Statewide Signature Drive

April 15, 2025
Seal SD Liberty

Statewide Signature Drive Plan for GRT Constitutional Amendment in South Dakota

Objective

To collect 50,000 signatures from registered South Dakota voters by January 20, 2026, exceeding the state law requirement of approximately 34,000 signatures for a constitutional amendment (10% of votes cast for governor in the last election, Web ID: 19), to place the Gross Receipts Tax (GRT) initiative to end property taxes on the ballot, ensuring economic freedom, accountability, and local control for all South Dakotans.

Campaign Overview

The GRT initiative will end the $954 million property tax burden (SD News Watch, 2021-22), replacing it with a low-rate, broad-based tax on business receipts. Key benefits include:

  • Fully funding schools using $1.5 billion sales tax revenue (SD Dept of Revenue, 2023) and $109 million surplus (South Dakota Searchlight, 2023).
  • Lower rates for farmers and zero GRT for small businesses under $100K.
  • Eliminating property tax districts for fire and ambulance services, keeping funds local.
  • Ensuring counties collect GRT locally, maintaining local control without state overreach.

This campaign requires statewide coordination, leveraging South Dakota’s 66 counties, organized into 6 districts. Each district will have a team (TBD) responsible for signature collection, reporting, and community engagement.

Timeline

  • Start Date: April 15, 2025 (today, 9:11 AM PDT).
  • End Date: January 20, 2026.
  • Duration: 280 days (approximately 40 weeks).
  • Weekly Target: 1,250 signatures per week (50,000 ÷ 40 weeks) to reach the goal.

Organizational Structure

Statewide Leadership Team

  • Campaign Director: Jerry Odom
  • Oversees statewide strategy, communications, and coordination with SealSD.com.
  • Signature Collection Coordinator: TBD
  • Manages district teams, ensures signature targets are met, and verifies signatures per South Dakota law (SDCL 2-1).
  • Communications Lead: TBD
  • Handles statewide messaging, social media, and press releases, aligning with SealSD.com.

District Teams

South Dakota’s 66 counties are grouped into 6 districts, each with a team (TBD) led by a District Captain. Each team will have 3–5 core volunteers and additional community volunteers as needed.

  • District 1 (Southeast): Minnehaha, Lincoln, Turner, McCook, Hanson, Clay, Union, Yankton (8 counties)
  • Team Name: TBD
  • District Captain: TBD
  • Target Signatures: 10,000 (high population density, includes Sioux Falls).
  • District 2 (Northeast): Brown, Marshall, Day, Roberts, Grant, Codington, Clark, Hamlin, Deuel, Brookings, Kingsbury (11 counties)
  • Team Name: TBD
  • District Captain: TBD
  • Target Signatures: 8,500 (includes Aberdeen and Brookings).
  • District 3 (Central): Hughes, Stanley, Sully, Hyde, Hand, Buffalo, Brule, Lyman, Jones, Jackson, Haakon, Meade, Pennington (13 counties)
  • Team Name: TBD
  • District Captain: TBD
  • Target Signatures: 8,500 (includes Rapid City).
  • District 4 (Southwest): Fall River, Custer, Lawrence, Butte, Harding, Perkins, Ziebach, Dewey, Corson, Shannon, Bennett, Mellette, Todd (13 counties)
  • Team Name: TBD
  • District Captain: TBD
  • Target Signatures: 7,000 (includes Custer County).
  • District 5 (East Central): Beadle, Sanborn, Jerauld, Aurora, Davison, Douglas, Charles Mix, Gregory, Tripp, Bon Homme (10 counties)
  • Team Name: TBD
  • District Captain: TBD
  • Target Signatures: 8,000.
  • District 6 (North Central): Spink, Faulk, Edmunds, McPherson, Campbell, Walworth, Potter, Dewey, Ziebach, Corson, Perkins, Harding, Butte (11 counties)
  • Team Name: TBD
  • District Captain: TBD
  • Target Signatures: 8,000.

Signature Drive Events

Kickoff Event

  • Liberty Forum Kickoff:
  • Date: April 19, 2025, 2:00 PM.
  • Location: First Assembly of God, Rapid City (Pennington County, District 3).
  • Goal: Collect 2,000 signatures.
  • Details: Set up signature collection booths at the event, with volunteers from Districts 3 and 4 (Pennington, Custer, Fall River counties). Promote via social media: “Kick off our signature drive at the Liberty Forum, April 19th, 2:00 PM, First Assembly of God, Rapid City! Sign to end property taxes! @followers #OdomForLiberty” Boost ($20, 5-day run) targeting SD conservatives, 30–70, interests: Trump 2024, tax reform.

