In Governor Dennis Daugaard’s State of the State address Tuesday afternoon, he laid out strategies to improve education in the state that will correlate to a stronger workforce. Representative Bernie Hunhoff says that has always been a goal of South Dakota’s Democratic Party, but doesn’t think the governor’s proposals go far enough to address the issue.
“Really the workforce development problem in South Dakota is related to poverty. The word poor is a four letter word you don’t hear out here very often. If you really track workforce development problems, it relates to that. We agree with all the efforts the Governor wants to make, but it really needs to start sooner. It’s really about prenatal care, which is something the Governor has supported out here, it needs to start with prenatal care for unborn children in at-risk environments, it needs to involve preschool, it strongly, as the Governor suggested, is related to K-12 public school system, which we’ve just devastated with funding over the last few years,” Hunhoff says.
Hunhoff says he’s glad technical education and investing in South Dakota’s youth are going to be part of the main agenda this session. He says any chance to work with the Governor on education and healthcare will make a happy Democratic Caucus.
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