Court Opinion

ID: 9690218
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-24 18:57:09.568117+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:18:54.201782
License: Public Domain

HENDERSON, Justice
(specially concurring).
It appears that the State Legislature has finally made a distinction between legislative and administrative actions, in referendum cases, by enacting SDCL 9-20-18 and SDCL 9-20-19. The Jackson decision, written by this special writer, and which was joined by Chief Justice Fosheim and our immediate past Senior Justice, now retired Morgan, J., was decided in 1985. Effective July, 1986, two new sections were added to our State Code, SDCL 9-20-18 and SDCL 9-20-19. Thus, the Legislature has spoken.
The majority writer characterizes Jackson as still being “good law” and that “it’s analysis is particularly helpful in this case.” As the majority writer expresses, and I agree, “a limited portion of Jackson has been statutorily abrogated.”
Jackson was written under the law then existing. Since early statehood, the legislature has seen fit, on occasions, to modify or pass a law to change the law within its function as a branch of government. So it is nothing new, by any matter or means, to now see and read where the State Legislature has responded to a decision of this Court.
In essence, legislative actions are now referable and administrative actions are not. Once again, I concur specially to point out that until 1986, South Dakota did not draw a distinction between legislative and administrative decisions at the municipal level. Our decision in Jackson reflected the current status of the law at that point in time. However, Jackson is, as the majority points out, still good law and the decision therein withstands scrutiny even after the legislative change.