Ballot Issue

How I'm Voting

Why

Amendment C – further restrictions on gay marriage, civil unions, etc.

NO

South Dakota law already defines marriage as a one-man-one-woman union. Further restrictions are just a homophobic poke in the eye. Let's not clutter up our Constitution with yahoo-ism.

Amendment D – Property tax reform: assessment based on acquisition value, increase capped at 3% except in case of reclassification, sale, addition, improvement, or destruction

YES

My taxes should depend on the value of my property, not the value of my neighbors' property. Retirees, farmers, and low- and middle-income workers get squeezed when their property values go up just because wealthier folks mvoe in next door and decide to develop their properties more extravagantly. Folks who build modest homes shouldn't be priced out of their hard-earned property by neighbors who want fancier houses.

Amendment E – “JAIL” Amendment, creating special grand jury to hear appeals and punish judges, elected officials, and jurors for vaguely defined malfeasance

NO

This proposal, pushed by out-of-state interests attempting to hijack South Dakota's Constituion to push their own agenda, would demolish the checks and balances of our state constitution. Nearly every public official and even citizens on juries would be subject to lawsuits by parties dissatisfied with verdicts or official rulings. Courts and administrative bodies could be paralyzed by litigation or even the fear of litigation. The star-chamber-esque special grand jury created by this measure has no check on its power from any branch of state government or even the electorate.

Amendment F – Constitutional revisions pertaining to the Legislature

undecided

This Amendment is actually a laundry list of changes to Article III of the State Constitution. Many of the changes appear to simply clarify language. The removal of Congressional term limits squares our Constitution with federal court rulings. The amendment appears to increase the Legislature's authority to set its own rates for expense and mileage reimbursements, which opens the door for a little extra dipping at the public trough, but in a state where our legislators only meet for two months and must live among us the rest of the year, we can keep tabs on them well enough to check untrammeled greed. The Legislature also gets increased authority to act in emergencies, about which I am ambivalent. If there's a disaster, I don't want assistance held up by some legal technicality. Yet I'm not convinced that writing permission for the Legislature to act extra-constitutionally into the Constitution is wise.

Initiated Measure 2 – increase tobacco tax

YES

Given that I'm voting to limit property tax and repeal video lottery, I'd better do something to replace some of the lost revenue! Besides, there's no upside to smoking. If we increase the tax, we either increase revenue (raises for teachers, Governor Rounds?) or we price kids out of starting the habit and have lower health care costs in the future.

Initiated Measure 3 – mandate no school before August 31

YES

I teach English, and while I love my job, I also love summer. Right now, my school starts in the middle of August, ensuring a number of hot summer days stuck inside, and ends in the middle of May, when we generally get an even split of sunny days and cool rainy days. Let the kids out right before Memorial Day, bring 'em back right after Labor Day. Let families have a full traditional summer outdoor fun and family vacations. Also give teenagers and school employees the chance to work more summer jobs that coincide with the traditional summer season, especially jobs in tourism (South Dakota's second biggest industry).

Initiated Measure 4 – legalize medical marijuana

YES

Marijuana is less potent and addictive than a lot of legal drugs doctors prescribe. Let medical professionals, not government, decide what drugs will help their patients.

Initiated Measure 5 – restrict use of state plane to state business; no exceptions for governor or state law enforcement officials

leaning no

Yes, state resources should only be used for state business. However, this measure smells of personal politics. If the governor goes joyriding in the state plane, it's not going to stay a secret in this state, and even if current law exempts the governor from civil penalties, he'll still catch heck in the media.

Initiated Measure 7 – repeal video lottery

YES

Taxes should be fairly shared by all citizens, who share equally in the blessings of democracy. We base 11% of our state budget on a revenue source that relies on people who can't do math or are desperate enough to ignore it in hopes of a quick payoff. I've wondered if maybe video lottery is acceptable as a voluntary tax, but no one goes to the casino thinking, “I feel like being a good citizen; I'll go pay some extra taxes to help South Dakota.” They go hoping to strike it rich. Poor people gamble and sink into more debt; rich people keep their money and avoid the tax burden. Gambling degrades civic responsibility. (Here's a social and Biblical perspective.)

Initiated Measure 8 – repeal wireless telecommunications tax

NO

The proponents of this measure argue double taxation, but by that logic, we should have to repeal our special taxes on alcohol, tobacco, tourism services, insurance, and banks (and maybe that's the precedent the IM8 proponents are hoping to set). What really gets me, though, is that this is another measure being pushed by out-of-state interests, in this case Verizon Wireless, which paid $115,000 to round up signatures for the petition to put this measure on the ballot. If Chinese lobbyists tried to influence Congress, we'd be outraged. When big out-of-state corporations try to dictate South Dakota law, South Dakotans should reject that outsider influence with similar zeal.

Referred Law 6 – HB 1215 – the abortion ban

NO

House Bill 1215 is bad public policy. The Legislature passed this law (and Governor Rounds signed it) with the full knowledge that it won't save a single baby – women already desperate enough to drive a couple hundred miles across the state to Sioux Falls for an abortion will just drive an extra couple hours to Minneapolis, Omaha, or wherever else they can obtain the procedure. The only exception it makes for victims of incest and rape is to rush down to the pharmacy and get the morning-after pill... assuming they can find a South Dakota pharmacy that will stock it. (And how many young incest victims will be able to sneak out of the house without their victimizer knowing and know where to obtain morning-after contraception?) This law is political and moral grandstanding that will only transfer millions of dollars from South Dakota's public treasury to the pockets of eager lawyers who will happily spend years litigating this law, unless we stop it now at the polls. Instead of spending our money on legal fights, we should be spending our money to give real assistance to young women who need our help and to teach young men to be responsible.