Minnehaha GOP Scrapping Competing Forums

SIOUX FALLS - The Minnehaha County Republican Party is scrapping its plans to hold its own legislative forums that would have competed with ones hosted by the Sioux Falls Area Chamber of Commerce.

The county GOP says in an email that it reached a consensus to continue its sponsorship of the chamber forums after electing new leaders including Chairman Dave Roetman.

The first chamber forum is scheduled for Saturday.

Former party leaders announced their own forums earlier this month, saying the chamber and the League of Women Voters were unresponsive to concerns that audiences were too liberal and conservatives couldn't ask their questions.

The chamber says questions aren't biased against Republicans, and lawmakers will now be given 90 seconds each to talk about whatever they want.

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.