2 Broadcaster Press March 01, 2016 www.broadcasteronline.com House approves sales-tax increase USD PIKE Chapter for education and property tax cut Cycles For Life BY BOB MERCER State Capitol Bureau PIERRE – Without an aye to spare the state House of Representatives approved the governor’s plan to raise the state sales tax to 4.5 percent from the current 4 percent Monday. Gov. Dennis Daugaard wants to use more than half of the $107 million of estimated revenue for improving the average salary of South Dakota teachers to $48,500. South Dakota ranked last nationally in the most-recent data at just over $40,000. The legislation would dedicate 63 percent of the revenue to raising teacher salaries in school districts, 34 percent to be used for reducing general-education tax levies on property and 3 percent for raising instructor salaries at the public technical institutes. The tax increase needed a twothirds majority of 47 ayes in the 70-member House. Applause came from teachers and school administrators in the House gallery after the 47-21 outcome was announced. The legislation fell short Thursday on a 46-23 vote. Rep. Lee Schoenbeck, R-Watertown, used a procedural maneuver Friday to bring it back for a second debate Monday. He engaged in public remarks Thursday through Saturday disparaging House Republican leader Brian Gosch of Rapid City and House Republican assistant leader Steve Westra of Sioux Falls. On Monday, Schoenbeck found his entry blocked to the House Republican caucus meeting. Standing in his way were two of Gosch’s lieutenants, Rep. Kris Langer, R-Dell Rapids, and Rep. Don Haggar, R-Sioux Falls. Behind Langer and Haggar stood a member of the Highway Patrol assigned to the Capitol’s security detail. Gosch, Westra, Langer and Haggar were among the 21 House Republicans who voted against the Republican governor’s plan Thursday and Monday. After the vote Monday, a variety of other House Republicans who voted for the bill congratulated Schoenbeck in a side hall and in the cloakroom behind the House, shaking his hand and thanking him for his leadership on the legislation. Schoenbeck had made the amendment Thursday dedicating the specific percentages of revenue and adding the portion for the tech institutes. Two other key amendments that helped the bill’s passage came from Rep. Jeff Partridge, R-Rapid City, and Rep. G. Mark Mickelson, R-Sioux Falls. The Monday victory for Daugaard came as three House members changed sides. Two of the nays from last week, Rep. Scott Craig, R-Rapid City, and Rep. Joshua Klumb, R-Mount Vernon, switched to ayes Monday, while one of last week’s ayes, Rep. Dennis Feickert, D-Aberdeen, moved to nay. Feickert gave a short speech during the debate Monday, saying the additional one-half percent of tax would cost a farmer approximately $2,500 more for the purchase of a combine. He declined to say in his remarks how he would vote. The legislation, HB 1182, now moves to the state Senate. The sales tax has been 4 percent since 1969. Daugaard made the recommendation after receiving the report from the Blue Ribbon task force on teachers and students that he appointed last year. The panel looked at topics such as whether South Dakota has a teacher shortage, the relative salaries for teachers and school finances. Opponents of the tax increase repeatedly said in the two rounds of debates that they had a plan to pay for higher teacher salaries without raising the sales tax but they never attempted to amend their plan onto the governor’s legislation. Rep. Roger Hunt, R-Brandon, said Monday that South Dakota schools are among the top nationally in reserves but are last in the nation in teachers’ average salary. “We need to fix this system, this broken system that we have,” Hunt said. Rep. Jacqueline Sly, R-Rapid City, served as one of the co-chairs of the Blue Ribbon task force. She delivered the closing rebuttal Monday, saying the panel worked for months “addressing our broken system.” As she spoke, Mickelson walked a middle aisle in House, stopping at the desks of a few members who cast nays last week and checking one last time before the final vote. “This plan has widespread support throughout our whole state,” Sly said. “Our state knows we have a broken system. We have a way to work on that system.” Sarah Wetzel/For the Plain Talk USD Fraternities and sororities regularly help make a difference in national causes as well as local such as the PIKE fraternity's Cycle For Life event this past week. By Sarah Wetzel For the Plain Talk Members of the Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity participated in a national event this week to fund blood cancer research. “The Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity (PIKE) at the University of South Dakota hosted its sixth annual Taylor Trudeau Cycle for Life on Thursday, February 18 at the USD Wellness Center,” said Sawyer Stevens, Communications Director and freshman from Marshall, Minnesota in a press release. “This year’s fundraiser allowed the chapter to raise more than $1600 to benefit the M.D. Anderson Center for cures and research for blood-born cancers.” The PIKE brothers rented out the exercise bike room at the USD Wellness Center for the event. “You pay $10 and you get to go on the exercise bike for 30 minutes and then you get water, a granola bar and a sweat towel that says ‘Cycle for life’ on there,” Stevens said. “All the money goes towards Dr. N.D. Anderson’s inated Legislature to raise the state sales tax to pay teachers Blood Cancer research. He’s one of the foremost authorimore and to reduce property taxes. The most-conservative ties right now in that area.” Republicans in the Legislature are the hold-up this time. According to the event’s website, over 70 PIKE chapters They generally acknowledge teachers should be paid more. participated this year. They want to find the money elsewhere. The Legislature has “Many PIKE chapters participate because Taylor nine working days left in the main run of the 2016 session Trudeau was a PIKE who died unfortunately of blood and one day reserved at the end of March for considering cancer and his parents are the ones who spearhead the vetoes. event and work on it on a national level,” Stevens said. “We The simplest compromise might a smaller increase in the actually coordinate with Mrs. Trudeau through email as we sales tax. The rate has been 4 percent since 