Robbinsdale has a new legislator

Some surprise news in Robbinsdale today... it turns out one of "the Brians" who represent us in Pierre, Brian Dreyer, will be deployed to Afghanistan this spring.

Thanks for your service Brian, I know you will provide great air cover for the important things our President and armed forces are doing there.


Gov. Rounds has appointed Kristin Conzet, a person I have never heard of in years of covering Rapid City politics. She lives just around the block from me in Robbinsdale but we have never crossed paths... probably because I don't travel in her social circles:

from KELOLAND.COM (there's video)

Conzet has known the Governor for 20 years; he and her father are business partners, but she says she did not lobby for the position and it's not a conflict of interest.

Karla Ramaekers (KELO): Do you think that relationship helped you get the position?

"I don't think the Governor has ever appointed anybody to a position that he does not know. (Neither do I! -rr) South Dakota is a very small state. It's not about personal relationships; it's about my merit and my ability to do the position so I hope he saw something in me," Conzet said.

I have a call in to Ms. Conzet, I hope I get a chance to meet her and learn more about her plans for representing us in Pierre. In her words, she clearly has a lot of "merit and ability" to land this appointment, and we wish her well. I would guess she will face some resistance from the longtime District 32 Republican politicos around here. Or maybe they are on deck with this -- we will learn more in the coming days.

Best of luck to Kristin Conzet!