A House education panel is recommending a budget committee not cut the state library budget.
The idea was first proposed in December by former-Governor Kristi Noem, who is now Secretary of Homeland Security.
The 64 percent cut to the state library would affect librarian training, access to databases and the interlibrary loan service.
State education officials say the cut is crucial to balancing the state budget.
“The bill is necessary as without these changes the projected budget cuts in this area, with the governor’s budget, become — essentially — unfunded mandates,” said Joe Graves, the South Dakota education secretary. “These budget cuts are part of the overall process of providing the people of South Dakota a balanced budget, which, of course, is a constitutional requirement in the state of South Dakota.”
A number of librarians from small towns across the state testified to the negative effects the reduced services from the state library would have.
Critics of the idea include Rep. Mike Stevens, R-Yankton, who called libraries the heart and soul of communities. Stevens said the head of education was proposing a $4 million school voucher program just a week earlier.
“We certainly have a budget process and budget problem this year,” Stevens said. “But I will just say this from my perspective — you don’t propose cutting the state library and even the South Dakota Public Broadcasting and instead propose new, ongoing programs. You don’t do that.”
Though the committee is recommending the cut not be included in the budget, the idea is not fully dead.
Currently, ongoing revenues are about $30 million lower than anticipated. Next week, lawmakers on the budget committee will set revenue targets. That is how much money the budget committee thinks the state will have through June 30, 2026.
Then, the budget committee will piece the next state budget together.
