The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1898-12-21
IMPORTANT ACTION.
South Dakota ADOPTS the Initiative
and Referendum.

South Dakota ADOPTS the Initiative
and Referendum.
The people of South Dakota, at the
recent election have Overwhelmingly car
ried the initiative and referendum
amendment to the state constitution No
other state in the union has done equal
ly we'll at this election, and South Da-
kota also has the honor of first adopt
ing the initiative and referendum meth
cd of legislation. Hereafter, the people
will be the lawmakers of the majority
of the laws, and the enacting clause of
all laws will read: BE it enacted by
the people of South Dakota" In or
der that the readers of the Sentinel
may have the exact wording of the
amendment, it is here printed:
Section 1. Amendment. That Sec
ton of Article of the constitution of
the state of South Dakota be amended
so as to read as follows.
Sec. g. Question submitted. The
legislative power of the state shall be
vested in legislature which shall con-
sist of senate and house of represen-
tatives. Except that the people ex-
pressly reserve to themselves the right
to propose measures, which measures
the legislature shall enact and submit
to vote of the electors of the state, and
also the right to require that any laws
which the legislature may have enacted
shall be submitted to vote of the
electors of the state before going into
effect, except such laws as may be ne
cessary for the immediate preservation
of the public peace, health or safety
support of the state government and it's
existing public institutions.
Provided, That not more than five
per centum of the qualified electors Of
the state shall be required to invoke
either the initiative OR the referendum.
This section shall not be construed so
as to deprive the legislature or any
member thereof of the right to propose
any measure. The veto power of the
executive shall not be exercised as to
measures referred to vote of the peo-
pie. This section shall apply to NUM-
cipalities. The enacting clause of all
laws approved by vote of the electors Of
the state shall be: BE it enacted by
the people of South Dakota" The leg
islature shall make suitable provisions
for the carrying into effect of the pro-
visions of this section.
Sec. 3. Submission. This amend
ment shall, if agreed to by majority
of the members-elect Of each house of
the legislature, be submitted to vote
of the people at the next general elec-
ton.
A careful reading of the amendment
shows that the legislature of the state
of South Dakota is not divested of all
power. '",The legislature or any member
thereof" may still propose any meas-
ure." Also, certain laws enacted by the
legislature need not be submitted to a
vote of the electors of the state, towit:
"Such laws as may be necessary for the
immediate preservation of the public
peace, health or safety, and support of
the state government and it's existing
public institutions"
Now, what can the people do? Five
per centum, or over, of the qualified ciec-
tors of the state of South Dakota can
propose measures to the Legislature
Then, the legislature must submit such
proposed measures to vote of the ele.:-
tors of the state.
Meanwhile, the legislature has con-
tinued to do business at the old stand
Now, if the Legislature has attempted
to pass laws on subjects, over which il
is not granted full and complete power
by the amendment to the constitution
five per centum, or over, Of the qualified
electors of the state may require the
legislature to submit such enacted meas
ures,. before going into effect to the
electors of the state for their acceptance
or rejection If accepted, such a meas
ure becomes a law in South Dakota.
The large majority given the amend