By Doug Kott | The Brookings Register
BROOKINGS — Some java, courtesy of Kool Beans, helped fuel a discussion of state isses at the Brookings Area Chember of Commerce’s legislative coffee.
The event was at the Brookings City & County Government Center on Feb. 21. State Sen. Tim Reed and state Rep. Mellissa Heermann of District 7, state Sen. Casey Crabtree and Reps. Tim Reisch and Tim Walburg of District 8 answered submitted questions from the audience at the event.
Angela Boersma served as moderator for the discussion.
Charter schools
The first item of discussion was a measure that would have provided public funding for charter school. The bill was voted down.
Reed said he voted against the measure because he believes with limited public funding the public education system should have a higher priority.
Crabtree agreed “This particular piece wasn’t about scbool choice this was really about public funds with private oversight and we’re not in a position to afford this right now.”
Data centers
The next question concerned protecting state residents from risign energy costs due to data center development.
Crabtree said that data centers provide an opportunity to create economic advantages — more jobs and more money for people’s pockets. Be he added that the state should not do it at the expense of electric payers and those who are using water resources.
“There’s 41 other states that have really opened up towards this kind of development and have done this. Some of them have done it better than others. Luckily when your the 42nd you can learn from those who did this before. Those that did it right and those that did it wrong,” he said.
He said he is encouraged by by the progresion of SB135, which provides protections to the consumers and also gives control of the development to local governments.
Sales tax
The panel also discussed the governor’s plan to allow counties to enact a sales tax in order to produce property tax reductions.
Crabtree said this one of a few measures in the Legislature aimed at property tax reduction.
Reed and Crabtree both said this plan would be more popular in larger counties but wouldn;t work well in smaller counties.
Big three
The lawmakers also discussed a plan to boost funding for “the big three” — education, Medicaid and state employee salaries — by 1%
Heerman said “We have had a lot of really. encouraging discussions around the amount for the big three. It’s in a tricky postitionrignt now because we’re still in negotiaiions with our friends in the Senate.:
She said she optimistic that the lawmakers should be able to manage at least a 1% increase.
Reich went back the data cener issue, saying theat developing he centers would go a long way to bringing in more funds. He said too many people are on the wrong side ot the issue. He said we need to be more open to new ideas for development.
“We need to resist buying into the propaganda that these things are eviL” he said
Capital outlays for schools
The lawmakers also addressed a proposed measure that would require schools to hold a public vote for capital outlay expentitures that exceed $50,000.
Reed said requiring an election for these projects make it too difficult for school boards to do their jobs.
Heermann, who spent six years on the Brookings Schol Board said these bills kije thsi one are an attack on public education. “School board members work really hard. They go door to door they have elections They get voted in just lke we do. And for us to sit in Pierre and say they cant do the job that we’v elect them to do is frustrating”
Walburg said our schools are doing a good job managin ccpital outlays and we shoud not tell them they are not doing their jobs. He said many of the efforts to curb capital outlay project come from out of state and don’t reflect the values of the state.
— Contact Doug Kott at [email protected].
Leave a Reply