Updated 4:40pm 3/9/18
The South Dakota Legislature approved a roughly $4.7 billion state budget that includes higher-than expected funding for education, Medicaid providers and state employees for the upcoming budget year.
The Senate voted 32-3 Friday to pass the budget as the main part of the 2018 legislative session came to a close.
Earlier, the House voted for the bill that sets state spending for the 2019 budget year.
The Legislature benefited from state tax collections projected to climb higher than Governor Dennis Daugaard anticipated when he proposed his budget in December.
The budget includes roughly $1.63 billion in general state spending, about $18 million above the governor’s proposal.
The approved budget includes funding increases of 1 percent for education, 1.2 percent for state employees and 2 percent for community-based providers and 0.5 percent for other providers.
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South Dakota lawmakers plan to debate the state budget before ending the main part of the 2018 legislative session.
Lawmakers are set to approve the state spending plan today before leaving Pierre.
Officials in February projected they will have more money available than Gov. Dennis Daugaard anticipated when he proposed his budget plan late last year.
The Legislature’s Joint Committee on Appropriations adopted a $1.64 billion target for the upcoming budget year 2019, up about $18.8 million from December.
That’s good news for teachers, Medicaid providers and state workers.
Sen. Larry Tidemann, co-chair of the panel, says education is receiving a 1 percent increase for budget year 2019 at a cost of about $7.2 million.
Lawmakers will return March 26 to consider gubernatorial vetoes.
AP
