A South Dakota Senate committee this morning (Jan. 20, 2023) amended and then approved a bill that would increase the percentage of signatures needed to petition for an election to move a county seat.
Senate Bill 56 stems from an effort last year to move the Dewey County seat from Timber Lake to Eagle Butte. Dewey County is part of the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation which has its headquarters in Eagle Butte.
Sen. Ryan Maher, a Republican from Isabel, sponsored the bill.
The Senate Local Government amended the bill from 40% of eligible voters signing a petition to 20%. Current law is 15% to bring a petition for an election to move the county seat. The committee also struck most of the suggested changes to the law, such as a three-fourths vote for approval and a fiscal note.
Several legislators expressed concerns about verifying the residency of petition signers.
The bill as amended passed 7 to 0. It now heads to the full Senate for consideration.
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