Pot Petition Pushers triggered over the GOP encouraging voters to be educated before they sign petitions.

Pat Powers

On their facebook page at the start of this weekend, the South Dakota Republican Party posted a message that they have been promoting for the past couple of years. When it comes to being presented with a ballot measure, an educated voter is a good one, and voters should know what they’re signing before they sign on the line:

“Please take the time to understand the issues and if you have any doubts, please Don’t Sign On The Line!”  Asking voters to educate themselves before they sign on to some crazy petition is the same message the GOP has had for a while.

Nothing new, and it’s a message that has been promoted for years in a multitude of settings from a multitude of organizations.

However, when the GOP asked for voters to educate themselves on the issues, it apparently ‘triggered’ the pot petition pushers at New Approach South Dakota to freak out, because they don’t want educated voters. They just want the damn signatures before people figure out what it says:

“We found who is telling people to not sign the petitions and we are blown away to tell you all it is the SD Republican Party. The SD Republican Party is ACTIVELY campaigning to take away the rights that were written into the US Constitution to specifically give rights to the people of this country to petition our government.

They are trying to use their position of power to convince you all to give up your First Amendment Rights.”

So, where did the GOP’s post say any of that?

They actually claimed that the GOP is trying to “convince you all to give up your First Amendment Rights?”  I’d ask what they’ve been smoking, but it’s kind of an obvious answer.

I suspect the problem they’re running into is that at this point with just over 60 days to go, they were depending on the State Fair to give them a major push, and they’re fuming because it didn’t happen, because – god forbid – people are actually paying attention when they see crazy things in the poorly written measure, such as in the AG statement where it notes on the petition that it mandates a minimum of three plants.

As I’ve been saying, and as I believe still holds true, they are not going to be able to collect enough signatures and they’re a disorganized mess.  Otherwise, they would not be freaking out when the GOP encourages people to educate themselves before they sign.

32 thoughts on “Pot Petition Pushers triggered over the GOP encouraging voters to be educated before they sign petitions.”

  1. Mr. and Mrs. prospective petition signer name you’re ailment and we have a cure for you! Just sign here. Step right up folks! South Dakota will make billions! Just sign here!

  2. Ronald Reagan once famously said, “The most terrifying words in the English language are, ‘I’m from the government and I’m here to help.'”

    Now the SDGOP is essentially saying, “We’re from the government, so we’ll do the thinking for you.”

    This is all part of a predictable, orchestrated effort by a party that has a supermajority in both legislative chambers and the governor’s office. They have nothing to gain and everything to lose when people get directly involved with their government.

    Make no mistake, this is literally a battle of Power vs. the People.

    1. If you are a fiscal conservative as demonstrated in other states when all the socio-economic costs are factored the state budget takes a substantial fiscal hit which means our taxes go up or cuts in services just so a very small minority can get legally stoned..

      Auto-insurance rates go up as a natural result of risk increasing from more stoned drivers on the road where fatalities, injuries and property damage have increased.

      Business liability insurance rates will go up since it increases the risk for accidents not only the employer but employees as well. If employers had a difficult time getting employees to fill positions that could pass a drug test wait till legalization occurs. It could affect employee compensation packages if their bonuses for example are tied to a team performance numbers or are on a production line. Higher absenteeism, lower productivity and all combined put South Dakota businesses at a competitive disadvantage.

      Based off the well documented negative issues and costs in those few states that legalized there are no upsides at all.

      1. I generally try not to indulge anonymous comments, but I’ll bite.

        By your logic, fiscal conservatives should be calling for a prohibition on soda pop, cheeseburgers and processed snacks because they drive up medical costs.

        So here’s an idea… Instead of seeking to ban things because they might raise costs, why don’t we seek to return to individual responsibility for costs rather than passing laws to punish the few for the sake of the many.

        And yes, I do mean punish. As I pointed out in Pat’s post yesterday, after watching my dad die of pancreatic cancer, I’m willing to give patients every opportunity to manage their pain and find relief. Asking someone with nothing to lose to choose between debilitating pain for the sake of following an outdated law is cruel.

        1. That last sentence should have read, “Asking someone with nothing to lose to choose debilitating pain for the sake of following an outdated law is cruel.”

