The piece of legislation that funds most of the operations in the state of South Dakota is on its way to the Senate floor. Members of the Appropriations committee Monday made a few changes before passing House Bill 1040. It funds South Dakota's government through fiscal year 2014, which ends June 30. The approval, however, doesn't mean the end of amendments to the funding bill.
House Bill 1040 is the general bill. It's pages and pages of long numbers, dolling out millions of dollars from South Dakota's general fund to ongoing operations across the state. From education to health, agriculture to public safety, the general bill is the fiscal lifeline for South Dakota.
Monday's half a dozen amendments in Senate Appropriations include some funds for the state's part in some courthouse upgrades, additional dollars for the Board of Regents' health insurance and funding to upgrade technology in the House and Senate chambers at the State Capitol. Balancing the budget is a complicated process, because every increase in one area requires an equal decrease in another part of the plan.
"Well, there's a lot of moving parts in this bill, and it's critical that they all kind of cling together," State Senator Larry Tidemann says.
Now House Bill 1040 moves to the Senate floor, where lawmakers can further amend the bill. Those changes can stem from priorities some lawmakers have that they want incorporated into the bill, and other alterations are a direct result of the latest revenue projections legislators receive.