Postmistress Lorrie Papka has changed the rules in Rapid City.

To make the point, she had petitioner Roberta Helmerick arrested for gathering signatures at the post office last week.

This is a reversal of post office policy in Rapid City.

Prior to Papka choosing to deny petitioners access to what she refers to as “private postal property”, petitioners have routinely gathered signatures at the Rapid City post office.  A few days before this arrest, I personally called Ms. Papka in hopes of getting a clarification of this new policy.  When she didn’t return my call, I went to the post office, in hopes of talking with her about the issue.  Ms. Papka ‘wasn’t available’, but Sonny Magnuson was summoned to talk to me.  He was very pleasant and helpful.  When asked, he accompanied me outside the front doors of the post office to show me where petitioners were allowed to gather signatures.  The only restrictions where that the front doors could not be obstructed (petitioners would have to stand out of the direct traffic pattern) and post office patrons could only be solicited for signatures as they LEFT the post office, not as they entered.  He assured me that as long as those requirements were met, petitioners were allowed to gather signatures.

I left feeling good about the access and confident that any “misunderstanding” had been resolved.

Obviously, the Postmistress didn’t see things that way.  When Helmerick and others peacefully gathered to collect signatures on their petition, Ms. Papka called the police and had Helmerick arrested.  FEDERAL charges may be pending.  Helmerick’s first court appearance is scheduled for Thursday of this week.

One might wonder why Ms. Papka has gotten her proverbial “bloomers in a bunch” over citizens peacefully exercising their Constitutional rights on PUBLIC property (sorry Ms. Papka, the post office is not PRIVATE).  Could it be that she takes issue with this particular petition?  This petition is asking for a public vote on the $ 30 Million dollar tax increase approved by the School Board ($6 Million per year for 5 years).  Does the Postmistress have a connection to the proponents of this huge tax increase?  If not, then why the sudden reversal of policy at this particular time, on this particular petition?

The Postmistress is using a “postal regulation” as her justification to refuse access to the post office property.  Other Postmasters are not denying access.  Sioux Falls, SD post office continues to allow petitioners to have reasonable access to their post office property.

Maybe Ms. Papka should be replaced with a new postmaster who supports the Constitution.

***Gordon Howie is an author and CEO of Life and Liberty Media***

     “It’s not about right or left, it’s about Right or Wrong.”

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