Wismer: South Dakota doomed to 'dark ages'

In a gambit to increase registration numbers in his earth hater party South Dakota's Speaker of the House Mark Mickelson wants to put constitutional amendments to his party's voters in next year's cluttered primary instead of putting them to all voters on the general election ballot.

Former South Dakota Democratic gubernatorial nominee Rep. Susan Wismer acknowledges the risk of earth haters holding supermajorities in the Legislature.

"They're picking their voters when they decide to change an election date to their advantage," Wismer said. "It's just another example of what happens when you allow one party to be in such extreme control for so many years."

Read more here.

Just to be sure everyone understands the insidious plan here: If, say, a proposal such as the one to increase the percent required for a successful initiated constitutional amendment to 55% should be placed on the ballot by the legislature in March of 2018 (WITH an emergency clause that puts it into effect immediately after the people vote) AND per Mickelson’s proposal is then voted on during that high GOP turnout primary in June 2018, they will have successfully increased the burden on initiated proposals that are already in process for the November 2018 ballot, such as redistricting. GOP voters in the primary will change the rules of the game during the game, and once again a minority of voters will make a decision that will keep South Dakota in the dark ages for generations to come. [blog comment, Susan Wismer]

Your thoughts?

Let voters be part of the conversation and get rid of that emergency clause. If 15,000 voters petition to refer this misguided decision, lawmakers should withdraw their amendments (allowed under SD Const 23-3) and wait til general election #sdleg https://t.co/IMJlA2FEbY

— Doug Kronaizl (@DougKronaizl) November 15, 2017