Media Coverage: Republican leader in SD credits VDA with shifting his position on signature withdrawal bill

Sioux Falls, SD – Unfortunately, petition signature withdrawal is now the law of the land in South Dakota. Two days ago, Governor Noem’s desk despite f organized opposition from groups throughout the state. The VDA was actively engaged throughout the legislative process on HB 1244, placing public and private pressure on lawmakers to oppose or amend the bill.

In the public sphere, our efforts included VDA Executive Director Matthew Schweich making a February 16 guest appearance on The Scouting Report (the Dakota Scout newspaper’s podcast) to discuss signature withdrawal and other initiative-related news issues in South Dakota. His arguments on the issue were persuasive enough to warrant a note by Lee Schoenbeck, one of the most powerful lawmakers in South Dakota.

Senator Schoenbeck appeared as a guest on the Scouting Report yesterday, March 8, 2024. Scouting Report host Joe Sneve, co-founder of the Dakota Scout newspaper, asked Schoenbeck about his stance on House Bill 1244. In his response, he gave credit to Schweich for providing an articulate argument that shifted his stance on the bill.

Listen to that segment of the podcast here:

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