PIERRE, S.D. – Difficult decisions lie ahead.
That is the warning given by state Senator Ernie Otten.
He co-chairs the legislature’s appropriations committee and says the upcoming 10% cut to Temporary Assistance for Needy Families will not be the committee’s last difficult decision.
There are approximately 250 South Dakota families on the Temporary Assistance program.
They currently receive slightly more than $550 per month to help them make ends meet.
Following several years of prosperity, South Dakota legislators are dealing with declining sales tax revenues for the second year in a row.
These revenues serve as the primary driver of the state budget.
Derek Johnson, an economist with the Bureau of Finance and Management, briefed the appropriations committee on the most recent numbers.
At the same time, federal funding is being reduced, so the committee must deal with the consequences.
If revenues continue to fall and go too far, the legislature will be forced to consider revising the budget.
