Check out other reporters’ takes on my successful court challenge to 2019 HB 1094:
- Anna Peters, “Judge Rules South Dakota Petition Gathering Law Unconstitutional,” KELO-TV, 2020.01.09
- Maria Dinzeo, “Federal Judge Blocks South Dakota Petition Law,” Courthouse News Service, 2020.01.09
- “Judge: Ballot Petition Circulators Law Is Unconstitutional,” AP, 2020.01.01
- Amanda Robert, “Judge Blocks ‘Extensive and Burdensome’ State Law on Ballot Measures,” ABA Journal, 2020.01.10.
- Lee Strubinger, “Federal Judge Strikes Petition Circulator Registry Bill,” SDPB, 2020.01.10
- Tom Lawrence, “…Blogger/Activist Cory Heidelberger and Rocker Patti Smith Are Right: People Have the Power,” South Dakota Standard, 2020.01.10.
- Perry Groten, “HB 1094 Sponsor on Court Decision: ‘It’s a Bad Day for the Rule of Law in S.D.’,” KELO-TV, 2020.01.10.
- Roz Brown, “South Dakota Petition Law Ruled Unconstitutional: Will Lawmakers Try Again?” Pierre Capital Journal, 2020.01.13.
- Josh Altic, “Judge Strikes Down South Dakota Initiative Petition Circulator Disclosure Requirement,” Ballotpedia News, 2020.01.15.
- editorial, “Approving Unconstitutional Measures Comes with a Cost,” Aberdeen American News, 2020.01.18.
As of 08:25 CST Sunday, South Dakota’s self-professed “#1 political web site” has failed to provide any coverage or analysis of this significant political story. This silence differs from the SDGOP spin blog’s usual avid attention to matters affecting the ballot measure petition process. Dakota War College found HB 1094 important enough to agitate against my petition drive against HB 1094 and swiftly report my failure to collect enough signatures to put HB 1094 to a public vote. DWC also pushed back swiftly and vigorously against a Sioux Falls paper editorial criticizing his party’s desired petition circulator registry and disclosure requirements. DWC has been reading the papers: in the 62 hours since Judge Kornmann’s decision hit the airwaves, has had time to boost the Attorney General’s Legislative package, razz that Sioux Falls paper for advocating more equitable taxes, and talk about a riverboat captain’s contentious bid for Pierre mayor. Yet so far, the SDGOP spin blog has seen no reason to discuss this judicial overturning of a law that it found vital to the health of our Republic.
I’ll update this reading list with other articles as they pop up.
It is difficult to pick up your teeth
with two broken arms.
Just be the Cheshire Cat and enjoy
the fact that The Queen of delusion
and her little buddy Jason got their
asses kicked.
The SDGOP will not give up on searching for ways to take power from The People.
thank your for hanging in there and getting this done!!! all South Dakotans really owe it to you for standing up for our freedom and winning!! great job!
Glad to do it, Mary D. As Debbo warns, we must remain ever vigilant to protect our rights against a one-party regime that seeks total control over our lives and pocketbooks.
Mark, even when my party gets its backside bruised (which happens far too often), I still manage to write about it here to discuss the public impact and educate the voters. The SDGOP spin blog makes clear on this story that educating the public, helping petitioners and voters understand how the law works, takes a backseat to attacking enemies and covering for cronies.
The #1 political website Press Release copy machine doesn’t know what to do with this story. It takes a higher level of sophistication to come up with something a little less childish than Rep. Jon Hansen’s line about it being a “sad day for the rule of law.” I don’t know if Pitty Pat has it in him to do any better.
i truly enjoy mark’s honest humor, it also tells a good story.