After over two hours of sometimes emotional debate, the South Dakota Senate passed HB1182, the sales tax increase bill.
Senator Bill Van Gerpen of Tyndall said legislators had not yet looked under all the rocks, where there was money waiting….

Senator Scott Parsley of Madison said the Blue Ribbon Task Force set some clear goals for the legislature…

Senator Deb Soholt of Sioux Falls was co-chair of the Blue Ribbon Task Force. She closed out debate on the bill….

The vote was 25 to 10 in favor of the bill, one vote more than needed. The bill now goes to Governor Dennis Daugaard, who has said he will sign it.
The half-cent sales tax increase will raise over one hundred million dollars, with about sixty million going for teacher pay raises. About forty million dollars will be used for property tax relief.