Community
Budget Issues To Be Main Focus Of S.D. Legislature
 |
| Dave Owen, president of the South Dakota Chamber of Commerce and Industry, discusses issues that are expected to highlight the upcoming legislative session during an informational meeting held at Minerva’s in Yankton Friday. Owen predicted that money issues will dominate the session as lawmakers face a “budget crisis” while trying to find the funding for everything from education to infrastructure repair. (Kelly Hertz/P&D) |
By Travis Gulbrandson
travis.gulbrandson@yankton.net
Budgetary issues will be the main focus of the upcoming South Dakota legislative session, according to Dave Owen, president of the South Dakota Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
“I’ve got a hunch we’re going back to a budget crisis this year,” he said. “I don’t think it’s what, I’m not sure it’s how. I think it’s how much.”
This is what he said during a talk sponsored by the Governmental Affairs Committee of the Yankton Chamber of Commerce that was held at Minerva’s Friday afternoon.
Owen said the budget would find its way into several of the big issues during the session.
“The first one will be the budget, the second will be the budget, the third will be the budget as it relates to school funding, the fourth will be the budget as it relates to highway funding,” he said.
Owen said both local governments and the state government could end up spending millions on highway funding alone.
He said that according to information he received at a meeting earlier this week, “Local governments probably need to spend about $117 million to keep up. The state needs to spend about an additional $90 million.”
To cover these costs, Owen said South Dakota residents may expect to see higher taxes on several fronts, including license fees and gas taxes.
Owen said school budgets would also be up for discussion.
“Even though it’s going to be a tough budget year, school funding is always part of our dialogue in the Legislature,” he said. “It should be part of our dialogue in the Legislature. It’s the most important.”
Funding for technical schools may also be examined.
He said, “All the money really comes from tuition and anything else the state chooses to chip in. The local school board approves the budget, but doesn’t really have a lot of impact on it. … They’re going to try to figure out if there’s a way to take those technical schools and make them have a more cohesive presence in the state budget.”
Another issue Owen said South Dakotans could expect to see up for debate is the initiative process, pertaining to those who donate money toward getting initiatives passed or defeated.
“We are not looking to diminish, to weaken the initiative process,” he said. “But honestly, I just got done going to a whole bunch of people who wrote fairly large checks for Initiative 10.”
Owen said that when those individuals and groups file their taxes at the end of the year, the state will be able to see more clearly if special interests were involved.
“If you’ve given more than half your annual budget to a ballot issue committee, then you are a ballot issue committee,” he said.
“I’ve got a hunch we’re going back to a budget crisis this year,” he said. “I don’t think it’s what, I’m not sure it’s how. I think it’s how much.”
This is what he said during a talk sponsored by the Governmental Affairs Committee of the Yankton Chamber of Commerce that was held at Minerva’s Friday afternoon.
Owen said the budget would find its way into several of the big issues during the session.
“The first one will be the budget, the second will be the budget, the third will be the budget as it relates to school funding, the fourth will be the budget as it relates to highway funding,” he said.
Owen said both local governments and the state government could end up spending millions on highway funding alone.
He said that according to information he received at a meeting earlier this week, “Local governments probably need to spend about $117 million to keep up. The state needs to spend about an additional $90 million.”
To cover these costs, Owen said South Dakota residents may expect to see higher taxes on several fronts, including license fees and gas taxes.
Owen said school budgets would also be up for discussion.
“Even though it’s going to be a tough budget year, school funding is always part of our dialogue in the Legislature,” he said. “It should be part of our dialogue in the Legislature. It’s the most important.”
Funding for technical schools may also be examined.
He said, “All the money really comes from tuition and anything else the state chooses to chip in. The local school board approves the budget, but doesn’t really have a lot of impact on it. … They’re going to try to figure out if there’s a way to take those technical schools and make them have a more cohesive presence in the state budget.”
Another issue Owen said South Dakotans could expect to see up for debate is the initiative process, pertaining to those who donate money toward getting initiatives passed or defeated.
“We are not looking to diminish, to weaken the initiative process,” he said. “But honestly, I just got done going to a whole bunch of people who wrote fairly large checks for Initiative 10.”
Owen said that when those individuals and groups file their taxes at the end of the year, the state will be able to see more clearly if special interests were involved.
“If you’ve given more than half your annual budget to a ballot issue committee, then you are a ballot issue committee,” he said.
Copyright © 2009 - Yankton Press & Dakotan