Federal Funding may Help SD
Local News
by
stephanie Bushera
last edited on
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Funding for the state budget is still unclear.
Recently the US Senate passed a bill that could help South Dakota pay for one of the biggest expenses, Medicade. With the National Health Care Reform Bill taking center stage in the House of Representatives, Senator John Thune says he is unsure when and if the Medicade Funding Bill will move through the other branch of congress.
Thune says the federal Medicade funding will help states like ours during this tough budget year, but he urges lawmakers to remember these are just one time funds.
Thune says, "Everybody's got to deal with their own budgets and the state government the legislature are all doing it the best way they can. I think there will be some of this legislation and funding coming from Washington DC in the form of Medicade payments and I'm not sure the timing of that and it doesn't address some of the long term issues that the state of SD is facing in regard to its budgetary situation."
State lawmakers are on a legislative break until the last Monday in March when they will go back to Pierre for veto day and try to pass the state budget.