Press Releases

The chorus of Republican legislators signaling opposition to Governor Daugaard’s controversial education agenda keeps growing on the eve of a Senate Education Committee hearing of HB 1234 on Thursday. Will Senators in the Senate Education Committee join the groundswell of Republican opposition or cave to Governor Daugaard’s demands?

A cross-section of their opposition to HB 1234 is below:

Rep. Steve Hickey (R-Sioux Falls)
“Hands down HB1234, the education reform bill, is my least favorite. After much feedback and educator input it is substantially different from it’s original version and I voted for it last week only because the conversation needs to continue on the Senate side. We are assured additional changes will be made which means we’ll see it again in the House. Frankly, if the bill died in the Senate that would be fine with me.”

“Even so, if I had to vote today on the bill in it’s final form I’d vote no. Why? Because this conversation can’t happen in 33 days and the education community needs to be in the mix at the onset (in the same way the medicaid providers were in the middle of the Medicaid Task Force last year).” [voicescarryblog.com, 2.20.12]

Rep. Jim Bolin (R-Canton)
“This plan does not and will not measure up to its claims,” Bolin said. “It will not increase student achievement … and cannot be sustained financially over time.”

Rep. Jim Bolin, R-Canton, called it a “blunder” and a “classic example of a new big government spending program wrapped in a conservative package.” [Rapid City Journal, 2.13.12] Continue Reading »

After receiving thousands of emails, hundreds of calls, and dozens of questions at cracker barrels from constituents concerned about Governor Daugaard’s controversial education agenda (HB 1234), Republican legislators advanced HB 1234 despite even their own concerns with the measure.

This controversial distraction must end, says Democratic House Leader Rep. Bernie Hunhoff (D-Yankton). “With so many controversial and unproven ideas incorporated in this education bill, we need to set this aside and focus on fixing the problems we created last year by cutting education funding across the state.” The state legislature had frozen education funding for a year and then cut the state funding formula by 8.6% last year. Continue Reading »

“These amendments neither improve student achievement nor represent the will of communities across South Dakota. No matter how you cut it, six Republicans in a dead-of-night closed caucus in Pierre just do not represent the will of all South Dakotans. It’s time Republicans give up the education reform charade and instead focus on fixing the problems they created last year when they cut education funding by eight percent.

How much do South Dakota taxpayers spend on economic development? Nobody knows, and we’re not about to find out anytime soon because Republicans on the House State Affairs Committee killed HB 1108 this morning on a party-line vote.

“Killing the bill is a travesty,” said Ben Nesselhuf, the state chairman of the Democratic Party. “Given how much this administration talks about accountability, I thought they would looking be looking for opportunities to lead the way. Taxpayers have a right to know how we spend their money. Either Republicans don’t want to know how much we spend or they don’t think taxpayers deserve to the right to know how we spend taxpayer dollars.”

Continue Reading »

Despite mounting legal bills, Republicans in the State Legislature voted Thursday, January 19, 2012, to ignore attorney and court costs that may be associated with controversial bills. Continue Reading »

South Dakota Democratic Party Chairman Ben Nesselhuf released the following statement after former Governor and Congressman Bill Janklow passed away today:

 ”Whether or not you agreed with his politics, Governor Janklow offered real vision for our state and worked tirelessly to make South Dakota a better place. Without doubt, he will be counted as one of our state’s foremost leaders in modern history. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family.”

I’m going on record to thank Senator John Thune.

After weeks of deliberation, Senate Republicans including Senator John Thune joined Senate Democrats including Senator Tim Johnson to pass legislation halting a $1000 tax hike on every working family in South Dakota. They worked together to stop one of the largest tax hikes on working families in recent history.

But this Tuesday, December 20, 2011, Congresswoman Kristi Noem, together with House Republicans, rejected the bipartisan Senate effort to protect families from a $1000 tax increase. Continue Reading »

South Dakota Democratic Party Chairman Ben Nesselhuf released the following statement after Congresswoman Kristi Noem and House Republicans defeated the payroll tax cut extension that passed the Senate with overwhelming bipartisan support:

“Congresswoman Kristi Noem and House Republicans are playing politics with South Dakota pocket books. With Noem’s vote against the bipartisan payroll tax cut compromise that passed overwhelmingly in the Senate, it appears that the only tax breaks Noem will pass without condition are tax breaks for millionaires. It’s time Noem and House Republicans quit holding everyday South Dakotans hostage for ideological gain.” Continue Reading »