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SDPB Radio Coverage of the South Dakota Legislature. See all coverage and find links to audio and video streams live from the Capitol at www.sdpb.org/statehouse

Lawmakers Approve Budget, Adjourn

SDPB

South Dakota lawmakers have finalized the state’s budget that starts on July 1, 2017 (Fiscal Year 18). State Senators and Representatives approve of a measure they call the general bill. It lists numbers for all revenues and all budgets in balance.

State Representative David Anderson is chair of House Appropriations.

“They’re just numbers, folks. They don’t mean anything. What’s behind the numbers? It’s people," Anderson says. "It’s people of the state of South Dakota. That’s what the numbers are about. That’s who we serve. That’s who works for us. That’s what the numbers mean. Otherwise they’re just numbers.”

Fiscal year 2018 starts has a budget of nearly $4.6 billion. Anderson says half of that goes to education.

K-12 education and tech schools are receiving 0.3 percent increases to cover inflation. Lawmakers are holding many other areas flat to keep South Dakota’s state budget balanced. Read the entire budget bill here.

The legislature accounted for a shortfall of roughly $57 million, which stems from lagging sales tax revenues and a slow agriculture economy.

Lawmakers leave Pierre now that the regular session is over. They return on March 27, 2017 to consider voting on an vetoes Governor Dennis Daugaard gives legislation passed by both chambers.

 

Kealey Bultena grew up in South Dakota, where her grandparents took advantage of the state’s agriculture at nap time, tricking her into car rides to “go see cows.” Rarely did she stay awake long enough to see the livestock, but now she writes stories about the animals – and the legislature and education and much more. Kealey worked in television for four years while attending the University of South Dakota. She started interning with South Dakota Public Broadcasting in September 2010 and accepted a position with television in 2011. Now Kealey is the radio news producer stationed in Sioux Falls. As a multi-media journalist, Kealey prides herself on the diversity of the stories she tells and the impact her work has on people across the state. Kealey is always searching for new ideas. Let her know of a great story! Find her on Facebook and twitter (@KealeySDPB).
Lee Strubinger is SDPB’s Rapid City-based news and political reporter. A former reporter for Fort Lupton Press (CO) and Colorado Public Radio, Lee holds a master’s in public affairs reporting from the University of Illinois-Springfield.