South Dakota Legislature Rejects Noem's $3.61M SDPB Funding Cut

The South Dakota Legislature's Joint Committee on Appropriations has unanimously rejected a proposal from former Governor Kristi Noem to cut $3.61 million from South Dakota Public Broadcasting's (SDPB) budget. The committee's decision preserves crucial funding for local programming and prevents layoffs that could have drastically reduced the staff from 76 to 26 members. SDPB's Executive Director, Julie Overgaard, emphasized that the cuts would have severely impacted services such as high school sports broadcasts, public safety announcements, and legislative coverage. Lawmakers from both parties praised the decision, highlighting the importance of SDPB for community engagement and transparency. The funding cut proposal elicited significant public backlash, prompting busloads of supporters to advocate for the network at the Capitol. The restoration of funding is seen as a vital support for maintaining the state's cultural and informational resources.