Lawmakers pass budget
Air Date:03/11/2011
By Jackelyn Severin
South Dakota lawmakers have passed a budget for fiscal year 2012. Together with federal funds and other funds the state’s budget adds up to 3.9 billion dollars. The difference in general fund spending from last years budget is a reduction of over 40 million dollars.
The budget lawmakers have passed keeps in tact most of Governor Dennis Daugaard’s proposed cuts giving most government agencies a 10 percent reduction or more. However, lawmakers have lessened the cuts to Medicaid and Education which will both receive a reduction of around 6 percent. Corey Brown is the Chair of Senate Appropriations he says this budget is a compromise that addresses a 127 million budget shortfall.
Brown says, “Its not a perfect document but I do think its probably one of the better answers that we could have come up with and still eliminate the structural deficit for this state, have a fiscally responsibly way to approach state government and still do the things that we need to do as a state.”
Not all lawmakers are happy with the final result. Along with a few Republicans, all Democrats voted against passing the budget.
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