Member of South Dakota Freedom Caucus Crazies throws hissy fit over seating arrangement at committee meeting

 

Headline:  South Dakota Searchlight, 1/22/2026

Makenzie Huber reports:

Republican leaders removed Rep. Phil Jensen, R-Rapid City, who chairs the Freedom Caucus, from the House Education Committee following his role in an upheaval on Friday stemming from a new seating arrangement created by the committee chair, Rep. Lana Greenfield, R-Doland. 

The argument about the seating arrangement delayed the committee by more than 15 minutes, said House Majority Leader Scott Odenbach, R-Spearfish.  [emphasis added]

Odenbach told members of the media at a leadership press conference Thursday that Jensen and some other members of the House Education Committee planned “an effort to disrupt the committee,” which is “unacceptable behavior.” Republican leaders pulled the members from the room to “deal with the issue out of sight” of the public.