In a sign of the increasing momentum and cross-partisan appeal of my petition drives, Representative Carl Perry (R-3/Aberdeen) signed the HB 1094 Referendum petition this morning:
Rep Carl Perry (R-3/Aberdeen) signs the HB 1094 Referendum Petition. So should you! #sdleg https://t.co/JZJ5IWZxfc pic.twitter.com/3Kbabi2p2W
— CAHeidelberger (@coralhei) June 21, 2019
Rep. Perry isn’t saying he’ll vote to repeal the circulator registry and badge requirement that Governor Noem signed into law last March (he voted against HB 1094 on February 21, then voted for an amended version on March 6). He is saying he’s open to allowing the voters to decide whether requiring us to get a government permit to carry a petition is good policy. If I remind him of the paperwork and bureaucracy HB 1094 is imposing on the exercise of a basic First Amendment right, maybe I can pull him back to the Nay column!
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I bumped into Representative Perry while he was touring LifeScape’s Sioux Falls care facilities. With his brain in its usual policy mode, Representative Perry noted with pride this Legislature’s provision of a 6.5% funding increase to community service providers for adult services, notably above the usual 2.5% increase, as well as a 10% increase in support for nursing homes plus Governor Kristi Noem’s additional $5 million for nursing home innovation grants.
I have forgotten who the psycho Speaker is, but I imagine he and the rest of the SDGOP leadership will be incensed with Rep. Perry if he’s not carefully toeing their line. I find him a breath of hope in a political party that seems to discourage that.
He’s just one person, and he toes the line in legislative votes. He just sees no harm in placing his name in a process that nominally acknowledges citizen participation. Good for him, but he’s not our friend.
Debbo, why on earth would Speaker Haugaard be unhappy about his members encouraging civic participation in policy issues? It’s not a socialist plot or anything. ;-)
The dead tree edition of the Sunday Strib has an article headlined “GOP lawmakers try to stop citizen lawmaking.” I cannot find it in the online edition, which is frustrating.
Basically it’s a rehash of the anti-democratic antics the power hungry GOP is carrying out in SD. Other states where the Greedy Oligarchs Party is trying to keep citizens out of government are Arkansas, Florida, North Dakota, Utah, Michigan and Idaho. The article says the GOP has attacked democracy in 16 states, but doesn’t list all 16.
The GOP trots out their same worn and dishonest excuses for their power grab– the citizens were too active! They were legislating too much! It’s the nightmare of every democracy, an over involved electorate. Well, it’s the nightmare of every would be oligarchy.