Just in time for the People Power Petition drive to hit the fairs, that Sioux Falls paper comes out with a strong editorial criticizing the Legislature’s war on initiative and referendum and supporting citizens’ right to petition for changes in the law.
The editorial board sees clearly that the Republican Party’s platform-contradicting effort to impose more big-government regulation and bureaucracy on the petition process is really just an effort to insulate the “power brokers in Pierre” from the voice of the people:
South Dakota’s storied tradition of citizen-led ballot measures is under fire, which we probably should have seen coming.
The state’s initiative and referendum process expanded nearly 50 years ago to include constitutional amendments, allowing the power of the petition to circumvent traditional political channels.
Such bursts of direct democracy make certain folks uncomfortable, most notably Republican power brokers in Pierre. Within the GOP-controlled executive branch and legislature, preserving a system in which policy is framed by representatives rather than pumped-up citizens is paramount [editorial, that Sioux Falls paper, 2019.08.02].
The editorial notes that Representative Jon Hansen’s xenophobe-rousing response to my lawsuit seeking to overturn his circulator registry and badges is hypocritical: Hansen doesn’t mind outsiders driving our politics, as long as they his kind of outsiders:
State House member Jon Hansen of Dell Rapids, who sponsored the legislation, defended it by claiming it will “ensure that our initiative and referendum process will remain a grassroots process for South Dakotans only, and not for law breaking out-of-state political hacks and special interests.”
Of course, such venom is reserved for organizations that threaten South Dakota’s GOP super majority. It was perfectly fine for out-of-state special interest group Americans for Prosperity, backed by the Koch Brothers, to wage an aggressive battle against IM 22 to the tune of $650,000, not to mention the steady legislative influence of far-right Christian groups such as the Family Heritage Alliance [editorial, 2019.08.02].
Letting citizens vote directly on laws isn’t a perfect process—nothing is! But the editorial endorses Judge Charles Kornmann’s reasoning that initiative and referendum provide a vital check on one-party rule:
To portray South Dakota’s ballot initiative process as a bastion of pure democracy is a bit of a stretch. But in a state controlled by a single party, it’s too easy to silence opposing views and eschew constructive debate when there’s no policy-making alternative to Pierre’s power structure.
Allowing voices to be heard and arguing issues on their merits sounds more American than setting up road blocks along the way [editorial, 2019.08.02].
Friends, neighbors, read your paper, then sign my petition to bring democracy back to South Dakota!
Really? The timid little Argus now admits they should have seen this coming? Talk about far too little, years too late!
The I&R has been under attack by the state GOP since the 80s. When the SDGOP turned over the newly minted increase in the state minimum wage, it was already almost too late. And when the people spoke clearly to restore ethics to state elections and the state legislature, the bulletproof rubberstamp GOP majorities shoved the new law aside because it interrupted their little circus in Pierre. In other states, this would have launched newspapers to join hands with citizens to storm the state capitol … but not the Argus and not in South Dakota.
Under God the people rule.
What a bunch of crap! Under despots and special interests the people better just get the hell out of the way.
The Argus should roll over and remain in hospice. It’s nearly over anyway. No newspaper licked the boots of the big shots nearly as well or as enthusiastically as the Argus Leader.
A South Dakotan all my life until 1990, I am continually appalled that political figures who represent a state whose people are fair and kind spirited can fail to show even a modicum of courage in the face of the rampant tribalism that threatens the safety and security of all Americans, especially those of color and other nationalities. Regardless of their party loyalties, how can Senators Thune and Rounds remain silent when their leadership is committed to the language and actions of hate and violence? Is moral courage still alive or has it disappeared in the fog of fear?
Nice to hear centrist, honest critiques of wingnut’s failure to govern for the majority of decent South Dakota residents.
Better late than never, but just barely. Just.