Live blog today
January 30th, 2008 by 
Alica
Today, I am blogging from the South Dakota Legislature. I with a group of Brandon people who are in Pierre to meet and greet legislators.
We’re leaving Brandon at 6 a.m. and I’ll start blogging as soon as we arrive at the capital and I can get set up.
I’ll be blogging throughout the day. You’re welcome to add your comments and questions too. I’ll try to reply to your questions to the best of my ability.
Posted in Uncategorized | 
January 30th, 2008 at 10:11 am
Thanks for doing this, Alica. I look forward to reading your comments.
January 30th, 2008 at 10:27 am
Well, we’re here. I’m in the Senate lobby. It’s a long hall outside the Senate chambers. Green leather upholstered chairs and sofas where the lobbyists sit. I’m balancing my laptop on the arm of a chair because I don’t have a lap. (Well, I have a lap, but my belly is using it, so there’s no room for anything else.)
The senators are in committees right now, until 11:30 a.m. So there are rooms all down the hall where that is happening.
But there is a lot happening in the open areas, too. Most of the people that came on the Brandon bus today are wearing matching blue shirts that have the Brandon logo embroidered on them. There are a few of them standing around here. Others are mingling over on the House side. Some are helping bring in the food.
Tony’s Catering brought over enough lunch for the House and the Senate, and at 11:30 a.m., there will be tables and food set up here in the Senate lobby and over on the House side.
January 30th, 2008 at 11:00 am
Brandon folks received a list of “talking points” on the way to Pierre. It includes fast facts about Brandon such as population, residential housing growth, income, leading employers and so on.
The main theme we’re hoping to pass along to legislators today is that Brandon is a growing and thriving community.
As I look down the Senate lobby, it’s almost comical to see a long row of people typing away on their laptops, except for one poor soul who is writing on a tablet in longhand.
A couple of men praised a speech this morning made by a senator from Watertown. She was advocating open government.
I overheard someone on a cell phone say, “We have to get it through the Senate!” Not sure what her topic was.
Frank Kloucek saw my Argus Leader ID badge, shook my hand and said if I ever need to know anything about horses, to call him.
One lady says the Senate is going to be busy this today. She is looking through the schedule of bills that will be discussed today. A man nearby said he asked that his bill be moved to the bottom of the schedule.
January 30th, 2008 at 11:12 am
I just talked to Robert Miller, of the South Dakota electric utilities. He showed me a printed list of all the Senators, and he has marked whether he thinks they will vote for or against certain bills.
He said the Senate lobby (and all the open areas) are busy places where people pace a lot, waiting for particular legislators to walk by so they can talk to them for a minute or two about issues.
You talk and then you mark your list and tally it up to see how your issue is doing, he said. And after votes are taken, you check again to see if legislators voted the way you thought they would.
“And then the next day you say thank yous,” he said. “You always say thank you.”
January 30th, 2008 at 12:31 pm
The lunch Brandon is providing is going over real well. Tony’s Catering is serving smoked pork loin (thick slices), slaw, cheesy hashbrown casserole and fruit in whipped cream salad. I wonder how he kept the meat hot all the way up to Pierre.
Jill Meier, our Brandon Valley Challenger editor, has been walking around taking photographs of today’s activities. Look in next week’s Challenger to see them.
I just chatted with Deanne Farrar of Rapid City. She’s with the Christian Science Committee on Publication in South Dakota. She knows a couple of people I work with, and she asked about them.
January 30th, 2008 at 12:50 pm
A lot of what I’m overhearing is the same type of thing you would hear anywhere people were trying to figure out how to make something work.
Here’s some comments I’ve heard:
“And I told him, ‘Don’t get excited about (a particular bill), they’re just in there to do some clean up.’ ”
“He was not afraid to say whatever he wanted to say. I was impressed.”
“Now is not the time of year you want to be out gathing signatures.”
“We gave it $2 million and sent it to appropriations.”