          1. After watching a relative suffer from pancreatic cancer that had spread before passing and knowing others with chronic ailments we already have medical options to treat and ease their suffering for terminal illnesses. Mentele and her NASD use the same pseudoscience that are common in that industry. She is looking to profit off it if South Dakotans fall for this. They are no different than the 70% of Colorado pot dispensaries that were caught advising pregnant mothers to smoke or ingest high THC pot which is irresponsible. It is not uncommon now for babies in Colorado to be born with high levels of THC in their system.

    2. Not having Spacedbook, I cannot read the GOP’s entire post so perhaps you have read something I am unable to see. What I DO see is the SD GOP urging people to understand what they are signing and if they have doubts don’t sign. This is telling them to do their own thinking so I am not seeing where you are getting the idea the SD GOP wants to do the thinking for us. As for me, if someone comes to me to sign this petition, I will choose not to. I believe pot is harmful and the health benefits are marginal at best. The things that may be good I believe can be replicated by other means.

      1. Well, the name of their campaign is literally, “Don’t Sign On The Line”. If it were “Educate Yourself” or even “Think First”, I might see your point.

        Couple that with the dog-piling and public shaming of a certain Republican elected official for having the nerve to sign petitions that the SD GOP opposes, and I think my statement is right on point.

        1. If you look below the “Don’t Sign on the Line”, it also says “know what you’re signing before it’s too late”. There is an implication that I should educate myself before I sign something. Once you have signed the petition, it is too late if you have second thoughts. My position stands.

        2. Mr. Oakes, you are right to be a Libertarian and hang out there in the Buffalo Rocks to toke up your demon weed without blowing it in the faces of the general public.

          1. You know me so well, dontcha Grudz. 🤣 Now, I do realize this stunning specimen of a body looks as though it’s experienced its fair share of the munchies, but I assure you it’s never once been under the influence of either pot or liquor.

            P.S., the offer to buy you and Newland lunch sometime has no expiration date. I just want to sit back and relive stories from the old days of the Blogosphere. I’d even extend the offer to Woster, too, if he can find time in his busy retirement schedule

              1. Alas, Dear Grudz, we shuttered Teddy’s Deli after the 2017 season. Nine great years, but it was time to move on to smaller and better things (namely, our kiddo(s)). Maybe Ron’s Cafe in Rapid? Somewhere where the coffee’s strong and the service is too.

  3. HB1094 passed last session requires folks soliciting signatures (encouraging people to sign) for a measure to register with a state directory. SD Leg should sign a bill requiring people encouraging folks NOT to sign to go through the same process. Level it out

  4. Are they a disorganized mess because they smoke pot, or do they smoke pot because they are a disorganized mess?

  5. … And just a note for the head of the pot petitioner organization who keeps posting manifestos here.

    If you want to advertise your movement, buy an ad.

  7. I have read all the ballot measures and they are all LIBERAL CRAP….it is totally dishonest for they to say SIGN OUR PETITION BUT IT IS NOT FAIR THAT WE HAVE OPPOSITION TO THE SIGNING PROCESS….

  8. I again went past the pot booth this afternoon, and all the asked was to sign it to give access to pot for medical use. Sounds harmless enough. They again were not happy when I pointed out that it allowed growing a minimum of 3 plants. They then said it wasn’t a drug, it was an herb. Maybe they would have better luck advocating for pot as an herbal supplement! None of those signing ever asked to see the actual bill…just signed. And that is what the potted plant people want. never saw the other booth though.

    1. “They then said it wasn’t a drug, it was an herb.” That is a perfect example and a huge problem right there which is part of the deeply entrenched pot/drug culture false myths supported by those looking to profit. Our youth see that and across all ages it makes it more difficult to address addiction too.

  9. What really bothered me were the people just signing without reading, and the collector who had no idea what the bill contained that she was asking people to sign. She gave wrong information to how many before I challenged her and she acknowledged she had been wrong? Don’t sign anything!!

    1. Exactly! When you hear them refer to it as an herb that is stoner talk. Medical? What a scam!

  10. I laugh Apparently they can exercise their First Amendment rights but we can’t Exercise our rights when we don’t want people to sign up to put this before the people so that they have a year to try and fool them in the voting for it

  11. I won’t vote for this IM but Gideon makes the most sense as far as being free to think for oneself. Those are principles of the GOP or at least are supposed to be.

  12. Ideally, you read the measure and if it is vague, unclear, or contrary to your values, you use common sense to opt not to sign it.

    1. Mr. Deutsch, as you well know, most voters are ignorant. They can easily be hoodwinked into signing such things as the heinous I.M. #22 because the purveyors of the measures are not truthful or even knowledgeable themselves.

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