Conservative group aims to out ex-Democrats among state GOP lawmakers
About 1 in 7 Republicans in the South Dakota Legislature previously registered to vote as a Democrat, according to a conservative group's review of voter registration data.
One senator unknowingly went 10 months without a party affiliation though she was listed in legislative materials as a GOP lawmaker.
South Dakota Citizens for Liberty, a Rapid City conservative advocacy group, named the lawmakers Monday as part of a legislative scorecard report. An official said the party switches raise questions about lawmakers' commitment to conservative ideology.
"If a person changes their party affiliation and doesn't change their philosophy, I think that's something their constituents deserve to know," said Tonchi Weaver, a lobbyist for the group. "If you're voting at a 60 percent conservative rate when you consider the platform and the Constitution, then you should re-evaluate your philosophy."
Read more: http://www.argusleader.com/story/news/politics/2017/10/09/conservative-group-aims-out-ex-democrats-among-state-gop-lawmakers/745920001/
