Pretty sad it takes a foreigner (and a teenager to boot) to observe the absurdity of our state legislator;
We have a foreign exchange student staying with us from Venezuela. Recently, her class went to Pierre to see democracy in action. She came home stunned.
The students were to listen and take notes on debates about issues they had studied including Initiated Measure 22. The Majority Whip, called to speak several times, was absent. He wandered in with a “huge†burger, then visited with friends during testimony. When votes were called, my friend observed that all the lawmakers she could see were on social media. Several looked around and voted the way their peers voted.
“I don’t think they even knew which bill they were voting on. I don’t think they cared!†She shook a paper at me. “Look,†she said, pointing at a paragraph. “It says, carefully … lawmakers will carefully consider all the information and then vote.â€
Later, the class went to committee to witness citizens give testimony. “They were so rude!†my friend exclaimed. “They could have at least said, ‘Thank you for coming.’ They didn’t even pretend to listen.†A final insult, “They didn’t even take notes. What are they doing?â€It’s time for us voters to lay some tile in Pierre.
Or maybe just fire all of them.