Medicaid Expansion Not as Expensive as Noem/Rhoden Feared

Medicaid Expansion Not as Expensive as Noem/Rhoden Feared

Governor Larry Rhoden noted in his budget address yesterday that Medicaid has now overtaken K-12 as a share of the state general fund. But don’t blame Medicaid expansion: Before the pandemic, our general fund budget grew 4% a year on average. After the pandemic craziness, that growth jumped to 10% a year. But a big cause was rising inflation, which meant we had to allocate more to building projects and provide more for the Big Three. That growth…

Governor proposes ‘limited budget’ for SD that avoids big cuts but keeps school funding flat

PIERRE — Republican Gov. Larry Rhoden proposed a $7.44 billion state government budget Tuesday that would avoid big cuts but also hold South Dakota’s funding for schools, Medicaid providers and state employees flat next year. “This limited budget might seem like a challenge, but as I often say, I encourage you all to view that as an opportunity,” Rhoden told lawmakers during his annual budget address at the Capitol. The news comes as state spend…

Governor Rhoden Present Budget

{KXLG, Pierre, SD} Governor Larry Rhoden presented his first budget Tuesday, proposing no raises for teachers, healthcare providers, and state employees.