Weiland hails end of lawsuit over Amendment G, says proponents of direct democracy will fight on

Judge John Pekas has granted the motion to dismiss the Life Defense Fund’s (LDF) baseless claims against Dakotans for Health, clearing the way for our continued efforts to empower South Dakota voters.

The LDF had alleged that Dakotans for Health violated state law in its campaign for Amendment G and sought to bar the organization, its staff, and its supporters from participating in any future ballot initiatives for the next four years. With this dismissal, those false accusations have been put to rest.

I expected this outcome. The Life Defense Fund’s accusations were part of a broader, failed effort to keep Amendment G off the ballot and silence the voices of South Dakota voters. But make no mistake — this dismissal is just one battle in a much larger war over the future of direct democracy in South Dakota.

The politicians who do not want the people of South Dakota to have the power to overrule their mistakes will continue to try to strip away this right. Most notably, state Rep. Jon Hansen, co-chair of the Life Defense Fund and now speaker of the South Dakota House of Representatives, is among those leading the charge to weaken our direct democracy process.

We’ve seen time and time again that these efforts are designed to make it harder for citizens to qualify measures for the ballot, and even easier for the legislature to overturn the will of the people once they do. These moves would render the entire direct democracy process meaningless.

South Dakota has a proud history as a pioneer in direct democracy, dating back to 1898. We refuse to let that tradition die on our watch. The people of this state value their right to have a voice in their government.

That’s why we are working with an emerging coalition of organizations and community activists to introduce a comprehensive package of amendments to protect and strengthen the people’s right to direct democracy in South Dakota. We will ensure that no politician, no special interest group, and no effort from within the Legislature can take that right away from them.

Dakotans for Health remains committed to protecting the fundamental rights of South Dakota voters and advancing initiatives that reflect the will of the people.

Rick Weiland of Sioux Falls is the co-founder of Dakotans for Health