This afternoon, the South Dakota Republican Party launched a Facebook page urging caution for citizens presented with petitions for the ballot measures currently circulating for possible inclusion on the ballot in the 2018 election cycle. At the direction of it’s governing body, the South Dakota Republican State Central Committee, the State GOP started an effort this afternoon, according to a statement posted to the Facebook page:
While in the past, the State GOP has traditionally taken a somewhat “hands off” position, in recent years the rank and file have grown more vocal about the party’s activities in opposing ballot measures.
In the posted statement, the GOP is not making any bones about where it sits on the spate of ballot measures in recent years, stating in part “The initiative and referendum process was established in South Dakota to allow a government that’s more responsive to its citizens. Not for whatever D.C. or California special interest group who could write the biggest check and send in armies for a slick, street-corner sell.”
The GOP’s concern runs parallel to the South Dakota legislature taking action at the state level to find a solution to address the abuse by out-of-state organizations initiating measures. On Friday, the bipartisan Initiative and Referendum Task Force is set to finalize their work on several proposed pieces of legislation, and is scheduled to direct the state’s Legislative Research Council on the group’s Final Report.
You can like and share the facebook page by clicking here: https://www.facebook.com/dontsignontheline/posts/1571344366218934
Curious! Will the state party extend this same level of concern to its many legislators pushing ALEC-originated measures? Or to its figurehead US federal candidates whose war chests are filled with almost-exclusively out-of-state monies? It is such a treat watching the state GOP throw such a hissyfit over the fact that South Dakotans are independently minded voters who frequently make their own decisions rather than simply toeing the party line. These measures don’t pass because of out-of-state groups, they pass because a majority of South Dakotans want them to pass plain and simple. Quit insinuating the voters are gullible little children.
Indeed. Cut out the middleman. No more having to overturn the will of the voters if there are no petitions!
Squeee-hawww.. lots of democrat donkeys whining already!
Indeed. All the stupid people who voted for the IM #22 foisted this upon us all. Shame!