Senate Bill 163, which has passed the SD Senate and is on its way to the SD House, was denounced today by Sioux Falls attorney Jim Abourezk, who was one of the organizers of a statewide referendum petition drive designed to preserve the right to vote on referenda on County Commission decisions. The drive resulted in signatures by over 25,000 people who want to retain the right to vote on County decisions.

Abourezk said today that, "the bill is in reality a hidden and underhanded way to cancel out the statewide referendum drive we all worked so hard on last year."

"SB 163 is designed to deprive South Dakotans of the right to vote on such matters as granting permits for giant hog factories, and is one of the sneakiest tricks I have ever seen attempted in the years I've observed politics in this state," Abourezk said.

"After all the effort by our citizens over the past year to stop HB1281 a bill that attempts to deny the right to referendum vote by South Dakotans to have the legislature try to sneak another bill into law is both unfair and underhanded," he continued.

Abourezk said he has talked to legislators who have told him they were misled on the intent of the bill. "The trick language in the bill was not apparent on its face, Abourezk said, "unless one was familiar with SD Supreme Court decisions on the issue."