Senate restores part of State Library funding with compromise; board eliminated under proposal

The South Dakota Senate passed House Bill 10-41 on final passage, approving a compromise that trims the State Library budget while retaining core services. The final roll-call vote was 34 yays and one excused.

Senator Vojta, the prime sponsor on the floor, said the enacted compromise reduced state funding less than the governor’s originally proposed cuts and preserved online databases, digitization and reference services, children's programs including summer reading, the Braille and talking book program, interlibrary loan services, and courier contracts. Vojta told senators the governor’s recommended cuts would have reduced general funds by about $1,030,267, cut $1,399,443 in federal expenditure authority and eliminated 12.5 full-time equivalent positions; the compromise trimmed the library budget by approximately $830,000 while keeping key programs operational.

During floor debate, Senator Smith asked whether the State Library Board would be eliminated; a staff member, Sarah Vorder, answered that the board would be eliminated under the proposal. Senator Smith, who identified a personal connection to libraries, urged vigilance to ensure the library system continues to operate effectively and asked the Legislature to monitor future governance changes. Senator Hulse asked whether local library services such as Wi-Fi support and room reservations would be affected; Senator Lapke (appropriations) said those items had not been part of the discussed cuts and he ‘‘would assume that that will not be affected.’'

Supporters argued the compromise restored funding and federal funds that would otherwise have been lost. The Senate adopted the bill on final passage; the president declared House Bill 10-41 passed.