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PIERRE, SD (KELO.com) — There was one final skirmish before lawmakers approved the budget. Senator John Carley argued that NPR and PBS programming carried by South Dakota Public Broadcasting is biased, and shouldn’t be supported by the state. He said, “If South Dakota Public programming has value, let it be funded by the people who value it through memberships, grants, private underwriting and donations they receive now. We’re not here to be the guarantor of a non-profit operator’s budget.” The effort to trim SDPB’s support by about $300-thousand was defeated.
The $7.5-million budget was approved even though some, like Senator Taffy Howard of Rapid City, were concerned about state spending growth, “All too often, the ending is the same. We leave here today expanding government at taxpayers’ expense.” The general appropriations bill now goes to Gov. Rhoden for his signature.
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