Legislators have been locked in conference committee meetings and two different full floor sessions so far today, which has produced interesting developments.   Here’s a rundown of conference committee decisions:   Senate Bill 15: Conference committee members increased the special education levies to a maximum of $1.552 per thousand dollars of valuation and state aid […]

Senators gave the final push to Senate Bill 233, which establishes a critical needs teaching scholarship and creates a trust fund program for student’s working towards a teaching degree in a critical needs curriculum area.   On a 35-0 vote, the Senate passed an amended version of SB 233 with $1.5 million attached. The bill

Senate sends on one-time funding   Senators passed a bill that appropriates one-time dollars for education on a 33-0 vote.   House Bill 1137 would appropriate $5.8 million to K-12 education, which would equal approximately $45 per student, $200,000 to CTE programs and $250,000 for the Teach for America program.   House Appropriations committee members

Levy bill hoghoused   Senators hoghoused House Bill 1239 on a 28-5 vote on Tuesday.   The original version of HB 1239 would have authorized school districts to set a tax levy at 30 cents per thousand dollars of taxable valuation for pension and health insurance funding purposes. ASBSD supported the bill.   The hoghoused

ELL funding bill survives   In a matter of hours, Senate Bill 159 received a reprieve.   Appropriators initially deferred the bill, which provides school districts with increased state aid for each Limited English Proficiency student, because there’s a provision in the recently hoghoused Senate Bill 235.   Committee members decided later in the hearing

The final week of legislative session got underway on Monday without a major decision made.   Last week, State Economist Jim Terwilliger and LRC Chief Fiscal Analyst Fred Schoenfeld presented appropriators with an updated picture of state revenue and a decision was expected on which set of projections to adopt. Appropriators, however, postponed the decision

The bipartisan bill aimed at enhancing economic development in South Dakota had its first hearing on Monday in front of the House State Affairs committee.   Senate Bill 235 would create the Building South Dakota fund, which would in turn establish the Workforce Education fund.   Thirty percent of the dollars in the Building S.D.

Members of the House of Representatives voted 52-17 to pass Senate Bill 194, which extends the provision allowing school districts to use capital outlay funds for certain insurance, energy, utilities and motor fuel costs to 2018.   “This is clearly an essential bridge as we work through these troubling economic times,” Rep. Scott Ecklund (25)

A lengthy debate on the House floor didn’t halt the progress of an omnibus economic development bill, which would provide funding for certain K-12 education programs.   Representatives passed Senate Bill 235, which would create the Building South Dakota fund, on a 56-13 vote. The bill received the 2/3 support it required.   Thirty percent