PIERRE — A South Dakota legislator lacked evidence Wednesday for his claim that private school scholarships funded by tax credits save millions of dollars for state government.
After a heated discussion about K-12 education in South Dakota, lawmakers on the House Education committee voted 10-5 to pass Senate Bill 72 to the House floor. SB72, which increases the amount insurance companies can divert money owed to the state treasury into a scholarship fund from $3 million to $5 million, has already passed the Senate by a 25-7 vote earlier this month.
Opinion writer Jonathan L. Wharton remembers being 10 years old when he first met the late Lowell P. Weicker, Jr., whom he says was a rare political maverick who as relatable as he was aggressive.