Air Date:02/08/2011
By Jackelyn Severin A bill trying to minimize the impact on cuts to school funding has passed the Senate Education committee. Senate Bill 126 maintains education funding at current levels. It also takes money from the Education Enhancement Trust Fund to pay schools back after three years. Republican Senator Mark Johnston is the main sponsor of Senate Bill 126. He says lawmakers need come up with a better way to fund education in the future. For now, Johnston says Senate Bill 126 gives the legislature time to address education funding and to fix the state’s budget problems. Democratic Representative Bernie Hunhoff also supports the measure. He says schools can’t absorb the ten percent cut proposed by Governor Dennis Daugaard. Hunhoff says, "I think it would do long term damage to our quality of life in South Dakota. To our schools, more specifically to the students themselves." Opponents of the measure say it doesn’t help fix the state's structural deficit. Also, they say lawmakers shouldn’t risk drawing down funds from the Education Enhancement Trust Fund. Senate Bill 126 passed with a vote of 5 to 2 and now goes to the Senate Floor. Right click to download audio.
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