Your Republican SuperMajority at Work...

reappropriating your money for whatever they deem... appropriate.

From SB203, here it is in black-and-white, how your Legislature takes money from designated funds because they think they know better than past Legislatures, the Federal government, and South Dakota voters:

SB 203

An Act to appropriate money for the ordinary expenses of the legislative, judicial, and executive departments of the state, the expenses of state institutions, interest on the public debt, and for common schools.

Section 32. The state treasurer shall transfer to the state general fund money from the education enhancement trust fund, the amount identified by notice of the state investment officer pursuant to § 4-5-29.2, for the Department of Education - state aid to education and technology in schools.

Section 33. The state treasurer shall transfer to the state general fund one million fifty thousand dollars ($1,050,000) from the telecommunications funds for the deaf and other disabilities.

Now to cover themselves on the Educational Enhancement trust fund they did add:

Section 38. No money appropriated for state aid to education in subdivision (2) of section 11 of this Act may be expended for any other purpose without specific legislative authorization.

Section 39. No money appropriated for state aid to special education in subdivision (3) of section 11 of this Act may be expended for any purpose without specific legislative authorization.

Note that Governor Rounds used the line-item veto on this. I guess King Marion thinks he has the executive privilege to spend our money however HE sees fit.

The Governor's highway-robbery-by-veto, striking 38 and 39 was upheld in the Senate. By a Republican party-line vote-- except for Bill Napoli, who voted with the Democrats because apparently Napoli's couldn't stomach it either.

The Republicans upheld it, so now it looks like this:

Section 38. No money appropriated for state aid to education in subdivision (2) of section 11 of this Act may be expended for any other purpose without specific legislative authorization.

Section 39. No money appropriated for state aid to special education in subdivision (3) of section 11 of this Act may be expended for any purpose without specific legislative authorization. >

District 32 Dem candidates, be sure and ask Gosch and Dreyer about this diversion of money.

They BOTH voted for these provisions.


I thought Gosch was an advocate for people with disabilities, but he hasn't been showing up at candidate events held at Black Hills Workshop and local disabled service organizations. And he voted for this, the taking of money specially taxed from our phone bills to enable the deaf community of South Dakota to participate in the life of our State. What's up with that?

Do they agree with this jerk who commented about the theft in the Argus today:

how many hearing people have video phones, and will the government pay for that?

I think and hope these guys are more on the ball than that. So why did they allow the money, which is collected specifically for the deaf, be used for other purposes? I'm baffled-- but believe we deserve an explanation.

Or, better: a replacement. Or two.

Please do right by the citizens of South Dakota -- and end the House super-majority by voting for your local Democratic legislative candidates.

We need to stop this kind of thing, which inevitably happens when one party is in power for too long.