A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing
Recently supporters of a controversial proposed hazardous carbon dioxide pipeline have been promoting Referred Law 21. However, before you vote on RL 21 this November you need to understand the rest of the story.
RL 21 is a creation of Pierre Politicians and the mega-businesses they serve. Landowners who have been fighting for fair treatment and common-sense rules limiting eminent domain and supporting local control were not allowed to participate in the bill that became
RL 21 – we did not have a seat at the table.
Instead, RL 21 was promoted as something it is not. Supporters claim it is a bill of rights for landowners, when in reality, it largely restates what is already law and repackages protections landowners already have.
This is the smokescreen to cover up the true intent of RL 21 which is to ignore the will of the people and the important role our counties play in determining where hazardous pipelines could be located.
What RL 21 does is to concentrate power in Pierre and erode our ability to govern ourselves locally.
RL 21 undermines the concept and practice of local control. In order for the CO2 pipeline supporters to grease the skids in Pierre, RL 21 allows our “Public” Utilities Commission (PUC) to ignore local ordinance and zoning laws – because supporters of RL 21 believe Pierre knows best on how we in local communities and other places want to live.
Under RL 21 the PUC does not have to even consider local rules, regulations or ordinances relating to hazardous pipelines in our communities. This is offensive – and worse yet, the PUC commissioners did not ask for this change and did not request this power to undermine every county in South Dakota.
RL 21 forces this upon them and puts our so-called “Public” Utilities Commission in a position where county ordinances and local control are ignored if a hazardous pipeline is approved. I understand the Pierre political machine does not care about us in rural South Dakota but enough is enough.
Vote NO on RL 21 so we keep at least the small amount of local control we have left.
RL 21 is bad for local control and bad for you.
-Kevin Roseland, Redfield, SD
