By Denise Ross

It was pointed out that the list of 12 state senators who voted against HB1233 is available on the LRC website. I was simply looking in the obvious place, the place where votes are typically reported.

While that source remains dry, the list also is published in the Senate’s daily journal, which you can navigate to, but which I haven’t figured out how to link to.

In any case, here’s the list, dubbed by Curt Pochardt as the “Dirty Dozen,” and who am I to argue with that?

Sen. Jerry Apa, R-Lead (Appropriations Committee)

Sen. Tom Dempster, R-Sioux Falls  

Sen. Jay Duenwald, R-Hoven

Sen. Cooper Garnos, R-Presho

Sen. Bob Gray, R-Pierre (Appropriations Committee)

Sen. Tom Hansen, R-Huron

Sen. Jean Hunhoff, R-Yankton (Appropriations Committee)

Sen. Dave Knudson, R-Sioux Falls

Sen. Jim Lintz, R-Hermosa

Sen. Ken McNenny, R-Sturgis

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By Denise Ross

Here are ads running as part of Al Gore’s $300M We Can Solve the Climate Crisis campaign.

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By Denise Ross

The Rapid City campus of National American University (the alma mater of Mom and Dad Hoghouse, btw) is “in turmoil” and has relieved its president of his duties, according to this story in the Rapid City Weekly News.

The small private college dismissed its president, Dr. Richard Buckles, on Friday. NAU also dropped all three of its sports Monday. …

The college is owned by a corporation whose officers include state Rep. Michael Buckingham, R-Rapid City. Buckingham was unavailable for comment Tuesday morning.

Rapid City’s NAU - one of 17 NAU campuses in the country - had a national championship women’s volleyball team. Reading between the lines, it looks like the plan is to further target Rapid City’s NAU to non-traditional students and professionals with classes on nights and weekends and online - a business model that’s proved successful for lots of other institutions.

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By Denise Ross

I had planned to list the legislators who voted against House Bill 1233, the bill that would have allowed the masses to see where state tax dollars go.

But so far, all that’s up on the LRC website for the Senate vote is a vote tally without the customary list of lawmakers and their corresponding votes. I do know it was a roll call vote, as I was listening to the streaming audio - a wonder of open government that I’m sure did not cost $622,000.

However, while I could hear the secretary call each name, I could not hear how the individual senators voted in their voice votes.

Sens. Dave Knudson and Tom Dempster, both R-Sioux Falls, argued against it, so it’s safe to assume they voted that way, too.

In the meantime, here’s the list of the 8 House members who voted no.

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By Denise Ross

The SD Senate has just killed House Bill 1233 by failing to override Gov. Mike Rounds’ veto.

HB1233 would have put a searchable database of the state’s spending online. (See post below for a full-blown rant on this.)

This has certainly ruined my St. Patrick’s Day.

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By Denise Ross

On Monday morning, South Dakotans got one step closer to having real access to information about state government spending after the SD House of Representatives overrode Gov. Mike Rounds’ veto of House Bill 1233. The bill would create an online searchable database that would track state dollars - sorta like a checkbook.

Now HB1233 will go to the Senate, which passed HB1233 but was 3 votes shy of a veto-proof margin. We’ll know by the end of the day if this bill survives. The Hoghouse is rooting for it.

Before the House cast its 61-8 vote, Rep. Hal Wick, R-Sioux Falls, handed out definitions to further explain the language in the bill. The handout was a direct response to the governor’s veto letter, which said:

The provisions of this bill do not adequately define the information to be made available.  

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By Denise Ross

Rep. Jeff Haverly, R-Rapid City, has asked his colleagues to uphold Gov. Mike Rounds veto on HB1016, the bill that would have revamped funding for South Dakota’s post-secondary technical institutes.

Haverly, who’s been feisty and downright angry about Rounds’ approach to funding the four schools, did not back off on the rhetoric, calling Rounds’ veto letter “bloviation.”

The area of concern is that 1016 would repeal the administrative rules regarding the current distribution formula for FY09. …

I have no reason to beleive the administration will take the seriousness of technical school funding issue seriously. …

It’s time answer call of workforce development in SD.

Haverly said he’s secured a promise from Rounds’ Bureau and Finance Commissioner Jason Dilges to work on this issue before the 2009 legislative session. (Haverly has complained that the governor would not send staffers to meetings about this despite invitations - or more likely pleas.)

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By Denise Ross

Greetings, race fans. Today, we find out if the legislative branch of government can win a series of duels with the executive branch. Usually, the answer is, No.

But we have two likely contenders today in House Bill 1233 (or, Show Me the Money!) and the prospect that Sen. Gene Abdallah might still get his two (million) dollars (or, Show Me the Money, or I’ll Come and Get It).

It’s 15 minutes after the appointed start time, and all the Internets provides from the live audio feeds from the House floor is some spirited music - perhaps to set the stage for a whoopin? - and eery silence from the Senate floor. This adds suspense, so we love it.

More veto day thoughts coming posthaste.

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By Denise Ross

Tom Daschle was in his hometown of Aberdeen Saturday, signing copies of his second book, Critical: What We Can Do About the Healthcare Crisis. Hoghouse Blog was there, and the stream of fans was constant.

(Photos by David Larson)

Daschle signed books at the Lakewood Mall at an event hosted by the Little Professor bookstore.

Daschle had done a book signing in Sioux Falls earlier in the week and then gave a speech at SDSU (see post below) before visiting his mother, Betty Daschle, who lives in Aberdeen. He told me that he’s planning a book signing in Rapid City sometime soon, but the schedule hasn’t been nailed down.

Critical is Daschle’s second book, after Like No Other Time about his service as Senate Majority Leader. (Confession - I haven’t yet gotten the chance to peruse Critical. Any reviews from Hoghouse readers?)

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This post courtesy of Denise’s friends at the SDSU Collegian

Tom Daschle returned to his alma mater (and mine) Thursday to deliver the annual Griffith Honors Forum Lecture and to discuss his new book, Critical: What We Can Do About the Health Care Crisis.  This despite Congress earlier this year whacking an earmark that would have created a public policy center named for the former Senate majority leader on the campus.

 (Photos by SDSU Collegian photo editor John Nelson)

Daschle’s bold new idea is to set up a federal health board, similar to the Federal Reserve Board, to oversee the details of the nationa’s healthcare system free from the intense political pressure elected officials face and with the knowledge and expertise required for such a complex job.

Here some key excerpts from the story coming in the next issue of the Collegian:

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