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Daugaard Challenges Teabag Health Care Referral

Governor Dennis Daugaard with laser pointer
Don't make me use this laser pointer....

There are two referral movements afoot in South Dakota. Democrats are gathering signatures to refer Governor Dennis Daugaard's economic development grant program (also known as futile corporate welfare) to a public vote in 2012. Teabaggers are gathering signatures to refer two new laws that bring South Dakota into compliance with the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (also known as ObamaCare).

Now suppose you are Governor Daugaard. Your office sponsored all three bills facing referral. You're also a Republican. Which referral movement gets your goat enough to get you to issue a press release telling petitioneers to stifle it? Which group do you take a public poke at, the Dems or the Teabaggers?

Surprise: Dennis tees off on the Teabaggers:

The two bills in question, SB38 and SB43, prevent the federal government from directly regulating and overseeing our health insurance system. The bills create mechanisms within our state government to put South Dakota into minimum compliance with some provisions of the new federal health care law. Without these two bills, the federal Department of Health and Human Services would be able to enforce their programs with no input from South Dakotans [Governor Dennis Daugaard, "Explanation of Referenda," official state press release, 2011.04.18].

Now our governor opens this essay by oh-so-carefully declaring that "My intent is not to advocate, it is to educate." Horsepuckey: any time a salesman says he's just giving you the facts, he's trying to make a sale. Governor Daugaard is challenging the Tea Party (also known as his base) on their ground, warning that referring and revoking these laws puts the Washington D.C., "federal officials who do not understand the circumstances or values of South Dakotans," in charge of certain state health care policies. The governor says he's just educating, but he's clearly saying, "Stifle it, dingbats."

If the governor unloads like this on a referral movement pushed by his core constituency, I can't wait to hear what he says about the Dems' referral of his corporate handouts. (Did I miss that press release?)

Related: The governor did issue a press release on February 9, during the Legislative session, advocating HB 1230, his economic development grant program.