GOP legislators grilled at Hills crackerbarrels

The School of Mines hosted Rapid City's event.

Featured speaker Representative Jacqueline Sly spoke briefly on [funding] and says education affects everyone. Sly says, "I think we have real inequities in our funding formula that's just gotten to be a bigger and bigger spread. We have some school districts that have more money than what they need, so they're putting it away instead of putting it into students and teachers, and then we have some school districts, especially large school districts, they're struggling because they have not received that additional funding or small school factor that was put in place 20 years ago." [Black Hills Fox]

And in Sturgis:

State Representative, Tom Brunner said, "Well it's always good to have these crackerbarrels and a good turnout; certainly the Sturgis people are always engaged. I think one of the biggest concerns we hear is a lot of financial concerns, both Medicaid expansion, the new road taxes proposed by the governor and others and you know, we are a frugal state, we're faced with the responsibilities of divvying up a small amount of money and not without raising taxes and so it's the never ending challenge." Senator Gary Cammack (KUH–MACK) and Representative Dean Wink were also in attendance Saturday. [McKenzie Nelson]

More from the Rapid City Journal linked here.

Coverage of Aberdeen area legislator crackerbarrel linked here.

Next West River dates:

In the New Classroom Building at the South Dakota School of Mines from 9 to 11 a.m.
Saturday, January 31st

At Deadwood City Hall beginning at 9:00 a.m.
Saturday, February 21st

Spearfish: at the Black Hills State University Joy Center beginning at 9:00 a.m.
Saturday, February 7th
Saturday, March 7th

East River dates linked here.