Tuesday,  November 6, 2012 • Vol. 13--No. 112 • 24 of 38 •  Other Editions

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health care program for retirees, and give tax breaks to the wealthy.
• Noem said she attended most of the meetings she was accused of skipping and missed others because she couldn't be in two meetings at once. She accused Varilek of supporting tax increases on middle-class families and small businesses and backing the health care overhaul she argued would increase costs instead of reducing them.

5 things to know about 2012 South Dakota election
CHET BROKAW,Associated Press

• PIERRE, S.D. (AP) -- In South Dakota, the U.S. House race has grabbed most of the attention, but voters also will choose members of the Legislature and make decisions on seven ballot measures.
• Here are five things to consider heading into Tuesday's general election:
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• A CHEAT SHEET IS NOT A BAD IDEA
• With seven constitutional amendments, initiated measures and referred laws on the ballot, voters could benefit -- and shorten the time they're in the voting booth -- by studying the issues in advance and writing down how they want to vote. A lot of attention has been given to a proposed sales tax increase to help schools and Medicaid providers and Gov. Dennis Daugaard's plan to give teachers merit pay and provide incentives to recruit more teachers into critical fields. But other ballot measures largely have remained under the radar. Those include constitutional amendments to revise provisions relating to corporations, increase mileage reimbursements for lawmakers' first and last trips to the Capitol during each legislative session, and revise the distribution of money from a trust fund created with the proceeds of the 2001 sales of the state cement plant.
• ___
• THE GOVERNOR WILL GET A REPORT CARD
• The top ballot issues in Tuesday's election amount to a referendum on some of Daugaard's key initiatives during his first two years in office. Voters will decide whether to raise the state sales tax to benefit schools and health care facilities, a proposal made in reaction to budget cuts instituted last year by the governor and the Republican-dominated Legislature. Also on the ballot are the Republican governor's plans for giving bonuses to top teachers, moving to a new incentive plan to attract large industrial projects and amending the South Dakota Constitution to clarify that the state budget must be balanced.

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