I just saw this on my Twitter feed:
Bill to curb ballot measures sparks outrage
http://www.argusleader.com/...
Jonathan Ellisjonellis@argusleader.com 5:26 p.m. CST February 2, 2015
Senator Corey Brown
Party Republican
Term Incumbent
District 23
Counties Campbell, Edmunds, Faulk, Hand, McPherson, Potter, Spink, Walworth
Occupation Insurance
Home Address
316 S. Potter St.
Gettysburg, SD 57442
Phone Numbers
Home 605-769-0540
Capitol 605-773-3821
Business 605-765-9550
Email http://legis.sd.gov/...
The Brown Bill, as it's being called, would change the number of voter signatures required to initiate a measure or refer a law. Currently, the required number of petitions to force a ballot measure is 5 percent of the ballots cast in the previous governor's election. The Brown Bill would change that number to 5 percent of all registered voters.
Actually, there's a sinister reason for the emergency clause. Laws that are passed with an emergency clause can't be referred by voters. So the gambit by the Brown Bill supporters is to pass a bill that weakens initiated measures and referendums which can't itself be referred by voters. The caveat to this plan is that two-thirds of the House and Senate will have to vote in favor.