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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

Senators Approve Changes to FY14 General Appropriations Act

State Senators have approved changes to last year's general appropriation bill. House Bill 1040 considers newly acquired revenues, plus the unexpected needs of state agencies including health insurance shortfalls and equipment upgrades. Two amendments were proposed during floor debate Tuesday but failed. One sought to remove funding for courthouse improvements in three counties. Senator Larry Lucas says the amendment seeks to correct a wrong use of power.

“It’s just the procedure, the way we do them, it’s going to get us in trouble someday. It won’t probably happen this year, but someday, somebody’s going to challenge the fact that we amend the general year budget with a new funding project that hadn’t been started. It should not be revised in the general bill on something we hadn’t started and wasn’t put in there last year when we passed FY14. If we wanted it in there, then we should’ve brought a separate bill and passed it with a 2/3 vote, then it would’ve been appropriate and proper to have it done that way,” Lucas says.

The other amendment proposed almost $70,000 more to the JAG program that helps at-risk youth. The majority of Senators believe the JAG program is better addressed under the Fiscal Year 2015 budget. The legislation to amend last year's general bill passed the Senate with one dissenting vote.