http://www.tobacco.org/newsfeed/category/elections.rss Latest top tobacco news headlines en-us http://www.mitchellrepublic.com/event/article/id/38824/ http://tobacco.org/news/293086.html Attorney General Marty Jackley announced minutes ago that he and Secretary of State Chris Nelson have decided against appealing the decision of Circuit Judge Kathleen Trandahl in the smoking-ban referendum case. The American Cancer Society doesn't plan to appeal either. That clears the way for the ban to be referred to a statewide vote on the November 2010 election ballot. Mitchell Daily Republic Fri, 20 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/news/article_c7620b6a-d618-11de-a9d4-001cc4c002e0.html http://tobacco.org/news/293085.html Following in the footsteps of the American Cancer Society, state officials Friday said the State of South Dakota doesn't intend to appeal a judge's decision regarding the statewide smoke-free referendum petition. Attorney General Marty Jackley and Secretary of State Chris Nelson said in a news release that they won't fight a decision by Judge Kathleen Trandahl ruled that there were enough petition signatures to refer the smoke-free law to the 2010 ballot and a public vote. Rapid City Journal Fri, 20 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://www.ballot-access.org/2009/11/20/south-dakota-court-says-inactive-voters-may-sign-petitions/ http://tobacco.org/news/293084.html On November 13, a South Dakota Circuit Court Judge ruled that petition signatures are valid if the signer is not on the list of active registered voters, but is on the list of inactive voters. Inactive voters are those who once registered to vote, but whose registration is considered questionable because the post office reported that the voter had moved and that voter has not re-registered. The judge, Kathleen Trandahl, also ruled that petition sheets are valid even if the notary public who notarized that sheet makes errors in his or her notarization statement, such as putting an incorrect date on when the notary's seal expires. Ballot Access News Fri, 20 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://www.keloland.com/News/NewsDetail6371.cfm?Id=92949 http://tobacco.org/news/293083.html After months of debate, South Dakotans will get the chance to decide the fate of a statewide smoking ban. The American Cancer Society announced Thursday that there will be no appeal of last week's judges ruling. The smoking ban will be decided during the general election on November second of next year. But now, supporters of that ban have officially kicked off their campaign. . . . "We're going to move forward with the statewide ballot campaign basically. We're going to use the Great American Smokeout as our jumping off point for launching the statewide campaign," Erik Gaikowski of the American Cancer Society said. That means, their campaign starts today, and with the fate of the smoking ban out of the courts and going to the people, the American Cancer Society says they feel the ball is now in their court. KELOLAND TV sneisteadt@keloland.com Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://www.argusleader.com/article/20091121/NEWS/911210338/1001/news http://tobacco.org/news/293082.html The way has been cleared for voters to decide the fate of South Dakota's smoking ban in next year's general election after Secretary of State Chris Nelson and Attorney General Marty Jackley announced Friday the state will not appeal a Circuit Court decision. Judge Kathleen Trandahl ruled this month that opponents of the smoking ban secured enough valid signatures in a petition drive to meet the threshold for a referendum. The ban was passed by the Legislature in March and signed into law but never enforced. . . . "I think the reality of the likelihood of success in an appeal made this a fairly easy decision," he said. "Am I greatly troubled by some areas the judge said were OK and found substantial compliance? Absolutely." Nelson said he might recommend to the state Board of Elections when it meets in December that the Legislature be approached to tighten up statutes to avoid a repeat of the controversy over the smoking ban petitions. Sioux Falls Argus-Leader pharrima@argusleader.com ( Peter Harriman) Sat, 21 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://www.bhpioneer.com/articles/2009/11/16/news/doc4b0197ca7b949326297966.txt http://tobacco.org/news/293064.html Two unusual arguments made in court on behalf of the American Cancer Society last week didn't get far. Cancer society lawyer Richard Casey of Sioux Falls claimed that South Dakota's expanded smoking ban couldn't be referred to a public vote because the ban was necessary to preserve public health. Read more... Black Hills Pioneer Mon, 16 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://www.argusleader.com/article/20091120/NEWS/911200331/1003/BUSINESS http://tobacco.org/news/293040.html Backers of a statewide smoking ban say they expect to be outspent by opponents in what's expected to be a hard-fought campaign after deciding Thursday not to appeal a judge's ruling. The decision makes the prospect of a November vote more likely. However, Attorney General Marty Jackley says he and Secretary of State Chris Nelson will meet today to discuss a possible appeal. A decision is likely within a week. Jackley said the American Cancer Society's decision not to appeal "is certainly a consideration" as he and Nelson decide the state's course. . . . If, as Don Rose suggests, the state follows the cancer society's lead and decides not to appeal, the 2010 referendum will follow. Opponents of the ban such as Rose say this is what they've wanted all along. Rose owns Shenanigan's Pub, is a district director of the Licensed Beverage Dealers of South Dakota and was a key organizer of the referendum petition drive that ended up before Trandahl after the Cancer Society challenged the validity of thousands of signatures. "A vote of the people is what they should have done in the first place," Rose said. "Our deal was we always wanted to be able to let the people vote," added Mark O'Neill, president of the Licensed Beverage Dealers of South Dakota. Sioux Falls Argus-Leader pharrima@argusleader.com (Peter Harriman) Fri, 20 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://www.ksfy.com/news/local/70505482.html http://tobacco.org/news/292990.html American Cancer Society South Dakota Government Relations Director Jennifer Stalley says, “It is appropriate that today, on the 34th annual American Cancer Society Great American Smoke Out—a day dedicated to helping smokers quit—the American Cancer Society, along with more than fifty diverse public health, business and medical groups, will begin in earnest our statewide effort to support the smoke free law on the November 2010 ballot and ensure that no one has to choose between their health and their job in our great state." “We