SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — South Dakotans Decide Healthcare announced Friday its collected 33,921 valid signatures, which the group says means Medicaid expansion will be on South Dakota ballots in November 2022.
South Dakotans Decide Healthcare is a group made up of patient advocates, nurses, health care providers, farmers, faith leaders, educators and more. The group issued a statement announcing the number of signatures attained and thanking those who participated.
We are grateful to the more than 47,000 South Dakotans who signed our petition to expand access to affordable coverage options Medicaid expansion would deliver healthcare to 42,500 hardworking South Dakotans and save the state more than $63 million in the process. It’s time to bring South Dakota’s tax dollars home, instead of sending them to New York and California to pay for their healthcare instead.
Zach Marcus, South Dakotans Decide Healthcare
The release states that Medicaid expansion will boost the economy, create jobs, save rural hospitals and that “every dollar that South Dakotans don’t have to spend paying down medical debt means more money to spend in their local communities.”
The group also announced the release of its first digital advertisement of the general election, which can be viewed on its Facebook page.
At the time this story was first published, the status of the potential ballot initiative has not yet been updated on the South Dakota Secretary of State website.
