Where are you falling on all of these ballot issues?

Pat Powers

I’m planning on taking my dad to early vote today, or sometime next week. And in querying him where he sits on these ballot measures, I received a somewhat terse “I’m voting no on ALL of them.”   I also spoke with a good friend of mine yesterday out in the Hills, and asked him what he thought. He indicated that he early voted already, cast a ballot in favor of Amendment R on the tech schools… and was consistently no on all the others.  I believe a daughter who was here to early vote this past week was also a no vote on just about everything.

I’m sensing a trend of NO, which I suspect is going to be the case more than people may think via the polling that’s out being conducted. With already reported long lines, I just don’t people are going to mess around.

How did I vote? If I recall, I believe I was a Yes on R, and a Yes on S. I don’t recall specifically, but I may have also been a Yes on U, simply because I think people should have the ability to make their own choices on how they conduct their business.

But the rest of the field fared pretty poorly with literally a no vote on everything else.

Where are you falling on all of this?

26 thoughts on “Where are you falling on all of these ballot issues?”

  1. No on T, V, 22 and 23 the Rick Weiland & union out of state measures are the worst

    I see Belfrage came out against V and 22…another good sign…

  4. I’m voting no on all of them.

    I do think V could be a wild card if there are enough anti-establishment voters at the polls. After two legislative sessions of tax raising, disgruntled voters may prefer next year’s Legislature spend its time rewriting all of the election laws instead of raising taxes.

    1. I saw Bob Mercer wrote an article that if T & V passed it would likely require a special session …even Democrats agreed with that in the article I read..

      Yet another reason to vote them down

  5. First I believe everyone should read each ballot measures, do their own research and vote accordingly. Believe or not, I do have faith in our citizens to make the right choice.

    Amendment R – Yes. The four technical schools in the state are designed to produced skilled workers. What they do doesn’t really fit in any of the four University programs, nor do they fit with the K-12 school districts. This seems like a reasonable compromise.

    Amendment S – No. While there are some very compelling stories out there. I am going to refer to one of our most basic tenants of our legal system; That a person is innocent until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt, before a jury of their peers. Until the guilty verdict is read in open court, a suspect still has all the rights and privileges of any other citizen. If they promise to show up in court or posted a bond, they can walk the streets, they can vote, they can do everything any other citizen can do, within reason and guidelines set by the presiding judge. The rest of the amendment is best handled by internal office policy, rather than an amendment.

    Amendment T – No. This is a solution looking for a problem.

    Amendment U – No. Doesn’t belong in the constitution.

    Amendment V – No. The way I thought the system worked. You get your petitions signed, then prove your mettle to the party by winning the primary election. From that point the party backs you to the general election. This is a solution looking for a problem.

    IM 21 – Yes

    IM 22 – No. given everything in the measure I would have to say no four times.

    IM 23 – No.

    RL 19 – Yes.

    RL20 – No. I believe the voters have spoken. I bow to their will

    1. No on T…did you see how poorly it is written it could easily lock Democrats out completely…I can’t believe they want to pass it….

  8. No on everything. What we really need are initiative laws that resist out-of-state money turning South Dakota into their own political experiment.

      1. well there i still time to stop it…don’t take anyone for granted make the extra call and turn out your friends to the polls to vote NO

    3. I have heard some ideas tossed around. What happens is they bring in some petition collectors to Sioux Falls for a week and then Rapid City for a week, then the measure is on the ballot.

      Instead of X number of signatures on a petition, set up for a percentage from each county.

      1. and make the petition collectors either be registered voters or have a driver’s license …something besides them claiming to be a resident which they are really not…..

        1. I don’t disagree.

          I know the work around, where one resident would witness the petition being filled out while five collectors were doing the work.

  9. Yes on R. It ensures the Tech Institutes retain their independence and ability to move quickly on the needs of the State.

  10. I have already voted. The one measure that looks reasonable when looking at it is 23. Initiated
    “Measure 23
    Title:
    An initiated measure to give certain organizations the right to charge fees
    Attorney General Explanation
    The measure gives corporate organizations and non
    -profit organizations the right to charge a fee for any service provided. T
    his
    measure takes effect on July 1, 2017.
    A vote “Yes” is for allowing certain organizations the right to charge fees.
    A vote “No” is against the measure.”
    The attorney general’s explanation looks reasonable, but when you find out this is the one that allows unions to force people to pay for services not asked for or wanted, you might change your mind. I’m not sure most people will recognize this for what it is and will vote yes.

  13. Vote no on everything and send a message that it is the legislature’s job to legislate and we do not want out-of-state groups pushing their will on SDs via initiated measures. The good idea, including Amendment R, can all be handled by the legislature.

    2. How could Amendment R be handled by the legislature?? They’re the ones who put it on the ballot.

      Yes on R, no on everything else!

      1. Several legislators whom I truly respect and trust to know that of which they speak told me that Amendment R could be addressed by the legislature but the legislators took the easy way out in order to avoid angering the board of regents and the local school boards.

        1. no on everything.

          I haven’t heard any complaints about the way the school boards are running the tech schools, and if there are any, there’s a solution: vote ’em out.

  14. Mr. Hickey you have led the fight for 21 what do you think about all the other issues on the ballot….

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