(Pierre, SD) — A bill expanding a program providing scholarships for students to attend private K-through-12 schools is closing in on Governor Noem’s desk. The House Education Committee voted 10-to-5 to pass Senate Bill 72 to the House floor. Testimony became heated with lawmakers and education groups debating if the program opens the door to school vouchers in South Dakota. The bill increases the amount of money insurance companies can divert as a tax credit scholarship to a new cap of five million dollars. Opponents say low-income families are using the money to send kids to a private school they might not otherwise be able to afford.
