FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE :    Wednesday, August 12, 2015
CONTACT:  Sara Rabern (605)773-3215   

Attorney General Explanations Released for Initiated Constitutional Amendments Establishing Nonpartisan Elections

PIERRE –South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley announced today Attorney General Explanations for proposed Constitutional Amendments have been filed with the Secretary of State. These statements will appear on petitions that will be circulated by the sponsor of the proposed amendments. If the sponsor obtains a sufficient number of signatures on the petitions by November 9, 2015, as certified by the Secretary of State, the measures will be placed on the ballot for the November 2016 general election. These are measures to change the Constitution, as opposed to changing state statutes (which requires 13,871), therefore the sponsor will need 27,741 signatures.
1. An initiated amendment to the South Dakota Constitution establishing nonpartisan elections
2. An initiated amendment to the South Dakota Constitution establishing nonpartisan elections and requiring secret ballot elections for certain legislative officers

Under South Dakota law, the Attorney General is responsible for preparing explanations for proposed initiated measures, referred laws, and South Dakota Constitutional Amendments. Specifically, the explanation includes a title, an objective, clear and simple summary of the purpose and effect of the proposed measure and a description of the legal consequences.

To view the Attorney General Explanation for the measure, as well as the final form of the measure submitted to this office, please click on the links:

Attorney General Explanation- Amendment establishing nonpartisan elections

Attorney General Explanation- requiring secret ballot elections

To date the Attorney General has released Attorney General Explanations for the following:

1. An initiated measure to set a maximum finance charge for certain licensed money lenders
2. An initiated amendment to the South Dakota Constitution to allow referral of state and municipal laws affecting public peace, health, safety and the support of government and also to limit the ability to amend or repeal initiated laws
3. An initiated measure to legalize marijuana for medical use
4. An initiated measure to decriminalize the possession of one ounce or less of marijuana and marijuana paraphernalia
5. An initiated measure to criminalize the transfer of alcoholic beverages
6. An initiated measure to criminalize the transfer of tobacco and tobacco paraphernalia
7. An initiated amendment to the South Dakota Constitution to provide for state legislative redistricting by a commission
8. An initiated amendment to the South Dakota Constitution to expand rights for crime victims
9. An initiated amendment to the South Dakota Constitution limiting the ability to set statutory interest rates for loans
10. An initiated amendment to the South Dakota Constitution establishing nonpartisan elections
11. An initiated amendment to the South Dakota Constitution establishing nonpartisan elections  and requiring secret ballot elections for certain legislative officers

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