SD voters reject 5 of 7 ballot issues

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The most hotly contested statewide ballot issues in South Dakota — a sales tax increase, an education reform package and a large project development fund — all went down to defeat Tuesday.

Of the seven statewide issues on the ballot, only two passed: Constitutional Amendment O, which will change the method of distributions from the state’s cement plant trust fund, passed 57 percent to 43 percent, with 642 of 735 precincts reporting full results, and 80 precincts submitting partial results; and Constitutional Amendment P, which will require state government to balance its budget, passed 64 percent to 36 percent, with the same number of precincts reporting.

Initiated Measure 15, which would have increased the state’s general sales and use tax from 4 percent to 5 percent with the proceeds earmarked for K-12 education and Medicaid, went down 57 percent to 43 percent, again with the same set of figures.

Referred Law 16, a five-part reform package proposed by the governor and adopted by the Legislature before being referred to the ballot, was rejected 68 percent to 32 percent.

Referred Law 14, which would have diverted 22 percent of the state’s contractor excise tax proceeds to a fund for grants to large development projects, was defeated 58 percent to 42 percent.

Constitutional Amendment M, which would have empowered the Legislature to authorize changes in how corporations operate, was rejected 70-30 percent.

Constitutional Amendment N, which would have raised travel reimbursements for legislators from 5 cents on their first and last trips to and from Pierre, was defeated 63-37 percent.

Tags: election 2012, news, updates, state, taxes, education, healthcare, business