VERMILLION — An effort to force key stakeholders in the state's Gear Up scandal to testify publicly fell short Monday as supporters failed to draw the support needed to forge ahead with their investigation.

Sen. Phil Jensen, R-Rapid City, brought a motion calling for the State-Tribal Relations Committee to summon or subpoena Department of Education and Mid-Central Educational Cooperative officials and grants administrators to testify about their involvement with Gear Up.

Committee Chair Troy Heinert, D-Mission, was quick to call the motion out of order, saying the committee didn't have the authority to force people to testify.

After a verbal standoff between Heinert and Sen. Stace Nelson, R-Fulton, lawmakers voted 5-5 to sustain Heinert's ruling. The tie meant the committee dropped the effort to summon and subpoena witnesses, leading the measure's supporters to cry in disappointment.

More:Connecting the dots: Students outline questionable ties in Gear Up funding

Opponents of the effort, meanwhile, said they were glad the committee wouldn't become a venue for political grandstanding.

"What I don’t want to happen is to turn this into a grandstanding event that actually impedes progress for Natives in this state," Heinert, an enrolled tribal member, said after the hearing. "We’ve been used enough."

Heinert said he was hopeful that lawmakers could address critical issues like providing culturally relevant curricula to Native American students and encouraging Native American engagement in state government.

Lawmakers who'd pushed for more action on the Gear Up in the State-Tribal Relations Committee, as well as the Government Operation and Audit Committee, lamented the decision not to call Gear Up stakeholders.

“This was the last place that Native American kids had a chance to get an accounting of what truly transpired and who was involved,” Nelson said.

Earlier in the day, Rep. Liz May, R-Kyle, vowed to hold stakeholders and Gov. Dennis Daugaard's administration responsible for the financial scheme that took place at Mid-Central. Investigators found that the group's former business manager, Scott Westerhuis, funneled more than $1 million before killing his family, setting his home ablaze and turning the gun on himself.

"Hell or high water, someone is going to be held accountable," May said. "If anybody thinks I am going to let this die, they're sorely mistaken."

The committee is set to meet again to discuss proposed legislation in December.

Follow Dana Ferguson on Twitter @bydanaferguson, call 605-370-2493 or email dferguson@argusleader.com