South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem signed a bill Wednesday prohibiting private funding of elections, decrying Facebook co-founder and Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg‘s “Zuck Bucks.”
Titled “an Act to prohibit private funding of election costs except for gifts of a nominal and intrinsic value,” SB 122 will prevent Big Tech companies from trying to “influence our free and open elections,” according to Noem.
“In 2020, we saw Mark Zuckerberg pour ‘Zuck Bucks’ into local election operations across the country. Elections should be funded by government, and we will not risk creating avenues for big-tech billionaires to unfairly influence our free and open elections,” she said in a press release.
“We take election integrity very seriously in South Dakota. We already have some of the strongest election laws on the books, and this legislation will make them even stronger,” she added.
GOV. NOEM RAILS AGAINST NATIONAL PARK SERVICE OVER MT. RUSHMORE FIREWORKS PERMIT
“Neither the state nor any political subdivision may accept any funds, grants, or gifts for election costs from any source other than the governing body of a political subdivision, the state, or the federal government,” the legislation reads.
On Tuesday, Noem lambasted the National Park Service for once again denying a permit to hold fireworks at Mount Rushmore during a Fourth of July celebration.
“Mount Rushmore is the best place in America to celebrate our nation’s birthday — I just wish President Biden could see that,” she said in a press release.
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“Last year, the President hypocritically held a fireworks celebration in Washington, D.C., while denying us our own event. This year, it looks like they are planning to do the same,” she said.
