Scorecard grades lawmakers on their friendliness to the ballot initiative process.
Dakota News Now
[{'start': '0.080', 'end': '3.760', 'text': 'scorecard released by the Voter Defense'}, {'start': '2.159', 'end': '6.160', 'text': 'Association of South Dakota is'}, {'start': '3.760', 'end': '8.800', 'text': 'highlighting how each lawmaker fared'}, {'start': '6.160', 'end': '10.400', 'text': 'when voting on ballot initiative issues.'}, {'start': '8.800', 'end': '12.559', 'text': 'Our Grant Green spoke with the man'}, {'start': '10.400', 'end': '14.639', 'text': 'behind that scorecard and why one piece'}, {'start': '12.559', 'end': '17.600', 'text': 'of legislation is particularly'}, {'start': '14.639', 'end': '19.760', 'text': 'concerning to him. Hello, Grant. Hello,'}, {'start': '17.600', 'end': '21.279', 'text': 'Brian and Andrea. Yeah, the scorecard'}, {'start': '19.760', 'end': '23.279', 'text': 'covers 12 different pieces of'}, {'start': '21.279', 'end': '25.680', 'text': 'legislation with some of these items'}, {'start': '23.279', 'end': '27.920', 'text': 'that died in committee and other pieces'}, {'start': '25.680', 'end': '31.199', 'text': 'that have either been signed into law or'}, {'start': '27.920', 'end': '33.040', 'text': 'will be on the 2026 ballot. Matthew'}, {'start': '31.199', 'end': '35.120', 'text': 'Schwik, the president of the Voter'}, {'start': '33.040', 'end': '37.280', 'text': 'Defense Association, said it was'}, {'start': '35.120', 'end': '39.440', 'text': 'frustrating to see the legislature push'}, {'start': '37.280', 'end': '41.879', 'text': 'efforts to take away the voice of the'}, {'start': '39.440', 'end': '45.360', 'text': 'people, citing House Joint Resolution'}, {'start': '41.879', 'end': '47.680', 'text': "503 as one of his biggest concerns. It's"}, {'start': '45.360', 'end': '49.200', 'text': 'a tyranny of the minority. I think every'}, {'start': '47.680', 'end': '51.600', 'text': "person's vote should count equally in"}, {'start': '49.200', 'end': '54.079', 'text': "South Dakota. And um when you say it's"}, {'start': '51.600', 'end': '56.239', 'text': "60%, you're allowing 40% of the"}, {'start': '54.079', 'end': '58.320', 'text': 'electorate to block something that a'}, {'start': '56.239', 'end': '61.199', 'text': 'strong majority of the state supports.'}, {'start': '58.320', 'end': '63.039', 'text': "That's not fair. It's not how we make"}, {'start': '61.199', 'end': '65.000', 'text': 'other decisions in South Dakota'}, {'start': '63.039', 'end': '68.479', 'text': 'government. If House Joint Resolution'}, {'start': '65.000', 'end': '70.400', 'text': '503 or Amendment L passes, it would'}, {'start': '68.479', 'end': '73.040', 'text': 'require a constitutional amendment to'}, {'start': '70.400', 'end': '76.400', 'text': 'receive over 60% of the vote instead of'}, {'start': '73.040', 'end': '78.720', 'text': 'a 50% plus one simple majority.'}, {'start': '76.400', 'end': '81.600', 'text': 'Republican and Aberdine Senator Michael'}, {'start': '78.720', 'end': '83.280', 'text': 'Ro received an A+ grade for his efforts'}, {'start': '81.600', 'end': '85.439', 'text': 'to protect the ballot initiative'}, {'start': '83.280', 'end': '87.759', 'text': 'process. He says the idea that the'}, {'start': '85.439', 'end': '90.400', 'text': 'initiative process needs restrictions'}, {'start': '87.759', 'end': '94.000', 'text': 'holds no water. We put four different'}, {'start': '90.400', 'end': '96.400', 'text': 'initiatives on the ballot uh for 2026.'}, {'start': '94.000', 'end': '97.759', 'text': 'So coming off a year where many'}, {'start': '96.400', 'end': '99.920', 'text': 'politicians are saying we need to'}, {'start': '97.759', 'end': '101.600', 'text': 'restrict uh the ballot process because'}, {'start': '99.920', 'end': '103.680', 'text': 'voters are getting fatigued after having'}, {'start': '101.600', 'end': '105.200', 'text': 'six on the ballot. We put four on the'}, {'start': '103.680', 'end': '106.560', 'text': 'ballot before citizens even have the'}, {'start': '105.200', 'end': '109.280', 'text': 'chance to put one of theirs on the'}, {'start': '106.560', 'end': '111.520', 'text': 'ballot. Schwe scorecard favored House'}, {'start': '109.280', 'end': '113.600', 'text': 'Democrats but had mixed results in the'}, {'start': '111.520', 'end': '116.000', 'text': 'Senate. However, he says his'}, {'start': '113.600', 'end': '118.320', 'text': 'organization and its efforts do not have'}, {'start': '116.000', 'end': '119.920', 'text': "political ties. I don't think that it's"}, {'start': '118.320', 'end': '122.880', 'text': "a strictly red blue issue. I don't think"}, {'start': '119.920', 'end': '126.240', 'text': 'it should be. Um the initiative process'}, {'start': '122.880', 'end': '128.959', 'text': "isn't about any one particular policy."}, {'start': '126.240', 'end': '130.479', 'text': "It's about how we decide policies and"}, {'start': '128.959', 'end': '132.720', 'text': "that's something that doesn't need to be"}, {'start': '130.479', 'end': '135.200', 'text': 'partisan. Schwike said the campaign'}, {'start': '132.720', 'end': '136.879', 'text': 'against amendment L starts very soon and'}, {'start': '135.200', 'end': '139.640', 'text': 'that the organization will be working'}, {'start': '136.879', 'end': '142.959', 'text': 'hard to raise awareness on'}, {'start': '139.640', 'end': '145.040', 'text': 'it. Similar attempts to raise the voting'}, {'start': '142.959', 'end': '148.879', 'text': 'threshold have failed at the polls in'}, {'start': '145.040', 'end': '153.800', 'text': 'the past in 2018 and 2022. Schweik says'}, {'start': '148.879', 'end': '153.800', 'text': 'he expects the same result in 2026.'}]