Republican State Senator Stanford Adelstein is taking Secretary of State Jason Gant to court. Senator Adelstein has accused Secretary Gant of breaking state law by not publishing "con" statements to balance to "pro" statements on the four Constitutional amendments on the statewide ballot. Secretary Gant has refused to publish the "con" statement on Amendment P provided by Senator Adelstein.

Thus, Senator Adelstein has filed a writ of mandamus demanding that Secretary Gant immediately publish Senator Adelstein's Amendment P con statement on the SOS website. Senator Adelstein also demands the immediate recall and reissue of all official information on Amendment P to include his con statement and a news release from Secretary Gant to correct the record.

Judge Mark Barnett hears the arguments Friday at 12:30 p.m. Central in Pierre. How he will rule is an open question... but one must wonder how many rank-and-file Republicans are tired of making excuses for a Secretary of State whose bumbling keeps landing him in court. I hate to create chaos, but it would seem Jason Gant could do himself, his party, and his state a whole lot of good by resigning and letting Governor Daugaard appoint Gant's highly paid and better qualified special consultant Sue Roust to run the rest of the 2012 election.