Guest Column: Newland Urges Support for People Power Petitions

I am a liberal Democrat. Bob Newland is a dedicated Libertarian. We thus disagree on many issues.

Yet Newland and I agree on the value of liberty and practical problem-solving. Newland and I agree that the ability of South Dakotans to put laws to a vote, our constitutional power of initiative and referendum, is vital to protecting liberty and solving problems in South Dakota. (Judge Charles Kornmann agrees with that latter point, but for Pete’s sake, don’t tell Newland he agrees with a federal judge, or he’ll change his mind and start a fight!)

Newland also agrees with me in holding the wisdom of the voters in the highest regard, even when 50%+1 of you all vote against us. Newland agrees so much with me that he’s collecting signatures on the People Power Petitions that I’m sponsoring to repeal a lot of the paperwork and bureaucracy that the Legislature is using to choke initiative and referendum and keep us South Dakotans from exercising our right to vote on laws. He writes this morning to talk about his deep respect for the voters and to encourage everyone to sign the People Power Petitions to protect the rights of voters:

I am for liberty. I am for justice. I am for what works.

One of the things that works is the process of ballot measures, changes to laws proposed by persons or groups thereof. Such proposals in South Dakota need about 25,000 signatures of government-approved “voters” before they are taken seriously.

They then get put on the ballot, and everyone who goes to the polls on Election Day gets to vote yes or no on them.

In 1992, voters said I wasn’t worthy of replacing Tim Johnson in the US House of Representatives. They were right. Hell, I didn’t think so.

In 1998, voters said I wasn’t worthy of sitting in the chair of the Governor of South Dakota. I have some trouble with that, still, since the guy who beat me was the meanest fat-assed bastard to have ever disgraced that chair in South Dakota. Still, I accept it was a fair election.

In 2002, voters decided that I was not worthy of the Attorney-General’s chair in South Dakota, despite my catchy campaign slogan: “At Least I’m Not a Lawyer.”

I would have been a better Attorney General than either Larry Long or Ron Volesky, the folks who both got more votes for Attorney General in 2002.

That same year, South Dakota voters rejected, by a margin of 82%-18%, a proposal that defendants charged with criminal offenses be allowed to argue that the law under which they were being charged made no sense.

People charged with a crime should be able to say that the law under which they are being charged sucks the crap of naked mole rats.

Still, the voters rejected me and the issues I advocated. I NEVER said publicly that the voters were knotheads, even though I may have gotten some mileage in supportive company.

G. Mark Mickelson, the son of a South Dakota governor, called me and many of you knotheads for attempting to place limits on what legislators may do for pay while representing you and getting paid by you.

G. Mark Mickelson, the son of a South Dakota governor, then advocated and succeeded in passing laws that make it nigh impossible for you and me to put a change in South Dakota law in front of voters for approval or disapproval.

Take a look at our proposals to make things at least a little more reasonable. Putting an issue on the ballot is, at best, a formidable task, as it should be. However, it should not be impossible.

In this closing paragraph, I have to say that I am disappointed by the lack of audio/visual/mass-media outlet coverage support from the South Dakota Democratic Party for Cory Heidelberger’s sdvoice.org petitions.

I circulate these petitions. I can help you find a petition circulator near any South Dakota person who has conformed to the gummint hoop-jumping to become a circulator.

—Bob Newland, Hot Springs, SD, 2019.05.22 [links added!]

Bob Newland disagrees with you on many things. But he cherishes your right to have your disagreements out at the polls. Sign those petitions!