PIERRE – Efforts to put a local government decision to a vote of the people won’t get added time to collect signatures. On Tuesday, the S.D. House of Representatives defeated HB1226.
Currently citizens have 20 days to refer a local government decision to a vote. HB1226 would add 15 days for collecting signatures on city and school issues and 20 days for collecting signatures on county issues.
“Let’s show our communities that we respect them,” said Rep. Julie Frye-Mueller, R-Rapid City, in support of the bill.
Rep. Tim Reed, R-Brookings, asked the House to resist the bill because of the amount of time it would add to projects.
“The city keeps things moving along,” Reed said. “The county keeps things moving along.”
Rep. Timothy Goodwin, a Republican who lives near Hill City, said people in his area get their local government news from a weekly newspaper and Internet service is spotty.
“It’s just a fairness issue,” Goodwin said of adding more time to the signature collection process.
Rep. Carl Perry, R-Aberdeen, urged support for the bill because it has the potential to get more people involved in the political process.
There’s ample time for citizens to address decisions made by local government as those decisions usually take two readings before they are enacted, according to Rep. Hugh Bartels, R-Watertown.
“It is a lot longer process than that,” Bartels said, adding that increasing the signature collection process by 15 or 20 days takes half a month out of the construction season.
Frye-Mueller referenced a local government decision in her district that didn’t get on the ballot because of a lack of time to collect signatures. She said the problem goes beyond her district.
“My problem is silencing the voice of the people,” Frye-Mueller said. “I don’t think it’s right to limit their ability to address their government.”
The bill failed on a vote of 25-43.
