Circulate the SAVE OUR VOTE Initiative petition

[sarahlee]

SAVE OUR VOTE. It's now or never! Circulate the SAVE OUR VOTE Initiative petition. If we don't hustle signatures by the end of April to qualify for the November ballot (25,000 is the safe number), we have effectivly lost our county referendum right. Don't let the light go out on your watch.


Initiative: the people can propose a new law or amend an existing law

Referendum: the people can prevent legislation from going into effect (people's veto)

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In states without referendum and initiative, citizens have no remedy for bad legislation but voting officials out of office in the next election, which can mean permanent damage in the interim. In South Dakota, democracy is more sure. Citizens can directly propose laws, amend laws or immediately veto decisions, on both state and county level, when elected officials gravely let them down.

FACTORY FARM PROMOTERS HAVE FOUND A LOOPHOLE TO CUT OFF YOUR RIGHT TO VOTE. Decisions of your elected county commissioners are referable to a vote. However, the South Dakota Supreme Court ruled last August that by appointing a board of adjustment to make the final decision Moody County had found a loophole. This bypass of an elected commission -- allowing a non-elected board the final say over controversial permits -- is now spreading to other counties so citizens can’t question the decisions.

THE "SAVE OUR VOTE" INITIATIVE CLOSES THIS LOOPHOLE. Voters would retain the right to reject a permitting decision by a county board if it arouses substantial protest among local voters, whether it pertains to industrial-scale feedlots, juice bars with nude dancers, medical waste dumps, or other developments with big potential for adverse impact. Why give up democracy just so a few giant feedlots can go where they’re not wanted?

REFERENDUM DOES NOT IMPEDE PRACTICAL COUNTY GOVERNMENT. Only controversial legislative decsions are subject to referendum, never normal administrative functions. Demanding rules make referendums rare, confined to cases where county legislative decisions are extremely unpopular. Citizens must collect 5% of voter signatures within 20 days to put an issue on the ballot. Counties have had between zero and four referendum votes the entire past thirty years.

It's now or never. Get signatures on the SAVE OUR VOTE Initiative petition. If we don't hustle enough signatures by the end of April to qualify for the November ballot, we have effectivly lost our county referendum right.

Request petition from sdpjc dailypost.com OR by message at 605/882-2822. Include your postal address.