A House committee is passing a measure that caps out-of-state money to ballot measure question committees.
The bill places that cap at $100,000 per entity, until it’s been recognized in the state for at least four years.
State Representative Spencer Gosch sponsors House Bill 1216
Gosch says the bill aims to keep special interest money out of the state.
“I’m talking about out of state, zero interest in the state of South Dakota,” Gosch says. “What is their purpose? What would be their purpose behind trying to change our laws? Other than the fact that it’s cheap to do so and we would be an experiment. I think that money from people that are out of state drowns out the voices of people in state.”
Gosch sponsored a similar bill last year that failed in the senate. Gosch says he was counting on two votes in a Senate committee by senators who weren’t there for the vote.
Governor Dennis Daugaard has indicated his support for the measure.
Critics of the bill say it’s unconstitutional and will likely be challenged in court.