South Dakota voters will decided two initiated measures on November’s ballot. Initiated Measure 17 allows medical doctors, clinics, and specialty hospitals to become part of insurance networks that they currently can’t join. Initiated Measure 18 raises the minimum wage to $8.50 an hour. Those are the bare bones of the measures at issue. But there’s nothing uncomplicated about the variables or possible outcomes if these measures pass. SDPB’s Victoria Wicks takes a look at the economics and the more subjective aspects of these two initiated measures.
Rapid City freelancer Victoria L. Wicks has been producing news for SDPB since August 2007. She Retired from this position in March 2023.