Governor's fascist WINS program tucked inside SB48, a bill to spend what the governor cut in 2012, and will SDWC and Bob Mercer take note

Remember last year's budget crisis in South Dakota where the governor wanted to push the reset button and cut 10% across the board? SB48, An Act to revise the General Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2012, had passed both chambers of the legislature. That's right, the so-called spending cuts are now being spent. On February 14, Sen. Hundstad was the only no vote. Yesterday it was on the House floor and the Rapid City Journal has some coverage:

Gov. Dennis Daugaard’s plan to spend $5 million [actually the bill will give the governor's office of economic development an extrta $10 million] to recruit 1,000 out-of-state workers survived a challenge Thursday on the floor of the House of Representatives.

Money for that program, part of the governor’s South Dakota WINS program, was included in a spending bill, SB48. But Democrats led by Rep. Bernie Hunhoff, D-Yankton, introduced an amendment to delete that funding.

Hunhoff said he wasn’t opposed to funding the recruitment initiative, but he believed it should be given a separate bill.

Rep. David Lust, R-Rapid City, said a separate bill wasn’t needed because the governor already has authority to enter into contracts, like what he wants to do with recruitment firm Manpower Inc. Lust said Daugaard simply needs money appropriated to pay for the contract.

Several other lawmakers said they wanted a special hearing for citizens to testify about whether money should be spent to recruit out-of-state workers for in-demand fields in South Dakota.

But most Republicans in the Legislature said the bill, with the Manpower contract funding, was fine. Hunhoff’s amendment was defeated 41-26.

Here are the representatives who supported the Hunhoff amendment:

Yeas:
Blake; Dennert; Feickert; Feinstein; Gibson; Hansen (Jon); Hawley; Hubbel; Hunhoff (Bernie); Iron Cloud III; Jones; Killer; Kirschman; Kloucek; Kopp; Liss; Lucas; Nelson (Stace); Russell; Schrempp; Sigdestad; Steele; Street; Tornow; Venner; Wismer

It was brought to my attention that the governor's office and the House leadership was putting huge pressure on the members to pass the extra spending. Here are the fiscally irresponsible members who voted against the amendment:

Nays:
Abdallah; Bolin; Boomgarden; Brunner; Carson; Conzet; Cronin; Deelstra; Dryden; Fargen; Gosch; Haggar; Hickey; Hoffman; Hunt; Jensen; Kirkeby; Lust; Magstadt; Miller; Moser; Munsterman; Novstrup (David); Olson (Betty); Perry; Romkema; Rozum; Schaefer; Scott; Sly; Solum; Tulson; Turbiville; Van Gerpen; Vanneman; Verchio; White; Wick; Willadsen; Wink; Speaker Rausch

This wasn't the only spending in SB48. There is another $20 million that is being put into a slush fund for Medicaid. Rep. Wismer proposed an amendment to cut that. Here were fiscally responsible members her supported her amendment:

Yeas:
Blake; Dennert; Fargen; Feickert; Feinstein; Gibson; Hawley; Hickey; Hunhoff (Bernie); Iron Cloud III; Jones; Killer; Kirschman; Kloucek; Lucas; Nelson (Stace); Russell; Schrempp; Sigdestad; Street; Wismer

And those who agreed to the extra spending:

Nays:
Abdallah; Bolin; Boomgarden; Brunner; Carson; Conzet; Cronin; Deelstra; Dryden; Gosch; Haggar; Hansen (Jon); Hoffman; Hubbel; Hunt; Jensen; Kirkeby; Kopp; Liss; Lust; Magstadt; Miller; Moser; Munsterman; Novstrup (David); Olson (Betty); Perry; Romkema; Rozum; Schaefer; Scott; Sly; Solum; Steele; Tornow; Tulson; Turbiville; Van Gerpen; Vanneman; Venner; Verchio; White; Wick; Willadsen; Wink; Speaker Rausch

Note these votes are not on the bill summary. I got the above votes from the Journal. The only vote from yesterday listed was the final passage og SB48:

Yeas 48, Nays 17, Excused 5, Absent 0

    Yeas:
Abdallah; Blake; Bolin; Boomgarden; Brunner; Carson; Conzet; Cronin; Deelstra; Dennert; Dryden; Fargen; Feickert; Gibson; Gosch; Haggar; Hawley; Hickey; Hoffman; Hunt; Kirkeby; Kopp; Lust; Magstadt; Moser; Munsterman; Novstrup (David); Olson (Betty); Perry; Romkema; Rozum; Schaefer; Scott; Sigdestad; Sly; Solum; Street; Tulson; Turbiville; Van Gerpen; Vanneman; Verchio; White; Wick; Willadsen; Wink; Wismer; Speaker Rausch

    Nays:
Feinstein; Hansen (Jon); Hubbel; Hunhoff (Bernie); Iron Cloud III; Jones; Killer; Kirschman; Kloucek; Liss; Lucas; Miller; Nelson (Stace); Russell; Schrempp; Steele; Tornow

    Excused:
Elliott; Greenfield; Jensen; Stricherz; Venner

All three votes should be on any scorecard worth its salt. This is how Democrats out score Republicans on scorecards that expose fiscal responsibility. Perhaps the Democrats real agenda is to instead spend it on education. Those votes is on HB1234, and the Democrats are getting a few conservative Republicans to vote no on that bill. So this session is really strange and unfortunately the media is not doing enough coverage on the fascist tyranny that now controls Pierre.

Most importantly, this bill is proof that the 2012 budget has a huge surplus built in last year. With the latest revenue forecast for 2012, that surplus is at least $100 million. SB48 is spending over $30 of that. So why are they not restoring those cuts from last year, instead of letting the governor spend the money? And will the SDWC stop repeating the lies and Bob Mercer start exposing the myth of the 2012 budget crisis.