Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
House approves measure to require 60% vote for future constitutional amendments
Summary
The South Dakota House passed House Joint Resolution 5003, proposing a constitutional change that would raise the vote threshold for citizen-initiated and legislatively referred constitutional amendments from a simple majority to 60%. The measure passed 61-5 with three excused and will be submitted to voters.
The South Dakota House of Representatives on Jan. 8 passed House Joint Resolution 5,003, a proposal that would require 60% of votes cast to adopt future amendments to the state constitution. The measure passed the chamber by a recorded vote of 61 yeas, 5 nays and 3 members excused.
Supporters said the higher threshold would protect the state constitution from high-dollar outside influence and prevent policy matters that require spending from being written into the constitution. Representative John Hughes, the bill's prime sponsor, said: "All we are asking in House Joint Resolution 5,003 is that a constitutional initiated amendment or one proposed by the legislature be supported in order to take effect…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
