skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

The latest on the Key Bridge collapse, New York puts forth legislation to get clean energy projects on the grid and Wisconsin and other states join a federal summer food program to help feed kids across the country.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Republicans float conspiracy theories on the collapse of Baltimore's Key Bridge, South Carolina s congressional elections will use a map ruled unconstitutional, and the Senate schedules an impeachment trial for Homeland Secretary Myorkas.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

Recreational Marijuana Makes Another Appearance on SD Ballot

play audio
Play

Thursday, October 20, 2022   

Just as in 2020, voters across South Dakota will have a chance in November to decide whether the state should legalize possession of small amounts of marijuana for adults.

In a highly publicized process, a similar ballot question was approved in South Dakota two years ago, but it was ultimately rejected by the state Supreme Court over technical issues. This time, supporters left out provisions dealing with licensing and taxation.

Matthew Schweich, campaign manager for the "Yes on 27" Campaign, said while it is not the broader proposal, they are still proud of the question they put forward.

"Measure 27 is good public policy," Schweich asserted. "It eliminates cannabis arrests for adults; it means that police can focus on serious crime."

If approved, people 21 and older would be allowed to possess or distribute up to one ounce of marijuana and could own up to three plants, and there would be civil penalties for violators. Citing social ills, Gov. Kristi Noem helped lead the legal challenge to the 2020 outcome. This year, the coalition Protecting South Dakota Kids said legalization would harm communities.

Opponents also contended efforts to pass the measures rely on out-of-state funding. Schweich argued the initial approval in 2020 showed a majority of South Dakotans support the idea. If it clears the hurdle again, he thinks policymakers should accept the result.

"And it means that we can restore the will of the people and uphold South Dakota's heritage," Schweich contended. "South Dakota created the initiative process, and that's an idea that spread to over half of the states in the country."

Nineteen states and the District of Columbia allow some form of recreational marijuana. This fall, a handful of others, including neighboring North Dakota, also have legalization questions on the ballot.


get more stories like this via email
more stories
A report from the Tennessee HealthCare Campaign recommended the federal government needs to strengthen 340B drug pricing and other federal negotiation mechanisms to make needed medicines more readily available and less expensive for hospitals to purchase and administer. (Spotmatikphoto/AdobeStock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

A recent report examined how some rural Tennessee hospitals have managed to stay afloat despite financial challenges. The report includes interviews …


Social Issues

play sound

Earlier this month, a new Arizona Public Service rate hike went into effect and one senior advocacy group said those on a fixed income may struggle …

Social Issues

play sound

Michigan recently implemented a significant juvenile justice reform package following recommendations from a task force made up of prosecutors…


Nearly 13 million Americans receive health coverage through unique plans under both Medicare and Medicaid. They are known as Dual-Eligible Special Needs Plans. (Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

Medicare and Medicaid are key sources of health coverage for many Americans and some people qualify for assistance under both programs. With lagging …

Social Issues

play sound

A mix of policy updates and staffing boosts has helped to put wage theft enforcement on the radar in Minnesota, and officials leading the efforts are …

More than six in 10 Americans favor keeping the abortion pill mifepristone available in the U.S. as a prescription drug, while over a third are opposed, according to a Gallup poll. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

New research shows more than six in 10 abortions in the U.S. last year were medically induced, and U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto - D-NV - is …

Social Issues

play sound

Colorado is working to boost the state's agricultural communities by getting more fresh, nutritious foods into school cafeterias - and a new online …

Social Issues

play sound

Missouri lawmakers are concerned with protecting people from the potential risks of the increasing accessibility of AI-generated images and videos…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021