From the Argus Leader:
Legislative leaders have asked Gov. Mike Rounds to call a special session to investigate allegations that state Sen. Dan Sutton behaved inappropriately with a teenage page.
Subpoenas could be used to force people to testify during the session, which would begin on Nov. 27.
“I don’t think we’ve been through anything like this in the state’s history,” said state Sen. Ed Olson, a Republican from Mitchell.
The request was delivered to the governor’s office on Friday, according to Mark Johnston, a spokesman for the governor.
Olson, who is the chief operating officer of the Legislature when it’s not in session, said the idea is to have only the state Senate called into the session because the House isn’t involved.
Olson said he will request the session be closed to protect the privacy of witnesses.
“There’s no way in heck I would ever condone deposing an 18-year-old kid” in public, he said.
Rounds plans to meet Tuesday with South Dakota Attorney General Larry Long to discuss details of such a session.
The two intend to “coordinate and discuss the request,” Johnston said.
The session would be fair to all involved, Olson said.
“Fairness is the key operative word here,” he said.
For more on this story, see Tuesday’s Argus Leader.
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