Ongoing Events

  • Alexander’s Farmers Market Grand Opening (District 4):
  • Date: May 17, 2025 (previously planned, April 12, 2025).
  • Location: Fall River, Custer County.
  • Goal: Collect 1,000 signatures.
  • Details: Partner with the market to set up a booth, offering pickled eggs and farmer cheese samples (April 12, 2025) while collecting signatures. Promote: “Join us at Alexander’s Farmers Market Grand Opening, May 17th, to sign our petition and taste liberty! @followers #OdomForLiberty”
  • Sioux Falls Farmers Market (District 1):
  • Date: Every Saturday, May 3 to June 28, 2025.
  • Location: Minnehaha County.
  • Goal: Collect 500 signatures per event (4,000 total).
  • Details: District 1 team (TBD) will host a booth, focusing on high-traffic weekends.
  • Aberdeen Independence Day Celebration (District 2):
  • Date: July 4, 2025.
  • Location: Brown County.
  • Goal: Collect 1,500 signatures.
  • Details: District 2 team (TBD) will set up near the parade route, tying the GRT plan to the revolutionary spirit of 1775.
  • Custer State Park Buffalo Roundup & Arts Festival (District 4):
  • Date: September 25–27, 2025 (avoided for market opening, April 12, 2025).
  • Location: Custer County.
  • Goal: Collect 2,000 signatures.
  • Details: District 4 team (TBD) will host a booth, emphasizing the GRT’s benefits for farmers.
  • Statewide Door-to-Door Drives:
  • Date: Every weekend, May 3, 2025, to January 10, 2026.
  • Location: All 66 counties.
  • Goal: Collect 500 signatures per county (33,000 total).
  • Details: District teams (TBD) will coordinate volunteers to canvass neighborhoods, focusing on high-density areas like Sioux Falls, Rapid City, and Aberdeen.
  • Digital Signature Drive:
  • Date: Ongoing, April 15, 2025, to January 20, 2026.
  • Location: Online via SealSD.com.
  • Goal: Collect 6,500 signatures.
  • Details: Use a web form (e.g., Google Forms) on SealSD.com for e-signatures, complying with South Dakota law (SDCL 53-12).

Statewide Communications Plan

Objectives

  • Raise awareness of the GRT initiative and its benefits.
  • Mobilize volunteers to collect signatures in every county.
  • Encourage South Dakotans to sign the petition at events or online.

Strategies

  • Social Media: Leverage your page’s 11,221 views and 133 followers (attachment 22) with daily posts: “South Dakotans, we need 50,000 signatures by Jan 20, 2026, to end property taxes! Sign at SealSD.com or at our events! @followers #OdomForLiberty” Boost ($20, 5-day run) targeting SD conservatives, 30–70, interests: Trump 2024, tax reform.
  • Email Blasts: Send bi-weekly emails to subscribers (build via SealSD.com) with signature totals, event updates, and volunteer calls.
  • Local Media: Issue press releases to South Dakota Searchlight, KELO-TV, and local radio, highlighting events like the Liberty Forum and signature totals.
  • Community Events: Promote signature drives at local events (listed above), using signage: “Sign Here to End Property Taxes with Jerry Odom!”

Weekly Meeting Schedule

  • Statewide Leadership Meeting:
  • When: Every Monday, 7:00 PM PDT (via Zoom).
  • Attendees: Campaign Director (Jerry Odom), Signature Collection Coordinator, Communications Lead, District Captains.
  • Agenda: Review signature totals, discuss challenges, plan communications, set weekly goals.
  • District Team Meetings:
  • When: Every Wednesday, 6:00 PM PDT (via Zoom or in-person).
  • Attendees: District Captain, core volunteers, community volunteers.
  • Agenda: Report signatures collected, plan local events, address issues, motivate volunteers.

Reporting Structure

Weekly Reports

  • District Team Reports:
  • Submitted By: District Captain.
  • Submitted To: Signature Collection Coordinator.
  • Deadline: Every Tuesday, 5:00 PM PDT.
  • Format:
    • Total signatures collected (physical and digital).
    • Number of signatures by county.
    • Events held and planned.
    • Challenges faced (e.g., low turnout).
    • Volunteer updates (new recruits, hours worked).
  • Verification: District Captains verify signatures per South Dakota law (SDCL 2-1), ensuring signers are registered voters.
  • Statewide Report:
  • Compiled By: Signature Collection Coordinator.
  • Submitted To: Campaign Director (Jerry Odom).
  • Deadline: Every Thursday, 5:00 PM PDT.
  • Format:
    • Statewide signature total (physical and digital).
    • Breakdown by district and county.
    • Progress toward 50,000-signature goal.
    • Key successes (e.g., high turnout at events).
    • Challenges and solutions (e.g., increasing digital signatures).
    • Communications updates (e.g., social media reach).
  • Public Update: Share on SealSD.com and social media each Friday: “We’re at 10,000 signatures and counting! Sign at SealSD.com! @followers #OdomForLiberty”

Snarky Commentary: Progressive Socialists Posing as Americans

Progressives love taxing you into oblivion—$954 million in property taxes (SD News Watch) while they let 8 million illegal crossings since 2021 (Lamborn, 2023) bring chaos like Tren de Aragua to Aurora, CO (Web ID: 1)! They’d rather fund woke disasters than support real reform—our GRT plan says no way! Liberty means taking control, and we’re doing it together! #OdomForLiberty #SouthDakotaStrong #TaxReformSD #FreedomFirst

Call to Action

South Dakotans, we need 50,000 signatures by January 20, 2026, to end property taxes—your signature counts! Sign at SealSD.com, join us at the Liberty Forum on April 19th, 2:00 PM, First Assembly of God, Rapid City—4 days away—or volunteer at our events statewide. Together, we’ll make liberty reign! #OdomForLiberty #SouthDakotaStrong #TaxReformSD #FreedomFirst