<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" lang="en-US"><head><meta charset="UTF-8"><meta http-equiv='content-language' content='en-us'/><title>SDLRC - Codified Law 12-13-9 - Attorney general's statement regarding constitutional amendment proposed by legislature or referred law.</title><meta name="Generator" content="PowerTools for Open XML"><style>span { white-space: pre-wrap; } p.s93ef5be21a774cea9aad79c3f3be0945Normal { text-indent: 0.50in; text-align: justify; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 108%; margin-top: 0; margin-left: 0; margin-right: 0; margin-bottom: .001pt; } span.s93ef5be21a774cea9aad79c3f3be0945SENU { font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; } span.s93ef5be21a774cea9aad79c3f3be0945CL { font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; } p.s93ef5be21a774cea9aad79c3f3be0945Statute { text-indent: 0.50in; text-align: justify; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 108%; margin-top: 0; margin-left: 0; margin-right: 0; margin-bottom: .001pt; } span.s93ef5be21a774cea9aad79c3f3be0945DefaultParagraphFont { font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin: 0; padding: 0; } p.s93ef5be21a774cea9aad79c3f3be0945StatuteNumber1 { margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.50in; text-align: justify; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 108%; margin-top: 0; margin-right: 0; margin-bottom: .001pt; } p.s93ef5be21a774cea9aad79c3f3be0945StatuteNumber2 { margin-left: 1.25in; text-indent: -0.50in; text-align: justify; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 108%; margin-top: 0; margin-right: 0; margin-bottom: .001pt; } span.s93ef5be21a774cea9aad79c3f3be0945000000 { font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin: 0; padding: 0; } p.s93ef5be21a774cea9aad79c3f3be0945NoIndent { text-indent: 0.00in; text-align: justify; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 108%; margin-top: 0; margin-left: 0; margin-right: 0; margin-bottom: .001pt; } span.s93ef5be21a774cea9aad79c3f3be0945DefaultParagraphFont-000001 { font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; } span.s93ef5be21a774cea9aad79c3f3be0945SCL { font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin: 0; padding: 0; } </style><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1"><meta name="twitter:card" content="summary"><meta property="og:title" content="SD 12-13-9 - Attorney general's statement regarding constitutional amendment proposed by legislature or referred law."><meta property="og:description" content="SDLRC Codified Law 12-13-9 - Attorney general's statement regarding constitutional amendment proposed by legislature or referred law."><meta property="og:type" content="website"><meta property="og:url" content="https://sdlegislature.gov/Statutes/12-13-9"><meta property="og:image" content="https://lawmakerdocuments.blob.core.usgovcloudapi.net/photos/logoshape.webp"><meta property="og:site_name" content="South Dakota Legislature"></head><body><div><p dir="ltr" class="s93ef5be21a774cea9aad79c3f3be0945Normal"><a href="https://sdlegislature.gov/Statutes?Statute=12-13-9" rel="noopener"><span class="s93ef5be21a774cea9aad79c3f3be0945SENU">12-13-9</span></a><span xml:space="preserve" class="s93ef5be21a774cea9aad79c3f3be0945SENU">. </span><span class="s93ef5be21a774cea9aad79c3f3be0945CL">Attorney general's statement regarding constitutional amendment proposed by legislature or referred law.</span></p><p dir="ltr" class="s93ef5be21a774cea9aad79c3f3be0945Statute"><span class="s93ef5be21a774cea9aad79c3f3be0945DefaultParagraphFont">The attorney general shall deliver a statement for each amendment to the South Dakota Constitution proposed by the Legislature and referred law from an odd year to the secretary of state before the third Tuesday in May, in the year of the election. The attorney general shall deliver a statement for each referred law from an even year to the secretary of state before the second Tuesday in July, in the year of the election. The attorney general's statement must be written by the attorney general and must consist of:</span></p><p dir="ltr" class="s93ef5be21a774cea9aad79c3f3be0945StatuteNumber1"><span class="s93ef5be21a774cea9aad79c3f3be0945DefaultParagraphFont">(1)    A title, which is a concise statement of the subject of the proposed amendment to the constitution or referred law;</span></p><p dir="ltr" class="s93ef5be21a774cea9aad79c3f3be0945StatuteNumber1"><span class="s93ef5be21a774cea9aad79c3f3be0945DefaultParagraphFont">(2)    An objective, clear, and simple explanation that:</span></p><p