Democracy Rally

Citizen Democracy is under attack in the Coyote state as the South Dakota Legislature continues to undermine the people’s right to gather signatures and pass public policy at the ballot box.

South Dakota was the first state in the nation to include this right in its state’s constitution, consistent with South Dakota’s official state motto – “UNDER GOD THE PEOPLE RULE.” Recent efforts by a heavily Republican dominated state legislature have turned our state motto into a joke by repeatedly ignoring the will of the voters.

When the people of South Dakota voted to increase the minimum wage in 2014 for all minimum wage earners, the State Legislature took it upon themselves to omit young adults causing outrage among the voters who referred that action, and by a vote of over 70%, said NO to the Legislature and YES to an additional $1.25 with cost-of-living adjustment.

The people of South Dakota, fed up with state government scandals like EB-5 and GearUp, which resulted in suicides, murders, and malfeasance, pushed back, and passed IM-22, the Anti-Corruption, Campaign and Ethics Reform Act, which the SD State Legislature quickly repealed in its entirety – and declared a state of emergency, taking away the voters right to overturn their decision.

Last November, the people of South Dakota voted to legalize both medical and recreational marijuana – and a year later, both remain illegal in the Coyote state.

The “Under God the People Rule” Democracy Rally is an opportunity for the people of South Dakota to come together to raise their voices and hold the South Dakota State Legislature accountable.

The rally will take place at the Dakotans for Health “Democracy Center” located at 1911 South Minnesota Avenue (the old Bagel Boy restaurant) starting at 2 pm with brief remarks from Rick Weiland, founder of Dakotans for Health and sponsor of the constitutional and statutory measures to expand Medicaid.  Amy Scott Stolz, Director of Drawn Together which is sponsoring the Nonpartisan Legislative Redistricting Commission, and Flandreau Santee Sioux President Tony Reider from South Dakotans for Better Marijuana Laws.

There will be petition circulators on hand with petitions for Medicaid Expansion, Legislative Redistricting and Recreational Cannabis. You will get a chance to learn more about “Vote No on Amendment C” – and HJR 5003, the Legislature’s most recent action which places a constitutional amendment on the June 2022 campaign which would require citizen initiatives like Medicaid Expansion to pass with a 60% supermajority.

The Democracy Center is collecting signatures and is open 7 days a week from 10 am to 7 pm. Representatives from Dakotans for Health, Drawn Together, and South Dakotans for Better Marijuana Laws will be available all day to collect signatures and answer questions.