SD Property Rights and Local Control Alliance (SDPRLCA) formed to bring a referendum on Senate Bill 201, a bill that stripped local control from counties, municipalities and townships, and smoothed the path for a single private company to benefit at taxpayers’ and property owners’ expense.
After gathering more than 31,000 signatures, the team was successful with the first task — getting the referendum on the ballot. Now that it is on the ballot, it is titled “Referred Law 21” or “RL21”.
SDPRLCA is an alliance comprising local citizens, property owners, and leaders at the county, township, and state levels. This grassroots organization is established to block the enactment of RL21. Our primary goals are to heighten public understanding of how RL21 threatens everyone’s constitutional rights, expose the potential dangers it poses to public safety and to give South Dakotans the chance to decide if legislation that takes away our freedom and authority for local control should stand in our state. We will advocate to block the enactment of RL 21 and secure a “No” Vote in the November 5th election.
Why RL 21 is Bad Legislation:
Violates the SD Constitution and 135 Years of Tradition
- Takes control to site pipelines from counties and gives to PUC who say it belongs to counties.
- Written poorly. SD Law states “No law shall cover more than one subject, which must be clearly stated in its title.” SB 201 title covers 3 topics and the bill covers even more.
Based on a False Premise
- Based on the false premise that counties cannot site and route pipelines – The Feds (PHMSA) disagree.
Vague Wording on Public Disclosures
- Vague on when data about deadly pipeline ruptures would be made public. What is Summit hiding?
It's an Incentive to Take Short-Cuts
- The $1 per foot surcharge is an incentive for pipeline companies to take shortcuts in material choices, workmanship and to select the shortest route which, because of eminent domain, hurts farmers.
- Counties and Emergency Response fees can be impacted.
Created a fake “Landowner Bill of Rights”
- Does not protect Constitutional rights
- Did not address eminent domain, the core of the issue
- Claim protections that already exist such as pipeline depth and repairing destruction of property.