The South Dakota Legislatures approves a four-and-a-half billion dollar
state budget for the upcoming fiscal year.
The House voted 63-4 to pass the budget Friday as the main part of this
year’s legislative session came to an end. The Senate earlier voted 33-2
for the measure.
The Legislature has been dealing with lower-than-anticipated state tax
collections. Lawmakers last month settled on revenue targets about
30-million dollars lower than those the Governor announced in December.
Appropriations Committee Chair, Senator Larry Tidemann of Brookings,
says the budget will serve the state’s citizens for the coming year and
positions South Dakota for future growth. It includes a point-three
percent increase for education, Medicaid providers and state workers.
He says helping cover their health care costs will go farther than a
straight raise.
Tidemann says it was important to take action on education.
He says they needed to change the measure that implemented the half-cent sales tax increase.
Lawmakers will return to Pierre March 27th to deal with any gubernatorial vetoes.