A state senator has been banned from the House of Representatives floor and lobby for the last week of the 2024 legislative session for placing a bottle of syrup on another lawmaker’s desk.

Sen. Tom Pischke, R-Dell Rapids, was informed of the action Monday in a letter from Speaker of the House Hugh Bartels, R-Watertown. Pischke’s action was a violation of decorum, Bartels said.

Pischke placed the bottle of syrup on Rapid City Republican Rep. Kristin Conzet’s desk days after Conzet motioned to defeat a commemoration celebrating the late Nancy Green, whose likeness was used to create the Aunt Jemima advertising character, which was formerly used on syrup and other products.