Have you ever heard an elected official do something dumb, and then try to shift the blame to others because they didn’t check their work? That would be State Senator Taffy Howard, who is doing just that.
And Howard is apparently taking to Social Media because she isn’t getting her way, increasing the volume because they can’t just give her a do-over:
So, elected State Senator Taffy Howard is the prime sponsor of a Constitutional Amendment on the ballot… claims she submitted a “pro” statement about the ballot measure.. but didn’t have a clue what letter was assigned to it, so she thinks they need to re-do all the ballots because it makes her look silly on a statewide basis?
Go to the SOS website – because That’s absolutely what Howard is doing. The statement provided to the Secretary of State by the Senator does just that – she submitted a statement where she makes it more than evident that she doesn’t know her own amendment:
Under Amendment J, Howard writes how people need to vote yes on what she’s calling Amendment G. But, Freudian slip, Taffy?If you recall, Amendment G was decided 2 years ago. And was “South Dakota Constitutional Amendment G, the Right to Abortion Initiative.” Two years too late.
That is just too funny.
There’s a good reason why Taffy should have checked her work. Because according to State Elections Director Christine Lehrkamp in the Secretary of State’s office, despite Taffy’s demands to edit her statement, they can’t. It’s against the law:
12-13-23. Distribution of public information.
The secretary of state shall distribute public information on any amendment to the Constitution, initiated measure, or referred law submitted to the electors for approval. The secretary of state shall compile the public information by printing a statement in support of the amendment to the Constitution, initiated measure, or referred law written by its proponents, if any can be identified, and a statement against the amendment to the Constitution, initiated measure, or referred law written by its opponents, if any can be identified. No statement written by a proponent or an opponent may exceed three hundred words in length. The secretary of state is not responsible for the contents, objectivity, or accuracy of the statements written by the proponents and opponents. The pamphlet shall also include the attorney general’s title, explanation, and a recitation of the effect of a “Yes” or “No” vote as written pursuant to § 12-13-9 or 12-13-25.1; number of pages and sections in the proposed or referred language; and, if applicable, a fiscal note.
It’s stated in the law that “The secretary of state is not responsible for the contents, objectivity, or accuracy of the statements written by the proponents and opponents.” According to Christine, it is the policy of the Secretary of State to follow the law, and they don’t edit the statements. Ever.
Additionally, it has already gone to print.
You know, when there’s a law that says the SOS is not responsible for informational measure submitted by the proponent, and they submit something completely incorrect, the law says what the law says. As a lawmaker bound to follow the laws of South Dakota, you’d think she would want to protect the integrity of the elections, since these are election materials?
You would think.
As for any mistakes? That’s on Taffy. Not the Secretary of State.
Plus her amendment does NOTHING. It us political demagoguery at best. Legislators need to do REAL WORK rather than spend time giving political sermons and trying to please other politicians.
Wow someone who is a lawmaker wants the SOS to break the law. Maybe Taffy needs to start reading every law and understand them before she starts attacking the SOS on social media.
Her explanation is about as useful as the constitutional amendment she’s peddling. What a disgrace to South Dakota.
So after Daffy Howard heads up the group, right wing crazies, to get SOS Johnson replaced she expects any kind of favors from SOS office? Howard is an embarressment to all but right wingers.