Today we set the bar a little lower.

From today's journals.

CONSIDERATION OF REPORTS OF SENATE SELECT COMMITTEE

Sen. Heidepriem moved that the report of the Senate Select Committee Relative to Discipline and Expulsion as found on page 290 of the Senate Journal be adopted.

Sen. Knudson moved as a substitute motion that the substitute report of the Senate Select Committee on Discipline and Expulsion, as printed below, be adopted.

SUBSTITUTE REPORT OF THE
SENATE SELECT COMMITTEE ON DISCIPLINE AND EXPULSION

MR. PRESIDENT:

Your Select Committee on Discipline and Expulsion respectfully reports that it has completed its investigation of the conduct of Senator Dan Sutton; and, after due deliberation, recommends that the Senate do now endorse the finding of the Select Committee that Senator Dan Sutton should, and by the approval of a two-thirds vote of the Senate shall be, expelled for conduct by a senator highly unbecoming the Senate. Specifically, the Select Committee finds, and requests the Senate to concur in its finding, that Senator Dan Sutton invited and permitted a serving Senate page to share his motel room and bed, and that Senator Dan Sutton then initiated unwanted sexual contact with the page. Further, the Select Committee finds that the aforesaid actions and omissions of Senator Sutton, taken in their totality, have served to bring Senator Dan Sutton into public disrepute. The Select Committee further finds, and requests the Senate to concur in its finding, that the continuing presence of Senator Dan Sutton in the Senate is incompatible with the honor of the Senate and the best interests of the people of South Dakota.

Respectfully Submitted,
Dave Knudson, Chair
Select Committee on Discipline and Expulsion

The question being on Sen. Knudson's motion that the substitute report of the Senate Select Committee on Discipline and Expulsion be adopted.

And the roll being called:
Yeas 14, Nays 20, Excused 1, Absent 0
Yeas:
Albers; Apa; Duenwald; Gant; Gray; Greenfield; Hauge; Knudson; Lintz; McCracken; McNenny; Napoli; Schmidt (Dennis); Smidt (Orville)

Nays:
Abdallah; Bartling; Dempster; Garnos; Hansen (Tom); Hanson (Gary); Heidepriem; Hoerth; Hundstad; Hunhoff; Jerstad; Katus; Kloucek; Koetzle; Maher; Nesselhuf; Olson (Ed); Peterson (Jim); Turbak; Two Bulls

Excused:
Sutton

So the motion not having received an affirmative vote of a three-fifths majority of the members-elect, the President declared the motion lost.

The question now being on Sen. Heidepriem's motion that the report of the Senate Select Committee Relative to Discipline and Expulsion be adopted.

And the roll being called:

Yeas 32, Nays 2, Excused 1, Absent 0

Yeas:
Abdallah; Albers; Bartling; Dempster; Duenwald; Gant; Garnos; Gray; Greenfield; Hansen (Tom); Hanson (Gary); Hauge; Heidepriem; Hoerth; Hundstad; Hunhoff; Jerstad; Katus; Kloucek; Knudson; Koetzle; Lintz; Maher; McCracken; McNenny; Nesselhuf; Olson (Ed); Peterson (Jim); Schmidt (Dennis); Smidt (Orville); Turbak; Two Bulls

Nays:
Apa; Napoli

Excused:
Sutton

So the motion having received an affirmative vote of a three-fifths majority of the members-elect, the President declared the motion carried and the report was adopted.

Read it all here.

The lack of a criminal prosecution notwithstanding, while the rest of South Dakota would normally act more harshly towards a teacher or coach who slept in the same bed with a high school student, the Senate says that all it's worth is a verbal acknowledgment that it was poor judgment.

Ignore the allegations that were not agreed to. Ignore everything else except what all parties concur happened. That "Senator Dan Sutton invited and permitted a serving Senate page to share his motel room and bed."

Is a verbal acknowledgment of this extraordinarily poor judgment punishment enough? Is it sufficient?

What we would normally fire a teacher for, we've now made an offense punishable by an acknowledgment. By imposing a slap on the wrist, has the Senate set itself apart from the rest of South Dakota?

I'll leave it to you to decide.