State House State Affairs Committee Approves Attorney General Jackley’s Election Integrity Bill
PIERRE, S.D. – South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley’s Election Integrity bill was unanimously approved Monday morning by the State House Affairs Committee.
“Foreign interests must never be allowed to influence South Dakota’s elections,” said Attorney General Jackley. “This legislation follows President Trump’s executive order on the issue and ensures that our campaign process remains transparent and accountable to the people of South Dakota—not foreign entities.”
Senate Bill 17 prohibits a candidate or political committee from accepting contributions or loans made by a foreign national, to provide a penalty therefor and to declare an emergency.
The bill now goes to the full House for consideration. It already has received unanimous approval by the State Senate.
If approved by the House and signed into law by the Governor, it would be in effect for this year’s elections.
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Unpaid political advertising.
Jackley and integrity do not belong in the same sentence
Hmm…. “election integrity”. Does Marty’s election integrity bill have language to address the following entirely possible scenario in the upcoming November general election Governor’s race:
A close race is decided in favor of the Democratic challenger after multiple recounts, forensic audits, and dozens of unsuccessful court challenges filed by the incumbent’s legal team. Despite those recounts, audits, and lost court challenges, our incumbent Republican governor is unwilling to accept the results, and continues to make baseless claims that the election was rigged and stolen from him by his opponent. He then makes a telephone call to our Republican Secretary of State demanding that the Secretary “find” about 11,000 additional votes to add to his vote total to bring him the victory that he claims was stolen from him. The Secretary of State has sufficient integrity and courage to deny his demand for her to fabricate extra votes to overturn the free, fair and fully adjudicated election.
The incumbent governor is so upset about his election loss that he exhorts his supporters to break into and enter our state capitol, injuring many and overwhelming the Capital security officers on duty while the legislature is in session, causing millions of dollars of damage to our beautiful Capitol during the attack. The invaders’ intention is to use coercion and the threat of violence to persuade the legislators to do whatever it takes for them to find a way to overturn the election results.
I’m hoping Marty’s bill covers the very real risks to our democratic process and traditions contained in this scenario. Prior to January 6, 2021 we all would have considered this scenario completely preposterous. But because it actually happened after a free, fair and fully adjudicated presidential election, and was perpetrated by the national leader of our incumbent Governor’s political party, it is now essential for any “election integrity” legislation to address this new and very real risk to our state’s constitutionally required democratic process.
The greatest threat to election integrity that our nation has ever faced was perpetrated by Donald Trump and his great multitude of henchmen and enablers between November 3, 2020 and January 20, 2021.
Thanks sir. You have tons of integrity, while the comment makers here, who claim you have none, seem pretty short of it themselves. Have a nice day.