Government ethics measure approved to appear on 2018 ballot

South Dakota's chief elections official says supporters of a proposed government ethics constitutional amendment turned in enough valid signatures to put it before voters in 2018.

Secretary of State Shantel Krebs said Friday the amendment is the first question to be placed on the November 2018 ballot.

Backers needed nearly 28,000 valid signatures for the amendment to go before voters. Krebs says they turned in about 50,000 signatures, and a random sampling found roughly 71 percent were valid.

The measure's approval could be challenged.

The initiative would tighten campaign finance and lobbying restrictions, create an independent ethics commission and prevent the Legislature from altering or rejecting laws approved by voters without returning to the ballot, among other provisions.

It would replace a voter-imposed ethics overhaul that lawmakers repealed this year.