In a legislative forum recently in Pierre, the District 24 legislators met with the Pierre School Board, and discussed several topics, including teacher salaries.
The biggest question, where to find the money for it, faces a hurdle, as Rep Tim Rounds points out. They just raised taxes:
One of the biggest concerns for the Pierre School Board was finding the $75 million.
“I think one of the biggest questions is whether you would support that $75 million being new revenue,” said Pierre School District Superintendent Kelly Glodt.
That, state Rep. Tim Rounds said, would be an incredibly tough sell.
“You have to understand that this legislature passed a massive tax increase last year,” he said.
Rounds was referring to a bill passed last year that raised some state taxes to pay for highway maintenance. Asking the same group of overwhelmingly conservative lawmakers to increase taxes again, he said, may not work.
Can legislators find that loose change in the couch? Or are we going to see a penny sales tax? And if so, who will put their name on the line for it?
If Rounds and others are concerned about adding a tax two years in a row, it seems to me the question the legislators need to ask themsleves is if funding for teachers is more or less important than funding for roads. One solution might be to level the playing field between education and the new tax money going to roads – introduce legislation that moves half the education need – say $37.5 million per year – from highway funding to education funding. Then introduce a second bill to generate new revenue to make up the difference, and split that revenue between the two. Under this scenario, you not only receive a favorable vote from the education people, but now you have the infrastructure people like the V guys Vehle and Verchio supporting it too.
Probably not. That’s why Russel’s proposal should get some interest.
The left in the Legislature is itching to raise taxes. The voters will have to settle the score in June.
How do we avoid an increase in property taxes if we take gambling revenue from property tax relief & give it to education ?
Mike: You must have been asleep as usual. You voted to get rid of the property tax reduction fund last year. The governor identified $80 million in new ongoing revenue during the budget address you must have slept through last week. WAKE THE HELL UP, WOULD YOU?
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Rich people spend a ton of money every year being rich. Poor people spend very little. Want to tax the Rich and find a ton of money? Hammer them with a sales tax and leave the poor homeowners alone.
worse than this next tax increase is medicaid expansion…that should be defeated first and foremost!
No! Teachers are a bunch of liberal union members and don’t deserve a raise. Quit the SDEA and become a true Republican and quit your belly aching!
I reject the comparison between roads and teachers. The taxes for road funding is static and needs to manually be raised to keep up with inflation. Not only that but with the bulk of the money coming from fuel taxes, we are seeing less gallons sold due to fuel efficiency rising but more miles driven on the roads.
Education funding on the other hand gets increases every year with the exception of Daugaard’s cut because of the economic downturn.
I agree with Charlie that everyone should be contributing to any increase, not just property owners.
Where the wheels are going to fall of this bus is schools will want the money but without strings. The only way the Legislature will pass this is under strict controls over how the money is spent. Then the exemption people will come out of the word work making an even bigger mess.
I give it a small chance this year particularly an election year.
It will be interesting however to see where the gubernatorial candidates come in on this. Mikkleson endorsed the panel’s recommendations which I assume means he is endorsing the tax increase. A very Sioux Falls position I might add. I’m sure they all want it settled before Daugaard leaves.
Baa Baa says the sheep . The budget address does not set any policy in stone . The legislature can still approve or disapprove any part of it including voting against the entire G-Bill . Of course some of you sheep will fall in line with anything that’s in it . Going back to sleep now .
Mike has never voted against a G-Bill. What was he saying about sheep falling in line? Must have been talking in his sleep/fog. There should be an age limit of 70 for Legislators, like South Dakota has for judges. But, I guess it is easier for the RINOs to operate when “conservatives” like Mike are asleep.
True I have never voted against the G-Bill , it’s too late then , but at least I have introduced amendments to it unlike you . Just sitting on your hands and complaining is not productive . Waiting till the end to vote no is just a protest vote and a waste , unless you want to campaign on that no vote to escape any responsibility and avoid doing your job .
Oh, I thought you were implying that you weren’t one of the sheep who vote for the G-Bill. My bad.
Regarding your amendments, please advise if they were protest amendments and a waste, or which ones passed and were enacted. Being a patsy for the left by voting for the G-Bill doesn’t make your valiant, failed amendments any more productive, does it?
By the way, campaigning as a “conservative” doesn’t make you one when you vote to take millions of dollars of stimulus and then bad-mouth Obama for increasing the debt.
Only an idiot would have voted against stimulus funds. Other states would have received our share so not only would we have cut our throats but paid for the surgery.
Only an idiot would vote to fund planned parenthood and then claim to be against planned parenthood, right?
So what if anything of magnitude I’m reading here is that for the terms of five Republican Governor’s South Dakota has not voted in a deficit once with the passing of the famed G-Bill. Good job Republican’s!!!!!!!!!!!
Charlie is another one who cannot comprehend what is going on, but at least Verchio has an excuse for not understanding what is going on.
I’m Crushed…………………waaaaaaaa
No you are not. You would have to have the last person you talk to you explain it to you right before you post something on this blog. You are very useful to the 2nd floor because of this trait.