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South Dakota lawmaker removed from committee assignments

Lee Strubinger
/
SDPB
Sen. Julie Frye-Mueller seated at her desk in the South Dakota Senate. She was removed of her committee assignments on Jan. 25, 2023.

The head of the State Senate is removing Senator Julie Frye-Mueller from her committee assignments.

It is unclear why the Rapid City Republican was removed from Local Government and Health and Human Services Committees Wednesday.

Committee assignments are determined by the Senate President Pro Tempore , which is Sen. Lee Schoenbeck. He declined to comment.

Frye-Mueller also declined to comment.

Senate Majority Leader Casey Crabtree also declined to comment, but said more information has to get pulled together.

Typically, a legislative member facing disciplinary action will get booted from caucus. Stripping a legislator of committee assignments is very rare. Many in the South Dakota political arena cannot recall the action having ever been taken.

Lee Strubinger is SDPB’s Rapid City-based news and political reporter. A former reporter for Fort Lupton Press (CO) and Colorado Public Radio, Lee holds a master’s in public affairs reporting from the University of Illinois-Springfield.