Is Janklow effective? Officials won't say

By Denise Ross, Journal Staff Writer | Monday, September 29, 2003

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South Dakota's top elected officials side-stepped questions about how well the state's lone congressman can do his job while facing a felony manslaughter charge and recovering from a brain injury.

Rep. Bill Janklow, R-S.D., will enter a plea Friday in the criminal case resulting from the Aug. 16 crash in which he killed Minnesota motorcyclist Randy Scott. (See story on Page A1.)

Janklow told reporters Monday that he is confident he can be an effective congressman, but said he has "no idea" whether he will seekre-election a year from now.

In the meantime, the state's two Democratic U.S. senators and its Republican governor will rely on Janklow to shepherd legislation important to the state through the House.

Those elected officials declined to speak directly about their confidence in the job Janklow can do from this point forward.

The senators issued statements through spokespeople, and Rounds declined to make any statement at all. Julianne Fisher, spokeswoman for Sen. Tim Johnson, D-S.D., said her boss is in a good position to assist Janklow, thanks to his seat on the Senate Appropriations Committee.

"We've been working with him on the appropriations process and want to be as helpful as we can to take care of South Dakota projects," Fisher said.

Dan Pfeiffer, spokesman for Sen. Tom Daschle, D-S.D., said he expects that the three-member delegation's working relationship will remain close.

"Senator Daschle believes that Congressman Janklow is going to do everything he can to effectively represent the people of South Dakota," Pfeiffer said. "Senator Daschle and his staff will continue to work closely with the congressman and his office on projects that are important to South Dakota. This congressional delegation has perhaps worked more closely together than any other in recent memory, and we expect that to continue."

On Monday, Janklow said he and his staff had relied on help from Daschle's and Johnson's staffs in the weeks since his accident and over the few weeks in July when he underwent heart tests.

Janklow said his brain injury and a broken hand are healing and that he expects a full recovery. He said this time of year is "not a pressure time for Congress," and that he

expects that, by the time the action heats up again early next year, he will be back in form. "This is the point in Congress where everybody goes home," he said.

The House has set an adjournment date for early October, but it's unlikely that will be met. This is the time of year Congress passes all the spending bills and, in recent years, disagreements over the budget have kept the Senate and House in session into the holidays.

Janklow returned to Washington, D.C., after Monday's press conference and was set to cast votes on Tuesday, according to an Associated Press story.

Contact Denise Ross at 394-8438 or denise.ross@rapidcityjournal.com