PIERRE, SD (KELO.COM) The 2017 State Legislative session ended late Friday, in a rush of votes and bill signings.
State House and Senate approved an approximately $4.5 billion no frills state budget. Budget writers were able to squeeze out tiny .3 percent increases for education, health care, and state workers. But the budget is a real belt tightener because of lower-than-expected tax revenues.
It was writer's cramp at Governor Daugaard's office. He signed well over 40 bills into law on Friday, including on two hot button social issues.
One new law will toughen penalties for aborting an unborn child capable of feeling pain. The other would allow faith-based adoption and foster care agencies to refuse a child to a single parent, unmarried couples, or same-sex couples. It quickly drew fire from the South Dakota ACLU. The civil liberties group called it discrimination involving taxpayer dollars.