Rep. Drew Peterson on the Governor’s Budget Proposal

@SoDakCampaigns

From Facebook, State Representative Drew Peterson discusses the Governor’s Budget Proposal, and what it means for education, and South Dakota:

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When the ag economy slows—like grain farms in eastern and central South Dakota—the state economy feels it too, and this year is no exception.

The Governor’s proposed budget includes no increases for healthcare, state workers, or K-12 education after a small 1.25% increase last year. I’ll be talking with schools about how to manage this shortfall, but I’m hopeful we can find a way to support both schools and state employees before the budget is finalized in March.

On a positive note, tech schools saw good news with proposed funding for a new manufacturing facility at Southeast Tech.
Rural ambulance and EMS funding remains in crisis, with reimbursements far below costs—and no new proposals in the Governor’s budget. I’ll keep working on solutions that don’t raise property taxes.

You can review the full proposal here: bfm.sd.gov/budget/Budgets.html

23 thoughts on “Rep. Drew Peterson on the Governor’s Budget Proposal”

  1. I wouldn’t support an increase to our K-12 education until they drop all the DEI programs and increase the performance levels.

    1. Where and what schools are these DEI programs being taught and implemented in South Dakota? Here are the latest press releases from our 2 big national standardized tests in South Dakota.

      Results of the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) were released last week. Known as the Nation’s Report Card, NAEP is a nationwide assessment of reading and math administered to students in 4th and 8th grades across the United States every two years.

      Scores indicate that students in South Dakota outperformed the national average in 8th grade reading and math, as well as in 4th grade math. Fourth grade reading scores in South Dakota were equal to the national average.

      “These tests are a good measure of where we are compared to the rest of the nation,” said Secretary of Education Joe Graves. “In that regard, South Dakota students are doing well. But our work in education is never done. That’s one of the reasons we launched our statewide literacy initiative, which focuses on teaching reading using the proven concepts of the Science of Reading. In the long term, we believe this effort will help to boost test scores – but even more importantly – literacy among our next generation.”

      Compared to South Dakota’s scores from 2022, math scores have remained the same for 8th graders, and they improved slightly for 4th graders. In reading, scores dropped for both 4th and 8th grade students. Other points of interest for 2024 NAEP scores include:
      • The percentage of 4th grade students in South Dakota who performed at or above NAEP Basic in math is 79 percent; 42 percent of students performed at or above NAEP proficient.
      • The percentage of 8th grade students in South Dakota who performed at or above NAEP Basic in math is 71 percent; 33 percent of 8th grade students performed at or above NAEP proficient.
      • The percentage of 4th grade students who performed at or above NAEP Basic in reading is 60 percent; 28 percent of 4th grade students performed at or above NAEP proficient.
      • The percentage of 8th grade students who performed at or above NAEP Basic in reading is 70 percent; 29 percent of 8th grade students performed at or above NAEP proficient.

      1. Kristi said that they are teaching the DEI programs and people should send their kids to private or home school where they will get a good education and be taught those great South Dakotain values while receiving that Hillsdale education like Skippy.
        Then your kids will not have to be around kids of color, poor kids, kids with medical issues, and those pesky Democrat kids.

        WTH Rhoden,time to pull up your britches and lead.

        1. “Those pesky Democrat kids”…who make us think…or worse, make us feel guilty for not thinking of anyone else…

          1. Nah, the pesky Democrat teachers who force their shortsighted, misguided evil views onto our children.

            “Trans people have a 50% suicide rate? Let’s push it onto our kids and pretend it isn’t backwards and evil.”

            Because nothing makes me want to pull out my wallet faster than knowing my kid is going to be indoctrinated into thinking they’re someone they’re not.

            If Democrats want us to take them seriously, they need to drop this LGBTQ Indoctrination garbage. Trans people are victims of a mental illness that they struggle with, and Democrats have taken the side of the illness rather than the cure.

            How many more trans suicides are we going to endure before we wise up and acknowledge it for what it is: a desperate attempt to escape from one’s self. Typically the product of traumatic events and dissociation. When these kids find out the hard truth that they can’t escape who they are, they have one option left for escape, and Democrats seem only too intent on cravenly expediting that process. Every single thing about it is morbid, shameful, and disgusting.

            They know they’re in the abyss, they don’t care. They want all of us in it with them and until that crab barrel mentality is put to an end, I don’t cede an inch to any leftist institution at any capacity.

            1. You may be in the incorrect forum. This is South Dakota War College. Based on your comment I believe you may be looking for the New York War College site?

            2. Bear it looks like you need to hibernate. When you wake up in the spring, get out of the den. Get food, fill that tummy up and stay off the internet and those crazy websites plus Fox news. Get out and talk to real people.

    2. South Dakota’s high school 2025 ACT scores outpaced the nation once again, with the state’s average of 21.0 surpassing the national average of 19.4.

      South Dakota Secretary of Education Joe Graves said in a news release: “These numbers reflect what we know to be true – that South Dakota students who take the ACT are well-prepared to move on following their K-12 careers.”

    4. Anytime someone says “DEI” in this kind of statement, it really shows that he person doesn’t understand what “DEI” actually means. You’re basically just saying “don’t teach kids about anything other than whitewashed history.” Just say it.

      1. It’s the echo chamber he runs with. It’s not even about whitewashing history with these folks. When you look at SD test scores, they compete very well at the National Level. If you pull out the Native American reservations, the Special Education Kids, the non-english speaking kids and the foster children in Public Schools, SD would dominate the nation. The problem with statements like Santana’s is that anytime you try to throw resources at the Reservations and Non-English speak kids to try and improve outcomes, it is considered DEI. Santana will also not mention that her almost 1/4 of the transgender youth choose homeschooling, a rate 7-8 times higher than traditional non-trans homeschoolers. Maybe this is because DEI isn’t supporting them in a Public School setting?

    5. This. This right here is exactly why our state government and Republican party is in shambles. There is a segment of people, with by far the loudest voices, who have an agenda and believe anything they hear as long as it fits that agenda without doing any of their own research. Were not far off from believing that “Brawndo has what plants crave.”

    6. John the only DEI I am aware of is that legislator up in District 3 being a major liability along with their other legislative delegation and costing them money and opportunities along with the state.

      Is there another DEI? If so, can you give specifics and provide proof and a link for here in South Dakota? Plenty of misinformation and disinformation out there unfortunately.

    7. Word on the street up there in the Hub city is that plans are in the works to retire the legislator “DEI” at the ballot box in 26.

    1. Gee those pipeline taxes and inputs costs might have come in pretty handy about now. Construction workers coming in and few of them actually enjoy it here and put down roots adding to the economy. All politicians want to help farmers and ranchers wow maybe the pipeline would have helped farmers with a market for corn. Hell,it would even made the air we breathe cleaner. South Dakota ____ in its own nest and Rhoden dug the hole.

  3. Rhoden doesn’t want to get elected very badly.

    Larry has very few people around him that want him to win.

  5. Are you seriously not sure why the South Dakota agricultural sector is sucking hind tit? Can I get a T? A? R? I? F? F? S? What does that spell? TARIFFS? Who do we have to blame for that? Scott Bessent and Donald Trump?

      1. Funny considering pits are among the dumbest breeds and most likely to kill/maim when they attack.

    2. Shhhh we can’t acknowledge that – we have to “hope” that the President’s negotiations are “successful”.

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