Cities would lose sales tax revenue from groceries under proposed ballot measures

Voters in 2024 could see two ballot measures to eliminate sales tax on food

A proposed change to the South Dakota Constitution aiming to eliminate sales taxes on groceries would also apply to municipal food taxes, according to the South Dakota Attorney General’s Office.

Activist and former U.S. Senate candidate Rick Weiland in August submitted a proposed constitutional amendment and an initiated measure to the Secretary of State’s Office that seeks to place on the 2024 ballot the food sales tax exemption question that has dominated this year’s election season in recent weeks.

But unlike policy initiatives coming from the campaigns of both Gov. Kristi Noem and Democratic nominee Jamie Smith, the ballot questions - if passed - would also apply to taxes on food collected by towns and cities across South Dakota.