South Dakota Governor Larry Rhoden suggested no increase in state education funding when he gave his Fiscal Year 2027 budget proposal last month (Dec. 2, 2025), saying schools have received 6.2% more from the state over the past eight years than what was required. Representative Will Mortenson of Fo rt Pierre isn’t happy with Rhoden’s idea of no funding increase for education, as well as state employees and government healthcare programs such as Medicaid, which, together, make up the state budget’s “Big Three.” https://media-cdn.socastsrm.com/wordpress/wp-content/blogs.dir/2626/files/2026/01/011326-sdleg1.mp3 Senator Jim Mehlhaff of Pierre was a member of the Comprehensive Property Tax Task Force that met throughout the summer. He anticipates several bills connected to how education is funded by the state will be proposed by members of that group, himself included. https://media-cdn.socastsrm.com/wordpress/wp-content/blogs.dir/2626/files/2026/01/011326-sdleg2.mp3 There’s a limited amount of money to go around, so Representative Mike Weisgram of Fort Pierre is unsure of how education funding will fair when the final FY27 budget is drafted. https://media-cdn.socastsrm.com/wordpress/wp-content/blogs.dir/2626/files/2026/01/011326-sdleg3.mp3 South Dakota’s 101st Legislative Session begins today (Jan. 13, 2026). Lawmakers have 38 days to get their work done. Weisgram is on the Commerce and Energy, Taxation and Retirement Laws committees. Mortenson is on the Judiciary and Taxation committees. Mehlhaff is on the State Affairs, Judiciary and Legislative Procedures committees and is also starting his second year as the republican party’s Majority Leader in the Senate. ...read more read less