Lynn Taylor Rick Journal staff | Posted: Thursday, April 1, 2010 6:55 pm
Organizers have five days to gather 16,776 signatures in order to challenge the federal healthcare reform bill on the November ballot in South Dakota.
Jason Bjorklund of the Madison 9.12 Project, a conservative organization in Madison, is leading the petition drive.
"We're aiming for a minimum of 20,000" signatures, Bjorklund said.
Sen. Gordon Howie, R-Rapid City, first introduced the South Dakota Health Care Freedom Act in the South Dakota Legislature during the 2010 session; however, the bill failed. He attempted to re-introduce it a second time Monday, but the Legislature declined to reconsider the act.
Howie's bill said that any law made by Congress that interferes with the right of any person or entity to choose their personal physician, private health care systems or private health care coverage is void within South Dakota.
Now, supporters of the act are hoping voters will get a chance to decide.
Gary Coe, campaign manager for Howie's gubernatorial bid, said Howie is not organizing the petition drive, but he continues to support the idea.
Secretary of State Chris Nelson said the signatures must be submitted to his office by 5 p.m. Tuesday.
Five percent of the signatures will then be randomly sampled to validate authenticity. If all requirements are met, the petition can be placed on the state ballot in November.
The act challenges the federal mandates in the health care reform bill, including mandates requiring citizens to buy insurance, Bjorklund said.
Bjorklund acknowledged that organizers are under the gun to collect the needed number of signatures, but he believes it can be done.
"I think it's going to be historic if we can do it," he said. "I think Obamacare will be nullified in the state of South Dakota. If that happens, it will be a political earthquake."
Organizers have five days to gather 16,776 signatures in order to challenge the federal healthcare reform bill on the November ballot in South Dakota.
Jason Bjorklund of the Madison 9.12 Project, a conservative organization in Madison, is leading the petition drive.
"We're aiming for a minimum of 20,000" signatures, Bjorklund said.
Sen. Gordon Howie, R-Rapid City, first introduced the South Dakota Health Care Freedom Act in the South Dakota Legislature during the 2010 session; however, the bill failed. He attempted to re-introduce it a second time Monday, but the Legislature declined to reconsider the act.
Howie's bill said that any law made by Congress that interferes with the right of any person or entity to choose their personal physician, private health care systems or private health care coverage is void within South Dakota.
Now, supporters of the act are hoping voters will get a chance to decide.
Gary Coe, campaign manager for Howie's gubernatorial bid, said Howie is not organizing the petition drive, but he continues to support the idea.
Secretary of State Chris Nelson said the signatures must be submitted to his office by 5 p.m. Tuesday.
Five percent of the signatures will then be randomly sampled to validate authenticity. If all requirements are met, the petition can be placed on the state ballot in November.
The act challenges the federal mandates in the health care reform bill, including mandates requiring citizens to buy insurance, Bjorklund said.
Bjorklund acknowledged that organizers are under the gun to collect the needed number of signatures, but he believes it can be done.
"I think it's going to be historic if we can do it," he said. "I think Obamacare will be nullified in the state of South Dakota. If that happens, it will be a political earthquake."
