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Legislative committee softens budget blow to SD State Library, but concerns remain

From left: Sen. Ernie Otten, R-Tea; Rep. Mike Derby, R-Rapid City; and Sen. Mark Lapka, R-Leola, listen to a budgetary brief in Pierre on Jan. 14, 2025. (Joshua Haiar/South Dakota Searchlight) South Dakota's main legislative budget committee softened the proposed cuts to the State Library on Thursday at the Capitol in Pierre, but library advocates said the cuts still go too far. The Joint Committee on Appropriations endorsed House Bill 1041 in a 16-2 vote, with the two votes against it coming from Reps. Erik Muckey, D-Sioux Falls, and Scott Moore, R-Ipswich. The original proposal would have cut $1 million in state funds from the State Library, cut the state Department of Education's ability to seek $1.4 million in federal funding for the library and laid off a dozen employees. Former Gov. Kristi Noem proposed the budget cuts during her December budget address in response to lower-than-anticipated revenues and rising Medicaid costs. State Library budget cut would hamstring local libraries, opponents say The changes made Thursday would rescue most of the programs that were proposed to be cut, said South Dakota Department of Education Secretary Joseph Graves, including most databases, access to interlibrary loans and 'adequate personnel to provide for the training and the promotion of the summer reading programs.' The department's ability to seek $1.4 million in federal funding would also be reinstated to help 'make the difference' in cuts at the state level, Graves said. The actual budget cuts are not in HB 1041, since they're embedded in the state's general appropriations bill. The legislation dissolves the South Dakota State Library Board with plans to cut about $825,000 in the library's budget and three-and-a-half full time positions. The library would retain 'standard oversight' by the library director and the Education Department, Graves said. He told lawmakers earlier in the week the changes would cut four databases made available through the State Library to public libraries across the state, including Ancestry Library, Fold3, HeritageQuest and Swank. The library will be able to keep a total of 17 full time positions, said Rep. Terri Jorgenson, R-Rapid City. The library currently has 21 employees. Jorgenson, who worked on the changes with the state Department of Education, said the changes are a 'way for us to save our State Library.' Muckey said that statement is 'half true' in an interview with South Dakota Searchlight after the meeting. 'I simply just want the bill dead so we can restore all the funding back,' he said. South Dakota Searchlight's Joshua Haiar contributed to this report. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE