South Dakota Democratic Party Chairman Ben Nesselhuf released the following statement after House Republicans passed HB 1234, Governor Daugaard’s controversial education agenda, over enormous public opposition.

“House Republicans sent South Dakotans a simple message today: your concerns don’t matter. Instead of listening to the concerns of parents, students, teachers, and administrators, Republican leaders forced through Governor Daugaard’s muddled, unfocused, and unproven education agenda over bipartisan opposition. There are no winners in Daugaard’s radical education agenda.”

HB 1234 was completely rewritten three different times this legislative session. The more the public learned about Daugaard’s education agenda, the more the public opposed it. The bill passed today on a razor thin 36 to 33 vote.