“What legislative day is it today? 15th? We’re about halfway through.”
“The initial excitement of getting here has long since gone away. Now the excitement is for going home.”
A man is walking through giving out samples of caramel corn made by the Lower Brule Sioux Tribe. It is sold at concession stands in the area.
January 30th, 2008 at 12:55 pm
There is a nice carpet in this hall. It has green and pink and light green. It matches the light green walls and the rich green swags on the windows. The ceiling has a gold border painted on it.
I remember coming to the state capitol when I was a kid, and I remember coming here during the time the capitol was being restored. Suspended ceilings had covered a lot of the artistry on the ceilings.
Now, the furnishings have a comfortable, vintage feel.
Vintage is nice. There are a couple things that I’d vote to update, though. The faucets in the ladies bathroom are the old two-spigot kind that run water only when you’re holding onto the handle. So you can wash only one hand at a time.
Maybe that’s an example of cautious spending in state government. Wouldn’t want to waste water, after all.
January 30th, 2008 at 1:43 pm
how about education?
January 30th, 2008 at 1:52 pm
The sessions are about to begin. The Brandon group is going to be introduced in both the Senate and the House.
I’ll blog during the sessions, until it’s time for our bus to leave at 4 p.m.
To #8: If there is any education talk during the session, I’ll blog about it. I can say I have seen Superintendent David Pappone and school board member Jay Rasmussen here today. Jay told me he wasn’t scheduled to speak but was visiting with legislators as opportunities arose.
January 30th, 2008 at 2:28 pm
I’m over in the House gallery now. They opened the session with a prayer that ended, “in the name of our lovely lord Jesus Christ, Amen.” I wondered what the non-Christians in the room thought.
Then everyone said the Pledge of Allegiance. Then a lady started reading off the roll call at breakneck speed, with representatives shouting Here! and Here!
A group from the AARP is being introduced. There are a lot of them - twice as many, at least, as in our Brandon group. All the AARP people are wearing red vests with black trim.
A bunch of other people are being introduced. Much applause.
I am not actually in the gallery. I’m in the hallway outside of the gallery, because that’s where the nearest electrical outlet is. I can run this laptop on battery, but not for a long time.
They’re introducing Brandon and thanking them for the lunch. Much applause. A couple of whoops.
They’re settling down to business now. The Speaker is bringing the first bill up (991) for discussion. He talks fast. It reminds me of the last time I was at the capitol during the session, and Roger Hunt was Speaker of the House. I remember he talked very fast too.
Well, they have a lot of business to cover, and a limited amount of time.
January 30th, 2008 at 2:37 pm
House Bill 1512. It’s about education, but I’m not sure of the specifics. No questions, no discussion. They’re taking a vote. It passed.
House Bill 1240. Something about auto dealers’ licenses. A man describes the bill. Now a woman is talking about the bill. She referred to “my good friend from Madison.” That reminds me of the House of Parliament debates I see on C-SPAN sometimes.
Now a man is saying that if this bill passes, it could put small car dealers out of business.
And the debate continues.
January 30th, 2008 at 2:48 pm
They are voting on an amendment to House Bill 1240. When the speaker said, “All in favor,” the Representatives not only said, “Aye,” they shouted it real loud. And then all the nay people shouted real loud too.
I guess whichever side is louder, whether it’s the majority or not, wins? Both sides were loud, but neither was louder than the other, so a standing vote was taken. The amendment to the bill passed.
Now they are voting on the bill.
Whenever there is a lull while the Representatives are voting, the Speaker introduces some more people. A high school class is here today, so everyone gave them applause. The Speaker’s daughter is here today, so he introduced her.
Bill passed.
January 30th, 2008 at 3:01 pm
Lee Schelling just told me that people are starting to board the bus. I guess we’re leaving a little earlier than I thought.
So I’ll close now. Good night and good blogging. See you back in Brandon.
Alica P. Thiele
January 31st, 2008 at 8:26 am
Nice Job