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Tensions between a Republican lawmaker already disciplined by GOP leadership at the Capitol this legislative session escalated again this week.
Rep. Phil Jensen (R-Rapid City) on Monday was dismissed from attending House Republicans’ afternoon caucuses following a dust-up on the floor of the South Dakota House of Representatives.
House Majority Leader Scott Odenbach confirmed to The Dakota Scout Monday that Jensen has been suspended from House caucus meetings for two weeks, discipline related to “openly questioning fellow House members’ Christian faith in the manner he did.”
“It was the consensus of the House Republican caucus that he be removed from caucus,” said Odenbach, who acknowledged bipartisan calls for disciplinary action in response to Jensen made on the House floor Thursday during debate over a measure that passed last week celebrating the nation’s Judeo-Christian origins and calling for July to be observed as a month of fasting and prayer in South Dakota.
“This should be a no-brainer,” Jensen said while speaking on Senate Concurrent Resolution 604. “And I would venture to say the only ones that are going to be voting red up there are going to be Democrats.”
The comment drew an immediate objection from Rep. Kadyn Wittman, D-Sioux Falls. Legislative rules bar members from questioning “the course a member proposes to follow.” House Speaker Jon Hansen agreed.
“That’s out of order, Representative,” Hansen said, striking his gavel.
While Jensen’s prediction about the vote proved accurate — every Democrat voted no — several Republicans also opposed the resolution. The exchange didn’t end there.
Complaints preceded House leadership’s disciplinary action.
“It was offensive, inappropriate for the House floor, and a clear violation of House rules and decorum,” Minority Leader Erin Healy told The Scout on Monday. “The Speaker correctly ruled the comment out of order. Those remarks were not made in a vacuum. On the day this event took place, the House floor and gallery included legislative staff, interns, students, visitors, and faith leaders. All were forced to listen as a sitting legislator used the people’s chamber to demean colleagues and disparage their faith and character.”
Healy said some lawmakers and observers left the chamber in tears and stressed Democrats did not have a vote in Jensen’s caucus removal.
“His removal from the Republican Caucus was a decision made entirely by Republican leadership. Democrats had no role in that decision,” she said. “Upholding those standards is essential to fairness, order, and mutual respect. No matter what Rep. Jensen or the Freedom Caucus claims, Democrats will continue fighting for thoughtful, compassionate legislation that improves lives, strengthens communities, and respects the dignity of every South Dakotan.”
Jensen chairs the South Dakota Freedom Caucus, an organized but unofficial bloc of Republican legislators. The group blasted the decision in a Monday news release, accusing House leaders of bending to Democratic complaints and warning the move could “have a chilling effect on open discussion within the Legislature.”
He did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday morning.
Former Freedom Caucus Chair Aaron Aylward said disciplining a member after a complaint from the opposing party — particularly when the public vote aligns with the disputed remark — raises questions about precedent and process.
The group said it will seek a review of internal caucus rules and called on constituents to press lawmakers to protect open debate.
Caucus meetings are private. The Legislature is not bound by the open-meetings rules that apply to many other public bodies, allowing party caucuses to meet behind closed doors. Democrats generally hold joint House–Senate caucuses that are often open, occasionally limiting photography or closing meetings, while Republicans meet separately by chamber.
It’s not the first time Jensen, an 18-year veteran of the Legislature, has gotten sideways with party leadership at the Capitol.
House Speaker Jon Hansen removed Jensen from the House Education Committee following the seating dispute involving committee chair Rep. Lana Greenfield. That clash had roots in lingering tensions from a 2025 bill Jensen introduced that would have barred the state from sending general fund aid to the Huron School District. The one-sentence proposal — House Bill 1224 — sparked widespread condemnation at the time. Jensen later stepped down as vice chair of the committee under pressure from GOP leaders.