1969. Daugaard set up our event.” wants 4.5 percent. Going to 4.25 percent would raise about Though the event was open to everybody, most of the $53 million more. Daugaard wants about $63 million to raise attendees were USD students. teacher pay. The $10 million difference could come from “Unfortunately I don’t think we have as good a reach out within state government’s budget or from state reserves. to the community as we could,” Stevens said. “I wish we In many years, state government runs a small surplus that had more community participation because anybody can could cover most or all of that $10 million. And if you keep the idea from Rep. Jeff Partridge, R-Rapid City, to reduce the come and go on the exercise bikes and donate money to a good cause. It’s a very fun event. Mostly it’s by word of tax increase if and when state government starts collecting mouth or the posters we hang up. Being in Pi Kappa Alpha more sales tax revenue from remote sales – goods delivered we have a lot of connections to other fraternities and we into South Dakota from Internet and catalog sellers outside South Dakota – the tax increase has the potential to someday, get people from there who come and also the sororities gradually, go away. The proposed raise is a little over $8,000 are able to come to the event. Then we just catch a lot of people today just being in the wellness center because so on average per teacher. For a teacher making $32,000, that’s many students come through.” a 25 percent increase. For a teacher making the average of slightly more than $40,000, that’s a 20 percent increase. Though this was Stevens’ first year, the event seemed to Spread across 40 weeks of school, the $8,000 is $200 per go very well. week, or $40 per day, or $5 per hour. Five bucks is what the “I’ve been here since it started and with each 30 minute fight is about. session there have been few bikes left open so we’re almost at maximum capacity every 30 minutes which is very nice,” he said. “I like that a lot of people like to come here and bike. We have one member today who’s actually attempting to make 100 miles over the course of the day. We’re sort of People A better way to buy, sell or rent! sponsoring him.actuallywill pay $10 for his next 30 minutes instead of them biking.” Though biking is enjoyable, Stevens remembered the Connect with area landlords, whole purpose of the fun day. renters, home buyers and “We raise a lot of money here and nationally through the home sellers with the other PIKE chapters that goes towards research on blood Broadcaster classifieds! cancer then hopefully all that money will pay off eventu201 W Cherry ally,” he said. “Just this last month the doctor, Doctor Vermillion Anderson, the doctor who the money goes to, he published a paper and he’s making some very insightful findings and 624-4429 hopefully he’s getting one step closer every day. “I think because of how common it is some sort of cancer has worked its way into everybody’s life. Everyone knows someone who’s affected. It’s a progressive disease. Total Support New Memory Foam Everyone is aware how it can take lives and how dangerous Colors Available Orthotic quality arch & heel support it can be and how frightening it can be for the families and Canvas Slides the people who contract it. I would just hope that everybody is encouraged to spend that extra buck here or any Men Men of the other fundraisers for cancer or research just to use Women Women some of the extra funds they have lying around instead of Boston Shoes to Boots 312 W. 3rd Yankton • 665-9092 themselves and pay it forward so someone can have a cure someday.” It would seem that the PIKEs have a good start. “The Taylor Trudeau Cycle for Life Foundation has donated $250,000 to Dr. Dean Lee at the University of Texas Repair & Remodel MD Anderson Cancer Center,” reads the event’s website. “On May 1st the Pediatric Oncology waiting room was dedicated and named the Pi Kappa Alpha Taylor Trudeau Cycle Carpentry, Interior for Life waiting area.” & Exterior, Painting, According to the press release, third-year Kinesiology/ Refinishing, Drywall, & Sports Medicine major and Pi Kappa Alpha President KC Ceramic Tile Herman, is proud of the efforts of his brothers and the community. “From the USD community to the Vermilion 17 Years In Business community, we are happy and grateful to have so much Free Estimates participation and support,” Herman said. “We cannot thank FREE ESTIMATES you enough for the difference you are helping to make.” To donate to this cause visit www.taylorcycleforlife.org. Can five bucks buy teacher happiness? BY BOB MERCER State Capitol Bureau PIERRE – Raising the state sales tax to pay teachers isn’t proving as easy in the Legislature this year as raising taxes and fees on motor vehicles and fuels was last year. We can see when a highway or a bridge needs work. We don’t see how many teaching applications our school offices don’t receive. The question raised by legislators who don’t want to raise the sales tax is simple: What will we get for our money? The answer isn’t as simple as more miles of resurfaced highway or bridges replaced. There isn’t a guarantee that more people will want to teach in our public schools. If the governor’s proposed tax increase fails in the state Senate in the coming days, it will fail over that question. The South Dakota Constitution requires a two-thirds majority in each chamber of the Legislature to raise or create a tax. There clearly are more legislators who want to raise the sales tax than those who don’t. The two-thirds majority is the hurdle. Among the 35 senators, there appear to be nine or 10 who would vote against the tax increase and possibly another three or four. Twelve would prevent the tax increase from passing in the Senate. Last year, the tax and fee increases for roads and bridges finally won approval because Gov. Dennis Daugaard finally agreed with the Legislature that more money was neede Daugaard had been the hold-up in the past. This year, Daugaard is out front, a Republican governor asking a Republican-dom- If you don’t get the word out about your business, no one else will!!! We’ve Spotted bp Since 1934 Broadcaster Press Romsdahl’s 605-670-2161 605-670-2161 If You Read This... You Know Advertising Pays! Call the Broadcaster at 605-624-4429 or stop by to place your ad today! 201 West Cherry St Vermillion, SD 624-4429