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South Dakota Republicans’ “state of emergency” to avoid implementing corruption law

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PanicFreak

Member
http://www.salon.com/2017/01/25/sou...n-political-coup-against-anti-corruption-law/

Republican lawmakers in South Dakota have refused to enact a ballot measure instituting campaign finance, lobbying reforms, public financing for campaigns and creating the first independent ethics commission in the state’s history. The bill passed with 52 percent the vote.
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The committee took the unusual step of implementing emergency rules, which would overturn the measure immediately and block a possible referendum that would allow voters to overturn the legislature’s actions. Normally in South Dakota, if the legislature repeals a citizen-backed initiative, the voters can propose a referendum to reverse the repeal. But if it’s eliminated under a so-called state of emergency, citizens can’t reverse that repeal. To adopt those emergency rules, the legislature needs a two-thirds majority, which Republicans provided. Lawmakers are also debating a bill that would double the required signatures to get an initiative on the ballot in South Dakota.
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Declare a "state of emergency" if old
 
M

mike6467

Member
Yeah, this is what your constituents are worried about. They're not even trying to maintain the illusion that they're serving the people.
 
N

Nepenthe

Member
I don't understand how some conservatives can look at what's happening and not feel any sort of guilt or remorse.
 
S

SolarPowered

Member
"But if it’s eliminated under a so-called state of emergency, citizens can’t reverse that repeal. To adopt those emergency rules, the legislature needs a two-thirds majority, which Republicans provided. Lawmakers are also debating a bill that would double the required signatures to get an initiative on the ballot in South Dakota."

Like, what is even the point of living in a democracy when this can happen? lol
 
O

Ogodei

Member
The people want to be ruled by their wealthy betters. They're just too dim to know it, with their credit cards and their mortgages and their lack of investment portfolios. Folly and fie!
 
V

Vena

Member
SolarPowered said:
"But if it's eliminated under a so-called state of emergency, citizens can't reverse that repeal. To adopt those emergency rules, the legislature needs a two-thirds majority, which Republicans provided. Lawmakers are also debating a bill that would double the required signatures to get an initiative on the ballot in South Dakota."

Like, what is even the point of living in a democracy when this can happen? lol
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To be fair to SD, the people are up in arms over this ploy. The problem with trying to overturn a voter-based referendum (and I think this is a detail that these idiots either failed to notice or are so desperate that they are willfully ignoring it), is that the voters are aware of said referendum and voted for it. That's why it passed, there was a large amount of support behind it and people got active to get it voted on and pushed through.

This is a last minute and panicked effort to rid themselves of the referendum, and it will either backfire spectacularly or the people are going to be utterly furious come the next election cycle and a lot of the members will find themselves very easily campaigned against on the basis of "they repealed YOUR vote". Even those who voted against the referendum/ruling would be pissed at the vote being "thrown out" because it also jeopardizes their vote. When you want to pull shit like this, you generally have to be discrete not do it a few weeks after the fact in all the spotlight in the most rushed manner possible.

That shit gets people pissed and active.
 
G

Gordon Shumway

Banned
Nepenthe said:
I don't understand how some conservatives can look at what's happening and not feel any sort of guilt or remorse.
Click to expand...

Too busy rooting for their team. Even if they're liars and thieves, at least they're not those other assholes I can't stand because..? Tends to be the way it goes.
 
UberTag

UberTag

Member
SolarPowered said:
Like, what is even the point of living in a democracy when this can happen? lol
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The simple answer is that you no longer live in a democracy. You live in an autocracy that is maintaining the farce of a democracy to dispel unrest and for TV ratings.
 
B

Buckle

Member
How much more transparently evil can the republican party get at this point?

People still vote for these creeps somehow. We have a short memory..
 
Link

Link

The Autumn Wind
I look forward to our resident Republicans defending this. What's that? None of them will bother with this thread?
 
S

sangreal

Member
Yeah that sounds like something a one party state would do
"It was an attempt to fundamentally transform the South Dakota citizen legislature," he said. "The most problematic sections made de facto criminals out of every single official in our state."

Curd was referring to a clause that would have tightened lobbyist donation limits and restrictions while ramping up penalties.
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What can you really say at this point
 
S

Socivol

Member
It's weird that they are saying people didn't know what they voted for when it seems they know exactly what they voted for. If they don't want to follow through with the democratic process then they need to get out of politics. The sad thing is it seems their constituents are allowing this corruption to continue.
 
