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PIERRE, S.D. (AP) — A measure that would make it harder to change the South Dakota constitution passed its first legislative test Monday, but the proposal still must make it through the full Legislature and earn voter approval to take effect.
The Senate State Affairs Committee voted 6-2, with only Republican support, to advance the resolution to the full chamber. Sen. Jim Bolin, its sponsor, said the measure is designed to add additional safeguards for the state constitution.
He said it’s is a “legitimate and desirable method of protecting our fundamental political document.”
A task force on the ballot question process endorsed the plan after Bolin proposed a similar measure during the 2017 legislative session that was set aside in committee. The Republican lawmaker said he’s more confident this year’s push will be successful.
Republicans have discussed changes to the ballot question system after the 2016 election season brought 10 questions and millions of dollars from out-of-state groups. Bolin said the use of paid petition circulators, people from outside South Dakota to secure the signatures necessary to get on the ballot and out-of-state money to sway public opinion make his proposal necessary.
“We believe that amending the constitution should not be a cakewalk,” said Jim Hood, a lobbyist for the South Dakota Retailers Association. “As history illustrates, once an idea is enshrined in our constitution, it is rarely repealed.”
Rob Timm, president and CEO of the Chiesman Center for Democracy, said it’s a potential erosion of freedoms afforded by the state constitution and a “potential assault on our direct democracy.” Democratic Sen. Reynold Nesiba said last session’s repeal of a government ethics initiative that voters imposed in 2016 caused a lot of anger and disgust.
“Bringing this up right now, a year after we had that contentious conversation, is really horrible timing and is disrespecting the people’s voice in South Dakota,” Nesiba said.
The Senate panel also voted 8-1 Monday to approve a bill sponsored by Nesiba on state campaign finance rules. The measure aimed at requiring ballot measure campaigns to disclose their donors while supporters gather signatures to get on the ballot is headed to the full Senate.
It would require initiative campaigns to submit finance reports by July 1 in odd-numbered years when supporters collect signatures needed to get on the ballot. Current rules don’t require ballot question campaigns to disclose their donors until long after they’ve submitted signatures to the state.
“In fact, all of the initiated measures that are in front of the Secretary of State’s office right now, that she is processing and putting together, we don’t know who paid for the campaign to circulate the petitions,” Nesiba said. “We don’t find out until afterwards.”
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Nashville Mayor Megan Barry believes she and the former head of her security detail never attempted to use taxpayer dollars to support their extramarital affair, a spokesman said Monday.
After revealing last week that she had an affair with Sgt. Robert Forrest, Barry’s office produced more travel records and further responded to scrutiny about her trips in a statement Monday. The affair began several months after Barry assumed office in September 2015 and it’s now over, she said, though she has sidestepped questions about how long it lasted.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is looking into any potential violations of criminal law, with focuses on misappropriation of public funds and official misconduct. Nashville’s city council is also considering forming an investigative committee with subpoena power.
Nashville taxpayer dollars were used for Sgt. Robert Forrest to stay those extra nights in a separate hotel room because Barry’s official schedule would soon resume in that city, Braisted said.
On four nights of that variety from 2017, Forrest didn’t record on-duty hours that would’ve resulted in pay or overtime, Braisted said.
“On those four nights without business, Sgt. Forrest had a hotel room paid for by Metro because he needed to be available on a following day for travel,” Braisted said. “While Mayor Barry paid for her own rooms, or stayed with family, Sgt. Forrest’s rooms were a legitimate business expense because of his need to help facilitate travel for the Mayor on her return home.”
According to the mayor’s office, those extra nights before or after official business trips include:
— In Athens, Greece, a conference in September ended on a Saturday, and the Rockefeller Foundation covered her hotel stay through Saturday night, though she didn’t have official business planned that day. She stayed an extra day, paid for the hotel night herself and flew back Monday.
“To the best of our knowledge, Sgt. Forrest has not claimed overtime or other expenses beyond what was required of him in his official capacities,” Braisted added.
The mayor’s office outlined $39,200 in travel expenses for her and Forrest from January 2016 until October 2017, with the vast majority from 2017.
The office didn’t identify any days from 2015 or 2016 travel in which Barry stayed longer than necessary for her official duties.
Forrest said on Jan. 17 that he would retire Jan. 31 after 31-plus years with Metro Nashville Police. He spent 14 years of that tenure supervising the mayor’s security detail over three administrations.
Metro Nashville Police records show that Forrest’s overtime more than doubled from $35,747 in the 2014-15 budget year to $75,462 in 2016-17. Barry was elected in September 2015.