Public votes always get a cheer from this small-d democrat. The latest outbreak of direct democracy happens in Rapid City, where petitioners say they have gathered over 2,700 signatures, nearly 700 more than necessary, to put the city's financing of…
Posts tagged as “referendum”
I've spent a good part of this week making lemonade from the lemons the midterms handed us. Have another glass: South Dakota voters turned out in paltry numbers Tuesday. That's a symptom of weakening democracy. But that low turnout offers…
In the South Dakota Legislature,"deferred to the 41st day" usually means dead. But House Bill 1096 reminds us that resurrection is a simple matter of majority vote. With HB 1096, Rep. Herman Otten (R-6/Tea) wanted to ban campaign signs on…
27% of registered voters in Spearfish and Spearfish Valley showed up at the polls yesterday to reject the city's proposed annexation of some of the nicest not-quite urban, not-quite rural agricultural land in South Dakota. On a 54.6%-to-45.4% split, referendum…
Belle Fourche referendum update! The "fewer than 60" signatures that Belle Fourche Chamber exec Teresa Schwanzenbach told the press the Chamber would need to call a referendum on the city council's decision to kick the Chamber out of the city's…
The Black Hills Pioneer leads coverage of the Belle Fourche brouhaha with the headline that Chamber of Commerce President Jeff Otterman has resigned from the Chamber board. I've met Otterman; he's a smart, decent guy, and the Chamber will be…
Sioux Falls City Clerk Lorie Hogstad has finished her standard petition review on Save Our Neighborhood's petition to refer to a public vote a key rezoning decision that allowed Walmart to move forward with a planned Supercenter at the corner…
How did you spend your day at work today? I had a few meetings, caught up on some e-mails, made plans for some projects for the rest of the year. Almost certainly, I had a better day at the office…