G

Glix

Member
Now this is the rare type of shit where you can actually say "both sides" because all politicans do this stuff

Im as big a righty as you guys but come on. Pols ALWAYS vote no on more accountability and more tranparency and always vote yes to raises for themselves. I work in politics, all politicians do it.
 
T

timetokill

Banned
People in SD should go tear down the State House if they're not going to listen to voters. This isn't even the first time they've blocked a voter law by saying voters were too dumb to know what they voted for.
 
G

Glix

Member
Gutek said:
Do you stand by "both sides"?
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I stand by that both parties are against accountability and transparency.

I do not think liberals would subvert the direct will of the people in this blatent or offensive a manner.

After the last few weeks it was actually refreshing to see something i consider classic politicians doing politician stuff rather than maniacs dismantling the systems of our government that i sort of de-emphasized the "state of emergency" part and reacted more like it was "lawmakers shoot down bill requiring them to have more transparency ans accountability".
 
S

Sho_Nuff82

Member
Probably the scariest part of the election cycle is that those ever so close to losing power have made it criminally difficult to get them out of office. What north Carolina did was completely absurd, this is just indefensible corruption.

Both are a slap in the face to the Democratic process.
 
A

Akainu

Member
Glix said:
I stand by that both parties are against accountability and transparency.

I do not think liberals would subvert the direct will of the people in this blatent or offensive a manner.

After the last few weeks it was actually refreshing to see something i consider classic politicians doing politician stuff rather than maniacs dismantling the systems of our government that i sort of de-emphasized the "state of emergency" part and reacted more like it was "lawmakers shoot down bill requiring them to have more transparency ans accountability".
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...you've yet to give examples. Hell I don't even doubt that they exist. But put up or shut up.
 
S

sangreal

Member
nm -- I thought 'state of emergency' was hyperbole for emergency rules because the article calls it 'so-called'

but no, they really declared a state of emergency
Section 35. Whereas, this Act is necessary for the support of the state government and its existing public institutions, an emergency is hereby declared to exist, and this Act shall be in full force and effect from and after its passage and approval.
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X

Xe4

Banned
Glix said:
I stand by that both parties are against accountability and transparency.

I do not think liberals would subvert the direct will of the people in this blatent or offensive a manner.

After the last few weeks it was actually refreshing to see something i consider classic politicians doing politician stuff rather than maniacs dismantling the systems of our government that i sort of de-emphasized the "state of emergency" part and reacted more like it was "lawmakers shoot down bill requiring them to have more transparency ans accountability".
Click to expand...

Please give an example of democrats overriding the will of the people in order to encourage corruption. I'm seriously interested.
 
M

MarionCB

Member
This is a tremendous and shocking removal of democracy, and a shameless display of open corruption. The only reasonable reaction to this is to riot and drag these fuckers out of their Public buildings by their necks. I'm serious. I also know it won't happen. It will probably only very slightly decrease the overwhelming majority with which these Republicans get re-elected next time.
 
C

commedieu

Banned
MarionCB said:
This is a tremendous and shocking removal of democracy, and a shameless display of open corruption. The only reasonable reaction to this is to riot and drag these fuckers out of their Public buildings by their necks. I'm serious. I also know it won't happen. It will probably only very slightly decrease the overwhelming majority with which these Republicans get re-elected next time.
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Violence is never the answer.
/s
 
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mordecaii83

Member
I wonder if this can be brought to the courts, seems like that's the only way to get politicians to do the right thing anymore.
 
I

Imperfected

Member
I feel like this is the point where the people of South Dakota are completely justified in violent revolution.

I mean, they tried to play by the rules and use the systems in place, and this is where things ended up. I can't imagine any way their faith in the system could survive this outcome, so I can't fault them for feeling the system has to be done away with entirely. I know people are going to say, "They could just vote Democratic!", but if the their elected body is this brazen in self-defense against public change, how in the world are they supposed to believe an electoral outcome that threw out the assholes in charge would A) ever be able to occur to begin with, or B) be upheld if it did?

Burn it the fuck down.
 
E

Easy_D

never left the stone age
Enjoy your fascism. Seriously though, fuck Republicans, they don't just fuck over their own citizens, they fuck the rest of us up too with their shit policies.
 
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