Judge blocks public directory for signature collectors, signaling a win for South Dakota's initiative and referendum process Dakotans for Health filed the lawsuit earlier this year, arguing the rules imposed by a new law governing paid circulators encroached citizens' free speech rights. It's the second law in as many years to be blocked by a federal judge in South Dakota. Written By: Christopher Vondracek | × SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — Attempts by Republicans in the South Dakota legislature to squeeze the direct democracy initiatives long enjoyed in the state were thwarted again this week, as a federal judge in Sioux Falls issued a preliminary injunction against a 2020 law requiring persons paid to collect signatures for ballot measures register with a public database.