HB1323 changes when local government ordinances and resolutions must be put to a public vote by modifying the referendum requirements across multiple types of political subdivisions in South Dakota. The bill reorganizes and expands the rules governing which ordinances trigger mandatory voter referrals, clarifying the process and timeline for when these measures take effect. These changes apply to counties, cities, towns, and various other local government entities throughout the state.
The amendment shortens the petition filing deadline for voters to refer ordinances and resolutions from forty-five days to thirty days after adoption across county, municipal, and annexation contexts, and similarly reduces the effective date of ordinances from forty-five days to thirty days after publication. This NARROWS the window for citizen action and speeds up when local government decisions take effect.
The amendment restructures the petition filing deadline for referring county ordinances and resolutions to voters, changing it from an unspecified timeframe to explicitly "within thirty days of the adoption" of the ordinance or resolution, and similarly modifies the timeline for municipal annexation referrals from "twenty days" to align with this standard. This NARROWS and clarifies the bill's original purpose by establishing a consistent, definite deadline across different types of political subdivision decisions.
The amendment BROADENS the bill's scope from just modifying filing deadlines for referendum petitions to comprehensively revising multiple requirements for referring ordinances and resolutions to voters, including shortening timelines from 30 to 20 days, adding an alternative signature threshold of 2,500 voters, and clarifying which decisions cannot be referred. This shifts the bill from a narrow procedural fix into a substantial restructuring of the referendum process for county ordinances and resolutions.
Other amendments
House of Representatives Failed to concur, no committee appointed Passed, YEAS 40, NAYS 27. H.J. 550
Senate Do Pass Amended Passed, YEAS 19, NAYS 15. S.J. 504
Senate Motion to amend S.J. 499
State Affairs Do Pass Amended Passed, YEAS 5, NAYS 2. S.J. 39
State Affairs Motion to amend S.J. 39
State Affairs Scheduled for hearing
First read in Senate and referred to Senate State Affairs S.J. 357
House of Representatives Do Pass Amended Passed, YEAS 39, NAYS 28. H.J. 392
House of Representatives Motion to amend H.J. 391
State Affairs Do Pass Passed, YEAS 10, NAYS 2.
State Affairs Scheduled for hearing
House of Representatives Referred to House State Affairs H.J. 247
First Reading House H.J. 220
Prime sponsor · Rep.
R
Prime sponsor · Sen.
R
Failed to concur, no committee appointed
Do Pass Amended
State Affairs — Do Pass Amended
Do Pass Amended
State Affairs — Do Pass