After out-of-state groups spent millions of dollars on ballot measure and constitutional amendment campaigns last year, a task force is set to consider proposals Wednesday that could make it harder to pass a measure in South Dakota.

Lawmakers, elections officials and ballot campaign insiders on the Initiative and Referendum Task Force have met twice this summer and are set to consider 20 draft bills aimed at reforming the state's ballot initiative and referendum process.

They could bump up the number of voters needed to pass a constitutional amendment, cap the number of amendments that voters can take up on each ballot and set up a board to hold hearings on ballot measures before voters take them up.

And they'll also consider requiring uniform font, changing filings deadlines and shifting some of the information that comes out about proposals before they hit the ballot.

Ahead of their meeting, here's a look at what they're set to consider and what led to the debate:

Increasing the threshold: Following the 2016 approval of Marsy's Law and ensuing problems in implementing the victims' rights amendment, the panel is set to consider four drafts that would bump up the voter support needed to pass constitutional amendments on the ballot.

Separate draft bills would increase the requirement to 55 or 60 percent from the current 50 percent requirement. And two other bills would increase the voter support requirement at the same levels for constitutional amendments referred by the Legislature.

More:Landlords: Victims' rights law hinders efforts to keep apartments crime-free

Capping constitutional amendments: Sen. Jim Bolin, R-Canton, wants to limit to two the number of constitutional amendments that can be considered on each ballot. In 2016, there were five constitutional amendments considered on the ballot and two were approved.

Constitutional amendments can't be repealed by lawmakers and Bolin has said he worries it's too easy to change the state's constitution.

A committee to review ballot measures? Three separate proposals up for committee discussion would set up a new board or commission to review ballot measures before voters take them up.

The boards would hold public hearings on the proposals and would be able to ask questions of sponsors, but they wouldn't be able to amend or otherwise affect the proposals before they appear on the ballot.

Size matters: The task force has put forth a proposal to streamline ballot measure petition size and font size. Why? So that voters don't think that a larger petition form or proposal in size 70 font is preferable to a more traditional size.

The remaining proposals would change deadlines for circulating petitions, broaden the assistance that the Legislative Research Council can provide to sponsors and alter the information that would be shared about each measure and its potential effects.

How did we get here? It started with an onslaught of ballot measures.

In 2016, South Dakota voters weighed in on 10 ballot proposals ranging from redistricting reform to victims' rights to the youth minimum wage. And the flood of advertising and campaigning associated with the proposals irked state lawmakers, some of whom viewed the campaigns as deceptive.

They said the efforts to affect South Dakota law in many cases stemmed from campaigns outside the state and that non-residents shouldn't have so much say over the issues voters consider.

When lawmakers returned to Pierre in January, they were specifically targeted by one of the campaigns that succeeded in getting ethics and campaign finance reform passed on the ballot.

Against backlash from voters who showed up at the Capitol, legislators swiftly repealed Initiated Measure 22, replacing pieces of the proposal.

And convinced that it had become too easy to get an issue on the ballot, they decided to form a special task force to consider whether the state's laws were too lax on ballot measures.

What happens next? Lawmakers are set to discuss and vote on the drafts tomorrow in committee. The proposals that pass will be put forth by the committee for consideration of the full Legislature in 2018.

Follow Dana Ferguson on Twitter @bydanaferguson, call 605-370-2493 or email dferguson@argusleader.com