Governor Noem Signs Signature Withdrawal Bill Into Law

Today, March 14, House Bill 1244 was signed into law by Governor Noem after its passage through the South Dakota Legislature. This bill changes South Dakota’s ballot initiative process by allowing voters to withdraw their signatures from petitions they had previously signed. Read more about HB 1244’s legislative journey here. 

Due to the fact that the bill includes an emergency clause, the law takes effect immediately and applies to all active signature gathering campaigns in South Dakota. Additionally, the law cannot be referred to the ballot for referendum by the voters.

HB 1244 will be codified under SDCL § 2-1-18.

Before Noem signed the bill, VDA Executive Director Matthew Schweich had called on the Governor to veto it; you can read about that here.