Legislators facing some difficult decisions on budget

YANKTON, S.D. (WNAX) – While states sales taxes for March in South Dakota were up 4.5 percent over last year, other revenues tumbled as the pandemic took hold. Total tax revenues to the state were down about $30 million dollars in April over a year ago.

Representative Jean Hunhoff of Yankton says legislators will have some tough decisions.

Hunhoff, a long time member of the Appropriations Committee, says state agencies are cutting back spending but that won’t be enough.

Hunhoff says legislators will have to find consensus on budget cuts.

Governor Kristi Noem has said she will call legislators into a special session, possibly in June, to deal with the falling revenues.