Happy June 1st!
Aside from it being my little sister Adrienne’s birthday, it’s also the day when we turn our cash registers ahead 1/2 a penny!
Today is the day that the South Dakota state sales tax goes up one half cent towards education, an issue that could prove to be one of the more prominent in next Tuesday’s Republican primary.
At least in one primary race, the issue is said to be crushing for the incumbent. In District 30, conventional wisdom says state senator Bruce Rampelberg may find himself out of office in part for his support of the measure.
District 30 was one of the unusual areas where most of their school districts ended up on the wrong side of the adjusted formula which put more money into teacher salaries, causing each district allegedly to have to fire teachers while giving only minimal raises.
Coupled with the Senator’s sponsorship with Democrats on measures in 2015 and 2016 to create a corporate income tax, many observers are saying that he is basically toast.
The issue has come up in other races, but it does not seem to have the impact it has had in D30.
According to reports from Watertown, the recent straw poll shows Solum getting thumped around by newcomer Neal Tapio.
I heard Solum was the deciding vote for raising the 1/2% sales tax but I am not sure. Anyone able to clarify that?
Depends how you define “deciding vote”. Every challenger tries to paint their opponent as the “deciding vote” on an unpopular issue. Similar to the way GOP challengers called every Dem Senator the deciding vote (or 60th) on Obamacare. The point is that had they not voted yes, the bill would’ve failed. The same could be said for Solum on the sales tax but whether he was the “deciding vote” depends on your definition. I doubt he was the last person Daugaard convinced to vote yes if that’s what they’re implying.
GOP legislators that voted for the tax increase are being well-paid by Daugaard in their primary races. Our supposedly pro-life governor gave money to pro-abortion candidates that voted the way he wanted them to, but not a dime to their pro-life opponents.