Organizers behind a South Dakota bid to legalize medical marijuana are suing the Secretary of State’s office in an effort to put the issue on November’s ballot.
The South Dakota Family Coalition for Compassion submitted 16,631 signatures before a February deadline, more than the 13,871 needed to put the group’s would-be ballot initiative to voters. But Secretary of State Shantel Krebs rejected the petition. Organizers fought back, but Krebs rejected a second attempt to make the ballot in May.
The lawsuit claims the Secretary of State’s office didn’t do enough to prove the petition signatures were invalid before automatically disqualifying the initiative. It also argues the office didn’t properly inform those who submitted the petition of the decision to reject the measure.
