Yes, it’s a bit of hyperbole, but when I note “House passes ACLU funding bill out of State Affairs committee” today, I’m referring to House State Affairs’ passage of a bill that we will absolute lose in court on. That would be Rep. Ismay’s bill to ban paid petition circulators.
They say that insanity is doing the same thing over and over and getting the same result. Well, that would be House State Affairs, because here we go again with House Bill 1087:
The bill passed with a 9-4 vote, which means it will go to the full House of Representatives.
Opponents said the bill would trigger a legal challenge if enacted and cost thousands of taxpayer dollars to defend. Opponents included the American Civil Liberties Union of South Dakota, South Dakota Advocacy Network for Women, and the South Dakota Education Association.
Rep. Tim Reisch, R-Howard, echoed their concerns.
“We’re not going to give our teachers a pay raise, we’re out of money, and we’re going to pass a bill that we know is going to cost the taxpayers millions of dollars,” Reisch said. “I’m going to be a ‘no’ on this.”
Unless there’s a new US Supreme Court decision, or the bench changes significantly in the 8th District.. we already know this dog just isn’t going to hunt. It’s not new law, and we’ve tested it more than once. Legislators should move on and not waste the state’s money in a year we don’t have any.
This is a glaring example of MAGA authoritarianism suffocating the voices of the underrepresented and undermining those who champion their cause. Our democracy is being eroded before our eyes.
Hey now, by pointing out how inept MAGA and its acolytes are, you’re going to alert the resident troll who will call you some form of fecal-based insult, or other juvenile taunt.
No wonder the A.G. is asking for a big increase to his office’s budget. If he gets his 41.7 million dollars it represents at 17 percent increase from 2024. I would like to see some “recourse” when Legislators pass unconstitutional laws.
They falsely tout themselves as “Constitutionalists” or “Constitutional Conservatives” so the question should be asked at upcoming legislative forums. If you prime, co-sponsor and vote for these bills will you pay all legal fees if it is legally challenged and the state loses? Why should taxpayers be left on the hook for costs? They campaigned as being fiscal conservatives yet they have no problem spending other people’s money being the taxpayers on reckless, irresponsible and costly legislation that the state ends up in court but loses.
Often times these bills/laws further damage the reputation of the state accelerating brain drain and making it even more difficult to recruit and retain talent in our workforce.
These end up being very expensive legislators in the legislature and especially historically for their districts and state due to lack of actually productivity, being a liability, not serving the district they were elected to serve and in opportunity costs.
The bill is rehashed garbage much like his county commissioner recall bill, but the committee bears some responsibility in this. You’ve got attorneys on that committee, one trying to convince people he’s fit to be governor, passing bills out that have zero possibility of holding up to the most meager legal challenge and have case law showing they will be destroyed. What are they thinking!?
I am confused. I thought these yea voters attitude was let the people decide. The most local form of government is the voters? Doesn’t this do exactly that, allow the people to vote on ballot issues? Or do they think the sheep are too dumb to vote correctly if a paid circulator gathers the petition? If this somehow gets to the Governor’s desk and gets signed, buckle up folks, it’s gonna get expensive.
It is their attitude on Facebook and when they are talking bullcrap at the coffee shop. Apparently the reality is they don’t want to hear from the people when they are in control of things. But applaud him for trying to put a nice virtuous sounding spin on it. He’s doing it to save us from the big bad people with money. Maybe if he would have used a few paid petitioners he could have got enough signatures to get his medical marijuana repeal on the ballot. I also wonder if this group paid any of the petitioners during the pipeline referendum? They sure didn’t have an issue taking and using money from big bad out of staters then.
Rep. Spencer Gosch, R-Glenham, said the cost of potential legal battles would be worth the attempt to level the playing field, rather than allowing the ballot measure process to be a “money game.”
“I am limiting one person’s ability to have more speech over mine just because they have more money,” Gosch said. “That one individual could hire multiple entities because they can afford to do so. I could not. Therefore, my vote is less important than their vote.”
Bro isn’t that the main argument *against* Citizens United? Rep. Gosch is more aligned with the Bernie Bros and Rick Weiland than GOP party line. Horseshoe theory is real.
It is true and bears some thinking that the current situation does allow those with the money–wherever it might come from–get their issues on the ballot while those who must trust in supporters only are at a disadvantage. Using paid petition signature collectors allows the out of state money bags to bring their issues to the electorate in South Dakota and we have had I think too much of that.
Regardless of what you think, it will lose a legal challenge, costing the taxpayers a ton of money. Therefore it is a bad bill. What we wish and reality are two different things. The sponsor should’ve known better since he brought the same bill last year and was told the same thing. The law didn’t change in the meantime. Waste of everyone’s time.