HR 7001, impeachment of Ravnsborg announced on House floor Wednesday

PIERRE, S.D. (KELO) — For the first time at the South Dakota State Capitol, a resolution for impeachment was read on the House floor. 

Lawmakers heard the announcement of House Resolution 7001, which calls for impeaching South Dakota Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg for “certain crimes or misdemeanors in office.” 

The resolution was introduced by Rep. Will Mortenson (R-Pierre) along with Majority Leader Kent Peterson (R-Salem) and Minority Leader Jamie Smith (D-Sioux Falls). KELOLAND Capitol News Bureau reporter Bob Mercer noted impeachment is so rare that it doesn’t seem to be covered in the Legislature’s official ‘Redbook‘ of procedural rules.

After releasing the impeachment resolution on Tuesday, Mortenson declined to give a timetable for the impeachment process. 

The impeachment resolution came after Gov. Kristi Noem (R-S.D.) called for Ravnsborg to resign from office. After the impeachment resolution, two internal interviews of Ravnsborg with North Dakota investigators were released by the state Department of Public Safety.

House Speaker Spencer Gosch (R-Glenham) assigned the resolution to the House State Affairs Committee soon after.  HCR7001 is now pending its first official hearing.