SD Voters Legalize Recreational Pot, Sports Betting in Deadwood

In South Dakota,  President Trump, U-S Senator Mike Rounds and Congressman Dusty Johnson, all Republicans, were easy winners. 

      Trump beat Biden 64-33%, Rounds took 68% of the vote against Democrat Dan Ahlers, and Johnson – who didn’t have a Democratic opponents – had an easy 82-18% margin over Libertarian Randy “Uriah” Luallin 

      In the only contested legislative race affecting Fall River County, State Representative Julie Frey-Mueller successfully moved up to the State Senate, defeating Libertarian Gideon Oakes 70-30%.

       South Dakota voters joined a growing national trend toward marijuana, passing 2 measures to legalize the drug. 

       Constitutional Amendment A, legalizing both medicinal and recreational use of pot, passed 53-47% while Initiated Measure A, legalizing marijuana for only medical use, drew 69% support.

        The third measure on the ballot, Constitutional Amendment B,  allows sports wagering in Deadwood casinos. It passed with 59% of the vote, but under federal law, that means tribal casinos on tribal-owned land can also offer sports betting.