Democrats Prepare State Spending Proposals
Air Date:01/14/2011
By Kealey Bultena
Lawmakers in Pierre are wrapping up their first week of the legislative session. Senators and Representatives are in the process of drafting bills.
House Minority Leader, Representative Bernie Hunhoff, says Democrats are working on a long list of bills. Hunhoff says he’s putting together two pieces of legislation now. One holds the state to the same standard as education: limiting spending to three percent or the rate of inflation, whichever’s less. The other, he says, offers a long term plan for South Dakota spending.
"It limits state spending to ninety-nine percent of projected revenue. Now that’s exactly what any business, any household, would do. Clearly if you’re in business, you can’t spend more than you’re taking in every year on projected revenues. It’s really a simple piece. I don’t suggest that we put it in the Constitution. Let’s just put it in the statutes so that we’re all saying together, this is common sense, this is where we ought to be going," Hunhoff says.
Hunhoff says having those proposals in the last eight to ten years would have prevented South Dakota’s current financial strife.
Member stations download audio file here.
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
