COUNTERPOINT | 'Landowner Bill of Rights' is really a 'bill of sale'

Guest column by Rep. Liz May (R-Kyle)

(Johnny Sundby Photography, Inc./SD Legislative Research Council)

Rep. Will Mortenson has mastered the common practice of giving nice-sounding titles to particularly bad pieces of legislation. In his recent editorial, he uses the misleading title “Landowner Bill of Rights” no less than 11 times. The title given to Senate Bill 201 is an insult to your intelligence.  South Dakotans know that our rights come from God and are protected by our Constitution. Rights are not derived from revocable statutes. 

Mortenson is “confused” by the statewide grassroots effort to repeal the Landowner Bill of Rights. Apparently, he doesn’t know the difference between an initiated measure to repeal a law already in code, and a referendum to prevent a bill from becoming law. A referendum is the people taking action to place a bill passed by the Legislature and signed by the governor on the general election ballot for the final say.  

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