(Pierre, SD) — Kristi Noem is covering a lot of ground with her 2025 budget address in what is likely to be her final one as South Dakota governor. Noem said the state’s finances are now tighter heading into next year. Although she used the word “reductions,” Noem proposed financial cuts to some departments, including South Dakota Public Broadcasting and the Board of Regents. She recommended increases of one-point-25 percent for education, health care and state employees. However, that’s significantly less than the four percent that lawmakers had approved for this year. The governor also proposed establishing school vouchers with four-million dollars, also known as Education Savings Accounts, for students during the upcoming legislative session. It was met with strong opposition following the address in a social media post from the South Dakota Education Association. Noem is expected to resign next month as she’s President-elect Donald Trump’s choice to be the Secretary of Homeland Security.
