I apologize now for the length of this comment but feel it important. I am glad that I now have the email addresses for all of our representatives and have been busy throwing my comments at them this week between HB1140, SB201 and Mr. Schoenbeck. They are getting to know me quite well!!
Before I go on, I do have a question. The 3 lobbyists in favor of HB1140D, do we have their names? For some reason I can't help but feel that Julie Johnson might be one of those lobbyists! She is the Chair of the Edmunds County GOP group and I've had correspondence with her regarding getting in with the group but she is not very receptive or welcoming! That is another battle started!
My first email to the representatives put Mr. Schoenbeck on the hot seat in regard to the comment he made about the shotgun. I was very surprised when he responded so quickly. It went like this.
ME: Hello all,
Representative Schoenbeck, would you care to explain to everyone here what your comment behind constituents, "I should have brought my shotgun" was all about? Was it directed to the citizens that were there for the Hand Count Demo?
In regard to the ridiculous SB20 bill floating around Pierre that would charge a person with a misdemeanor for "intimidating an election official" (bogus bill as it's unclear and generalistic) can we regard your comments as a threat to citizens or just intimidation?
If this is the sentiments in Pierre about constituents, which might not be too farfetched with some of these bills, (SB201 comes to mind) then "Houston, we have a major problem".
MR SCHOENBECK: What r I talking about?? I wasn’t at that event, and I made no such comment. Why r u lying?
ME: I didn't say you were at the event. I'm not lying, plenty of witnesses.
Here's what was reported.
So the "Republican" Senate Pro Tem - Lee Schoenbeck shouts behind a group of citizens entering the Capitol for the Hand Count Demo "I should have brought my shotgun."
MR. SCHOENBECK: You’re talking about what I said to Casey Crabtree when a bunch of geese came in about 10 feet over my head. That was awesome. What pets person complained?
ME: Wow, ten feet you say. That is close. I guess the timing for that comment wasn't good at that point.
MR SCHOENBECK: (goes off in a tangent) It was probably 10 yards, but they came right over. If you were laying in a field and called them in like that you’d have goosebumps (pun intended).
There were geese grazing all around on both sides. For an outdoorsman, goose poop on sidewalk aside, those days are uplifting.
I’ve thought about your email. If somebody thought it was about something other than the geese, I feel bad about that. I probably feel in worse about the growing number of people not connected to the outdoors, that wouldn’t see the context. I’m a hunter. Our numbers are dropping. Those of us with hunting dogs are an even faster dropping number.
That bothers me, that we’re getting more citified and less in touch with a lot of what’s great about our state.
ME: Too many people tied to cell phones and living in a bubble as I call it, but I digress.
The context of my original email goes hand in hand with the SB20 bill. We have people, like me very concerned about voter integrity in this state and across the country. It is well known (correct me if I'm wrong) that you don't support getting rid of vote tabulating machines and it has been the Secretary of States mission to screw with our election laws altogether.
When challenged, she introduces SB20 (even though the deputy Secretary of State said there were no reports of election official intimidation) to quiet citizens in this state.
With that said, the irony of your comment at that specific time played heavily into the minds of many citizens that have been harassed and shunned by many Representatives throughout the state about this subject.
The future of our State is being messed with and is at stake and we are watching very closely. We take matters of this magnitude very seriously.
HE NEVER REPLIED FURTHER
I then emailed the representatives in regard to HB1140D and received no replies.
People, People
Here we go again. What is the purpose of the amendments to 12-17B-3, 7-18A-13 and 9-20-4?
When a governing body, like County commissioners don't want to agree with the people that elected them, we have the right to petition their constituents to override their decisions and take it to the citizens for a vote.
You are now concerned about county officials determining state election laws when the Secretary of state 1) isn't following them herself 2) Is doing everything she can to change them.
I think it's high time that the citizens of this state started looking at who is presenting these bills/amendments that subvert the will of the people and start talking about primarying them.
I have also, put a lengthy comment to all of our federal representatives and Governor Noem on Twitter/X.
Some people, most people out there don't believe that representatives read correspondence or take calls. I believe differently. They or their staff do, and it does have some impact. If anything, it makes me feel better!!!
