House Updates Budget With SD WINS Program
Air Date:02/23/2012
The State House of Representatives passed a bill that updates the current budget due to situations that have come up since July, when the budget took effect. It happens every year, but a portion of this year's bill also adds five million dollars in general funds and five million dollars in other funds for the Governor's South Dakota WINS program. The ten million dollars will help bring 1,000 new workers to the state. Some Representatives, like Stace Nelson took issue with that part of the measure, saying that since the Governor's workforce initiative is a new program, it belongs in its own bill.
"Ten million dollars snuck into this bill for a new program? How many times have I been lectured, respect the committee process," Nelson says. "We've got to have a committee meeting for a bill or a resolution on a $100 mountain lion carcass. But we're not going to have an open committee meeting for the South Dakotans to come in and find out what's behind the curtain on a $10 new program? I cannot believe it."
An amendment to remove that portion of the bill failed with a vote of 26 to 41. Opponents of the amendment say there was plenty of time to discuss the components of the bill during budget hearings. The bill passed by a vote of 48 to 17.
By Jenifer Jones
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