dir="ltr" class="s93ef5be21a774cea9aad79c3f3be0945StatuteNumber2"><span class="s93ef5be21a774cea9aad79c3f3be0945DefaultParagraphFont">(a)    Educates the voters on the purpose and effect of the proposed amendment to the constitution or referred law; and</span></p><p dir="ltr" class="s93ef5be21a774cea9aad79c3f3be0945StatuteNumber2"><span class="s93ef5be21a774cea9aad79c3f3be0945DefaultParagraphFont">(b)    Describes the legal consequences of the proposed amendment to the constitution or referred law, including any likely exposure of the state to liability if the proposed amendment to the constitution or referred law is adopted; and</span></p><p dir="ltr" class="s93ef5be21a774cea9aad79c3f3be0945StatuteNumber1"><span class="s93ef5be21a774cea9aad79c3f3be0945DefaultParagraphFont">(3)    A recitation:</span></p><p dir="ltr" class="s93ef5be21a774cea9aad79c3f3be0945StatuteNumber2"><span class="s93ef5be21a774cea9aad79c3f3be0945DefaultParagraphFont">(a)    For a proposed amendment to the constitution, stating "Vote 'Yes' to adopt the amendment" and "Vote 'No' to leave the Constitution as it is"; or</span></p><p dir="ltr" class="s93ef5be21a774cea9aad79c3f3be0945StatuteNumber2"><span class="s93ef5be21a774cea9aad79c3f3be0945DefaultParagraphFont">(b)    For a referred law, stating "Vote 'Yes' to allow the Act of the Legislature to become law" and "Vote 'No' to reject the Act of the Legislature.</span></p><p dir="ltr" class="s93ef5be21a774cea9aad79c3f3be0945Statute"><span xml:space="preserve" class="s93ef5be21a774cea9aad79c3f3be0945DefaultParagraphFont">The explanation may not exceed two hundred words in length. On the printed ballots, the title of the proposed amendment to the constitution or referred law must be followed by the explanation, the most recent fiscal note prepared pursuant to § </span><a href="https://sdlegislature.gov/Statutes?Statute=2-9-32" rel="noopener"><span class="s93ef5be21a774cea9aad79c3f3be0945DefaultParagraphFont">2-9-32</span></a><span xml:space="preserve" class="s93ef5be21a774cea9aad79c3f3be0945DefaultParagraphFont"> or </span><a href="https://sdlegislature.gov/Statutes?Statute=2-9-30.2" rel="noopener"><span class="s93ef5be21a774cea9aad79c3f3be0945DefaultParagraphFont">2-9-30.2</span></a><span class="s93ef5be21a774cea9aad79c3f3be0945DefaultParagraphFont">, and the recitation. The title, explanation, fiscal note, and recitation must be printed on the ballot in the order provided by this section.</span></p><p dir="ltr" class="s93ef5be21a774cea9aad79c3f3be0945Normal"><span xml:space="preserve" class="s93ef5be21a774cea9aad79c3f3be0945000000"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" class="s93ef5be21a774cea9aad79c3f3be0945NoIndent"><span xml:space="preserve" class="s93ef5be21a774cea9aad79c3f3be0945DefaultParagraphFont-000001">Source: </span><span class="s93ef5be21a774cea9aad79c3f3be0945SCL">SL 1915, ch 181, § 1; RC 1919, § 7216; SL 1921, ch 219; SDC 1939, § 16.1302; SL 1959, ch 99, § 15; SDC Supp 1960, § 16.2215; SDCL §§ 12-13-10, 12-13-12; SL 1971, ch 90, §§ 1, 2; SL 1974, ch 118, § 58; SL 1976, ch 105, § 30; SL 1979, ch 97, § 4; SL 1994, ch 108, § 8; SL 2006, ch 67, § 3; SL 2007, ch 14, § 2; SL 2007, ch 77, § 1; SL 2009, ch 64, § 10, eff. July 1, 2010; SL 2013, ch 101, § 74; SL 2017, ch 16, § 5; SL 2018, ch 77, § 2; SL 2025, ch 21, § 3.</span></p></div></body></html><br /><hr><br /><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta charset="UTF-8" /><meta http-equiv='content-language' content='en-us'/><title>SDLRC - Codified Law 12-13-9 - Attorney general's statement regarding constitutional amendment proposed by legislature or referred law.</title><meta name="Generator" content="PowerTools for Open XML" /><style>span { white-space: pre-wrap; } p.s2040690Normal { margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0; text-align: justify; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 108%; margin-left: 0; margin-right: 0; } span.s2040690SENU { font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; } span.s2040690CL { font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; } p.s2040690Normal-000000 { margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0; text-indent: 0.50in; text-align: justify; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 108%; margin-left: 0; margin-right: 0; } span.s2040690DefaultParagraphFont { font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin: 0; padding: 0; } span.s2040690000001 { font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin: 0; padding: 0; } span.s2040690SCL { font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; } span.s2040690SCL-000002 { font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin: 0; padding: 0; } </style></head><body><div><p dir="ltr" class="s2040690Normal"><a href="https://sdlegislature.gov/Statutes/Codified_Laws/DisplayStatute.aspx?Type=Statute&amp;Statute=12-13-9.1"><span class="s2040690SENU">12-13-9.1</span></a><span xml:space="preserve" class="s2040690SENU">. </span><span class="s2040690CL">Availability of attorney general's explanation of proposed questions.