Greetings District 18,

It is clear, even this early in the session, that the mood of the Legislature is more somber than last year. I believe this is appropriate given the difficult decisions we will have to make over the next two months.

With economic forecasts projecting only modest improvement over the next 18-24 months, combined with the fact that South Dakota will lose $70 million in stimulus money for FY 2012, it is crucial that the we pass a budget that is structurally balanced for FY 2011.