Rick Weiland and Gordon Howie Announce their Opposition to SB 166; ask South Dakotans to Sign Online Petition
Sign the petition HERE
Sioux Falls: Former U.S. Senate candidates Rick Weiland and former Republican State Senator Gordon Howie today announced their opposition to SB 166, the legislation introduced by State Senator Corey Brown that would nearly double the signature requirement for an initiative or referendum to qualify for the South Dakota general election ballot.
“While the two of us have different views on public policy, during the campaign we also found common ground on several issues, one specifically being our belief that the will of our people is all too often ignored by our elected officials in both political parties”, Weiland said. “In our view, one of the clearest and best vehicles to ensure that citizens are heard is the initiative and referendum process–which, it’s worth noting, was started in South Dakota in 1898, and was such a good idea that it was copied by 23 other states”, Weiland added.
“Doubling the signature requirement for initiative and referendum petitions is a terrible idea, and we’re urging South Dakotans to forcefully let their state senators and representatives know that they oppose it. And what is particularly egregious is that the sponsors have tagged it with the “emergency clause” which, if passed, would make it take effect immediately and, more importantly, mean that it can’t be referred to a vote of the people via a referendum petition”, Howie stated. “If the sponsors really believe that essentially doubling the signature requirement for initiatives and referendums is “an emergency,” then we fear for their judgment, and what they would call an actual emergency”, Howie added. “In truth, the “emergency” that these legislators fear is that South Dakota citizens, acting together, will substitute their judgment for that of our legislators. That is not an “emergency,” its democracy as it’s been practiced in our state since 1898,” Howie said.
“We are urging South Dakotans to sign an online petition opposing this ill-considered legislation, by [clicking on this link]. We are also calling on the sponsors of this legislation to withdraw it and get back to working on the difficult issues that actually challenge our state–making it substantially harder for our citizens to make their voices heard is definitely not one of them,” Weiland concluded.
I detest strong-arm politics in either party. Even those with whom I might disagree have the right to be heard. We do NOT need the Harry Reid approach in South Dakota.
Are they for real? it is hard enough to get people to vote! To do this means that South Dakota residents would have less input in their lives and the government would have even more. This we do not need. They need to concentrate on laws for the people not how to make life more difficult for the people. I oppose this line of thinking , and the bill