Lt. Gov. Michels on Education Funding
Air Date:02/25/2011
By Jenifer Jones
Lieutenant Governor Matt Michels says the Governor's office is receiving a lot of phone calls and emails from South Dakotans who want the leadership to balance the budget this year. He says the fact is that the state has a deficit of $127 million, ten percent of the general fund. Michels says it's important to remember that education receives several funding sources. He says on average, the ten percent cut results in about a 5.6 percent cut of total funding. He says bills in the legislature dealing with property taxes could bring the percent down even lower.
"So you're talking in the four percent range of cuts, originally when for the general fund it is a ten percent," Michels says. "Now the math isn't always that clear, candidly. But the bottom line is we need to have a discussion about facts. Not draconian discussions about how this ripping the heart out of these organizations. It is not. It is far from that."
Michels says he and the Governor will continue to work with appropriators to make the best decisions.
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