Holding the Line in the Legislature

In my Rapid City Journal column today, I examined how many in the South Dakota Republican Party have abandoned their own platform and core Republican values.

Too late, I realized I had unintentionally painted with too broad a brush. While in my mind I was referring almost exclusively to Governor Rounds and the state Senate, I should have made it more clear that, with the exception of a few individuals, the House has done well in upholding the traditional values upon which the Republican Party is founded.

In failing to make that more clear, I fear I did House Majority Leader Rep. Larry Rhoden, a fine man with a tough job, a disservice. If so, I apologize.

Not so with my friend Sibby today. Steve's piece deals more with school funding, but it's illustrative of the difference in the state House and Senate. If liberalized bills were to be stopped, they were stopped in the House. In talking with some of my sources, I found there was far more going on--especially in the House--to stop some of the irresponsible spending of taxpayer money than I had realized.

There are some good folks in the Senate, too, but the proportion of liberals (or as Steve calls them, "Country Club Republicans") is much higher than in the House. The state Senate could learn a lot from the folks in the House, if they're not too proud. Some of them may pat themselves on the back for their "bipartisanship," but I don't think I could be proud of expanding government and supporting more irresponsible spending.