Economic Development Spending Database Bill Killed
Air Date:01/25/2012
The House State Affairs Committee killed a bill requiring the state to provide an online database with information about loans, grants, or tax rebates given by the state for purposes of economic development.
Representative Bernie Hunhoff of Yankton is a prime sponsor of the bill. He says the office of economic development has done a lot in the past year to make information available to the public. But he says such measures need to be part of state statute so openness doesn't decline down the road or when a new administration comes in.
"We spend millions and millions of dollars on economic development and appropriately so, it's an important issue for the state of South Dakota," Hunhoff says. "But we also should know how much we're spending and why we're spending it and where the money is going. It's taxpayers' dollars."
Opponents say the state is already putting much of the information online. They also worry the bill is too broad and could have unintended consequences. The committee voted nine to four to defer the measure to the 41st legislative day, effectively killing the bill.
By Jenifer Jones
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