ATTORNEY GENERAL RELEASES DRAFT EXPLANATION FOR PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO THE SOUTH DAKOTA CONSTITUTION

PIERRE, S.D. — South Dakota Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg has released the following Attorney General’s ballot draft explanation for the June 2022 primary election.

The draft amendment is entitled: A Constitutional Amendment Requiring Three-Fifths Vote for Approval of Ballot Measures Imposing Taxes or Fees or Obligating over $10 Million.

State law requires the Attorney General to draft a title and explanation for each initiated measure, initiated constitutional amendment, constitutional amendment proposed by the Legislature, or referred measure that may appear on an election ballot. See SDCL 12-13-9 & 12-13-25.1.

The Attorney General’s explanation is meant to be an “objective, clear, and simple summary” intended to “educate the voters of the purpose and effect of the proposed” measure, as well as identify the “legal consequences” of each measure. SDCL 12-13-9 & 12-13-25.1. Each explanation is limited to 200 words.

The public can comment on draft Attorney General explanations. Once the Attorney General has filed and posted the draft explanation, the public has 10 days to provide written comment. The Attorney General must review all accepted comments and may revise the draft explanation as deemed necessary. The final explanation from the

Attorney General must be filed with the Secretary of State no later than 20 days after filing the draft explanation.

For more information regarding ballot measures, please visit the Secretary of State’s website.

State law may be reviewed by visiting the Legislative Research Council webpage.

To file written comments on a draft Attorney General’s explanation please use one of the following methods.  Copies of all received comments will be posted on this website.  The deadline for comments on this amendment explanation is November 12, 2021 at the close of business. The final explanation is due to the Secretary of State on November 22, 2021.

Comments may be submitted via mail, or through hand delivery, to the Attorney General’s Office at the following address:

Office of the Attorney General Ballot Comment
1302 E. Hwy. 14, Suite 1
Pierre, SD 57501

Comments that are hand delivered must be received by the close of business on the day the time

Statement on the Passing of Jean Rounds

FT. PIERRE – Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D) released the following statement remembering his wife Jean who passed away this morning after battling sarcoma cancer:

“The love of my life is with the Lord. No more treatments. No more pain. Just peace. South Dakota knew her as First Lady. We knew her as wife, daughter, mom and grandma. She was everything to us. The prayers and support we received throughout this battle were powerful and made a difference. We ask for your continued prayer as we remember her life and grieve together as a family.”

To send condolences to the Rounds family, please visit
rounds.senate.gov/Jean or send to:
P.O. Box 309
Pierre, South Dakota 57501

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I’m getting reports over texts and e-mail messages that Jean (Vedvei) Rounds, former First Lady of South Dakota, and wife of former Governor and current US Senator Mike Rounds has passed away after battling cancer since 2019.

Please keep the Senator and the entire Rounds & Vedvei families in your thoughts during this time of loss.

It's always disappointing to see politicians using their power and platform to tear down a group of people based on their personal decisions. Our elected officials should be representing and respecting all South Dakotans whose beliefs and actions don't oppress and harm others. https://t.co/bznXtzBsbI

— Representative Erin Healy (@RepErinHealy) November 2, 2021

From Keloland news:

Thread on an update from @SanfordHealth on their COVID-19 vaccine mandate, which impacts all employees; they are not announcing how many exemptions were given or denied. The health system says as of 11/1, 99% of their employees are in compliance. Here’s what that means: (1/5)

— Dan Santella (@KELODanS) November 1, 2021

Spencer Gosch, Speaker of the House of Representatives announced today who will be serving on the committee who will investigate whether impeachment is appropriate for the Attorney General as a result of a September 2020 traffic accident, as noted in the Argus Leader:

Serving on the “Special Investigative Committee,” as Gosch referred to it, will be:

• House Majority Leader Kent Peterson, R-Salem
• Rep. Jamie Smith, D-Sioux Falls
• Rep. Ryan Cwach, D-Yankton
• Rep. Mike Stevens, R-Yankton
• Rep. Steven Haugaard, R-Sioux Falls
• Rep. Doug Barthel, R-Sioux Falls
• Rep. Kevin Jensen, R-Canton
• Rep. Jon Hansen, R-Dell Rapids

Read it all here.

A few interesting statistics if you’re looking at who has been appointed to the committee.

Of the Nine Committee members, 4 Attorneys are on the committee.. Rep’s Cwach, Stevens, Haugaard & Hansen. And 1, Rep. Barthel, is retired Law Enforcement.

Two of the members are from the Attorney General’s home town of Yankton, but none representing District 24, the legislative district where the accident occurred.

There’s no one from West of the Missouri River. And except for the Speaker himself, you don’t really have anyone appointed who is West of the James River Valley (Or North of Highway 34).

Three committee members are from Sioux Falls.. and up to 5 from the Sioux Falls Metro area if you extend that area to Canton & Dell Rapids.

And despite comprising 30% of the House, there is not a single woman on the list.

Redistricting, impeachment, and people who are unhappy there probably won’t be a anti-vaccination session.

Next week will be interesting, to say the least.

Happy #WorldVeganDay to all the hunters who enjoy harvesting vegan pheasant, deer, and elk! pic.twitter.com/ZxZWwC2WTi

— Kristi Noem (@KristiNoem) November 1, 2021

After buying out 2 more South Dakota Daily Newspapers recently, Argus Leader parent company Gannett is apparently shipping their printing, and I would assume jobs, to another state:

The Sioux Falls-based Argus Leader newspaper will close its printing plant on Dec. 5, the news outlet announced with its parent company Gannett on Monday.

The press plant closure, located within the Argus Leader facility at 200 S. Minnesota Ave., is the “result of further consolidation in the newspaper industry,” Argus Leader news director Cory Myers said.

The paper’s printing operations will be moved to Des Moines, Iowa. Printing of the Aberdeen American News, Farm Forum and Watertown Public Opinion will also move to Des Moines.

Read the entire story here.

Remind me again why it’s so important to have all those legals notices printed in those papers, when they’re moving production and jobs to Iowa?

Certainly, if it’s good enough for them to transmit news stories over the Internet to be printed in another state, why can’t the state and local governments move their official notices to strictly on-line, where people can print them at a library or at home?

From Facebook: