Just two days remain in the main run of this year's legislative session. The governor is signing or vetoing bills that survived both chambers. Lawmakers are now turning their attention to the general funding bill.
The Joint Appropriations Committee is set to consider the massive bill that keeps South Dakota’s operations running. At 8 a.m. Thursday, lawmakers from the House and Senate begin combing through dozens of amendments to Senate Bill 187.
The budget begins July 1, 2014 for fiscal year 2015.
The general funding bill supports departments throughout state government, and it’s the mechanism legislators use to place a dollar amount on public education, health care, state program expenses and wages for public workers – among other obligations.
Once members of the Appropriations committee work through amendments to the general bill, they can pass the measure out of committee.
On Friday, lawmakers in each chamber of the Statehouse can debate and amend the bill on the floor before voting on it.
This year’s general bill totals more than $4 billion with revenue coming from the state, federal government and other sources for operations statewide.
The Legislative Research Council has the full numbers of the general bill listed online, and the South Dakota Budget and Policy Project hasposted proposed amendments in Joint Appropriations.