"Thinking outside the box:" guns, roads, education; education, guns, roads

The joint District 29/33 Foothills crackerbarrel in Piedmont brought the GOP super majority together to reconcile the rights of Black Hills residents to arm teachers, fix roads and fund nothing.

The funding formula, salaries, cuts and how well the students are being educated were all addressed, and Representative Jacqueline Sly says they are still looking for solutions. Representative Jacqueline Sly says, "We have to start thinking outside the box. If we want our small schools, and most communities, they want their small schools, but then we have to be willing to look at some of the possibilities to deliver that education so that kids are getting the best education, that they have a strong Chemistry teacher or a strong physics teacher or a higher level math teacher, so big discussions." Representative Dean Wink says that the funding system for roads is behind and this is the first year he feels the legislation sees the need for funding. [Jaclyn Seymour, Black Hills Fox]

In other Black Hills news: the fake pine beetle war continues while rewarding GOP donors.
GOP Governor Dennis Daugaard didn't announce free money for loggers in his budget, but GOP legislators who got campaign contributions from the timber industry are planning on making it an issue this session.

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