Governor hopefuls tackle education

Talk about it

South Dakota governor candidates Scott Heidepriem and Dennis Daugaard disagreed Thursday on the wisdom of taking $26 million available in a federal jobs bill and offered different plans to increase state funding for education.

Heidepriem, a Democrat, said state government has grown too large under the eight-year administration of Republican Gov. Mike Rounds and Daugaard, his lieutenant governor. Heidepriem said he’d cut government to free up money that could go to K-12 education.

Daugaard said budget demands for Medicare have stifled efforts to increase education’s share of the state budget. He said his plan for economic development and jobs growth would re-fire the state’s economy and provide more revenue for education.

They appeared together in Sioux Falls, at a one-hour debate at the state convention of the Associated School Boards of South Dakota and School Administrators of South Dakota. Some of their sharpest exchanges involved the $26 billion jobs bill awaiting President Barack Obama’s signature. It would provide about $26 million for teacher jobs in South Dakota.

Rounds has said he’s not sure if the state will take the money because of federal regulations that might accompany it.

Heidepriem said it’s a good bill that doesn’t increase the nation’s debt.

“This is an administration that accepted all the revitalization dollars, $250 million to balance the budget over the last three years,” said Heidepriem. “This administration accepted $183 million earmarked for roads and bridges in the state of South Dakota, but when it comes to education this administration says no. Strings attached — we don’t want it.”

Daugaard said regulations yet to be written could force the state to spend money in ways not fiscally responsible. He asked if school boards would have to fire teachers hired or retained with the money if it’s not available next year.

“I am not willing to say that I will accept that money and spend it without knowing first what strings are attached,” Daugaard said. “I think that’s good government.”

Heidepriem frequently referred to the Rounds-Daugaard administration and said it was “status quo” in many of Daugaard’s responses to questions submitted from audience members.

Daugaard said at one point it was not his “duty” to defend Rounds’ budget. He said he doesn’t always agree with the governor but made a commitment when he became lieutenant governor not to publicly disagree with Rounds.

Tags: election 2010, dennis daugaard, scott heidepriem, news, state, politics, fccnetwork