I apologize now for the length of this comment but feel it important. I am glad that I now have the email addresses for all of our representatives and have been busy throwing my comments at them this week between HB1140, SB201 and Mr. Schoenbeck. They are getting to know me quite well!!
Before I go on, I do have a question. The 3 lobbyists in favor of HB1140D, do we have their names? For some reason I can't help but feel that Julie Johnson might be one of those lobbyists! She is the Chair of the Edmunds County GOP group and I've had correspondence with her regarding getting in with the group but she is not very receptive or welcoming! That is another battle started!
My first email to the representatives put Mr. Schoenbeck on the hot seat in regard to the comment he made about the shotgun. I was very surprised when he responded so quickly. It went like this.
ME: Hello all,
Representative Schoenbeck, would you care to explain to everyone here what your comment behind constituents, "I should have brought my shotgun" was all about? Was it directed to the citizens that were there for the Hand Count Demo?
In regard to the ridiculous SB20 bill floating around Pierre that would charge a person with a misdemeanor for "intimidating an election official" (bogus bill as it's unclear and generalistic) can we regard your comments as a threat to citizens or just intimidation?
If this is the sentiments in Pierre about constituents, which might not be too farfetched with some of these bills, (SB201 comes to mind) then "Houston, we have a major problem".
MR SCHOENBECK: What r I talking about?? I wasn’t at that event, and I made no such comment. Why r u lying?
ME: I didn't say you were at the event. I'm not lying, plenty of witnesses.
Here's what was reported.
So the "Republican" Senate Pro Tem - Lee Schoenbeck shouts behind a group of citizens entering the Capitol for the Hand Count Demo "I should have brought my shotgun."
MR. SCHOENBECK: You’re talking about what I said to Casey Crabtree when a bunch of geese came in about 10 feet over my head. That was awesome. What pets person complained?
ME: Wow, ten feet you say. That is close. I guess the timing for that comment wasn't good at that point.
MR SCHOENBECK: (goes off in a tangent) It was probably 10 yards, but they came right over. If you were laying in a field and called them in like that you’d have goosebumps (pun intended).
There were geese grazing all around on both sides. For an outdoorsman, goose poop on sidewalk aside, those days are uplifting.
I’ve thought about your email. If somebody thought it was about something other than the geese, I feel bad about that. I probably feel in worse about the growing number of people not connected to the outdoors, that wouldn’t see the context. I’m a hunter. Our numbers are dropping. Those of us with hunting dogs are an even faster dropping number.
That bothers me, that we’re getting more citified and less in touch with a lot of what’s great about our state.
ME: Too many people tied to cell phones and living in a bubble as I call it, but I digress.
The context of my original email goes hand in hand with the SB20 bill. We have people, like me very concerned about voter integrity in this state and across the country. It is well known (correct me if I'm wrong) that you don't support getting rid of vote tabulating machines and it has been the Secretary of States mission to screw with our election laws altogether.
When challenged, she introduces SB20 (even though the deputy Secretary of State said there were no reports of election official intimidation) to quiet citizens in this state.
With that said, the irony of your comment at that specific time played heavily into the minds of many citizens that have been harassed and shunned by many Representatives throughout the state about this subject.
The future of our State is being messed with and is at stake and we are watching very closely. We take matters of this magnitude very seriously.
HE NEVER REPLIED FURTHER
I then emailed the representatives in regard to HB1140D and received no replies.
People, People
Here we go again. What is the purpose of the amendments to 12-17B-3, 7-18A-13 and 9-20-4?
When a governing body, like County commissioners don't want to agree with the people that elected them, we have the right to petition their constituents to override their decisions and take it to the citizens for a vote.
You are now concerned about county officials determining state election laws when the Secretary of state 1) isn't following them herself 2) Is doing everything she can to change them.
I think it's high time that the citizens of this state started looking at who is presenting these bills/amendments that subvert the will of the people and start talking about primarying them.
I have also, put a lengthy comment to all of our federal representatives and Governor Noem on Twitter/X.
Some people, most people out there don't believe that representatives read correspondence or take calls. I believe differently. They or their staff do, and it does have some impact. If anything, it makes me feel better!!!