abcnews.go.com
South Dakota Rejects Abortion Rights, Marijuana Legalization, and Food Tax Removal
South Dakota voters rejected measures to protect abortion rights, legalize recreational marijuana, and remove sales tax from food, while approving work requirements for Medicaid recipients.
English
United States
PoliticsHuman Rights ViolationsUs PoliticsElectionsHealthEconomicsLegislationSocial Issues
Republican PartyDemocratic PartyLibertarian PartyNo Labels Party
- Were any ballot measures approved in South Dakota?
- Voters approved a measure that allows officials to impose work requirements for people receiving Medicaid. This contrasts with the rejection of other initiatives that sought to liberalize or expand existing policies.
- Why was the proposal to remove the sales tax from food rejected?
- The rationale for rejecting the food sales tax removal was the estimated $124 million annual revenue loss, equivalent to 5% of the state's general tax revenue. Concerns about the measure's poor wording and potential for unintended consequences also contributed to the rejection.
- What was the outcome of the South Dakota abortion rights ballot measure?
- South Dakota voters rejected a ballot measure that would have added protections for abortion rights to the state constitution, thus maintaining the near-total ban on abortions.
- What was the outcome of the proposed change to the primary election system?
- The proposed change to allow all candidates to run in a single primary, with the top two advancing, was also rejected by voters. This was opposed by both major parties' leaders.
- Were there any other significant ballot initiatives besides the abortion measure?
- Another rejected measure was the legalization of recreational marijuana, despite previous approval of medical marijuana. Voters also rejected removing the state sales tax from food.