Will the South Dakota ban on public smoking be reffered to voters?”
Earlier this year, the South Dakota legislature approved a smoking ban in bars, video lottery establishments and the Deadwood casinos. Opponents of the ban collected signatures to hopefully force the ban onto the November 2010 ballot, but the Secretary of State for South Dakota rejected the petitions due to too few votes. Judge Kathleen Trandall voted to allow the ban to potentially reach the ballot, if indeed the opponents can gather enough signatures, which has not been proven just yet.
Court system must determine whether there are enough valid signatures collected to put it on next year’s ballot, a judge ruled Thursday. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hTlAS5zfWjsM6MBA7mEAw8_vEEDgD9BU7RKO0 Judge: SD smoking ban can be referred to voters By CHET BROKAW (AP) – 2 hours ago PIERRE, S.D. — The smoking ban passed by the South Dakota Legislature is eligible to be referred to voters, so the court system must determine whether opponents collected enough valid signatures to put it on next year’s ballot, a judge ruled Thursday. Circuit Judge Kathleen Trandahl of Winner rejected requests by opposing lawyers to make legal rulings that would have settled the case. Instead, she started hearing testimony on 26 categories of challenged signatures on the petitions that were submitted by those who seek a public vote. Trandahl said the case has to be hand
The smoking ban passed by the South Dakota Legislature is eligible to be referred to voters, so the court system must determine whether opponents collected enough valid signatures to put it on next year’s ballot, a judge ruled Thursday. Circuit Judge Kathleen Trandahl of Winner rejected requests by opposing lawyers to make legal rulings that would have settled the case. Instead, she started hearing testimony on 26 categories of challenged signatures on the petitions that were submitted by those who seek a public vote.