are confident that the vast majority of South Dakotans support this law and that by this time next year –the 35th annual Great American Smoke Out—South Dakota will be a smoke free state.” KSFY Television ABC Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://rapidcityjournal.com/news/article_bdc0622a-d521-11de-8368-001cc4c002e0.html http://tobacco.org/news/292988.html Officials for the American Cancer Society in South Dakota say they won't appeal a court decision that will now send a smoking ban in South Dakota bars, restaurants, casinos and other businesses to the vote of the people in 2010. The announcement by the Society's government relations director Jennifer Stally came on the 34th annaul American Cancer Society Great American Smoke Out Day. Stalley said in a news release that the Cancer Society "will begin in earnest our statewide effort to support the smoke free law on the November 2010 ballot and ensure that no one has to choose between their health and their job in our great state." Rapid City Journal Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://savannahnow.com/news/2009-11-19/deal-says-he-would-sign-cigarette-tax-increase-bill-if-elected-governor http://tobacco.org/news/292948.html U.S. Rep. Nathan Deal says he'd sign a bill raising the state cigarette tax $1 a pack if he's elected governor next year. Campaigning this week in Savannah, Deal said the bill deserves consideration, but added he probably wouldn't push for its passage. The Gainesville lawmaker's comments are the closest any GOP candidate for governor has come to backing the proposal. The proposal by state Rep. Ron Stephens, R-Savannah, has been opposed by the GOP majorities in the House and Senate. But some experts say it may get another look when the legislature reconvenes Jan. 11 and tries to grapple with a worsening budget crisis. Savannah Morning News Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://www.yankton.net/articles/2009/11/17/opinion/editorials/doc4b023168e3f11005570769.txt http://tobacco.org/news/292937.html Based on a judge's decision last week - and pending a possible appeal - South Dakota's proposed smoking ban extension will go to a vote of the people a year from now. And that's where the decision belongs. The law, which would ban smoking in bars, video lottery operations and Deadwood casinos, was passed by the Legislature last winter. . . . What we all hope should follow during the next year is an informative discussion on the pros and cons of public smoking. This discussion should include the rights of business owners versus the rights of the public, the dangers of smoking and second-hand smoke, the economic impact of smoking not only in terms of businesses that may rely on it but also on health care in this country. The discussion must also include what's best for the future of this state and for its people. The smoking ban vote should be an opportunity for the public to get involved in this dialogue. Whether we all do or not remains to be seen. Let's all hope to see it. Yankton Press & Dakotan beth.rye@yankton.net Tue, 17 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://www.capjournal.com/articles/2009/11/13/news/doc4afcf2bf202d0346393328.txt http://tobacco.org/news/292936.html Citizens have the right to refer South Dakota's expanded smoking ban to a statewide vote, Circuit Judge Kathleen Trandahl ruled Thursday. Now it's up to her judgment whether sufficient signatures are valid on the petitions to put the referendum on the Nov. 2, 2010 ballot. The trial over those signatures heads into the second and presumably final day this morning at the Hughes County courthouse, with the petitioners standing 17 signatures short of the 16,776 minimum necessary to make the battle. . . . Under test is South Dakota's doctrine of substantial compliance regarding election laws. More than 8,000 signatures were rejected by Nelson. Lawyers for the three sides in the case spent Thursday afternoon battling over why signatures were disallowed. Pierre Capital Journal Fri, 13 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://www.keloland.com/News/NewsDetail6371.cfm?Id=92809 http://tobacco.org/news/292935.html A statewide smoking ban may be the issue at the center of a court challenge in South Dakota, but Secretary of State Chris Nelson's part in the trial to put the ban on the ballot had nothing to do with smoking. "The court found that there were a number of areas where we had determined there were errors with the petitions that the court has the authority to find substantial compliance and essentially overlook those types of errors," Nelson said. Nelson plans to sit down with Attorney General Marty Jackley later this week to talk about the rules and laws regarding petitions and see if this ruling to allow these errors sets a precedent. "If a court says these types of errors are okay, where does that land us on the next petitions? What other things are going to be okay then, and then we get to a point of is there integrity left in the petition process?" Nelson said. KELOLAND TV bdunsmoor@keloland.com Mon, 16 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://www.argusleader.com/article/20091117/NEWS/911170332/1001/news http://tobacco.org/news/292934.html State officials should know this week whether they will appeal a judge's decision that paved the way for a public vote next November on a smoking ban in South Dakota. Secretary of State Chris Nelson said Monday the decision to appeal Circuit Judge Kathleen Trandahl's ruling last Friday "will happen sometime this week" once he and Attorney General Marty Jackley find time to sit down and discuss it. Jennifer Stalley, a spokeswoman for the American Cancer Society, said her group also hopes to decide on a potential appeal this week. Sioux Falls Argus-Leader sxyoung@argusleader.com (STEVE YOUNG) Tue, 17 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://dccc.org/blog/archives/sessions_stands_behind_remarks_that_women_are_like_smokers_insurance_compan/ http://tobacco.org/news/292885.html One week has passed since NRCC Chairman Pete Sessions (TX) made controversial remarks defending the insurance industry's practice of charging women more than men for health insurance by equating being a woman to being a smoker: REP. PALLONE (D-NJ): Why should a woman pay more than a man? REP. SESSIONS (R-TX): Well now. We're all different. Why should a smoker pay more than a non-smoker? Yesterday his office provided their first public response to the controversy in a statement to the Dallas Morning News that stood by the comparison. "We scoured the statement provided by Representative Sessions's office about his insulting remarks to look for the phrase 'I was wrong,' but found nothing," said Jesse Ferguson, Southern Regional Press Secretary for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Fri, 13 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT