Democratic Leaders Call For Responsible Government

Leadership seeks cap on state bureaucratic growth

PIERRE – Democratic legislative leaders today (Thursday) said they are working to install a cap on the annual growth of state spending to three percent or less.

Sen. Scott Heidepriem, D-Sioux Falls, the Senate Democratic leader, said similar growth restrictions that state laws have imposed on public school districts should be imposed on state government. For several years, the state has restricted school budgets to live within a spending growth cap of 3 percent or the increase in the consumer price index, which ever is less.

“The growth of state bureaucracies under the current governor has been dramatic,” Heidepriem said. “We’re introducing legislation to put the brakes on this governor’s spending and hold state government to the same standard that the governor and the state legislature have imposed on local governments.”

Heidepriem said such a measure is needed to show good faith toward school districts that have relied on uncertain support from the state budget while being forced to live within state-enforced spending caps. He said taxpayers are facing a national recession, and they are looking to state leaders to demonstrate fiscal restraint.

“Leadership starts at the top, not from the bottom to the top,” Heidepriem said. “For years, state politicians have dictated fiscal restraint to school districts while underfunding their basic needs. Meanwhile, they have passed one record-sized budget after the other.

“It’s time for a change. We think the governor and the legislature should be able to take their own medicine and we think taxpayers deserve to witness this kind of fiscal responsibility at the top.”

Rep. Dale Hargens, D-Miller, the House Democratic leader, said inadequate state funding of schools and the flat economy in South Dakota have forced school districts and county and municipal governments in his legislative district to tighten their belts. He said the governor sends two different messages when he seeks forced consolidation of small school districts and cuts to growing school districts while saying South Dakota’s economic development programs are succeeding.

“When I ask people if they’ve seen the fruits of Governor Rounds’ prosperity programs in their localities, they say they haven’t seen it,” Hargens said. “Most folks tell me that it’s time fiscal reality came to Pierre and the governor’s office. They have seen this governor purchase new airplanes and build a $3 million new mansion.

“Now, they want to know if this legislature can live within the rules it makes for their local schools and tighten its own belt on state spending.”