$43 Million In Cuts Proposed By Republicans

March 5, 2010

PIERRE, SD – The budget has been the talk of South Dakota’s legislative session for the past two months, but that talk has now turned into more than $40 million in cuts to state government.  With one week left in the session, Republicans released a list Thursday that lays out programs that could get cut in the next five days as lawmakers hammer out the final budget.

Nearly every area of state government will be touched by the proposed budget cuts because Republicans are calling for a two percent across the board cut. The only areas to be spared are K-12 education and Medicaid.  That move will save the state $7 million.

The biggest cost saving move would come if a bill passes that would reduce the refunds to state contractors for major construction projects. If that happens the Republicans say it would save around $11.5 million.

Around $8 million is also proposed to be cut out of other areas of state government including major purchases, travel, supplies, and a practice sometimes called ‘salary salvage.’  That’s a practice where a position that is budgeted for in a certain state department is not filled and the extra money is used by that department for other costs.

The Board of Regents and the state’s university system is slated for a more than $3 million cut.

The state’s tobacco prevention program would see more than $2.3 million cut from its budget.

The intensive meth program would see a $1.7 million cut under the proposal.

The Scho ol for the Deaf would see a $660,000 cut and the State Fair a $100,000 cut.

Democrats say they proposed a similar across the board cut at the beginning of the session. House Minority Leader Bernie Hunhoff adds the proposal shows what a wreck the state’s finances are in.