SIOUX FALLS, SD (KELO AM) "You guys screwed up," argued House Speaker Mark Mickleson in a debate Tuesday with Democratic Activist Rick Wieland over Initated Measure 22.
On KELO Radio's It's Your Business Show, Mickleson claimed the ethic overhaul package was poorly written, full of unintended consequences and needs to be replaced. Weiland countered that the courts have yet to rule on IM 22. and that the Republican controlled State Legislature is moving too fast.
Weiland said that the voters in November responded to a problem by approving IM 22.
"It's the reason that we continue to rank in the country in the top five of states most at risk of corruption." said Weiland. Mickleson took Weiland's point personally.
"For me to take incoming from a guy like you who has been paid by Represent Us, to be their paid spokesman, I'm offended by it," Represent Us is an out-of-state activist group pushing hard for IM 22 and against the effort to repeal and replace it.
Mickleson claimed that most of the legislature was going to resign over IM 22 so it is an emergency and repeal needs to be on the fast track. Mickleson said that the way the law is written Weiland himself couldn't run for the legislature because his wife owns a restaurant in Sioux Falls and could be construed to be a lobbyist. Weiland claimed that Mickleson and other opponents are grossly misrepresenting the intent of the law.
The State Legislature is scheduled on Wednesday to debate the repeal of IM 22.
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