and move them to the state commission. The local attorneys will be taken out of the process and be replaced. A statewide commission that deals with local issues also seems very troublesome to me, I wanted to keep it local. I want to reiterate that I knew this was going to pass, but I do not believe in expanding state government. I supported the funding to help the counties but not the process.  I campaign on believing in smaller government and I voted that way. 

On a lighter note, I introduced HB1236. Our grandson Cain recently told us that he had done the work to earn the Presidential Fitness Award but there was no award! I am sure most of you remember taking that fitness test in school. It generally consisted of a 50 or 100 yard dash, sit- ups, chin-ups, push-ups and even a softball throw. In my youth the assessment also had us climbing a rope 20 feet into the air (that was dropped later for safety reasons.) Well it turns out it is true, President Biden has eliminated the Presidential Fitness Award and now calls it the Healthy Lifestyle Program. HB1236 creates a state fitness assessment called the Rushmore State Athlete Award that will be voluntary participation by the school and opt in for the kids who wish to participate. I visited with a number of school administrators who did not even realize the presidential award had been dropped. Most schools still go through the assessment because it has been part of physical education programs in the state for almost 60 years but recognition of the accomplishment is no longer given. I have arranged for the award pins to be provided by a private party at no cost to the state or schools, and if pins are not available the kids will get a certificate of completion designed by the Department of Education. In committee I had enthusiastic bi-partisan support.

I would also like to thank the Lennox FFA for hosting a pancake feed as a fund raiser for Commissioner Jim Jibbens. Jim has been a fixture in Lincoln County education for many decades and is now a county commissioner. 

If you have any comments please use my personal email, kevinj605@gmail.com. Money can buy a lot of things, even seats in the government. I am always grateful for your support because I work for you, not the government or special interests.