VIEWPOINT | South Dakota’s lawmakers keep undermining voter power

Guest column by Rick Weiland, co-founder of Dakotans for Health

Rick Weiland

This is what happens when politicians forget who they work for.

Time and again, the people of South Dakota have exercised their constitutional right to pass laws through the initiative process. And time and again, a radical Republican-controlled legislature has worked overtime to dismantle, override and outright repeal what the voters have approved.

Now, South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley has released draft ballot explanations for two proposed constitutional amendments that could finally put a stop to this overreach. These amendments would ensure that any attempt to weaken or overturn a voter-approved initiative within seven years of its passage must meet a three-fourths majority vote in both chambers and receive voter approval at the next general election. Simply put, they’re about making sure politicians respect the will of the people.

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