Education Dominates 2012 Legislative Session

Chairman’s Note: With bills concerning the hunting of muskrats to hiring out-of-state workers, the 2012 Legislative Session featured dozens of topics with a wide range of debate. But no subject sparked more controversy than the debate over education. Governor Daugaard pushed a radical education agenda that drew immediate opposition from folks of all political stripes. After growing disapproval threatened to topple his chief political priority of the session, Daugaard forced his education reform bill through the state house by one vote. Daugaard’s message to voters was pretty clear: your concerns don’t matter.