(Sioux Falls, SD) — Governor Larry Rhoden is unveiling a South Dakota Highway Patrol expansion in the Sioux Falls area. Rhoden said Friday it’s the only agency that has not expanded locally at all in the last 25 years. This was a big concern for him to try and resolve, noting Sioux Falls has grown more than 70 percent during that span. Eight troopers and one sergeant will now be added to the South Dakota Highway Patrol to serve around the city, joining the 27 current members working in the area. The funds for the expansion would come from the State Highway Fund, which collects revenue from vehicle registrations and the state gas tax. A one-time cost of roughly one-million dollars and ongoing costs of around one-point-four million will be needed. The proposed expansion still has to go through the appropriations process in the state legislature in order to approve the funding.
