PIERRE, SD (KELO.COM) Teacher salaries in South Dakota would be held flat for a year under terms of an amended bill approved by the State House on Tuesday, as lawmakers struggle in tight times to balance the budget.
It's breaking a promise argued Democratic Leader Spencer Hawley during floor debate.
"We are willing to break our word again after we just went through this fight the entire session last year," said Hawley referring to the long struggle over raising the sales tax to raise teacher pay.
Republican David Anderson acknowledged there might be a promise involved, but sometimes promises are reluctantly broken by unexpected events.
"You promise your kid or your grandkid that you are going to take them to a ballgame or to do something fun and maybe on the way to the game you get a flat tire, or maybe the game gets rained out. You didn't want to break that promise," explained Anderson during debate.
The amended bill would delay for a year increasing the state's average teacher target salary to 48-thousand-985 dollars. The bill started in the State Senate so will have to go back there for a decision on this key amendment.
It is unclear what Governor Dennis Daugaard will think about this. He proposed a one percent increase in education funding, despite the millions of dollars in revenue shortfalls.