South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem signed 14 more bills on Monday, including SB 210, the main state budget bill..
Noem had hinted she might veto the budget after lawmakers dumped her proposed repeal of the grocery tax in favor of reducing the full sales tax by 3-10ths of a point, cutting taxes an estimated $104-million dollars.
The governor says she appreciates the work of Finance and Management Commissioner Jim Terwilliger and his team on the budget and appreciates the legislature for funding her priorities “to maximize freedom and liberty for the people of the state.”
Among the other bills signed yesterday were HB 1016. providing $60-million dollars to build a new women’s prison in Rapid City, and HB 1017, $52-million to purchase land and pay for the design of a new men’s prison near Sioux Falls.
HB 1017 also transfers more than $270 million to the Incarceration Construction Fund for future construction of the men’s prison.
Noem pitched both prison ideas to the legislature last year and says she’s glad lawmakers have come around and agree with her that “funding new prisons is a public safety issue” as they “appropriately prioritized the security of South Dakotans.”
Governor Noem has signed 158 bills into law and vetoed 4 this legislative session. Three of the vetoes could be challenged next Monday when lawmakers return for the last day of the session.