The executive director of the Legislative Research Council is resigning from his position.
The surprise move comes after legislative leaders met behind closed doors Monday afternoon in executive session.
The Executive Board, which is comprised of legislative leaders from both parties and chambers, has accepted Reed Holwegner’s resignation.
A sub-committee of the group is working out a severance termination package with Holwegner, who has led the LRC since April of 2020.
The move comes as lawmakers are two-and-a-half months out from legislative session.
The LRC helps state lawmakers write and research bills.
The executive board named John McCullough as the interim LRC director.
Members of the board declined to comment due to the resignation being a personnel matter.
It comes as final interim-study reports are coming in and bills are getting drafted.
South Dakota has one of the smallest LRC staffs in the country.
The relationship between LRC staff members and state lawmakers has been strained in recent years. In 2020, a lawyer for the LRC berated lawmakers for their treatment of those working in the office.
Before this past session, legislative leaders crafted a memorandum of understanding for members on how they should interact with staff.
Last session, senators suspended a fellow senator for her interaction with an LRC staffer who had recently given birth.
The upcoming legislative session begins Jan. 9.