</span></p><p dir="ltr" class="s2040690Normal-000000"><span class="s2040690DefaultParagraphFont">The secretary of state shall, immediately upon delivery from the attorney general, make the attorney general's statement for each proposed amendment to the Constitution, each initiated measure, and each referred law available to any person upon request.</span></p><p dir="ltr" class="s2040690Normal"><span xml:space="preserve" class="s2040690000001"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" class="s2040690Normal"><span class="s2040690SCL">Source:</span><span xml:space="preserve" class="s2040690SCL-000002"> SL 2006, ch 67, § 6; SL 2007, ch 77, § 2.</span></p></div></body></html><br /><hr><br /><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta charset="UTF-8" /><meta http-equiv='content-language' content='en-us'/><title>SDLRC - Codified Law 12-13-9 - Attorney general's statement regarding constitutional amendment proposed by legislature or referred law.</title><meta name="Generator" content="PowerTools for Open XML" /><style>span { white-space: pre-wrap; } p.s2040691Normal { margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0; text-align: justify; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 108%; margin-left: 0; margin-right: 0; } span.s2040691SENU { font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; } span.s2040691CL { font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; } p.s2040691Normal-000000 { margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0; text-indent: 0.50in; text-align: justify; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 108%; margin-left: 0; margin-right: 0; } span.s2040691DefaultParagraphFont { font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin: 0; padding: 0; } span.s2040691000001 { font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin: 0; padding: 0; } span.s2040691SCL { font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; } span.s2040691SCL-000002 { font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin: 0; padding: 0; } body { text-decoration-skip-ink: none; } </style></head><body><div><p dir="ltr" class="s2040691Normal"><a href="https://sdlegislature.gov/Statutes/Codified_Laws/DisplayStatute.aspx?Type=Statute&amp;Statute=12-13-9.2"><span class="s2040691SENU">12-13-9.2</span></a><span xml:space="preserve" class="s2040691SENU">. </span><span xml:space="preserve" class="s2040691CL"> Action to challenge adequacy of attorney general's statement--Appeal--Time limits.</span></p><p dir="ltr" class="s2040691Normal-000000"><span xml:space="preserve" class="s2040691DefaultParagraphFont">If the proponents or opponents of a proposed amendment to the Constitution, initiated measure, or referred measure believe that the attorney general's statement does not satisfy the requirements of § </span><a href="https://sdlegislature.gov/Statutes/Codified_Laws/DisplayStatute.aspx?Type=Statute&amp;Statute=12-13-9"><span class="s2040691DefaultParagraphFont">12-13-9</span></a><span xml:space="preserve" class="s2040691DefaultParagraphFont"> or § </span><a href="https://sdlegislature.gov/Statutes/Codified_Laws/DisplayStatute.aspx?Type=Statute&amp;Statute=12-13-25.1"><span class="s2040691DefaultParagraphFont">12-13-25.1</span></a><span class="s2040691DefaultParagraphFont">, they shall, within seven days of delivery of the statement to the secretary of state, file an action in circuit court challenging the adequacy of the statement. The action takes precedence over other cases in circuit court and a final order shall be filed within fifteen days of the commencement of the action. Any party appealing the circuit court order to the Supreme Court shall file a notice of appeal within five days of the date of the circuit court order.</span></p><p dir="ltr" class="s2040691Normal"><span xml:space="preserve" class="s2040691000001"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" class="s2040691Normal"><span class="s2040691SCL">Source:</span><span xml:space="preserve" class="s2040691SCL-000002"> SL 2007, ch 77, § 3; SL 2009, ch 64, § 4, eff. July 1, 2010.</span></p></div></body></html>