Last updated on 2022-10-08
Hey, isn’t the Republican spin blog supposed to post all of the press releases from our corporate overlords, while South Dakota’s most liberal blog is supposed to keep sticking it in the eye of big business?
Sure, but this week, the South Dakota Chamber of Commerce and Industry joined its Sioux Falls subsidiary in urging South Dakotans to vote No on Amendment C, which is the Republican/Americans for (Billioniare) Prosperity’s attempt to hamstring the people’s right to pass laws and amendments through initiative.
To make sure my liberal bias doesn’t cloud the Chamber’s important message, I post their press release and its reasons for opposing Amendment C in full:
During a regularly scheduled board meeting held Tuesday May 24th the Board of Directors of the South Dakota Chamber of Commerce and Industry outlined several objections to Amendment C.
First, Amendment C shouldn’t be on the ballot of the June primary election which will have a very small voter turnout that is overtly partisan and will not represent the will of the majority of South Dakota voters. The Chamber has voiced objection to the use of the primary election since the 2021 legislative session when HJR 5003 was put on the ballot for the June vote.
“Urging voters to reject Amendment C is the final way to address an error made by the legislature,” said David Owen, President of the South Dakota Chamber of Commerce and Industry, continuing with “they didn’t even hold a hearing on the use of the primary.” Owen stated that most primaries have about 20% to 25% voter turnout and that “this is the essence of minority rule.”
The Chamber Board also repeated the organization’s long history of opposing putting policy matters in the Constitution. If Amendment C turns out to be a mistake, it will require another statewide election to correct it.
And finally, Owen commented, “We understand that many Chamber members support the idea of making it harder for ballot measures to increase taxes and public spending but Amendment C is poorly drafted, too ambiguous, and just invites a series of lawsuits, one of which has already been started. There should be a full debate about tax and spending limits and the Chamber looks forward to that discussion but Amendment C isn’t the correct tool.”
In summary, the South Dakota Chamber of Commerce and Industry urges voters to VOTE NO on Amendment C for the following reasons:
- Amendment C should not be on a primary ballot where it will be decided by an extremely small minority of voters.
- Amendment C is policy that does not belong in the Constitution.
- Amendment C language is too poorly written and too vague.
- Amendment C has already had one lawsuit filed to challenge it, more are certain to follow.
- Amendment C is not a workable way to limit the use of ballot issues to increase taxes or government spending, a goal that the Chamber could support
[South Dakota Chamber of Commerce and Industry, press release, 2022.05.25].
On Amendment C, South Dakota Republicans and their big-spending out-of-state anarcho-capitalist lobbyists are out of step with the shop and factory owners on their own Main Streets. South Dakota’s captains of commerce and industry want to stick with majority rule, not an arbitrary 60% threshold allowing a minority to block important and popular policy measures and investments in South Dakota’s future. Vote No on C!
Who the heck is in favor of Amendment C? What a waste of space on the ballot.
C has nothing to do with fiscal policy. It is simply a scorpion hiding in gremlin’s clothing to further eviscerate the initiative and referendum in the state where under god the people rule except when a bunch of authoritarians don’t like it.
96,
I just saw an advertisement from John Hansen lying through his teeth about amendment C.
No shame B. S.
Pat Powers is on the payroll of Americans for Prosperity which limits his credibility.
Pat Powers sell campaign material and advice to SD political candidates which limits his credibility.
Pat Power is on the payroll of SDGOP Chairperson Dan Lederman which limits his credibility.
What Pat Powers prints about politics is limited in its credibility.
Would you buy a house from this realtor Pat Powers?
The Chamber’s forked tongue makes it an unreliable witness.
https://www.yankton.net/community/article_f86d98be-c1e2-11ec-b328-4fe4d4876719.html
Serious question – any internal polling on this? Would be good to know if the “No’s” have to get out the vote!
Don’t they know they will be Disneyfied by Noem? It’s her DeSantis chance.
96Tears said: “Who the heck is in favor of Amendment C?”
Indeed. Even I am opposed to this one.
When voter turnout is 65% it takes only 33% of the registered voters to pass something inanely expensive like Marsy’s Law or IM 22. Amendment C will raise the threshold to 39%.
Currently we have fools with no concept of fiscal responsibility advocating for Medicaid expansion.
They cheerfully explain the federal government will pay for most of it.
At the same time we have small town independent nursing homes closing because too many of their customers are on Medicaid. The reimbursement rates are too low. They are already pressuring the state legislature to rescue them; this situation will get worse if more people qualify for Medicaid.
The only wiggle room in the state budget is in education.
The predictable cascade of events will be: more elderly people will qualify for Medicaid, more nursing homes will be at risk of closure, the state’s share of Medicaid costs will be higher than expected, and cuts to education will be necessary. This will prompt the teachers to riot in the state capitol. They’ll be using foul language and issuing threats of violence “for the children” because that’s how they always demonstrate their fitness to educate the young.
This will result in higher taxes. It always does.
Mrs. Beal is exactly right: socialized agriculture, socialized dairies, socialized cheese, socialized livestock production, a socialized timber industry, socialized air service, socialized freight rail, a socialized nursing home industry, a socialized internet, socialized gas well remediation and now a socialized water system are all fine with Republicans in South Dakota but then they insist single-payer medical insurance is socialized medicine.
“This will prompt the teachers to riot in the state capitol. They’ll be using foul language and issuing threats of violence “for the children” because that’s how they always demonstrate their fitness to educate the young.”
it is all the failure of the news media, because it never, ever reported anything like this happening.
Anne Beal, your right, just let them suffer, it’s the Republican way. How else can you deign who’s superior? I would go on, but it’s Sunday and I can still get to the links, bye bye.
Anne, can I buy what you are smoking? The minutia of Medicaid reimbursement doesn’t interest me, but I’d love to visit the crazy world of rioting, foul mouthed SD teachers with you. Who are also teaching kids the finer points of rioting (and foul language, of course.) Sounds like an awesome trip! But remember, you doctor “prescribed” it. ;)