Fiscal responsibility or neglect of state priorities: Surplus sparks debate about budget cuts

Fiscal responsibility or neglect of state priorities: Surplus sparks debate about budget cuts

Now that South Dakota has finished its fiscal year with a $63 million surplus, some Democrats and people affected by budget cuts are criticizing the state’s Republican administration and legislative majority for slashing spending too aggressively. Falling sales tax revenues and rising Medicaid obligations drove lawmakers to enact targeted spending reductions in the fiscal year 2026 budget they adopted during the legislative session that ended in…