The US Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, chaired by South Dakota Senator John Thune, held a hearing on the Lifeline program. That is a program that uses federal subsidies to help pay for telephone and broadband services for low income people.
South Dakota Public Utilities Commissioner Chris Nelson testified before the committee…..

Nelson says state regulators have to stay involved in the implementation of the program…..

Nelson says the program, which spent over one point five billion dollars last year, has to be constantly monitored…..

Program costs were cut over one billion dollars over the past few years.