South Dakota ALEC Politicians

2013 South Dakota Legislature Uses Taxpayer Dollars to Fund ALEC Membership
On April 23, 2013, the South Dakota Legislature's Executive Board, lead by Ryan Maher (R-Isabel), adopted two policies in a 10-4 vote that allow the Legislature to use taxpayer dollars for costs associated with participation in the American Legislative Exchange Council. First, the Executive Board voted to pay membership fees of $100 per Legislator for each of the 105 South Dakota Legislators to be members of American Legislative Exchange Council, coming to a total of $10,500 of taxpayer money. Next, the Executive Board expanded the eligible travel fund reimbursement options to include travel to out-of-state ALEC meetings and events. Some claim that this expansion of the travel policy was conveniently rushed to the floor to accommodate the 9 Republican legislators who attended the ALEC Spring Task Force meeting in Oklahoma City on May 3-4 (rather than waiting for the appropriate budget timing on July 1.)

A wide opposition has formed among citizens, editorial boards, and politicians that touts these policies "don't have the best interests of South Dakotans in mind." Bernie Hunhoff (D-Yankton), the House Democrat Leader, and Jason Frerichs (D-Wilmot), Senate Democrat Leader, demanded that the Legislature not pay any money on behalf of any Democratic Legislators for membership to the "extremist" lobbying organization."

South Dakota's Democratic Party purchased ads in the Brookings Register with over 160 citizen signatures opposing the policies. In addition, the Democratic Party created an ad with Senator Deb Peter's photo, identifying her as the chair for the South Dakota Senate Appropriations and the ALEC Chair for South Dakota legislators.

SD Republican Representative Nelson(R-Fulton) and former representative Schoenbeck (R-Watertown) voiced their opposition to the policies, characterizing ALEC meetings as "crony-capitalist machinations" and "brainwashing conventions." Additionally, former SD Republican Chairman, Joel Rosenthal, posed the question "Why would those that believe and espouse a smaller government want to have the State pay for their non-governmental partisan activity?"

More public opposition was posted in the Argus Reader and quoted by the SD Democratic Party. Ryan Gruber, a former Republican Legislative staffer from Wisconsin, characterized ALEC's process of proposing model legislation as a "middleman that wipes the fingerprints off the murder weapon." Robert Burns, a professor of Political Science, called the policy decisions "highly questionable and clearly a partisan use of public money."

In defense of the new policies, Republican legislators compare ALEC to other nonpartisan legislative groups such as National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) and the Council of State Government (CSG). The fundamental difference between ALEC and these organizations, however, are that NCSL and CSG are organizations solely comprised of legislators and annually rotate leadership between Democrats and Republicans. In ALEC, committees are comprised of business leaders and legislators, and each committee is co-chaired by both a state representative and a CEO or lobbyist for a large corporate interest.

Ryan Maher (R-Isabel), the chairman of the South Dakota Legislature's Executive Board, determined that out-of-state travel would only be reimbursed for one organization (of the 3: NCSL, CSG, or ALEC), and directed the Legislative Research Council (LRC) to pay for memberships only if legislators provided a voucher for reimbursement. Since the inception of these policies, not a single Legislator has submitted a voucher for reimbursement associated with ALEC membership or travel.

South Dakota Politicians with ALEC Ties
For a list of politicians with known ALEC ties, please see ALEC Politicians.

'''This is a partial list of South Dakota politicians that are known to be involved in, or previously involved in, the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). It is a partial list.''' (If you have additional names, please add them with a citation. The names in this original list were verified as of posting.)

Legislators who have cut ties with ALEC publicly are also listed here.

House of Representatives

 * Rep. Kristin A. Conzet (R-32), ALEC Commerce, Insurance and Economic Development Task Force Member
 * Rep. Justin Cronin (R-23), ALEC Tax and Fiscal Policy Task Force Member
 * Rep. Brian Gosch (R-32), ALEC Civil Justice Task Force Member
 * Rep. Jon Hansen (R-25), ALEC Civil Justice Task Force Member
 * Rep. Leslie J. Heinemann (R-8)
 * Rep. Charles Hoffman (R-23), ALEC Energy, Environment and Agriculture Task Force Alternate
 * Rep. Stace V. Nelson (R-19), ALEC Civil Justice Task Force Member
 * Rep. David Novstrup (R-3), ALEC Public Safety and Elections Task Force Member
 * Rep. Betty Olson (R-28B), ALEC Energy, Environment and Agriculture Task Force Alternate
 * Rep. Fred W. Romkema (R-31), ALEC International Relations Task Force Member
 * Rep. Jacqueline Sly (R-33), ALEC Education Task Force Member
 * Rep. Roger D. Solum (R-5), ALEC Communications and Technology Task Force Member
 * Rep. Manny Steele (R-12), ALEC Health and Human Services Task Force Member
 * Rep. Hal Wick, (R-12) ALEC Tax and Fiscal Policy Task Force Member

Senate

 * Sen. Corey Brown (R-23), ALEC International Relations Task Force Alternate
 * Sen. Phil Jensen (R-33), ALEC Health and Human Services Task Force Member
 * Sen. Al R. Novstrup   (R-3), ALEC Tax and Fiscal Policy Task Force Alternate
 * Sen. Deb Peters (R-9), State Chairman, International Relations Task Force and Communications and Technology Task Force member
 * Sen. Tim Rave (R-25), ALEC Health and Human Services Task Force Member

U.S. Representative

 * Rep. Kristi Noem (R-6), ALEC Energy, Environment and Agriculture Task Force Member

Former Representatives

 * Rep. Jamie Boomgarden (R-17), ALEC Health and Human Services Task Force Member
 * Rep. Arnold Brown (R) currently sits on Judicial Qualifications Commission.
 * Rep. Justin Davis (R-23), guest at December 2010 meeting of the ALEC International Relations Task Force meeting
 * Rep. Bob Deelstra (R-9), ALEC Public Safety and Elections Task Force Member
 * Rep. Carole Hilliard (R) was Lt. Gov. 1995-2003.
 * Rep. Joyce Hodges (R)
 * Rep. Lora Hubbel (R-11), ALEC Commerce, Insurance and Economic Development Task Force Alternate
 * Rep. Roger W. Hunt (R-10), ALEC Civil Justice Task Force Member
 * Rep. Kenneth McNenny (R)
 * Rep. Tad Perry (R-24), ALEC Education Task Force Member
 * Rep. Valentine Rausch (R-4), State Chairman and International Relations Task Force member
 * Rep. Charles M. Turbiville (R-31), ALEC Commerce, Insurance and Economic Development Task Force Member
 * Rep. Kim Vanneman (R-26B), ALEC Energy, Environment and Agriculture Task Force Member
 * Rep. Mark K. Willadsen (R-11), ALEC Tax and Fiscal Policy Task Force Alternate

Former Senators

 * Sen. Tom Hansen (R-22), ALEC Communications and Technology Task Force Member
 * Sen. Jeffrey K. Haverly (R-35), ALEC International Relations Task Force Alternate
 * Sen. Elizabeth Kraus (R-33), ALEC Health and Human Services Task Force Member
 * Sen. Todd J. Schlekeway (R-11), ALEC Education Task Force Member